How to Keep Pesticides Away From Children

Children can come into contact with pesticides stored or applied in their homes, yards, day-cares, schools, parks, or on pets. Children often touch things (that may contain a pesticide) and put their hands in their mouths. They also crawl and play on floors, grass, or in spaces that might contain pesticides. These activities may put them at higher risks for poisoning. Contact with pesticides may cause serious harm to a child's health. The signs of pesticide poisoning may look like the flu.

Pesticides may harm a developing child by blocking the absorption of important food nutrients necessary for normal healthy growth. Another way pesticides may cause harm is if a child's excretory system is not fully developed, the body may not fully remove pesticides. Also, there are "critical periods" in human development when exposure to a toxin can permanently alter the way an individual's biological system operates.

Child care management software tends to improve the services of child care centers. The software automates most of the work in the center so as to help the staff spent more time on the pressing needs of the center. The documentation, enrollment and all other activities are done using the software, which helps in saving time and money.

Signs to know whether your child is poisoned with pesticide or not

1. Flu. 
2. Headaches 
3. Dizziness 
4. Muscle twitching 
5. Weakness 
6. Tingling 

Precautions Taken to prevent child from getting poisoned

1. Read the label first. Follow the directions as they are written on the label before using a product. 
2. Lock up all pesticides and harmful products in a cabinet, out of a child’s reach. 
3. Alert all caregivers about the potential dangers of pesticides and share these tips with them. 
4. Teach children that “pesticides are poisons” and not to be touched. 
5. Never transfer pesticides to other containers . 
6. Before applying pesticides or other household chemicals, remove children and their toys, as well as pets, from the area. Keep children and pets away until the pesticide has dried or as long as is recommended on the label. 
7. Create safer child care. Daycare centers should be free of pesticides known to harm children. Ask your daycare facility about the pesticides they use. 
8. Make schools pesticide-free, inside & out .Pesticides that harm children — and especially those known to harm developing minds — have no place in our schools. Learn what communities across the country are doing to create school environments free of neurotoxic pesticides. 
9. Link local farms to school plates. Urge your school district to link with a pesticide-free farm-to-school program to protect children from pesticide residue sand build the family farm economy. 

How Toys Help Children Grow

Toddlers are little explorers who learn by doing. Play gives your child a great opportunity to develop and practice new skills at her own pace by following her unique interests. The toys and play things your child has available to her can shape her development in important ways. 

Toys are important for other reasons, too. Children exercise their muscles with toys. Next time you see children rocking horses or riding bikes, notice the muscles they are using. 

First, look at the children themselves. How old are they? What interests do they have? What do they like to do? Judge an idea that you have for a toy by asking: Is it safe? Does it capture the child's interest? Is it attractive? Can the child use it alone or is another person needed? What kind of activities will it encourage?

Guidelines for Choosing Toys for Toddlers 

1. Choose toys that can be used in a variety of ways. 
2. Look for toys that will grow with your child. 
3. Select toys that encourage exploration and problem-solving. 
4. Look for toys that spark your child's imagination 
5. Give your child the chance to play with "real" stuff 
6. Toss in some "getting ready to read" toys 
7. Seek out toys that encourage your child to be active 
8. Look for toys that nurture cross-generational play 

INFANTS AND EDUCATIONAL TOYS 

1. Infants need bright-colored toys of many textures. They should be washable, non-breakable, and have no sharp edges that might cut or scratch. 
2. Toys should be large enough so they cannot be swallowed and they should have no small attached pieces (like eyes on a stuffed animal or bells on a shaker) that could be pulled off and swallowed. 
3. At this age, babies put everything into their mouths as part of exploring their worlds. Any toy they are given must be safe when used in this way 

TODDLERS AND EDUCATIONAL TOYS 

1. Toddlers are active and enjoy climbing, running, and jumping. 
2. They need toys to meet these needs. 
3. They also are interested in doing things with their hands as the small muscles in their fingers become more developed. 
4. However, toys for this age group should be simple and require little coordination. During this period, toddlers become interested in playing with others and in imitating grown-up activities. Toys like dress-up clothes are great for this! 

