Portland Metro Area Child Care News

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and this is a wonderful craft that all the kiddos can help with.  While you’re preparing the craft ingredients and putting the wreath together, discuss with your kiddos the importance of reduce, reuse, and recycle.  Explain that the paper towel tubes don’t need to be thrown away when they could be made into beautiful art.  Talk about what recycling is, and where garbage goes.  The earlier you instill the importance of reduce, reuse, recycle, the more apt they are to do it naturally.

What you’ll need:

1. Wire Coat Hanger
2. 7-8 Paper towel rolls cut in half.  Some people use toilet paper rolls, but it’s against the rules for Registered and Certified Family Child Care Providers due to cross contamination of germs from the bathroom to little hands.
3. Valentines Day colored paints such as red, pink, white, and purple.
4. Red, pink, and white construction paper, foam, or, if you have enough time, you can have kids cut heart shapes out of white paper and paint them
5. Tape
6. Glue
7. Scissors
8. Optional-Ribbon

What you’ll do:

1. Teacher or Parent-cut the paper towel rolls
2. Paint the tubes various colors and let them dry
3. Teacher or Parent-bend the coat hangar into a circle.
4. Cut a slit into each roll, but only half way through, so you can slip the roll over the hangar
5. Slip the rolls onto the hangar
6. Tape the rolls together where they meet for stability
7.  Cut heart shapes of all sizes out of the construction paper or foam.  If you’re using white paper and letting the kiddos paint the hearts, make sure they have time to dry before you move to the next step.
8. Glue the hearts to the tubes and voila!  You have a wreath for Valentine’s Day.
9. Decorate the wreath with a ribbon if you would like a little extra pizzazz.

Many families depend on state subsidized child care assistance to work in the state of Oregon.  Without this, thousands of families will not be able to pay for child care, and would then loose their jobs.  Think about it, with the unemployment rate as high as it is, why would we purposely make it worse?

In 2005, assistance was provided through 13,826 providers to over 21,300 children in 10,700 families per month. Approximately 78 percent of the children were served in family home settings, meaning Registered and Certified In-Home Child Care Providers. 

Imagine over ten thousand families suddenly loosing their jobs causing over ten thousand Registered and Certified Child Care Providers to go out of business and join the unemployed population.

This is what Governor Ted Kulongoski is proposing in his budget.  We all know that funding is short everywhere, and cuts have to happen somewhere, but our economy would be mortally wounded if the ERDC (Employment Related Daycare Program) is cut.  Other programs that are on the table for huge cuts are TANF(Temporary Assistance for Needy Families ) , and the JOBS program.

Picture a single mother struggling to pay for daycare, rent, and bills.  Without EDRC, she would have to come up with hundreds of extra dollars per month to keep even one child in daycare.  Imagine if she has three.  It would be impossible for her to come up with the extra money, and without a job, she couldn’t pay rent or bills, and her family would become homeless.  There are literally thousands of families in this situation right now, less than one paycheck away from homelessness.

Now picture this.  Tens of thousands of people loose their jobs over the next few weeks because they can no longer pay for daycare.  Suddenly, the already struggling food banks are empty, and children play in the local homeless camps because shelters are full.  It sounds like the scene from a “Save the Children” commercial shot in a third-world country, but the reality is that without this subsidy, scenes like this would pop up all over the state.

People won’t be able to afford to work who have children.  Literacy would plummet while crime skyrockets.  Businesses would go under.  More people would loose their homes.  Services would no longer be available.

Even if you can afford to pay for daycare on your own, what if the daycare your child goes to relies on that subsidy to stay full?  Daycares are already closing at an alarming rate.  What do you do if it happens to yours?  Hundreds of daycare centers and Registered In-home Providers depend on this as their income.  That would add to the amount of people loosing their livelihoods and homes.

What can you do?  Stand up; make some noise, shout it from the rooftops that the Governor’s proposed budget cannot go through as it stands without doing irreversible damage to our already faltering economy.  This is bigger than just cutting some daycare assistance money.

How do you make some noise?  A meeting will be held at Becky Goodman’s home.  Becky is a Certified Childcare Provider in Gresham who has offered to invite you into her home to find out more about what how you can help.  The meeting will be Friday, January 16^th 2009 at 6 p.m. at Amazing Minds Learning Center by Goodman Family Childcare LLC 1241 SE 212^th Ave, Gresham, OR 97030, (503)665-0825.

For more information, go to AFSCME Local 132 Child Care Providers Together’s website at www.oregonccpt.com, or contact Faye at 503-370-2522, 800-521-5954 X30, or shoot her an email at faye@oregonafscme.com.

