FCC Office 552-3995 – voice mail Cell 441-7315 (No Text message – emergency calls only ) USDA – 384-2283 Family Child Care Newsletter February 2015 FROM THE FCC COORDINATOR SPECIAL DATES We have lost a few FCC providers over the past couple of months and they will be greatly missed. On a good note we have licensed three new FCC providers. Please welcome Rashelle Lewis, Jessica Bell, and Catherine Slade to our program. I have seven applicants five of who have completed the class and are well on their way to getting their FCC license. They are finishing up the last few steps of the process. I am sure all of you remember how much work there was to be done to receive your license so if you have the time please feel free to offer your help and experience to them as they begin this rewarding journey as an FCC Provider. I am sure they will greatly appreciate anything you have to offer. The next scheduled FCC Orientation class will be held 9 – 13 March 2015. As you already know we are always needing FCC substitutes and struggle to find coverage when we need it. The good news is that Tamara Davis and Bertha Clark have started doing substitute care now. I also have an applicant that is awaiting approval to be a substitute provider. We usually do not have substitutes available but this will put us at a total of three. Hopefully we are on the downside of the cold weather. But the weather here in Alaska can change at any time. So please ensure when you are venturing out with your children, make sure your children are appropriately dressed and you have your emergency evacuation bags with you. Safety is always paramount in working with children so make sure you are prepared for any situation that may arise. I have not heard anyone mention how our children are doing in the “One Page @ a Time Program”. This is a valuable experience for our children, so ensure you are getting the word out there to your families. It is for all children 5 years and up, including your own that are enrolled in the FCC Program. The last day for this program is 24 March 2015. If you have any questions about this program please give me a call at the FCC Office. Keep up the good work ladies. We have a great program and I am very proud of all the hard work that you put into it. Connie Nicholson 1 Feb - National Baked Alaska Day 2 Feb – Lending library and end of month paperwork due 1800-2000 4 Feb – PAB Meeting 1200-1300 6 Feb - National Frozen Yogurt Day 8 Feb - Boy Scout Anniversary Day 7-8 Feb – UTA Weekend 8 Feb - Kite Flying Day 9-13 Feb - FCC Orientation Class 0900-1600 10 Feb - Umbrella Day 11 Feb - National Peppermint Patty Day 12 Feb - Home-Baked Pancake Day 14 Feb – Valentine’s Day 16 Feb - FCC Office closed in observance of Presidents Day 17 Feb - My Way Day 17 Feb - What Shall I Be? Day 18 Feb – USDA Training 1800-1930 19 Feb - National Chocolate Mint Day 20 Feb - Harry Potter Day 20 Feb – Providers page for March newsletter due 20 Feb – Provider of the year nominations due by COB 20 Feb – updates for March 15 FCC Providers Listing due 21 Feb - National Sticky Bun Day 21-22 Feb – UTA Weekend 23 Feb - National Banana Bread Day 24 Feb - International Pancake Day 26 Feb – FCC providers page for FCC office due 26 Feb – FCC meeting/training 1800-2000 27 Feb - International Polar Bear Day 28 Feb - Introduce A Girl to Engineering Day 28 Feb - National Chocolate Soufflé Day 2 Mar – Lending library and end of month paperwork due 1800-2000 USDA FOOD PROGRAM If your mealtimes change throughout the year from the times you listed on your State Form, please notify me so that I can change the times on the form. Also, if you are going to do weekend care, please send me an e-mail in advance. I’m required to conduct reviews on weekends periodically throughout the year. If any of you are serving chicken nuggets or fish sticks, please make sure to serve a brand that has a CN label on the package. If you are serving these foods, please keep the wrapper, once you’ve finished the package, and turn the wrapper in to me, so that I have a record in your file that you are using the products with the CN Label. I will be holding a training on Wednesday, February 18th, on Creating Cycle Menus at 6:00 p.m. in the FCC Office. Please call or e-mail in advance if you plan on attending this training. February Recipe: Baked Apple French Toast Squares Ingredients: 5 large eggs ¾ cup milk 1 ½ tsps. Cinnamon divided into ½ tsp and 1 tsp. 1 tsp vanilla 10 slices whole wheat bread 5 tablespoons pure maple syrup 5 apples, medium to large Procedure: Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, ½ tsp cinnamon, and vanilla. Cut or tear bread into small cubes and add to egg mixture. Mix gently until all bread pieces are coated. Spread mixture evenly in baking pan and set