Appropriate Toddler Toys

1. push-pull toys
2. pedal toys
3. truck/cars big enough to ride
4. wagons
5. balls and bean bags
6. balloons (with close supervision) swings
7. climbing structures
8. books with simple stories
9. blocks
10. peg boards
11. puzzles
12. creative materials (crayons, play dough, paint)
13. water play toys
14. simple dress-up clothes
15. dolls and stuffed animals boxes

PRESCHOOLERS AND EDUCATIONAL TOYS

Childcare centers are an excellent places for children to understand different kinds of toys enlarge their knowledge of various things around them. Most of the toys help toddlers understand various shapes and structures, which helps them improve their IQ and intelligence.

The childcare centers are run by child care management software, so the teachers have more time to spend on the children and concentrate more on how to improve the services and enhance their value.

This is a dramatic and creative age. Many conversations between preschool-age friends start with "Let's pretend...." Children become social. They become interested in playing with each other instead of preferring to play alone. Many toys become props for cooperative play.

Appropriate Toys for Preschoolers

1. puppets
2. farm and community play sets
3. transportation vehicles of all types
4. simple construction toys
5. creative materials
6. books and records
7. wheel toys ,sleds
8. simple musical instruments boxes
9. climbing structures
10. prop boxes
11. water play toys
12. puzzles
13. balls
14. cognitive games
15. dress-up clothes
16. housekeeping props
17. dolls and stuffed animals
18. character toys

EARLY SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN AND EDUCATIONAL TOYS

This is the age that children start collections or hobbies. Toys occupy less time for this age group because children spend more and more time playing with friends in groups. Early school-age children start to show more awareness of sex role stereotypes, that is, what girls and boys are supposed to do. Often girls play with girls and boys with boys. Girls may play with dolls as "babies" and pretend they are doing "real" housekeeping. Often boys enjoy electric trains and construction sets. Encourage children to change these stereotypes. Boys can play with dolls and be happy, if they feel it is okay for them to do so.

Appropriate Toys for Early School Age Children

1. board games
2. marbles
3. jacks
4. electric trains (UL approved)
5. construction sets
6. science kits
7. craft kits
8. larger bicycles
9. prop boxes and costumes
10. puppets
11. fashion and career dolls
12. doll house and furniture
13. jump ropes
14. art materials of all kinds
15. work bench with real tools
16. roller and ice skates

Sun, Sand and Beach Experience for Your Child

Splish, splash, bubble, bubble, pop!

Water play, both indoor and outdoor, is a unique activity for children because it’s always available, open-ended, and provides opportunities for extended learning. Water play fosters learning in all developmental areas. It provides opportunities for children to experiment with math and science concepts, strengthen their physical skills, advance their social and emotional skills, and enhance language development.

If your baby is younger than six months, keep her out of the sun altogether and in the shade. If you have an older baby or toddler, keep her out of the sun between 11am and 3pm, which is the hottest part of the day. 

The safest way for you to provide your kid with water experience is to set up the home center as a beach. Use child-sized lawn chairs or drape colorful denim over regular chairs. Provide beach towels, sun hats, sunglasses, empty suntan cream tubes, plastic pitcher of water, and plastic or paper drink glasses. 

Set out a conch shell, dried starfish, and basket of sea shells. Fill a washtub with sand and stock it with toy sand-building tools (or use the sandbox).

Outdoor Water Play Ideas

Listed below are some outdoor dramatic play themes as well as a list of suggested play materials.

1. Fun in the Sun– Add water to the sandbox, towels, beach bags, containers for sand molding, child-size beach chairs, and sunglasses. 
2. Bath Time– Warm, sudsy water, clear water, dish tubs or water table, washable baby dolls, washcloths, bath toys, and towels. 
3. Bakery– Sand or mud, dirt, water, pie tins, plastic spoons, plastic knives, craft sticks, grass, small sticks, leaves, and cottonwood. 
4. Firefighter– Water, hats, boots, gloves, windbreakers, garden hoses or plastic tubing, and buckets. 
5. Paint Shop– Buckets of water, different sizes of brushes used to paint houses, rollers, sidewalk, walls, fence, etc. 

You will need the following clothing:

1. Several changes of swimwear, if possible. Babies and toddlers like to get in the water, out of the water, in the water, and out again. But they don't like putting on wet swimming gear! 
2. A sun hat. Make sure it has a wide brim or is a Legionnaire-style cap with a flap on the back to cover the neck. 
3. Several long sleeved T-shirts, sweatshirts, leggings or trousers, socks, and shoes. Babies and toddlers can lose heat quickly after they have been in the sea, particularly in cooler climates, and will need to be dressed warmly afterwards. 