You don’t have to be a provider to come to this meeting.  If you or anyone you know receives ERDC, TANF, or is in the JOBS program, these changes will affect you immediately.

If you are one of the many Family Child Care Providers in the Portland Metro Area with mushy marshy yards and a houseful of kiddos with cabin fever, have no fear.  Portland has many indoor parks for your field trip pleasure.  Get those little ones out of the rain and give them a place to get rid of their energy.  Portland’s indoor parks range in everything from playgroups to elaborate play equipment and arts and craft opportunities.  Some are run by parks and recreation departments, some are cooperatives, and some are held in churches, and most are geared towards infant through preschooler, making it the perfect opportunity to get out of the house while the school aged kids are in school.

Here is a list of some indoor parks in the Portland Metro Area:

MULTNOMAH COUNTY

FRIENDLY HOUSE PLAY GROUP-NW 26^th and Thurman in Portland

503-228-4391

www.friendlyhouseinc.org

HAPPY PLACE INDOOR PLAY PARK-2823 N Rosa Parks Way in Portland

503-289-0318

www.northministerpdx.org

HINSON BAPTIST CHURCH ANNEX-1137 SE 20^th in Portland

503-247-3107

MOSAIC COMMUNITY PLAY GROUP-1832 NE 39^th in Portland

503-287-6789

NORTHEAST INDOOR PARK-Central Lutheran Church , 1820 NE 21^st in Portland

503-287-0183

OPEN ARMS PLAY GROUP-1244 NE 39^th Ave in Portland

503-704-3883

www.nwdsa.org

*This play group is for children with Down Syndrome ages birth-5

PORTLAND PARKS AND RECREATION- Citywide-503-823-PLAY (7529) www.portlandonline.com/parks

PPR operates indoor parks at the following community centers:

East Portland, 740 SE 106th, 503-823-3450

Fulton Park, 68 SW Miles, 503-823-3180

Hillside, 653 NW Culpepper Terrace, 503-823-3181

Matt Dishman, 77 NE Knott, 503-823-3673

Montavilla, 8219 NE Glisan, 503-823-4101

Mt. Scott, 5530 SE 72nd, 503-823-3183

Peninsula Park, 700 N Rosa Parks Way, 503-823-3620

Sellwood, 1436 SE Spokane, 503-823-3195

Southwest, 6820 SW 45th, 503-823-2840

St. Johns, 8427 N Central, 503-823-3192

University Park, 9009 N Foss Ave., 503-823-3631

ROSE CITY INDOOR PARK-Faith Lutheran Church 6140 NE Stanton in Portland

503-331-2605

SOUTHEAST INDOOR PARK-Trinity United Methodist Church 3915 SE Steele in Portland 503-775-9057; 503-777-5701

www.playinside.org

WASHINGTON COUNTY

KIDS’ TOWN USA-Bethany Baptist Church 4545 NW Kaiser RD in Portland

503-645-2106

TUALITIN HILLS PARKS AND RECREATION DISTRICT-Call for times and requirements:

Cedar Hills Recreation Center-11640 SW Park Way in Portland

503-629-6340

Conestoga Gym Fun-9985 SW 125th Ave. in Beaverton

503-629-6313

Garden Home Recreation Center-7475 SW Oleson Rd. in Portland

503-629-6341

Tualatin Hills Athletic Center-50 NW 158th Ave. in Beaverton

503-629-6330

SONRISE INDOOR PLAY PARK-770 NE Rogahn in Hillsboro

503-640-2449

www.isonrise.com

*This indoor park is free, call or visit the website for details

SUPER TOTS INDOOR PLAY GROUP-Tyson Recreation Center 1880 NE Griffin Oaks St. in Hillsboro 503-615-6552

www.ci.hillsboro.or.us

CLACKAMAS COUNTY

CLACKAMAS COUNTY HELTHY START PROGRAMS-503-655-8601

www.clackamas.us/ocf/healthystart.htm

Clackamas County hosts free play groups at the following sites for parents and children ages 5 and under:

Bethany Church-450 S Ivy St. in Canby

Milwaukie Christian Church-5197 SE King Rd. in Milwaukie

Molalla Christian Church-223 Berkeley St. in Molalla

Oregon City United Methodist Church-18955 South End Rd. in Oregon City

Hilltop Community Church-592 Molalla Ave., Oregon City (mostly Spanish speaking environment)

Rolling Hills Community Church-3550 SW Borland Rd. in Tualatin

Sunset Fire Hall-2215 Long St. in West Linn

The Tauchman House-in Boones Ferry Park-31240 SW Boones Ferry Rd in Wilsonville

*These play groups are free, call for more information

NORTH CLACKAMAS PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT INDOOR PLAYGROUND-Oregon Institute of Technology Gym 7726 SE Harmony Road in Milwaukie 503-794-8080

OREGON CITY COMMUNITY SCHOOLS’ INDOOR PLAY GROUP-1404 7^th Street in Oregon City 503-785-8520

Make sure to contact any indoor park before taking your Day Care group to make sure that there is enough room for your group, what the cost is, and if there are any special requirements.

