Family Child Care Newsletter November 2014 From the Coordinator

Family Child Care
Newsletter
FCC Office
552-3995 –
voice mail
Cell 441-7315
(No Text message – emergency
calls only )
USDA – 384-2283
From the Coordinator
November 2014
The cold weather is definitely here so before you
venture on your outings, please make sure your children
are appropriately dressed and you have your emergency
evacuation bags with you. Safety is always paramount
so make sure you are prepared for any situation that
may arise.
We were provided some important information
during our training session this month concerning
Accreditation, CDA’s, and the ECC Program. After our
training we received an update about funding for
provider’s that are working on their accreditation.
Instead of the Air Force paying 75% they are now going
to pay 100%. This is GREAT news as there are several
of you who are ready for this next step, so LET’S DO
IT!! I would also like to begin working with those
provider’s that are ready for their next step to acquire
their CDA. I know you can do it.
Please note, I have made some changes to the end of
the month paperwork. So please ensure you have a copy
of the updated version dated 23 Oct 14 and utilize it
from now on.
It’s time to say goodbye to Juanita Madison and her
family as they are beginning a new chapter in their
lives. I would like to thank her for all that she has done
for the JBER community and wish her and her family
the best of luck. She will be greatly missed in the FCC
program.
On another note we had six applicants go through the
FCC Orientation in October and are in the process of
setting up their homes. Thank you to all of those
providers that mentored them in their homes. I received
some wonderful feedback from the applicants.
The holiday season is here and I fully support
decorating your homes but we must continue to ensure
we are following all of the Fire, Health, and Safety
checklists to keep everyone safe.
As we head into November we should have all of our
children’s files updated and renewed for the new fiscal
year. Please ensure I have a copy of your updated
1181’s in the FCC Office. I appreciate all of the hard
work you do!
Connie
Special Dates
1-2 Nov – UTA Weekend – Air Force
2 Nov – Daylight Saving ends – set clocks back 1 hour
3 Nov – Lending Lib 1500-1700 End of month
paperwork, flu shots
5 Nov – Stress Awareness Day
5 Nov - PAB Meeting 1200-1300
6 Nov – Nacho Day
10 Nov – Sesame Street Day
11 Nov – Veterans Day –FCC Office Closed
14 Nov - Pickle Day
20 Nov- FCC Training for all providers 1800-2000
24 Nov – FCC Provider updates for Dec listing
26 Nov – parent survey due to FCC office
27 Nov - Thanksgiving – FCC Office Closed
28 Nov – PACAF Day – FCC Office Closed
1 Dec – Lending Library 1500-1700 End of month
paperwork, and flu shots
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.
USDA Food Program
You are all very good about notifying me of when you will not be home or when you don’t have
children, but for the few of you who don’t, please remember to let me know if you are closed or going
on vacation. With the cold weather, snow and darkness upon us. It’s nice to have a heads up before I
go out to attempt a home visit when you don’t have children in care.
Recipe to make with children for the fall:
Veggie Pizza Leaves
Ingredients:
1 roll Pillsbury crescent recipe creations dough or puff pastry
Flour for cutting board
1 cup cream cheese (preferably flavored variety)
1 ½ cups finely diced veggies (colored peppers and carrots)
*If you can’t find the dough sheets, you can use regular crescent rolls, just be sure to pinch
the seams together well before proceeding with the recipe
Knife or pizza cutter
Cutting board
Baking sheet lined w/parchment paper
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly dust a cutting board w/flour. Cut a leaf shape out of
the dough by using a knife or pizza wheel. Move the leaf to the parchment paper and bake for 8
minutes until brown. Use more dough to make more leaves.
Once dough has cooled, spread with the cream cheese. Allow the children to sprinkle the multicolored
chopped veggies over the leaves and store in the refrigerator. Serve this for snack with milk.
Sue
“This institution is an equal opportunity provider”
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.
Parent Information
The Parent Advisory Board (PAB) will meet 5 Nov, at 1200 in Bldg. 600 Warfighter & Family Services
Conference room (Fort Richardson side).
The annual parent survey is now available for all FCC parents. We encourage parents to take this opportunity
to provide us constructive feedback so we can use it to improve our FCC program for the benefit of your children.
You can use the following link https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JBERFCC or get the survey off our FSS web
page under FCC. All surveys need to be completed by 26 Nov 14. If you use the web page, return to copy to the
FCC office or email them to connie.nicholson@us.af.mil . The surveys will be shared with the FCC panel along
with recommendations for any changes for their approval.
Parents are welcome to bring their children to the FCC office on 3 Nov, 1500-1700 to get their families flu shots
(parents and children) for the season. This is a courtesy service provided by the Immunization staff for the
providers and parents.
The FSS web page –has the current FCC provider listing and the Parent newsletter. You can obtain a copy from
any FCC provider, the other youth facilities, Central Registration and the mail box on the left side of the FCC
office front door.
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.
Contact the FCC Office for additional information
Fun Fall Songs to Share
“Squirrel Song”
Here is a fun action chant about squirrels in the Fall from Elizabeth C.
Gray Squirrel, Gray Squirrel
Shake your bushy tail (pretend to shake tail)
Gray Squirrel, Gray Squirrel
Shake your bushy tail (pretend to shake tail)
Wrinkle up your funny nose (act out line)
Put a nut between your toes (pretend to eat a nut)
Gray Squirrel Shake your bushy tail (Pretend to shake a tail)
"I'm A Little Turkey"
Teachers don't forget to ask young children why the turkey runs away, when teaching them this action song by
Jenn J.
Sing to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot".
I'm a little turkey
My name is Ted,
Here are my feathers
And here is my head.
Gobble, gobble, gobble
Is what I say,
Quick run,
It's Thanksgiving day.