Equipments needed :

1. Towels 
2. Sun screen 
3. First aid 
4. Blankets 
5. Armbands, rubber ring, or float suit.,Bucket, spade, and beach ball.

Parent Registration Applications in a Daycare Management Software

In EZChildTrack, a web based childcare management software, there’s an option for parents to specify their registration and enrollment preferences. Not all parents have the same requirements. Each parent might have specific programs and activities they would want their children to be registered and enrolled in. 

Using EZChildTrack’s secure online application forms, parents can easily specify these preferences without any hassle and without the need of any external support. This saves not only the organization’s time but the parents’ time as well as they need not visit the premises to specify their requirements.

The EZChildTrack software can be used by parents with a registered account number to log into the system. With this option, registered account holders can specify registration/enrollment preferences. Program Directors create and approve parent applications. The electronic form is divided into sections. Each section is dedicated to details linked to the account holder. 

There’s a “My Account” section which can be used to include the primary and secondary account holder’s demographics, a “My Children” section wherein you can include info about your child as well as registration/enrollment specifications, a “Terms and Conditions” page and so on. With such a structured organization, it becomes easy to retrieve as well as enter required data. Program directors can further scan application based on their status. 

Approved applications are arranged in a separate folder whereas pending and deleted applications have a folder of their own as well. The Wait List folder allows the program director to find out account holders who are in waiting list for a specified program.

Owing to its highly organized interface, EZChildTrack daycare management software simplifies tasks for program directors, site coordinators, staff members and parents alike. Parent applications can be accessed anytime of the day irrespective of the place you are in. Being a web based software, users can access, create, modify, delete data whenever required.

Emergency Preparedness in Child Care Centers

You cannot predict when a disaster might strike, but you can prepare! This slogan from the American Medical Association really says it all.

The following are the list of conditions that pose immediate threat to the life or well-being of a child in the care of a child care provider that may subject a child care center or child care home to emergency or temporary closure order:

(1) Building damage due to:

• earthquake;
• flooding or water damage;
• tornado;
• severe wind;
• ice storm;
• fire;
• lead contamination; or
• asbestos.

(2) Sewage problems as follows:

• Sewage backup.
• Toilets cannot be flushed or are overflowing.
• Sewage system is not operating properly.

(3) Inadequate or unsafe water supply as follows:

• Contaminated water supply.
• Water supply not functioning.

(4) No electricity in the building.

(5) Heating system problems.

(6) Gas, carbon monoxide, or other noxious gases leak.

(7) Filthy conditions.

(8) Rodent, roach, or vermin infestation.

(9) Building renovation occurring in a room or area occupied by children.

(10) Lack of supervision, which results in the death or serious injury of a child.

If an employee or agent of the division determines that a violation in subsection (a) exists, the division shall:

• issue an emergency or another temporary order under IC 4-21.5-4 requiring the licensee to immediately cease operations of the child care center or home; and
• contact the parent or guardian of each child enrolled in the child care center or child care home to inform the parent or guardian:
• that the division has issued an order to require the licensee to cease operations of the child care center or child care home; and
• the reason for the order to cease operation

PHASES OF EMERGENCY PLANNING

1. PREPAREDNESS : Is your program ready for emergencies?

Step 1: Form a Planning Committee

Step 2: Create your plan

Step 3: Practice your plan

PREPARATION CHECKLIST

1. Create a plan to address typical disasters that could occur in your area, such as fire, flood, threatening of parent or staff.
2. Contact local first responders (fire, police) to make them aware of your plan and seek guidance.
3. Provide training for all staff members regarding your plan and staff roles and responsibilities.
4. Ensure that families are aware of your plan.
5. Conduct monthly fire drills and discuss with staff afterward.
6. Conduct full-scale disaster drills at least quarterly and discuss with staff.
7. Document, in writing, the disaster drills and post-drill discussions.
8. Encourage and support families to be prepared at home.
9. Obtain a sufficient supply of master keys, plan for storage and access.

2. RESPONSE: What actions will you take to keep children and staff safe?

Responsibilities during the Incident:

1. Obtain supplies (disaster kits) and forms. Important records to have with you are your backup flash drive/CD-ROM with backup program records and a master copy of all staff and child emergency information as well as all signed parent/guardian permission forms.

