VOLUME 2, ISSUE 2

WINTER, 2013

Childcare Connections
A joint newsletter of the Alamance Partnership for Children and the Alamance Alliance for Children and Families

Baby Its Cold Outside

Carey Ann WatkinsOutdoor Learning Environment Specialist

...But not too cold to play

Welcome to the most wonderful time of the year! A season filled with nostalgia and warm cocoa. It is easy to let this season slip by us while we are caught up in the hustle and bustle. As children, we remember the magic that this season held, the opportunities for school to be closed, getting together with all of the kids on the block, waking up to see the first snowflakes of the year; however, we are all grown up now. This winter I ask a favor of you all: dont forget to play. It is easy to stay warm and dry inside the house when rain/ ice/snow is falling outside. We have grown out of jumping in mud puddles, making mud pies, having snow ball fights, and paying attention to ice crunching beneath our feet. Our children have not. The kids in our lives are still curious as to how softly they have to tread over the ground to not break the ice. They pay attention to every mud puddle and wonder how hard they can jump in it before being completely covered in mud. So, this year, my gift to you is a how to guide and to do list that should carry you all through winter and remind you that there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.

How to Jump in Mud Puddles:

Step 1-Find the largest puddle you can. If you cannot locate one, ask the closest child to assist you. Step 2-Ask the child how to jump in the mud. He/She should respond with something akin to: Bend your knees, feet together, swing your arms back, push off the ground with both feet, and land in the puddle. Repeat step 2 until sufficiently muddied up.

Other ideas: Snow angels, ice skate on a porch or side walk, use food coloring to paint the snow, All of these activities are fun and child-led that integrate gross motor skills, the senses, stress management, communication skills, and promote bonding. As adults we often forget that winter is not meant to be spent cooped up inside the house with a cup of cocoa and a good movie; winter is meant to be explored, experimented with, and experienced. Good thing we have kids around to teach us a thing or two about how to truly enjoy these cold months.

How to Make a Mud Pie:

Step 1-Find a good mud source-perhaps the mud puddle that you just jumped in-children have a sixth sense that helps them locate mud, utilize this. Step 2-Pile mud onto paper plates, paper decomposes quickly Step 3-Deccorate with leaves, acorns, bark, etc. In the spring, when it is warmer, take off shoes and socks and walk in the mud pies. It isnt often that we get to play with our food.

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FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CARRIE THEALL

Sometimes it is easy to forget that we are surrounded by beauty and wonderment. I am lucky enough to come to work everyday here at the Partnership, which is located in the historic Glencoe Village. Often times I forget how scenic it is here until a visitor points it out to me. And then I think, Oh yeah, this is a pretty cool place to work. Since there are so many changes occurring out herewith the creation of the Outdoor Learning Environment and the Childrens Nature Science CenterI thought Id grab my camera and take some shots of the sites surrounding me. It was a great reminder to look around from time to time and enjoy whats right outside my window. I hope everyone finds time to stop and appreciate the immediate beauty of this holiday season.

Welcome LaVonne Michael, Administrative Assistant

The Alamance Partnership for Children is so pleased to welcome LaVonne Michael to the staff. Retired from Duke Energy after thirty years of service, LaVonne stays busy at the Partnership and working as a substitute teacher for the Alamance-Burlington School System. When she isnt cataloging the massive amount of books coming in through the Barnes & Noble book drive, she keeps the staff laughing with her terrific wit! LaVonne has been married to her wonderful husband, Sealo, for 37 years. She is mother to Gerrard and Kimery and grandmother to Jakala and Roman and loves being with her family and traveling.

Looking for child care? Call Referral Central toll free at 855-327-5933 or visit www.childcareservices.org/fs/finding .html.

