4-C Invites you to attend the annual Step Up for Kids Conference on October 5th.

On October 5th, 2010, advocates from across the state of Kentucky will gather for the
 
Step Up For Kids Conference
 
to celebrate National Step Up For Kids Week and to prepare for the 7th Annual Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol, to be held on February 17th, 2011.
 
Where:        The Gheens Academy
                  4425 Preston Highway
                  Louisville, KY, 40213
 
When:         Tuesday, October 5th, 2010
                  8:30 am – 4:00 pm
 
Cost:           Free! Includes Lunch.
 
Register here.

Why we do the work we do.

Susan Vessels

Going on a Nature Walk

Through PNC Grow Up Great with Science, I recently visited the preschool classes of Friends School. I came to share a backyard ecosystem I set up with dirt, rocks, decaying leaves, worms, slugs and pill bugs.  (Pill Bugs are great animals to bring into a classroom, and I’ll write more about them at a later date.) The children had a wonderful time lifting up the rocks and leaves, watching the pill bugs move and examining everything through their magnifiers, but what I want to share with you today was what I encountered after the activity, when I stayed to go on a nature walk with Blaine Hicks’ classroom.

A simple walk around the school provided a myriad of learning moments. As soon as we were out the door, Blaine stopped the children and had them use their different senses to observe the environment (listening for birds, tasting and smelling the air, feeling the roughness of the brick), and as we walked along the sidewalk, the children were encouraged to look for insects under rocks, to notice the dew on the grass and to wonder about what creatures we might find in the mulch. A 15 minute walk, that totaled less than a city block, yielded an orange and black beetle, flowers in different stages of life and decay, a tiny millipede, miniature pine cones, an army of ants, wild strawberries, clover, a feather, mushrooms and a pill bug. Children gingerly carried their findings, and every step was full of wonder about what we would find next. Blaine didn’t fill the walk with facts, information and instructions.  She explored with them; asking questions, modeling curiosity, letting the children discover their world at their own pace and teaching them how to look closely.

The Louisville Half Pint Library Children’s Book Giveaway

Does your nonprofit organization or school need new and gently used children’s books? The Louisville Half Pint Library Children’s Book Giveaway event is Tuesday, May 11th at our Westport Road location from 2-4pm.
 
Half Price Books
10220 Westport Rd.
Louisville, KY 40241

How will the “Giveaway” event work?
All nonprofit organizations, educators, schools, churches, hospitals and clinics are welcome to attend. A donation form can be found here: http://www.halfpricebooks.com/hpl_get_involved.html
Agencies will arrive with their own transportation to pick up books. We suggest you get there early; we have a limited supply and will distribute the books on a first-come, first-served basis; each nonprofit representative will receive 2 boxes of books while supplies last. The books will be an assortment of kid’s books in manageable boxes ready to be loaded.

Crib Recalls

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has released two major crib recalls;
 
The first, 10-211, involves all Simplicity full-size cribs with tubular metal mattress support frames.  The frames can fail, causing partial collapse of the crib.  Although Simplicity is no longer in business, most retailers are cooperating by offering a refund, replacement, or store credit.  Consumers should contact the place of purchase for a remedy. 
 
The second, 10-212, involves about 200,000 wooden Graco branded drop side cribs made by LaJobi.  Hardware failure can cause the drop sides to detach.  Consumers should contact Lajobi by telephone or at their website.

Grass Sock Pets

Spring is in full swing, and there are so many wonderful opportunities to explore it with the children in your life.  One great activity I learned last week, when visiting Rose Schum’s classroom at Dawson Orman Education Center, was how to make Grass Sock Pets. They are very simple and easy to make, but an activity like this doesn’t have to be just a craft. Use this as a teaching moment and blend art with science. Put them in your Discovery Center and bring out the magnifiers. Ask questions. Get curious. Examine the roots. Chart the growth. Find other plants sprouting in your playground or yard. Try different types of seeds or amounts of light. Talk about how to care for living things. And most importantly, focus on the wonder of the every day events that we as adults sometimes take for granted.

What you need:

• Sock or nylon stocking
• Grass seed or bird seed
• Dirt
• Bowl
• Water
• Sunlight

What you do:

1. Pour some grass seed into the toe of a sock. You will need enough to cover the bottom.
2. Fill the rest of the foot with dirt. Press it down, and tie a tight knot so that it creates a ball.
3. Place the sock ball in a bowl so that the seeds are facing up, and pour some water over it.
4. Find a sunny place to place your sock pet, and watch it grow!
5. Dampen the sock pet once a day to keep it growing.
6. For added fun, glue on wiggly eyes or buttons, or use rubber bands to tie off ears on either side.  

Child Care Provider Appreciation Day

May 7, 2010 is national Child Care Provider Appreciation Day.  The day was designated in 1966 as a way to recognize the often overlooked child care work force and is celebrated each year on the Friday before Mother’s Day.

A good child care teacher is a cross between a teacher, nurse, nutritionist, social worker, speech therapist, psychologist, actor, singer, dancer, and janitor.  And yet, they are among the poorest paid profession in the country with one of the most important jobs… introducing children to the world of learning.

Here is your chance to honor your child care provider by writing a brief tribute recognizing the contribution they make to your family’s life.  Add your comment here or visit us at http://www.facebook.com/4cvoice to add your comments and pictures.

Click here to view some ideas for honoring child care providers.

Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) Billing Updates

Effective 6/1/09, child care providers who receive the Provider Billing Form (PBF), DCC97, via email will no longer receive a hard copy form in the US mail.  Please contact 4-C customer service at 502-589-7251 to request a form to update your email address or to begin receiving your PBF by email.