All Educators:

Town Square accounts come with some great benefits for early childhood educators.

Corkboard: See a great recipe or activity idea? Hold on to it easily with your corkboard, then revisit it any time you want.

Journal: Want to keep a professional log of your reflections? The Journal is an easy way for you to track your thoughts and keep notes.

Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin Educators: 

Town Square has resources for you specific to your state. Whether it’s information about your Quality Rating and Improvement Systems or resources that specifically refer to your Early Learning Standards or Licensing regulations, you need to sign in to see them.

Create your account today to try it out!

It doesn’t happen often,but for the days that all of the children are resting at once, it’s worth making a professional development binder with articles and resources that you would like to spend time thinking about but are not urgent.

Your professional development binder can be used for you and your staff members as you find information that’s relevant. It may be worthwhile to also include some blank pages after each article to use for your or your staff reflection or communication.

Materials:

You don’t need much to get started, just access to a printer and a three-ring binder, and pencils or highlighters for your own notes. Alternatively, you can create a shared digital document using Google Drive (free!) or any other internet-enabled word processing software.

Be sure you’re getting staff buy-in by providing articles on topics they’ve expressed interest in and invite them to add resources as well.

Of course, Town Square articles are here to support you, but here are some more great resources:

Resources | Ooey Gooey

Topics: Community Playthings

Teacher Tom’s Blog

Playvolution HQ | Creating & Curating Early Learning Resources

Everyday Education – National CACFP Sponsors Association (resources for food allergies, nutrition and safety!)

Home – Janet Lansbury

Be a critical consumer:

When you read, ask yourself the following questions:

Often families, especially for their first child, are worried about sending their baby to group care, having absorbed the idea of a single primary caregiver being the ideal. But Babies in Groups: Expanding Imaginations, by Ben S. Bradley, Jane Selby, and Matthew Stapleton, is a painstakingly researched book demonstrating how infants are socially engaged and engaging creatures from birth, and from six months can observably take pleasure in interacting with other babies. This article from The Conversation offers some of their findings, and would make a great addition to your enrollment packet!

Worried about sending your baby to daycare? Our research shows they like being in groups (theconversation.com)

For reflection:

How do the babies in your care participate in the group?

In what ways can you facilitate their participation?

Has this article changed the way you see their interactions?

This printable PDF can be used to help you reflect on your program when you’re starting to notice building frustrations. Take the time to reflect and use the questions as writing prompts as they resonate with you.

Designing Your Solution

Last week, Senator Casey introduced another CACFP bill to the US Senate.

This bill partners with the Early Childhood Nutrition Improvement Act that has already been introduced in the House of Representatives. This bill must be passed in the House AND the Senate in order to be enacted. If passed the bill would:

  • Allow providers who are open for more than 8 hours in a day to be reimbursed for an additional meal (up to 3 meals and 1 snack or 2 meals and 2 snacks).
  • Align the calculation of reimbursement rates for family child care homes with that of centers by shifting to “food away from home.”
  • Allow annual eligibility for for-profit child care centers to streamline program operations.
  • Require a review of the CACFP Serious Deficiency process.
  • Establish an advisory committee on CACFP paperwork reduction.

Although you may have already sent a letter to your House Representative to support this legislation, it’s important that you ALSO ask your Senators for their support! Take action today and urge your Senators to support the Early Childhood Nutrition Improvement Act.

Contact Your Senator Here (votervoice.net)

Share this with your families and colleagues!

March 28th, 2024

2:00-2:30 PM EDT

Encourage young ones to share their thoughts and stories as they gather around the dining table- family style. This interactive experience fosters not only healthy eating habits but also helps them learn the art of conversation, where little voices can be heard and cherished. Receive tips on how to make family style dining kid-friendly and discover resources to start conversing with children at the table!

Earn 0.5 CEU for attending this Zoom webinar brought to you by the National CACFP Sponsors Association.
Presented By: 
Isabel Ramos-Lebron, MS,RDN, LD
Nutrition Education Specialist
National CACFP Sponsors Association
Register at the link below:

Family Style Dining: Conversations Around the Table – Event Registration (growthzoneapp.com)

CACFP Week is a national education and information campaign sponsored annually the third week of March by the National CACFP Sponsors Association. The campaign is designed to raise awareness of how the USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program works to combat hunger. The CACFP brings healthy foods to tables across the country for children in child care centers, homes, and afterschool programs as well as adults in day care.

The theme of CACFP Week in 2024 is eating the rainbow!

When you register for National CACFP Week to let us know that you’ll be participating, we’ll send you a sample menu that focuses on eating a different color of the rainbow each day.

Visit the Campaign Page for resources, recipes, advocacy opportunities, and social media contests!

Home Grown organizará seminarios en línea para proveedores de cuidado infantil a domicilio sobre cómo prepararse para la temporada de impuestos. Los seminarios web repasarán temas clave, incluyendo: la identificación de un preparador de impuestos, la comprensión de los documentos que necesita para sus impuestos, y qué hacer para empezar a prepararse para el próximo año. Habrá una sesión en inglés y otra en español.

Sesión en español el 6 de febrero a 18:00 la hora del este

Registrarse aquí

Home Grown, in collaboration with Civitas Strategies, will be hosting webinars for home-based child care providers on how to prepare for tax season. The webinars will review key topics including: identifying a tax preparer, understanding the documents you need for your taxes, and what to do to start getting ready for next year. There will be a session hosted in English and in Spanish. The English webinar will be held on Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. ET/ 3 p.m. PT.→ Register for English session here

Starting and growing your business will require advertising and marketing. This will look different for every provider, based on your location, target market, and what you offer to families.

This resource from First Children’s Finance offers family child care providers a full overview of creating a marketing plan customized for your program, including a sample budget.

Developing a Marketing Plan from First Children’s Finance. Before you get started, Town Square Resource Mission and Philosophy Statements might be helpful for their first steps of stating your mission and vision to find your market.