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Program Updates:

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Motheread B.A.B.Y, Birth and Beginning Years, a FREE class for first time pregnant parents and new parents of a child under four months, begins January 27th and goes through March 17th from 5:30pm-7:30pm at Alamance Regional Medical Center, Education Center, Lower Level Dining Room. Learn ways to take care of your baby and yourself, share ideas with other parents, receive a FREE library of childrens books, and enjoy dinner. This 8-week series will take place on Monday evenings. To register, call Alamance Regional Medical Center at 336586-4000 or sign-up online at www.armc.com. Are you the parent of a preschool or school age child? Do you want to strengthen your parenting skills? The Incredible Years Program focuses on building a nurturing relationship with your child and managing challenging behaviors. When: Monday, Feb. 3rd, or Tuesday, Feb. 4th Time: Dinner starts at 5:30pm/Class runs from 6-8pm. For more information: Contact Kim Morabito at 513-0063 ext. 118 or kmorabito@alamancechildren.org.
Congratulations to the 28 participants who completed IY classes this fall. A graduation ceremony was held at Eastlawn on December 17th for the English and Spanish IY classes that were taught there with Mr. McInnis of Eastlawn officiating!

Parents as Teachers is more than home visits! Each month, PAT educators provide at least one group meeting opportunity to the families they serve. This year, group meetings have taken on new life as we have been able to provide incredible experiences for our PAT families. These meetings have included story time and songs at May Memorial Library, playing in the Outdoor Learning Environment, a car seat check held at Centro la Comunidad and much more. In November, we had the chance to visit the Conservators Center in Caswell County. There were 24 Parents as Teachers families in attendance and thanks to the Conservators Center they were able to have a free, up close and personal experience with lions, tigers, wolves, lemurs and many other rare animals. Our PAT families are still talking about the fun they had and the memories they made! The Alamance Partnership for Children would like to thank the Conservators Center for providing this experience and we look forward to working with them in the future.

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Events and Training

Holiday Magic: A Dickens Christmas and the Burlington Christmas Parade As of December 20th Barnes & Noble has helped the Alamance Partnership for Children receive over 2,000 brand new donated books for children in Alamance County. Thank you Barnes & Noble, especially Susan Ellington, and our generous community members for making this a special Christmas for many boys and girls in our community!

Outdoor Learning Environment

1/21/14Big Movement, Small Spaces-1 hour training based on Be Active Kids games and ideas for indoor play and the development of movement skills. 2/25/14Rainy Day Games 1 training based on Be Active Kids suggestions for outdoor games in the rain. 3/25/14Gardening with Kids - 1 hour training focusing on gardening ideas and recipes that can be done with kids in outdoor learning environments.
Contact Carey Ann Watkins for more information: cawatkins@alamancechildren.org.

Third Quarter Training Calendar

Register at http://www.childcareservices.org/ps/training.html
All of the workshops listed are being held at the Alamance Partnership for Children, 2322 River Road, Burlington, NC 27217, unless otherwise noted. Date Jan. 16, 2014 Jan. 21, 2014 Feb. 6, 2014 Feb. 10, 2014 Feb. 10, 2014 Feb. 22, 2014 Mar. 18, 2014 Apr. 7, 2014 Workshop Title Good Nutrition Does Matter Phone Seminar Learning to Listen-Learning to Teach: 12 Principles of Effective Teaching Phone Seminar Autism Through Pink Colored Glasses Phone Seminar Self-Management: Please, Teach Me What To Do Good Nutrition Does Matter Phone Seminar ASK Conference: East Chapel Hill High School Choice and Preference: Preventing Power Struggles With Preschoolers Time 6:30p-7:30p 6:30p-7:30p 6:30p-7:30p 6:00p-8:00p 6:30p-7:30p 8:30a-3:00p 6:00p-8:00p Cost $10.00 $10.00 $10.00 $ 5.00 $10.00 $70.00 $5.00 Credits 1 1 1 2 1 $45.00 Group fee for 10 or more 2 Gwen Adair-Howell Gwen Adair-Howell Gwen Adair-Howell Trainer_______

Choice and Preference: Preventing Power Struggles With Preschoolers 6:00p-8:00p $5.00 2 The following two trainings are offered through Alamance Community College. Register at http://www.alamancecc.edu/continuing -education-site/registration/ Incredible Years For Teachers BSAC-Basic School Age Care 8:00a-12:00p 9:00a 2:00p $50.00 $20.00 3.6 CEUs .5 CEUs

