Potty Training 101-Sept 2nd

This session is a must for all parents who need assistance in teaching potty training! Come learn practical information, and proven techniques to ensure the best potty training experience for your child and you. Potty training takes teamwork between parent and child. Success depends on patient, understanding adults and a child who is physically, intellectually, and emotionally ready. Between the ages of 18 and 30 months, a child begins to show the readiness signs. Come learn practical information, and proven techniques to ensure the best toilet-training experience for children and parents. Class will be taught by Tiffany Shumate on September 2nd, at 6pm. Parent Trainings are held at the partnership office, 1565 NC Highway 90 West, Taylorsville-one mile past Food Lion.

Parent Trainings are for parents of children in Alexander County 0-5. Child care can be made available upon request and no later than two days before the meeting. Registration is currently being conducted for this training; interested parents are asked to register by calling 828-632-3799.

Parents Supporting Parents Set to Meet

Alexander County Partnership for Children will host another “Parents Supporting Parents” meeting on Monday, August 30th at 6pm. Meetings are held at the partnership office, 1565 NC Highway 90 West, Taylorsville-one mile past Food Lion. Anita Ledford, Disabilities Specialist with Smoky Mountain Center LME, will present information on services for children with special needs.

“Parents Supporting Parents” meetings are for parents of children with special needs, birth to high school. Snacks are provided for participants. Child care can be made available upon request (call 632-3799) and no later than two days before the meeting.

Openings Still Available in More At Four

The More At Four Program has openings for the upcoming school year. More At Four is a preschool program designed to prepare four year olds for Kindergarten. Your child must turn 5 on or before August 31, 2011. Eligibility is based on income. Call Alexander County Partnership for Children at 632-3799 for more information.

Charity Reese is Awarded Certification

The Alexander County Partnership for Children is pleased to announce Charity Reese has successfully passed the North Carolina Child Care Health Consultant Training Course though NC Division of Public Health and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Public Health and is certified as a Child Care Health Consultant (CCHC). The course provided information, resources and learning opportunities for Mrs. Reese and included web-based distance learning, face-to-face training, and a final project.

As a CCHC, Mrs. Reese is a health professional who knows about child health, child development, and health and safety in child care settings. Mrs. Reese works together with child care staff to promote healthy and safe environments for young children in Alexander County.

A Child Care Health Consultant has expert information, resources, and referrals to offer. Through onsite and telephone consultation, health education and technical assistance a CCHC works with individual child care facilities to help create environments that best support the healthy growth and development of young children. The CCHC partners with child care providers to:
• Assess the health and safety needs and practices in the child care facility.
• Develop strategies for inclusion of children with special care needs.
• Establish and review health policies and procedures.
• Manage and prevent injuries and infectious diseases.
• Connect families with community health resources.
• Provide health education for staff members, families and children.

Child Care Health Consultants interpret NC Child Care Rules and the National Health and Safety Performance Standards to provide guidance to child care programs. They are not responsible for regulating child care facilities. Mrs. Reese works is housed at the Alexander County Partnership for Children and her position is funded with NC Smart Start monies. Congratulations to Charity!!!

Start With the Arts Festival Planned

Young children and their families are invited to participate in the Start With the Arts Festival on Saturday, September 11, 2010 from 10:30 to 12:30 at the Hiddenite Educational Center. The festival will include dance, music, and special art activities along with displays of children’s art, food and fun! You will not want to miss this exciting opportunity designed with children in mind. All activities are FREE! The Start With the Arts Festival is the culmination of Start With the Arts Alexander, funded by the LEGO Children’s Fund which provided a $5,000 grant to the Alexander Partnership for Children for Start With the Arts.

The Start with the Arts Program was developed by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and followed a curriculum to introduce the participating children to visual arts, creative drama, creative movement, and music with a literacy enhancement component. Four sessions that lasted eight weeks were held during the past year. Each session included a theme that allowed participating children to receive take home materials to extend the session into their home with parental support. Parents and children participated in each session together. Martha Burgin, artist with the Hiddenite Center taught the classes which reached out to over sixty children and families in Alexander County.

Changes Announced for Car Seat Program

Beginning August 1st parents and legal guardians requesting a car seat inspection at the Alexander County Partnership for Children will need to make an appointment for this service. This change is being made to allow adequate time and resources for this valuable service. ACPC recognizes the importance of children riding safely and works to ensure this safety by providing free car seat inspections.

Alexander County Partnership for Children, 1565 NC Highway 90 West, Taylorsville is a Permanent Checking Station that inspects child passenger safety seats for appropriateness and correct installation. If the technician determines that the seat must be replaced due to damage, age, missing manufacturing information, recalled child passenger safety seat, improper fitting in car, improper weight and/or height requirements or any other reason based on technician’s knowledge of child passenger safety, ACPC will exchange the seat and provide a new seat for Alexander County residents.

Replacement seats are provided with funding from United Way, Buckle Up NC, and other donations. ACPC depends on donations from recipients to assist in providing the child passenger safety seat replacement. Inspections are completed by Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians and are completed by appointment only. Please call 632-3799 extension 16 to make an appointment request. Every attempt is made for the appointment at a time convenient for both the parent/legal guardian and the technician.