2. Assign tasks as per your plan

3. Direct and coordinate disaster operations

a. Assess the type and scope of emergency.

b. Implement the response and emergency plans.

4. Determine the need for outside assistance, and request if necessary.

5. Interact with other emergency teams from the community (e.g., the fire

department).

6. Be ultimately responsible for the safety and accountability of all children and

volunteers present.

a. Give yourself frequent breaks; trade off with someone you have

trained to take your place as needed.

b. Plan regular breaks for yourself and volunteers.

c. Release staff as able, in accordance with licensing requirements for

supervision.

After the Incident:

1. When incident is resolved, discontinue operations.

a) Ensure any unfinished action items are completed.

b) Return reusable supplies to Logistics’ Supplies and Equipment Team.

c) Close out all logs.

2. Call licensing or your local Child Care Resource and Referral program to report the incident.

3. RECOVERY : How will you operate your child care business after a disaster?

1. Assess damage to facility and equipment and contact insurance company.
2. Locate temporary emergency child care space if program cannot continue in existing facility.
3. Notify families and keep updated.
4. Request volunteers.
5. Apply for Public Assistance for Child Care Services.
6. Notify Child Care Licensing regarding reopening or opening in new facility.
7. Apply for Disaster Assistance for labor costs, facility costs and supplies costs.
8. Contact the Child Development Bureau regarding billing and payment for children receiving child care scholarship.

Managing Agencies in Day Care Centers with Child Care Management Software

The primary focus of EZChildTrack, a child care management software, is to manage all operations of a day care center - ranging from safely storing participant details to managing their registration information in a structured manner. It is also required of the day care center to manage activity details including its associated sites and fee structure. This all in turn contributes to a powerful, robust system that can take care of a daycare center’s day to day needs.

Another type of feature that is coveted in a daycare management system is managing agency information. Not all participants are able to fully afford day care centers which is where agencies step in to do their bit. In such cases, it would be highly beneficial if a day care center uses a software that can manage all details related to agencies.

Information regarding new agencies can be recorded at any time using EZChildTrack. This web based software also helps the day care centers in recording agency related operations like generating invoices and processing payments. A large number of agencies – regardless of their size - can be managed in the system. The agency list will help you to retrieve a desired agency’s information in a matter of minutes thus saving ample time required for getting a hold on required data.

Vouchers can be created for agencies and safely stored in EZChildTrack as well. Payments made by the agencies can be posted into the system and invoices can be generated. Agencies can make payments on a daily, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis. Any agency payment discrepancies can be also be dealt with easily in EZChildTrack.

In EZChildTrack, a daycare management software, daycare centers can carry out their agency-related operations – right from creating a new record for an agency to raising invoices and posting agency payments in the system. This can be done anywhere, anytime – the only requirement being an Internet enabled device. Being a web based software, it is also possible to access data round the clock making it highly convenient for people who are apprehensive of installing any kind of software in their desktops or laptops or mobile devices.

Controlling the Growing Number of Unlicensed Child Care Centers

State regulators in Arlington an illegal day care center on Tuesday. Julie Swayne is part of a new, seven-person unit looking for day care businesses operating without permits. News 8 was there when she went to check out All My Youngunz in Arlington. The investigation team arrived because they had received a complaint about child care center which is located in that location. 

The women operating All My Youngunz was taking care of seven children, including babies. She was charging $75 a week, but she is not licensed. Regulators have shut down the facility and also they called the parents to come and get their children. The regulators are in the opinion that unlicensed day care centers are potentially dangerous.

A lot of them are in homes; sometimes they are in other locations; but what these regulators are looking for, specifically, for people who have not been permitted, or don't have any kind of training or any kind of background check; and still advertising to take care of kids. 

Child care different from baby sitting. If the person or child care center are doing it in your home on a regular basis for compensation, then yes, it's considered child care, They've shut down 700 illegal day care facilities in the North Texas area alone, and they expect to shut down hundreds more by end of the year.

Disciplinary action taken in Florida for unlicensed child care centers are as follows:

Florida Child Care Statutes Sections 402.310 Disciplinary actions; hearings upon denial, suspension, or revocation of license; administrative fines.

