A Labor Day Salute to Some of the Unsung Heroes of Our Economy

For my entry this month, I am deferring to my supervisor, colleague, and friend of 19 years, Dr. Ellen Abell. Dr. Abell is an Extension Specialist and Associate Professor in the College of Human Sciences Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Auburn University.

Labor Day is a day to celebrate the labor movement and the workers in our nation’s labor force who keep our economy, education system, government, and country moving forward. On this holiday weekend, as you are relaxing and, perhaps, grilling up a tasty feast, here is a little food for thought:

Question: Who are the workers on whom families depend to enable them to go to work every day?

Clue #1: Work is an essential part of family life that is usually done outside the home.

Clue #2: In 65% of two-parent families with children under 6, both parents work outside the home.

Answer:  Child care workers. Without the women and men willing to undertake the challenging work of caring for other people’s children, parents would be unable to work. So, one can reasonably argue that child care workers are the unsung heroes of our modern-day economy.

Child care options for families can vary from a traditional child care center to a group or family child care setting based in the caregiver’s home. Expectations about the quality of care our children receive have grown as we understand more about the importance of the earliest years for a person’s positive growth, learning, and life-long health. As a result, the skills and training required of providers have increased. However, the average annual wage of a child care worker in Alabama remains low at $18,390 (U.S. average is $21,320), well below what it takes a family to thrive in our economy. We depend on people who earn low wages for us to be able to go to the jobs that support our own families.

 

According to data compiled by Child Care Aware America obtained from a the nationwide network of child care resource and referral agencies, in the U.S., just over 15 million children under the age of 6 were in some kind of child care because the adults in their families worked. About 2.2 million people earn their living caring for these children.  In Alabama, almost 225,000 children require child care because their parents work, and there are 11,000 child care workers in centers and an additional 1000 family child care homes.

So, on this Labor Day, let us salute

those who make going to work possible and who dedicate their labor to supporting our children’s healthy growth and development.

For additional information about quality child care, visit the eXtension’s Alliance for Better Child Care. To access additional information and resources for families, go to our Families and Children pages and/or visit eXtension’s Child and Family Learning Network.

Originally posted on https://sites.aces.edu/group/fcd/blog/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=13 and used with permission.

Proposed Rule by the Health & Human Services Department

While in Arizona earlier in July at the National Association for Family Child Care conference, I had the privilege of meeting and listening to Shannon Rudisill of the Office of Child Care. It was during this conference that I learned more about the proposed reforms to the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF). Below is a summary and link to make comments (comment period ends August 5, 2013) from the federal register website (www.federalregister.gov):

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) proposes to amend the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) regulations. This proposed rule makes changes to CCDF regulatory provisions in order to strengthen health and safety requirements for child care providers, reflect current State and local practices to improve the quality of child care, infuse new accountability for Federal tax dollars, and leverage the latest knowledge and research in the field of early care and education to better serve low-income children and families.

This proposed rule would provide the first comprehensive update of Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) regulations since 1998. It would make changes in four key areas: (1) Improving health and safety; (2) improving the quality of child care; (3) establishing family-friendly policies; and (4) strengthening program integrity. The rule seeks to retain much of the flexibility afforded to States, Territories, and Tribes consistent with the nature of a block grant.

The full proposed rule (all 56 pages) can be found at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-05-20/pdf/2013-11673.pdf

From the Office of Child Care's briefing powerpoint presentation:

Dr. Ellaine B. Miller, PhD, is the Managing Director for the Family Child Care Partnerships program at Auburn University. www.humsci.auburn.edu/fccp

Miller & Rudisill at NAFCC Conference 2013

Team Motivator

Hello All, My name is Shannon Harris. I have been involved in childcare for the last 23 years and now own my own center, ABC Academy LLC in Montgomery --www.abcmontgomery.com, ---Texas with approximately 230 children currently enrolled. I met Debbie Clement in Las Vegas and was immediately captivated by her and knew this was energy I wanted in my life. Debbie recently came to our area to conduct a full day “Lyrics to Literacy” training and we had some down time to visit. Debbie shared some of her ideas with me. I told her I loved her blog and would hope to see more management and infant blog post (I feel there is just not enough out there on those two topics). She invited me to write for her blog once a month, so, here I am!