Jan. 5-May 14 Apr. 5, 2014

Bonita Brown & Lisa Rettie Lisa Rettie

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DOLLY PARTONS IMAGINATION LIBRARY REGISTRATION FORM

Dolly Partons Imagination Library

In 1996, Dolly Parton launched a reading program to benefit the children of her home county in east Tennessee. Dolly wanted to foster a love of reading among her countys preschool children and their families. She wanted children to be excited about books and to feel the magic that books can create. In Alamance County, eligible children receive a free book in the mail per month until they reach their fifth birthday. The books, distributed by the Dolly Parton Foundation, are carefully selected to be age -appropriate and to deliver positive, developmentally important skill opportunities for children. Alamance Partnership for Children is currently providing this service to the Eastlawn, Newlin, Andrews, Haw River, Grove Park, Pleasant Grove, and North Graham school zones. To be eligible, a child between the ages of birth to five years of age needs to reside within one of these districts. Please mail in the completed enrollment form above, if you are interested in enrolling your child.

Alamance Partnership for Children

VISION: All children arrive at school healthy, happy and ready for success in school and life.
Our Board of Directors: Board Chair-Stephanie Williams Vice Chair-Ron Waters Treasurer-Eddie Boswell Secretary-Jeremy Ireland Barry Bass Tim Beshel Rachel Blunk Patsy Byrd David Carter Chris Clemmons Mark Cryan ..
Board Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of every month at noon. These meetings are open to the public. Should you have an interest in attending, please contact the Partnership at 336.513.0063.

Our Staff:
Carrie Theall-Executive Director-ctheall@alamancechildren.org Tamatha Kohler-Program Director-TKohler@alamancechildren.org Melinda McGuire-Finance & H.R. Manager-MMcGuire@alamancechildren.org La Vonne Michael-Administrative Assistant-lmichael@alamancechildren.org Kim Morabito-Incredible Years Coordinator-kmorabito@alamancechildren.org Kristie Kylander-NC Pre-K Coordinator-kkylander@alamancechildren.org Shonna Trinidad-Literacy Specialist-strinidad@alamancechildren.org Bonita Brown-Lead Early Childhood Specialist-bbrown@alamancechildren.org Lisa Rettie-Early Childhood Specialist-lrettie@alamancechildren.org Jessica Johnson-Lead Parents as Teachers Educator-jjohnson@alamancechildren.org Gaby Quinteros-Parents as Teachers Educator-gquinteros@alamancechildren.org Jessy Estrada-Parents as Teachers Educator-jestrada@alamancechildren.org Nelgi Moreno-Parents as Teachers Educator-nmoreno@alamancechildren.org Mary Erwin-Outreach Specialist-merwin@alamancechildren.org Carey Ann Watkins-OLE Specialist-cawatkins@alamancechildren.org

Bryan Hagood Martha Krall Kris Moffitt Susan Osborne Jeannie Proctor Granville Simmons Davina Woods

Contact us: 2322 River Road, Burlington, NC 27217-8359 Phone: 336.513.0063 Fax: 336.226.1152 Website: www.alamancechildren.org

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A System of Care Newsbrief In Alamance County, North Carolina