(1)
(a) The department or local licensing agency may deny, suspend, or revoke a license or impose an administrative fine not to exceed $100 per violation, per day, for the violation of any provision of ss. 402.301-402.319 or rules adopted thereunder. However, where the violation could or does cause death or serious harm, the department or local licensing agency may impose an administrative fine, not to exceed $500 per violation per day.

(b) In determining the appropriate disciplinary action to be taken for a violation as provided in paragraph (a), the following factors shall be considered:

1. The severity of the violation, including the probability that death or serious harm to the health or safety of any person will result or has resulted, the severity of the actual or potential harm, and the extent to which the provisions of ss. 402.301-402.319 have been violated.

2. Actions taken by the licensee to correct the violation or to remedy complaints.

3. Any previous violations of the licensee.

(2) When the department has reasonable cause to believe that grounds for the denial, suspension, or revocation of a license or imposition of an administrative fine exist, it shall determine the matter in accordance with procedures prescribed in chapter 120. When the local licensing agency has reasonable cause to believe that grounds for the denial, suspension, or revocation of a license or imposition of an administrative fine exist, it shall notify the applicant or licensee in writing, stating the grounds upon which the license is being denied, suspended, or revoked or an administrative fine is being imposed. If the applicant or licensee makes no written request for a hearing to the local licensing agency within 15 days from receipt of such notice, the license shall be deemed denied, suspended, or revoked or an administrative fine shall be imposed.

(3) If a request for a hearing is made to the local licensing agency, a hearing shall be held within 30 days and shall be conducted by an individual designated by the county commission.

(4) An applicant or licensee shall have the right to appeal a decision of the local licensing agency to a representative of the department. Any required hearing shall be held in the county in which the child care facility is being operated or is to be established. The hearing shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 120.

For further details on the subject, please read the below links.
http://www.daycare.com/florida/statutes.html
http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/tarrant/State-regulators-crack-down-on-unlicensed-day-cares-in-Arlington-267239711.html

Tips on Purchasing a Daycare Management Software

Is it necessary for day care centers to use a child care management software? Presently there are a large number of day care centers nationwide. If we check the present advertisements, we will be able to see ads of day care centers giving specialized services or giving services that cater to the need of the students. 

Managing children and their records can be a tedious task. There are lots of responsibilities that come with this job. First comes administrative work which involves data management, generating reports, maintaining participant records, attendance tracking, billing and payment processing, employee management and much more. 

To watch over a lot of children at a time and check whether they are responding well to the program along with manual entry paper work makes it difficult for day care employees. 

Many small scale businesses still rely on paper based manual entry to complete their work. In the 21st century, paper based working methods have been replaced by automated, more reliable and accurate non-paper ones. It has become almost critical to use computers or other electronic devices for a smooth work flow. The use of MS Excel and MS Word for storing written data is convenient but even that can get tedious and disorganized. The major problem of paper based storage of documents is that the information can be lost or scattered.

In order to overcome these problems in day care centers, it becomes essential to use a daycare management software. There are lots of such software products available in the marketplace today. You should opt for one that is cost effective, user friendly, encompasses a myriad of features and for which upgrading can be done easily. A good customer support service should be provided by the company that has developed the product. 

Since the number of software products is on the rise, it becomes crucial for the program director or manager to make a thorough research before purchasing a product. There are low priced daycare software products out there but are they really up to the mark? It’s recommended by the experts that users should not buy low cost software that ranges from $10-$50 because it will lack quality and professional touch.

The user must always buy a day care management software based on the needs of the company. EZChildTrack is one such software that is highly flexible. It is also cost effective, user friendly and can be customized based on user needs.

Healthy Children Needed to Build a Better Future

Good health begins at home. Giving your baby the best start in life, creating a safe home environment and helping your teenager deal with the pressures of adolescence are just of few of the health issues families face every day. Eating healthy is not a choice at all when struggling families has to make a choice. As a result,more than half of children living below the poverty line in rural America are overweight or obese. Every child deserves a chance at a healthy start.

Our Healthy Choices program exposes children to healthier ways of living through activity, nutrition lessons and balanced food choices so they can be healthy and active in both learning and life.

Eating well and being physically active at an early age helps children focus, improve attendance, boost academic performance and grow up to be healthy adults.

Health programs conducted in USA:Recently 

It has been more than 25 years that the CATCH Programs have guided kids on how to be healthy for a lifetime and it is now the #1 health promotion and childhood obesity prevention program available .