So, this is it - my first EVER Blog POST… I have built my business by looking for “out of the box” ideas in every aspect of our center and team. We have recently started a new TEAM MOTIVATOR at our center. The idea behind it is that praise gets positive results. I believe that when the praise comes from peers and management it just makes for a happier center. So, how do we accomplish this? Well, I went and bought each classroom a cheap container, with a lid to avoid spills and little hands getting in the container; bought some small marshmallows…cheap, $1 a BIG bag at the dollar store … considered M&M’s but wow they are expensive (candy corn/seasonal candies and peanuts are good ideas too)!  Then made little baggies with the teacher’s names, a sticky to tally where they hand out the treats, and filled each baggie with 50 treats each. Then handed them out with this little note…

 

We are excited to announce our first Team Motivator – be the first to have your container filled from OTHER staff members outside your classroom for them seeing something wonderful being done in your classroom, on the playground, transitioning, helping others, etc.  – Administration will add to your containers too!  Winner gets an hour on the clock to go do whatever they like while Administration runs your classroom!!

Each staff member will be given a “baggie” of 50 items to use to fill other classroom containers.  You put 1 item in a classroom container each time you see them doing something wonderful!  Write down the class that you complimented with your item!    Classroom containers will be picked up at RANDOM!  There is no “cut-off” date or “due” date.  Items in containers will be counted and the winning teachers in that classroom will each get a “Get Out Of Your Classroom – 1 Hour Pass” from Administration! 

I decided to have them quickly tally which class they gave it to so that we could ensure they were not playing favorites and always giving to their “favorite” teacher. We really wanted it to be about building up each other and to get them to compliment some classes they may not otherwise take the time to do.

For an extra little twist, we gave Management Candy Corns to pass out and teachers Marshmallows so they could see the difference in their containers.

I am excited about writing this blog post monthly and hope you all find some value in seeing some administrative and infant content.

Please follow me on Pinterest: Shannon Harris

 

Until next time,

Shannon

BOUNCY LAP SONGS and CHANTS!

HI!  It's Miss Carole of Macaroni Soup, mounting up for Horsey Rides!
    Do you remember bouncing along on Mommy or Daddy's knee?  How about Grandma or Grandpa's?  If you don't, it's not too late to give the gift of this wonderful sense-memory to the child or children in your care.
TRY THIS ONE:  Ride a little horsey, down to town
                            Better be careful so you don't fall D
                                                                                        O
                                                                                            W
                                                                                                N!
   That's an easy one - just bounce, then dump the child forward - hold on tight!  Once they know what's coming, they may lean forward before you're ready!
   Many knee-bounces came from jump rope rhymes, or vice-versa.  Nursery rhymes, with their rhyme and rhythm patterns make great material for this activity.  The smiles and squeals start, and the kids beg for more!
    Put a child on your lap, facing away from you, straddling your knees.  Babies should be securely holding their heads erect before trying ANY lap songs.  Now, as you chant the following verse, lift one knee, then the other.  The child will rock from side to side - great for the vestibular system.  On "giddy-up. giddy-up, use BOTH knees to bounce, then wrap one arm around the child and pull back gently for "Whoa!"

Ricketty ricketty rocking horse
Over the fields we go
Ricketty ricketty rocking horse
Giddy-up, giddy-up, WHOA!

What do you need?  One child + one chair
How do you start?  Sit in the chair, child on your lap.  GO!
NOTE:  The child can sit facing you, or facing away from you.  I like to vary positions from rhyme to rhyme.

Lap songs are a great time to put a beat into our bodies.  Gently tap your child's foot for this one (or they can tap their own!)
Shoe a little horsey, shoe a little mare
But let the little pony go bare bare bare!
   Now do the other foot, then do both feet, tapping together!

Try the next one with the child facing you - make eye contact, smile, eyes big with anticipation (that's YOUR instructions - the child knows what to do - have fun!)

Who's sitting on WHO's lap???

This is the way the ladies ride
Side (che che) to side (che che)
Side (che che) to side (che che)
This is the way the gentleman rides
Front (che che) to back (che che)
Front (che che) to back (che che)
And this is the way the country boys ride:
Da da dum da da dum da da dum dum dum
Da da dum da da dum da da dum dum dum
Da da dum da da dum da da dum dum dum
Da da DA. da da dum dum dum!  (that's the William Tell Overture!)

What to do:  for the Ladies, lean child from side to side, Gentleman - pull child toward you, then away.  For the country boys - it's a wild bouncy ride!  At the end, slide your hand under the child's neck/head and lean them over backward - almost to touch the floor!  Come up gently!