Effective on January 1^st, 2009, several changes by the Child Care Division in Oregon went into effect.  These changes affect all Registered and Certified Family Child Care Providers, in the sate of Oregon.

• Announced Review Visits-Beginning in January, 2009, the Child Care Division will be making annual Announced Review visits to all Registered Family Child Care Providers, meaning that the Licensing Specialist will make arrangements with Family Child Care Providers ahead of time.  The purpose of this visit is so that the Licensing Specialist can answer any questions about rules and regulations, update Providers on any new information that may be important for them to know, and to touch bases with each Provider. 

• Nothing Above the 2^nd Floor-Beginning January 1^st, 2009, the Child Care Division will no longer license new Registered or Certified Family Child Care Homes that will operate solely on the second floor or above.  Again, this change will only affect new Providers, if your registration or certification already allows you to use your second floor or above, you will only be asked to provide care on the first floor if possible.  The reasoning for this change is to bring Family Child Care Providers in line with Oregon State Building Codes, and has been put in place based on the safety and risks associated with the need to evacuate children from the second floor or higher.

• Quality Indicators (QI) Project goes Statewide-Starting in January of 2009, the Quality Indicators Project will become statewide.  This is a project that makes information about Family Child Care Providers available to parents.  How does this work?  Information is gathered on seven indicators during a Child Care Division Licensing Review Meeting.  This information is compiled into an annual report.  This will give us an idea of the quality of care that more than 90,000 children in Oregon are receiving.  Parents can look at this information and make a decision based on the things that are most important to them in a child care setting.  Child Care Facilities can use this information as a marketing tool.  Lawmakers and Policymakers can make changes based on measurable information.  The seven indicators of child care quality are:

1. Ratio of child to adult
2. Group size
3. Education
4. Training of teachers/caregivers/providers
5. Staff turnover rate(stability in child/caregiver relationship)
6. Accreditation
7. Teacher compensation levels

 For more information on the changes listed, please contact:

Employment Department

Child Care Division

875 Union St NE Room 308

Salem, Oregon 97311

(503)947-1400

(800)556-6616

FAX(503)974-1428

Or find them on the web at www.childcareinoregon.org

Family child care subsidies for low income families are on the verge of being cut.  What does that mean for you?  If you are a daycare provider who cares for children of low income families who receive help from DHS to pay their tuition, the money you receive from DHS will be cut.  Your income will be cut.  Families who depend on that money to pay for tuition will suddenly have to make up the difference, causing them to be unable to work and keep their families afloat any longer.  In this already faltering economy, we can’t afford to cause people to loose this help.

Right now, the rates that DHS pays providers for low income children is in the 75^th percentile.  AFSCME Local 132 brought providers together and worked tirelessly to get this rate, because child care providers in Oregon had not received an increase in 12 years.  We need their help again, just as they need ours.  We can’t afford to let the Governor cut the funds that providers bargained and fought to get.

What can you do?  If you are a Child Care Provider, become a member of AFSCME today.  Become part of the voice for children, and fight for better quality care.  Recruit your friends, family members, your local grocer, your child’s teacher, your boss, and everyone you come in contact with to help make phone calls, write letters, sign letters to the editor, and send emails.  AFSMEf also needs people to testify in legislative hearings.  Also, providers who attend legislative hearings need back up care while they are there.  It takes such little time, but the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and if enough people speak up, the Governor will hear us loud and clear.

The extra money from these daycare subsidies make it possible for families to afford daycare and their bills.  If families can’t afford quality daycare, more children will become latch key kids, or be left with unsafe unregistered providers just to save money.  Studies show that for every dollar DHS subsidies pay for a child to be in a safe and nurturing environment, taxpayers save two dollars, because that child has been given a stable foundation and is less likely to become incarcerated later in life.  We can’t afford to loose this funding.

For more information on what you can do to help, or to join AFSME , please contact Fay at 800-521-5954, 503-370-2522, or send her an email at faye@oregonafscme.com