1,002 Pledges Presented!

An Alexander County delegation traveled to Raleigh on March 23rd to meet with local legislators to discuss the importance of services for young children. Pictured are L-R Bonnie Canter, Director of Millersville Child Development Center; Kim Draughn, Director of Lulus Child Enrichment Center; Representative Mark Hollo; and Dale Clary, General Manager of Carris Reels and Board Chair of the Alexander County Partnership for Children. Not pictured Susan Cogdill, Executive Director of Alexander County Partnership for Children. 1,002 people who work & live in Alexander Co signed the Pledge to Protect the Children. This pledge acknowledges that communities thrive when children thrive. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, ministers, business professionals, doctors, social workers, nurses, and retirees are just a few of the folks who took the time to say children are important in Alexander County. This effort was led by the Alexander County Partnership for Children Board of Directors and assisted by the Chamber of Commerce. Signed pledges were presented to Representative Mark Hollo and Senator Dan Soucek. Alexander County Partnership for Children is a United Way agency.

Is It Time to Say "Good- Bye Diapers"

Thinking about saying good-bye to diapers for your child? Confused about how to begin the potty training process? It’s very difficult to go through the entire process of potty training without frustration or stress!

Alexander County Partnership for Children (ACPC) is once again providing a Potty Training 101 class for parents to help you in the process. Potty Training 101 is your resource for information on potty training toddlers, potty training readiness, potty training regression, and related information to assist you in successfully toilet training toddlers when they’re ready. Between the ages of 18 and 30 months, a child begins to show the readiness signs for potty training.

Potty Training 101 will be held on March 17th, 6pm at the ACPC office, 1565 NC Highway 90 West, Taylorsville-one mile past Food Lion. 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 CCR&R. Call Tiffany at 632-3799 extension 15 to register for this class or email tiffany@alexanderchildren.org. Child care can be made available upon request and no later than two days before the class.

More At Four Applications Available

Applications for the More at Four Pre-Kindergarten Program are now available. The More at Four program is designed to provide quality educational experiences in order to enhance kindergarten readiness for four-year-olds who are at-risk of school failure. The program is community-based, voluntary, free to participants, and designed to prepare at-risk four-year-olds in North Carolina for success in school.

Alexander County currently has 119 More at Four slots, housed in both private child care centers and Alexander Head Start. For more information, or to get an application, e-mail Susan Cogdill at susan@alexanderchildren.org or call 632-3799, extension 12. Applications are available at Alexander County Partnership for Children, 1565 NC Highway 90 West, Taylorsville and oour website www.alexanderchildren.org.

If you are concerned about your child’s readiness for Kindergarten, More at Four encourages you to complete an application. Children who are not currently enrolled in a child care program are prioritized. Your child must turn 4 on or before August 31, 2011 in order to be eligible. Eligibility is also based on income.

The application deadline is May 2, 2011 and must be received by the Alexander County Partnership for Children. Send to P.O. Box 1661, Taylorsville, NC 28681 or deliver to the ACPC office at 1565 NC Highway 90 West, Taylorsville on or before May 2nd in order to be eligible for one of the slots. Applications received after that day will be considered only when there are openings. More at Four classrooms operate on the school calendar. All More at Four services are free. Transportation is not provided.

Prevent Burns

Did you know that young children’s skin is thinner than older children and adults, and their skin burns at lower temperatures and more deeply?

Since burns are recognized as one of the most painful and devastating injuries a person can sustain and survive, we want to arm you with the tools to keep your children safe from this devastating injury.

• A scald is a burn from hot liquid or steam.
• 60% of all scald injuries are to children ages 0-4.
• The most common places children experience scalds are in the kitchen or dining rooms and in the bathrooms.
• The maximum recommended residential water temperature is 120˚F (48˚C).

It is important to remember that children, especially those ages 4 and under, may not perceive danger, have less control of their environment, may lack the ability to escape a life-threatening burn situation and may not be able to tolerate the physical stress of a burn injury.
Top tips to keep your kids safe around the house.

KITCHEN AND HOT FOOD
• Keep children at least 3 feet from hot appliances, pots, pans or food.
• Use spill-resistant mugs when drinking hot liquids around children.
• Avoid using tablecloths or anything a child can pull on and cause hot food to spill.
• When cooking, use back burners and keep pot handles turned towards the back of the stove.
• Always tuck cords from appliances where children cannot reach them.
• Never hold a child when cooking something hot.
• Test and stir all food before serving children to make sure it is cool enough to eat.
• Supervise children closely when they are in or near the kitchen.
BATHROOM
• Always test the bath water with your hand before bathing children.
• When children are in or near the bath, watch them closely checking the water temperature frequently.
• If you are unable to control the temperature that comes out of your faucet, install special tub spouts or shower heads that can shut off the flow of water when it gets too hot.

Information from SafeKids http://www.safekids.org.

Learn How to Prevent Poisoning

Every 30 seconds a child is poisoned in the United States. Many well-meaning adults fail to recognize how toxic certain substances can be and have them in child accessible places. Every parent needs to practice Poison Prevention! Come join other parents on February 24th from 6pm to 7pm at ACPC and learn more about this important topic. Child care is available upon request. Call Tiffany at 632-3799 to register for this important Parent Education Session.

Family and Friends CPR Now Available

Family and Friends CPR classes are now being offered by Alexander County Partnership for Children. Family and Friends CPR is an instructional class on how to give CPR to an adult, child or infant. This program was created for anyone who wants to learn CPR and does not need a completion card. You will learn CPR basics and have a chance to practice those skills. Because of the nature of our funding, this class is only provided for people who have children ages 0-5 years of age.

This class is approx. 2 ½ hrs long and will be on March 3rd at 9am- Alexander County Partnership for Children, Highway 90 West Taylorsville. For more information please contact Tiffany Shumate at 632-3799 ext. 15. Registration is required. Alexander County Partnership for Children is a United Way agency.