The CATCH Programs Provide:

• Training
• Equipment
• Support
• Consultation
• Online Curriculum
• Evidence-based programs

The Eat Smart school nutrition program , K-5 Classroom curriculum,a Physical Education program, and a Family program. The Coordination of health messages between these four component areas is critical to positively impact children's knowledge and behavior these are four critical components of CATCH program.

The components of CATCH

• CATCH PE- Physical Activity
•  Go for Healt- Classroom Curriculum
•  Eat Smart- School Nutrition
•  Home Team- Family Activities
•  Middle school program
•  CATCH Kids Club- after-school and summer programs

Learn the Signs. Act Early: program aims to improve early identification of children with autism and other developmental disabilities so children and families can get the services and support they need. The Act Early Initiative promotes collaboration among early childhood programs in states and territories so children with autism or other developmental disabilities can be identified early and get the services and support they and their families need.

Information for parents

What we know about kids and food:Parents are usually more receptive to activities that can be done at home than to those that require their attendance at the school (223,224). To involve parents and other family members in nutrition education, schools can

• Children have to try the same food 10 - 15 times before they will develop a like or dislike for it.
• Positive peer pressure works. Children are more willing to try something another child likes.
• Kids will ask their parents to buy healthy foods that they have tried at school.
• Send nutrition education materials and cafeteria menus home with students,
• Ask parents to send healthy snacks to school,
• Invite parents and other family members to periodically eat with their children in the cafeteria,
• Invite families to attend exhibitions of student nutrition projects or health fairs.
• Offer nutrition education workshops and screening services, and
• Assign nutrition education homework that students can do with their families (e.g., reading and interpreting food labels, reading nutrition-related newsletters, and preparing healthy recipe

What schools must do in order to keep kids healthy 

• Schools providing appealing, low-fat, low-sodium foods in vending machines and at school meetings and events;
• School counselors and nurses providing guidance on health and, if necessary, referrals for nutritional problems;
• Community organizations providing counseling or nutrition education campaigns;
• Physical education instructors helping students understand the relationship between nutrition and physical activity;
• School food service personnel serving healthy, well-balanced meals in the cafeteria; and
• School personnel acting as role models for healthy eating (153). The USDA is promoting health-enhancing changes in the food service component of the school health program by requiring schools to serve meals that comply with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (154) and by providing technical support to schools through Team Nutrition (151).

For more information regarding this, read the full article here - http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00042446.htm

How Enrollment Report on Daycare Management Software Works

There are a number of enrollment based reports which you can generate using a web based daycare management software like EZChildTrack. These include enrollment list, enrollment count and details based on child information records and child registration forms. The enrollment list report helps users to print elaborate reports on program participants and their enrollment details. The enrollment count reports the number of daily enrollments for a selected program.

A generated enrollment based report also contains complete details of students like student contact information, medical treatments, emergency contact information etc. The daycare provider can sort out reports of each student individually through child's name or primary account holder’s name.

The parent portal serves as a gateway to better engage parents during the registration process. In addition to registering for courses, it allows them to automatically submit all required documentation, view status and pay fees.

EZChildTrack helps in reducing administrative tasks and eliminate paper-based processes. This allows you to reap the benefits of a massive cost reduction in your annual enrollment and registration process. It is possible to further filter down report data by using the filters on each report screen. This helps you to drill down data that you actually need for your analysis. Such a reporting tool which helps you to narrow down results help in reducing ample time needed to make informed decisions.

Our student registration system and enrollment software delivers the simplicity and convenience that both you and your participants require. The daycare management software helps you to avoid duplicate records effectively. Simplify the management of your admissions process and move applicants through the admissions funnel more quickly with electronic checklists, actions, reminders, and status updates – all giving you more time to invest back into getting to know your prospective families.

Working Moms and Child Care Center with New Trends in US

Working mothers are one of the people who benefit from child care centers. They need someone to take care of them while they go for work. Child care makes or breaks a working mom's career.A child care Center is more advantageous because there will be many children who are enrolled in these centers so that your child can mingle with and make new friends. A good child care center helps children develop mentally, physically and socially. It will be better if you can, take an active role at the center. This will help you in being assured of making the right decision for a daycare and also help you with any feelings you have of guilt about working.