aside. Peel and cut apples into bite-sized pieces. Pour maple syrup into large microwavable bowl and microwave 20 seconds. Add 1 tsp. cinnamon and mix well. Add apples to syrup and toss until all pieces are coated. Spread apple mixture evenly over bread. Bake 35 minutes or until apples are softened and bread pieces are firm. Cool slightly and serve. Counts towards bread and fruit serving. “This institution is an equal opportunity provider” PARENT INFORMATION The Parent Advisory Board (PAB) will meet the first Wednesday of every month at 1200, in Bldg. 600, Room 107, Warfighter & Family Services Conference room (Fort Richardson side). The FSS web page –has the current FCC provider listing and the Parent newsletter. You can also obtain a copy from any FCC provider , the CDC’s and other youth facilities, and Central Registration. Copies are also available in the left mail box at the front door of the FCC office. . CHILD CARE FOR VOLUNTEERS Recognizing the importance of volunteers to the base community, the AFAS provides funding for the Child Care for Volunteers program. The AFAS will provide up to $1000 per month to pay child care expenses in AF licensed or affiliated FCC homes for volunteers who are engaged in supporting programs, which benefit the AF community. This funding is not meant to replace other moneys that may be available for this purpose, but rather, to provide additional funds to increase the number of volunteers at a base. It is hoped that this funding will be used to support as many volunteers as possible who work at a variety of agencies throughout the base. It should be noted that this program is not meant to pay for child care for volunteers in resale (Thrift Shop), fund raising, or social activities. Contact the FCC Office for additional information. EXPANDED CHILD CARE (ECC) ECC is an AF Program to assist parents who have to participate in Base Exercises, have Guard/Reserve Weekend Duty or have Additional Child Care needs due to a Active Duty spouse’s Deployment/TDY of 30 days or more. Providers interested in expanding their business and becoming an ECC provider, complete the Cyber Awareness training located at http://iase.disa.mil/eta/ cyber challenge/launchPage.htm. Click on the link marked Launch Cyber Awareness Challenge Department of Defense Version. Once the training is completed, print the certificate and send a copy to the FCC office. Your request will be forwarded to the FCC Panel for approval. CHILD CARE FOR PCS The Child Care for PCS Program is intended to help relieve some of the stress felt by families in the process of a PCS move. The Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) will pay up to 20 hours of child care (per child) in licensed FCC homes on base or in AF affiliated homes off base. Air Force families with PCS orders can obtain a Child Care for PCS Certificate at the base Relocation Office in the Airman & Family Readiness Center. Families can receive a certificate at both the base from which they are departing and at their new base. Certificates are good only at the base at which they are issued--unused hours do not transfer from one base to another. Families may use the 20 hours of child care within 60 days before the family's departure from a base, and 60 days after arriving at the new base. This program is open to all ranks unless there are a shortage of child are providers at the base in which case priority would be given to junior ranking personnel. Dramatic Play Enhances Children’s Learning Dramatic play can be defined as a type of play where children accept and assign roles, and then act them out. It is a time when they break through the walls of reality, pretend to be someone or something different from themselves, and dramatize situations and actions to go along with the roles they have chosen to play. While this type of play may be viewed as frivolous by some, it remains an integral part of the developmental learning process by allowing children to develop skills in such areas as abstract thinking, literacy, math, and social studies, in a timely, natural manner. Children enrolled in at Danielle Daigrepont’s FCC program here on JBER are using recycle materials to pretend that they are shopping at the grocery store. The Proper Environment In many homes the dramatic play area has traditionally been centered in “housekeeping”. However, when we actually watch children play, we see them reinventing scenes that might take place in other areas of life such as gas stations, building sites, department stores, classrooms, or grocery stores. This shows us, that in order to derive the full benefit from dramatic play as it relates to learning, FCC providers should “set the stage” throughout their home environment.
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