And finally - my favorite, and admittedly many children's favorite:  "Walk Ol' Joe!" There are several different tunes for this one, or it can be done as a chant.  You can find it on my "Sticky Bubble Gum...and Other Tasty Tunes" cd.

BOTTOMS UP!

    Put the child in your lap, facing out.  Hold them by putting your hands under their thighs, ready for the grab and lift!
Walk Old Joe, walk Old Joe
You walk better than any horse I know.
Walk Old Joe, walk Old Joe
You walk better than any horse I know.
Whoa, Joe!   WHOA, Joe!

Repeat with additional verses of "Trot Old Joe" and "Gallop Old Joe!", making the bounces bigger with
each verse!  Sorry the picture is blurry - they were really moving!

What to do:  Bounce along while singing the song.  When you get to "Whoa, Joe", while holding your child by the thighs, cradeling their head at your shoulder, lift their bottom into the air.  Remember - this is to delight, not scare the child.  If they don't like it, DON'T DO IT!

   LET'S GET FANCY!  There's also a move called "dandling":  while sitting in a chair, cross one leg over the other at the knee, then put your child on your foot and bounce your top leg (with the child on it) up and down.  WHEE!  I'm told that Dads are particularly good at this!

PERSONAL STORY:  I was presenting a workshop for teachers who work with Toddlers about 10 years ago in Indiana.  I taught this group of Lap Songs.  When I finished, an elderly teacher back in the crowd raised her hand to share:  "This is very important, what Miss Carole is telling us.  I am sitting here now, but I can feel what my mother's body felt on my back.  She did these lap songs with me over 60 years ago."  It stopped me cold.  Tears were on her face. She added quietly, "I miss her."

    DO YOU DO LAP SONGS?  I'd love to hear what you use!  TELL ME!
    If you don't, and try some of these - let me know how it went!
YES - you can do lap songs even if you have more children than adults!  Kids will gladly wait their turn, usually bouncing along on the floor and enjoying watching others!

Yours for a Song!
"Miss Carole" Stephens
Macaroni Soup! Active Music for Kids!

Let's Move Child Care

This past week, I had the privilege of attending the National Association for Family Child Care Conference in Atlanta, GA, where the Let's Move Child Care campaign was promoted. For this post, I am pleased to share some of the highlights discussed at pre-conference professional development institute sessions as well as a special Sesame Workshop Roundtable to review materials and progress on the anti-obesity initiative.

The Let's Move! Child Care campaign is part of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move initiative in collaboration with Nemours, Healthy Kids Healthy Futures, and Child Care Aware America (formerly NACCRRA). The Let's Move! website is FILLED with resources and tools to help children in your care increase their levels of activity throughout the day and make healthy meal and drink choices.

Spaghetti! A healthy choice!

Hot dogs and fries. Not such a healthy choice

• 
  

  
  
  Let's Move! Child Care Goals:

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  1. Physical Activity

  Provide 1-2 hours of physical activity throughout the day, including outside play when possible.
• 

  2. Screen Time

  None under age 2. For 2 and up, work to limit to 30 minutes/week during child care. Aim for no more than 1-2 hours/day of quality screen time at home.
• 

  3. Food

  Try to serve fruits or vegetables at every meal. Eat meals family-style whenever possible. Avoid serving fried foods.
• 

  4. Beverages

  When you can, give water during meals and all day. Avoid sugary drinks. Two and up, serve low- or non-fat milk and 4-6 ounces max of 100% juice a day.
• 

  5. Infant Feeding

  Provide breast milk to infants of mothers who wish to breastfeed. Welcome mothers to nurse mid-day and support parents' decisions with infant feeding.

  
  

  
  

Features of the Let's Move! Child Care Website

Start Early

Make Nutrition Fun

Get Kids Moving

Be Inspired

Change Your World

Summer 2010

Summer 2011....35 pounds lighter.

The Nutrition and Moving tabs contains a list of facts about the topic, a set of activities with complete instructions, and a listing of additional web-based tools and resources and hot links to them. The other tabs contain facts and resources you may find useful in your work with children.

Sesame Workshop has produced a companion guide to their Healthy Habits for Life Resource Kit called "We've Got the Moves" featuring Grover. Both of these resources are available for use or download here.

I hope you will explore these resources, join the campaign, and master the 5 goals with the children in your care.

Blog entry by Dr. Ellaine B. Miller, PhD. Family Child Care Partnerships at Auburn University.www.humsci.auburn.edu/fccp