From the Director: Connie Windham
Give the Gift of Laugher This Year
Everyone recognizes that Holidays create stress. According to a 2008 APA poll, eight out of 10 Americans anticipate stress during the holiday season. Tensions mount with finding the right gift, spending money you dont have, planning meals, entertaining out of town guests, having the kids out of school, etc., and our ability to cope flies out the window. There is a lot of great advice on handling stress such as taking time for yourself, volunteering, having realistic expectations and seeking support, all of which can certainly help. Sometimes, though, what really works is having one simple thing to remember when the turkey burns, the Christmas lights go out, or the scotch tape runs out in the middle of wrapping. This year, that one thought that could make all the difference in your families Holidays could be: Look for the laughter in things and the things that make you laugh. Did you know that the average kindergartner laughs 300 times a dayin contrast to adults who average only 17 laughs a day? The more stresses that build up the more essential it is that we find something, anything to laugh at. So, some thoughts for bringing laughter into the Holidays this year: Watch funny movies with your family instead of serious ones or the news; spend time with friends that have a good sense of humor rather than the grumpy ones, put funny sayings, jokes or pictures up on the refrigerator or even your Holiday tree, where you and others can see them. Make a conscious decision to stop rushing, pay attention to what your preschooler, or teenager, or spouse finds funny, pause, and take a moment to laugh with them. And when you start to get upset about the turkey, the lights or the scotch tape, ask yourself how serious is it really? Who knows, you may even be able to laugh about it. This year consider giving the gift of laughter to your children, your family and your friends and have the best Holiday yet!
Adapted from an article by Debra Manchester Macmannis, LCSW at http://blogs.psychcentral.com

Whats Up Breakfast
Friday, Feb. 21. 2014 Services and Supports for Older Youth
Kernodle Senior Center 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM RSVP to Linda.jones@alamance-nc.com or Fran.Harvey@cardinalinnovations.org

IF YOU NEED HELP...

The Alamance Alliance for Children and Families supports the social and emotional health of young children and their families in Alamance County. A community-wide initiative, the Alamance Alliance partners with local child-serving agencies, the community, and most importantly, with families. The end result? Keeping families safe, healthy and together.

Infants2 year olds, CDSA: Phone: 336-449-4055 ext. 201, Fax: 336-449-7368 35 year olds, Alamance-Burlington School System: Phone: 336-570-6130, ext. 37819 Clinical Coordinator at the Alamance Alliance: Phone: 336-202-3188 Classroom Management in Child Care: Alamance Partnership Early Childhood Specialists: Phone: 336-513-0063, extensions 107 and 116 Lauren Hamrick, Family Solutions, 336-899-8800, ext. 23

Parents looking for child care: Toll Free: 855-327-5933 or http://ncchildcaresearch.dhhs.state.nc.us/search.asp Alamance County Health Department: 336-570-6273 Alamance Department of Social Services: 336-570-6273

Visit the Alamance Alliance for Children and Families website at www.alamancesoc.org for more information.

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From the Desk of Lauren Hamrick...

Dillan proved to be a warm child. He would display love, hugging his teacher, and saying encouraging things to his classmates. It was also obvious that Dillan wanted a lot of attention, any way he could get it. Dillan would make loud noises and annoy other children and his teachers. After several observations it was apparent that Dillan was very responsive to encouragement and that with encouragement he would make more positive behavior choices. His teacher was on board with learning strategies to help diffuse temper tantrums and to provide encouragement. She practiced new techniques often and helped Dillan learn ways to calm his self. Dillan was so responsive to this new way of interaction that his disruptive behaviors almost immediately stopped! The teacher and I creI spoke with Dillans mother, who was very concerned for her ated an encouragement chart where Dillan earned stickers for son. She reported that he was emotional and sensitive with positive behaviors and was able to earn classroom fun days, his siblings. She felt worried he would not be ready for kinder- such as wacky tacky dress day. As a result of focusing on garten because of his outbursts. I agreed to observe Dillan at Dillans positive behavior the teacher and peers felt more poshis school and meet regularly with his teacher. The school was itive towards him. By the end of the consulting Dillan was exwelcoming and excited to have someone come in to help pro- hibiting consistent emotional control, an increase in positive vide strategies to decrease the outbursts. interactions with peers, and no aggressive behaviors towards his teachers. I was referred to 5 year old Dillan (names changed for confidentiality) by his school, because of concern for extreme emotional behaviors he was exhibiting at school. Dillan was an intelligent boy, who became emotionally volatile when he was unable to do the activities he wanted to do in class. Dillan had hit and kicked his teachers and would scream so loudly that he was removed from class on a regular basis. At the time of the referral the school was strongly considering removing Dillan from school.

