Monday, February 17th ~ President's Day

Pinkalicious reminds us there are many ways to show your loved ones how much you care about them. When her Valentine’s Day gifts for each of her friends are ruined, she thinks of a creative solution: a giant collage for the entire class!

Making a DIY Valentine's Day collage is a great way to show your family and friends what you love about them. This homemade craft represents the collective beauty of being together by combining our individual interests into a work of art. It’s a fun and engaging activity to learn about each other and strengthen family bonds, too!

Now it’s your family’s turn to join in the fun. Create a valentine for the whole family inspired by the one Pinkalicious made! Gather your loved ones and invite them to make a family valentine collage together.

Regardless of age, Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to teach children about love.

Love comes in many shapes and sizes. It is a complicated topic that is hard enough for adults to understand. However, there are a few ideas about love that many can agree on. Those ideas give us an opportunity to share valuable lessons with children. Click here for more.

Presidents’ Day, also known as Washington’s Birthday, is a federal holiday observed on the third Monday in February to honor George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. The day is occasionally seen as a celebration of all U.S. presidents’ births and lifetimes. Most states recognize this day as a state holiday, Presidents’ Day, and Washington and Lincoln’s Birthday. Different states have varied names to describe the holiday. Some state holidays may honor Washington only, while others honor both Lincoln and Washington or a separate group of American presidents, depending on the relevant law (such as Washington and Thomas Jefferson, born in April).

Read more here!

Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum follows Xavier, Yadina, and Brad as they travel back in time to meet historical figures when they were kids. They learn from these real-life heroes how to believe in themselves and accomplish amazing things. Black History Month is a time to celebrate African American heroes who have made a difference in our world. Here are some inspiring activities that you can do with your child to celebrate Black History Month and help your child value their own strengths. Each activity draws inspiration from historical figures in Black History, whom Xavier, Yadina, and Brad traveled back in time to meet. Click here for more!

What you need to know about keeping your child safe during cold weather: from how to stay warm to tips for walking like a penguin.

Discover more about how your child learns and stays safe in cold weather:

• Cold Weather Outside, Bold Learning Inside!
• Health Topics: When to Keep Kids Home
• Is it a cold or the flu?
• Flu Season Tips

When children build forts, they learn gross motor and engineering skills. Watch this video to find some new ways to build forts with children of all ages.

Yoga offers a release from today's fast-paced and tech-heavy world. It only demands that your child "unplug" and leave his or her phone (and shoes) behind—focusing solely on the action of connecting breath and movement. Yoga can help kids learn to live in the moment, focus on the task at hand, and handle problems peacefully. The more often your child practices yoga, the greater the benefits. Read more here!

Kick-off by Celebrating Dr. Seuss’ Birthday

Every year at the beginning of March, children across the country kick-off National Reading Month. They start by celebrating by celebrating the birthday of the beloved Dr. Seuss and the many characters that have been immortalized in his children’s books across the globe. “Read Across America Day” is an annual reading program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2nd. Read more here!

“The more that you read, the more things you will know.

The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

- Dr. Seuss

Families, teachers and children are better together. That’s why the Child Care Resource and Referral Network is proud to serve as a navigator for families, expertly assisting them in finding high-quality child care and connecting them with additional opportunities to meet their needs.

Is your family struggling to make ends meet? Could you or someone you know use assistance with paying for utilities, accessing a food pantry, or connecting to job training or employment services? Call 800-886-3952, ext 2. to learn more!

For personalized support in finding a child care program that best meets your family's needs,

contact CASY, Child Care Resource and Referral, Family Engagement Specialists

at 800-886-3952 and choose option 2.

Our Family Engagement Specialists will follow up with you by the next business day when you submit the online form.

Do you prefer a language other than English? ¿Habla español? Ou pale kreyòl ayisyen? ဗမာစကား ပြောတတ်လား။ Our family specialists can support you in any language, whether via emails or texts, communication over the phone or a conversation in person. We can provide information in any language you need on finding quality child care, paying for care and connecting to resources your child needs to grow, learn and develop. For free, personalized information on child care and other resources, complete our online referral request form or connect with your local child care resource and referral agency for assistance.

Indiana re-implements waitlist for new child care voucher applicants

State supporting more Hoosier families than ever before with On My Way Pre-K, CCDF

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL) is re-implementing a waitlist for new Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) and On My Way Pre-K (OMWPK) voucher applicants due to significant growth in both programs.

At this time, the waitlist will impact new child care voucher applicants. Vouchers support low-income families who make less than 150% of the federal poverty level (FPL), which is about $45,000 for a family of four, and have a service need including employment, seeking employment or enrollment in an education or training program.

OECOSL will continue to re-enroll children already receiving vouchers as long as funding permits. The office will reassess the waitlist at the start of the next federal fiscal year in October.

The re-implementation of a waitlist for the first time since 2018 is due, in part, to efforts to improve access, affordability and quality of child care programs. Those efforts have included:

• The Indiana General Assembly increased CCDF and OMWPK eligibility to 150% of the FPL, up from 127%, which made more families eligible to participate in a voucher program.
• The state provided $35 million in Child Care Expansion and Employer-Sponsored Fund grants, both of which added new programs and grew existing programs, increasing access to child care programs.
• The state maximized an infusion of federal funds that started in 2018 and continued through the pandemic to invest in a high-quality child care system.

As a result, more than 30,000 additional children have participated in the voucher program in the last two years.

“The state’s continued efforts to improve access, affordability and quality of child care programs led us to supporting over 70,000 children with vouchers, allowing more families to work or go to school, and improving the state’s economy,” said Courtney Penn, Director of the Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning. “We will continue the important work of ensuring families have access to affordable, high-quality programs near their homes and workplaces.”

Gov. Eric J. Holcomb and the Indiana General Assembly have prioritized early child care and education by creating a more sustainable early childhood workforce and supporting more Hoosier families with vouchers. Both CCDF and OMWPK programs have grown substantially. OMWPK peaked last year, enrolling nearly 8,000 children, up 167% from just 3,000 children in 2019, the first year for the statewide program. CCDF has grown to more than 70,000 children this year, up 43% since 2019.

Once a new CCDF application is submitted, a child is placed on the waitlist. Priority is given to:

• On My Way Pre-K applicants
• Families who earn below 100% FPL
• Children of child care workers

All other applicants will receive vouchers on a first-come, first-served basis, as available.

Information is available to support families and providers as they navigate the transition:

• Child Care Waitlist FAQ
• Families can call 211 for their local eligibility offices and Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) specialist’s contact information, and for help identifying child care options.
• Providers can call the SPARK Help Desk at 800-299-1627 for their local eligibility office’s contact information, and to ask general programming questions.