According an article on www.workingmother.com, there are many creative childcare strategy work that may work for you. Deciding which type of care giver is best suitable for you is the most difficult part. But after getting in to a routine schedule you will be able to decide which type is most suitable for you. Consider these trends:

(Photo Courtesy: Telegraph.co.uk)

Care From a Relative: 

• You may be lucky enough to have a father, mother-in-law or sibling who offers to care for your child.
• You can be far more confident that your child is with someone who loves and cares for your kid.
• The care may be free of cost, but not without strings. Your mother may feel comfortable ignoring your feeding, sleep or other care preferences. After all, her rules worked fine for your childhood.

Flex Care:

• Lisa Mars, VP of global benefits for CA Technologies, based in Islandia, NY. “Employees need to be able to achieve their work goals if they work from home.” Her company has six on-site child-care centers around the globe as well as summer programs for school-age kids with options that cater to employees with compressed and part-time schedules. “Even work-at-home moms drive in and drop off kids at on site care before returning home to work,” Mars adds. 
• Flexible child care is a great option if … You have a flexible job ,You have a separate workspace,You have backup ,You like being the boss 
• Flexibility and work life balance. 
• It helps mothers greatly for those who work-from-home arrangements and have compressed schedules. 
• Employer work-at-home policies vary - A care situation like this depends on the nature of your work.

Sharing Care:

• Share can be a great solution for families looking to reduce costs while maintaining individualized care. 
• This needs a lot of teamwork, communication and shared responsibility . 
• In the case of a nanny share, expect the caregiver and other kids to be at your home at least part of the time . 
• Everything should be well organized. 

À la Carte Care:

• For many entrepreneurs and part-time or flextime working moms, sticking to any one schedule or shared situation just isn’t possible—or even desired. And then there’s the money part. 
• In the case of a nanny share, expect the caregiver and other kids to be at your home at least part of the time. 
• Its not time for assuming anything. Some gyms will assign a personal trainer to watch the kids who may not have experience or safety training.

A check list for moms While selecting a nanny, a home-based caregiver, or center-based care.

1.In case of nanny:

• A smiling face and pleasant disposition speak volumes . 
• Nanny should take responsibilities, respects your decisions, and takes initiative in doing the task provided by you. 
• Nanny should be happy to fill you in on the details of the day and give you a detailed report on 
• About a sniffly nose, missed nap, anticipating potential hazards both at home and on the playground and keeps an eagle eye on your tot at all times. or menu at lunchtime. 
• Punctuality,discipline should be checked in to , nanny should always inform you if there is any delay in reaching your residence. of course, you should do the same when you're running late

2. At a center-based or home care setting:

• Watch the way children are greeted 
• A good caregiver should be a pro at helping to smooth transitions. 
• At emergency situations the care taker should have presence of mind as well use the knowledge of training at the right time,training in safety rules and competence in first aid . 
• Late policy,holidays and vacations scheduled should be informed in advance. 
• Conscientious caregivers have a plan in place — such as providing you with a responsible substitute — if they have a family emergency . 
• Neat clothes and a clean face and hands are signs that the caregiver values cleanliness . 
• Good grooming is also a sign of self-respect and responsibility. 
• A good caregiver has the right staff-to-child ratio and her center or home is properly licensed and/or accredited. 

3. Checking out daycare and home care settings

• Make note of the facility's conditions: 
• Working moms should check if there are smoke and/or carbon-monoxide detectors, Are the play and sleeping areas hazard-free, Are staircases and other danger zones (like kitchens and bathrooms) sufficiently safeguarded? Is the place childproofed, with drawer locks and outlet covers? Look for signs encouraging hand washing, and check to see that there are soap and paper towels by the sink for the staff and the kids. Make sure the facility smells fresh and the toys and furniture look clean 
• A quality facility has nothing to hide and will be comfortable with unannounced visits. 
• The staff will also protect your child from unauthorized adults, including visitors and employees. Most states require criminal background checks on jobs and criminal records

Staff Attendance in Child Care Management Software

EZChildTrack, a child care management software, helps you out in attendance tracking, review & control over time management of your organization. In every organization, discipline and punctuality of staff members is of utmost importance and with the help of EZChildTrack software it is possible for the organization to track the attendance of employees. In order to record staff attendance, each staff member has a unique identification code and they have to punch in the code to record check-in/check-out times. You can generate daily and custom reports for individual employees.