Story of Dillan

Triple P-Positive Parenting Program: Stay Positive

Eight Counties Launch North Carolinas Parenting Initiative
Eight counties have started delivering the Triple P Positive Parenting Program in a North Carolina initiative that aims to help more than 160,000 families throughout the state. To date, almost 400 providers have been trained in Triple P across counties Pitt, Alamance, Buncombe, Madison, Cabarrus and Appalachian District (Alleghany, Ashe and Watauga.) By mid-2014, an estimated 1000 providers throughout 33 counties will be offering Triple P at no cost or low cost to eligible parents of children up to 12 years, or parents of children up to 16 years. Counties joining the Triple P rollout next year are: Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Durham, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Mecklenberg, Nash, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell, Vance, Wake, Warren and Washington. The Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health is also supporting the counties Triple P rollouts with Stay Positive, a cohesive communications strategy. Stay Positive aims to help destigmatize the idea of parenting support, raise awareness of Triple P and give providers clinical and practical support to help with their delivery of Triple P. A spokesperson for the North Carolina Triple P State Learning Collaborative said counties were choosing their own selection of Triple P programs, depending on the needs of the parents within their communities. Triple P isnt a one-size-fits-all program. It has a range of interventions that offers anything from a brief encounter, to seminars or workshops, to more intensive courses for parents at risk. It also has programs tailored for parents of children from birth to 12 years, and for parents of teenagers, said the spokesperson.

Counties are choosing the levels of Triple P that best match their As of November 2013, 33 counties in North Carolina have been fund- communitys needs, with many offering Triple P in both English and Spanish. ed by a consortium of funders to train child serving providers to deliver Triple P. In addition, all the implementing sites have come together to share knowledge through the North Carolina Triple P State Visit the Triple P website for more information. Learning Collaborative, a group facilitated by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, and key county representatives.

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News About Childrens Mental Health

Little Kids, Big Questions: A Parenting Podcast Series From ZERO TO THREE - ZERO TO THREEs podcast series, Little Kids, Big Questions, addresses some of the most common (and challenging) issues facing parents of babies and toddlers, such as: helping a baby learn to sleep through the night; dealing with a picky eater; and learning to set limits on childrens behavior. These questionsand moreare covered in this series of 12 podcasts, hosted by Ann Pleshette Murphy, a past contributor to ABCs Good Morning America Parenting Segment and Vice President of the ZERO TO THREE Board of Directors. Each podcast features an interview with an expert that focuses on how to apply the research of early childhood development to your daily interactions with your baby or toddler. For more information or to download the podcasts go to http:// www.zerotothree.org/about-us/funded-projects/parenting-resources/podcast/ or https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/littlekids-big-questions/id476415235. Registration is now open for the 27th Annual Children's Mental Health Research & Policy Conference Time to start packin' for the 27th Annual Children's Mental Health Research & Policy Conference in Tampa, Florida March 2 - 5, 2014.

Helping Foster and Adoptive Families Cope With Trauma The American Academy of Pediatrics is out with a new guide focused on helping foster and adoptive families cope with trauma. The purpose of this guide is to support adoptive and foster families by strengthening the abilities of pediatricians to identify traumatized children, educate families about toxic stress and the possible biological, behavioral, and social manifestations of early childhood trauma, and empower families to respond to their child's behavior in a manner that acknowledges past trauma but promotes the learning of new, more adaptive reactions to stress. http://files.www.cmhnetwork.org/Guide.pdf

Cultural and Linguistic Competence Committee: Milestone Celebration

The Alamance Alliance for Children and Families Cultural and Linguistic Competence (CLC) Committee provides outreach services to Alamance County agencies, organizations, and faith based community to help improve services that children, students, and families receive. The CLC committees work focuses on infrastructure building at the service, organization, and policy levels through the development and administration of CLC mini grants, provision of technical assistance and workforce development opportunities, establishment of faith based partnerships and AlaScene Learning Group, and partnering with the Alamance County Community Collaborative. On Monday, December 9, the Cultural and Linguistic Competence Committee, held a milestone celebration. The purpose of the celebration was to reflect on work completed since May 2010. CLC Committee members and child-serving partners took part in the event. Participants highlighted the impact of the CLC work on them personally and professionally.