Tuesday, December 31st ~ New Year's Eve

Wednesday, January 1st ~ New Year's Day

The Booker T Washington Community Center building will remain closed

January 2nd and 3rd

During those days, staff will be working remotely & available by phone or email

The date is commonly referred to as Inauguration Day and is a landmark day in global politics. The winner of the past November's presidential election takes the traditional oath of office which is written into the U.S. Constitution.

Some details of the U.S. election process may be difficult for children to understand. One day, our children will be voters making it important that they have a basic understanding of the U.S. political structure as they develop.

Here are some important notes on the basics of the U.S. election process and inauguration to share with your children.

Lunar New Year 2025 (also known as Chinese New Year) begins on Wednesday, January 29. According to the Chinese zodiac, 2025 is the Year of the Snake. Here’s what this means and how to increase your luck according to ancient superstitions.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for many Hoosier kids! Snow is coming down (sometimes), and school is out for the holiday season, which means your little ones will be spending lots of time at home.

Are you looking for ideas on how to keep your kids entertained over winter break? We’ve got you covered. Check out these ideas for the best winter break activities for kids in Indiana.

Talking with your child about emotions is key to building an emotionally supportive environment at home. By building this space at home, your child can learn to better express herself and handle emotions when she’s out and about. Of course, starting by talking to her in the middle of a strong wave of emotion may not be the best strategy. Instead, find a quiet time to talk about and play with emotions when her ears and heart are open to learning, not just reacting. Here is an activity that is big on fun, but more importantly, big on learning emotions.

As temperatures cool and days grow shorter, your “get up and go” attitude may head south with the birds! During the winter months, many of us are left feeling less motivated. The National Institute of Health says that common so-called “winter blues” are marked by feeling more down than usual, sad, less energized, or less interested in activities one usually enjoys. Estimates suggest anywhere from 10 to 20 percent of American adults experience such seasonal mood changes at some level. If you find yourself feeling down, sluggish, or not quite yourself during the winter, beat the winter blues with a few simple activities in your daily routine with our simple suggestions here.

Start today: Help your child stay at a healthy weight for life.

Yes, it’s true! The first years set the stage for healthy habits for the rest of your child’s life. It’s never too early to start.

We know how important the first years are for getting your child off to a healthy start. We also understand that being a parent is an important — and hard — job! So we talked to hundreds of parents to find out what works when it comes to raising a healthy active child. Click here to learn more.

Is it OK for a child to grow up in a small family?

Most newly married couples today plan to have only one or two children, compared with three or more back in the early 1960s. The reasons for this shift include a trend toward later marriage, more emphasis on careers for women, more effective methods of contraception, and the rising cost of rearing and educating children.

There are some very clear benefits to having a small family... click here for more information

Parents today are making decisions about technology that didn’t even exist when they were young. Parents make creative decisions daily using their best instincts.

Here are 10 tips that might help when making technology decisions for your child.

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.