The staff module which is built in the software is very beneficial in scheduling the staff according to requirements and also the number of staff needed in proportion to the number of students present. Manager can regulate the working hours and keep an eye on employee whereabouts while understanding the reason about their frequent late entries or early exits.

Each staff is associated with a
particular location. The software enables the organization to track staff centers and dates and schedule work for the employees. With the help of EZChildTrack software, you can update the schedules of employees.

This preschool management software helps to eliminate unapproved overtime. It is also very effective when staff members are working in various shifts as it calculates the total working hours of an employee. With the help of this software the organization is able to reduce absenteeism and improve punctuality. Managers can track their employees' time and attendance from anywhere and at any time. The major advantages of using this software are that it helps in keeping track of staff attendance, improves work productivity and also helps in making effective decisions within the organization.

YMCA Starting Child Care Centers

Child care is a very crucial aspect of parenting. When both the parents of the child are working, they normally have to depend on a well equipped child care for their child and it is the only practical solution in that kind of a situation. In these testing times where the economy is not looking good, both parents are having to work on a daily basis to pay the bills. So during an economy downturn, one of the few businesses that show a reverse trend is the child care business.

YMCA has been in the forefront various social and environmental activities around the world and lately they have decided to try in helping working parents by opening child care centers in various parts in the country. The Mahaska County YMCA has taken the initiative head on and started the Child Watch and drop-in child care programs in the county.

Since YMCA is looking at the child care as community activity than as a pure business, the cost associated with the child care for parents are also less. Drop-in child care programs for the licensed programs are only $5 per hour for infants to two-year-olds and $4 per hour for children ages three and up. YMCA planning to use these centers to help community members of better access to healthy living programs.

Read more about how YMCA is making a change in the lives of hundreds of parents in a positive way here.

Reporting Module in Childcare Management Software

One of the features of the childcare management software is an inbuilt reporting module that helps the user to create, build, design, modify, build customized reports, generate a multitude of online reports, batch reports, print reports or download files. This module is designed as an interactive, quality data tool for data managers. It is possible to add more customized reports at no additional cost.

The reporting module in EZChildTrack uses data stored in the system to provide accurate results. We encourage users and developers to use the reporting module, experience its functionality completely, create new tickets for bug fixes and feature requests, and provide feedback. The reporting module provides a flexible framework for defining and designing your report outputs .This software helps in building customized reports and these reports can be rendered in a standard format.

The software provides a powerful, yet easy to use and highly flexible platform that enables the user to gain meaningful insights with the help of generated reports. It is possible to make effective decisions on basis of these generated reports. 

EZChildTrack allows you to format reports very quickly to meet specific user requirements. The user can specify the recurring frequency for reports such as daily or weekly and set the exact date and time that they want reports to run. This saves administration time and creates a set & forget process for all your reporting needs.

The reporting module in EZChildTrack helps in monitoring key trends of different schools, focus on productivity and stay informed about the latest news regarding the competitors. The module gives you comprehensive reports about Projects, People and Companies. 

With the help of quick navigation, it becomes easier for users to view data, take printouts and also set up automatic reminders. This makes EZChildTrack a type of childcare management software that is easy to use as well as accessible to the user at any time.

Angry Birds Company Plans to Launch Preschool Managment Program

Washington Post is reporting that Rovio Entertainment, the Finnish company that created the highly popular Android game Angry Birds, is planning to launch a preschool management curriculum around the world to make the learning process of children more easy and fun.

Angry Birds has been praised for its successful combination of addictive gameplay, comical style, and low price. With 2 billion downloads across all platforms and including both regular and special editions, the franchise has become the highest downloaded freemium game of all time according to Wikipedia.

The program is based currently on the Finish Kindergarden and preschool management software curriculum which is largely based on learning through playing and fun. The company is planning to maximize the children's learning through better engagement with technological tools, and actively promoting some characters of Angry Birds to build innovation.

Preschool management software helps daycare centers with their daily administration and invoice billing. It helps them in controlling the costs and reduce the staff at the daycare centers. If the employees are less there are lot of other benefits by reducing the expenses like the salary and other office needs.

Finland education is diffenrent from most of other european or international education system. The compulsory education do not start until the age of 7, and the Government gives more emphasis on learning through innovation and better engagement.