July 2011 Child Care Licensing News

Chisago County Human Services

Lanay Miller Licensor ------651-277-0360 Private Data

As you are providing care to children day after day, it is only natural to Michelle Beuke become close to the families. Many providers are invited to birthday parties Case Aide and other family gatherings. What a wonderful testament to how much of an impact you are having on the lives of your day care children! As providers 651-213-5249 and families get closer, sometimes the professional boundaries can get blurred. The licensing Rule is very specific regarding data privacy: MN Rule 9502.0345, Subp. 2 AGENCY RECORDS Liz Dodge Data privacy. The agency, department and the authorized agent shall have Supervisor access to provider records on children in care to determine compliance with parts 9502.0315 to 9502.0445. The provider shall not disclose any records 651-213-5664 on children in care to any persons other than the parents of the child, the agency, the department, the person required by part 9502.0375, subpart 1, Fax 651-213-5401 and medical or public safety persons if information is necessary to protect the health and safety of the child. You as providers must keep in mind that the children and families in your www.co.chisago.mn.us care have privacy rights that you must protect. You should not be sharing information regarding children to anyone other than those listed in the rule. For example, if Matthew is having a tough time potty training or Megan has pink eye, these details should not be shared with parents of other children in Individual Highlights: care. You can let others know that your child care has been exposed to pink CRIBS 2 eye, but the medical information regarding a specific child should not be shared. Reminders 3 In regard to social networking and program websites, while the general use LANA 4 of these sites is not prohibited, disclosing records or pictures of children without permission is prohibited. The only acceptable way for a licensed Crackers 5 provider to post any information and/or pictures regarding persons served by Speech 6 their program, is to obtain written permission from a parent or guardian of the Training 7 child. In some cases, the Department of Human Services (DHS) has issued licensing sanctions when it has been determined that the Data Privacy Rule Background 9 has been violated. DHS offers these guidelines if you are going to use any internet sites:

Even with written permission, proceed with caution in posting pictures and

information. The information is now public and may be used by anyone for any reason. 6133 402nd Street Supervision of children should never be less than the standard required North Branch, MN 55056 because of excessive computer use by the license holder.

Please contact your licensor if you have any questions or concerns regarding data privacy.

Crib Standards

Beginning December 28, 2012, any crib provided by child care facilities and family child care homes must meet new and improved federal safety standards. The new standards take effect for manufacturers, retailers, importers and distributors on June 28, 2011, addressing deadly hazards previously seen with traditional drop-side rails, requiring more durable hardware and parts and mandating more rigorous testing.

What you should know…..

**This is more than a drop side issue. Immobilizing your current crib will not make it compliant.

**You cannot determine compliance by looking at the product.

**The new standards apply to all full-size and non full-size cribs including wood, metal and stackable cribs.

**If you purchase a crib prior to the June 28, 2011 effective date and you are unsure if meets the new federal standard, CPSC recommends that you verify the crib meets the standard by asking for proof. (ask the manufacturer, retailer, importer or distributor to show a Certificate of Compliance. The document must: a. describe the product; b. give name, full mailing address and telephone number for importer or domestic manufacturer; c. identify the rule for which it complies (16 CFR 1219 or 1220); d. give name, full mailing address, email address and telephone number for the records keeper and location of testing lab; e. give date and location of manufacture and testing

***The crib must also have a label attached with the date of manufacture.

What you should do….

**All child care facilities, family child care homes, and places of public accommodation:

a. Must prepare to replace their current cribs with new, compliant cribs before 12-28-12. b. Should not resell, donate or give away a crib that does no meet the new crib standards.

**Dispose of older, noncompliant cribs in a manner that the cribs cannot be reassembled or used.

**Noncompliant cribs should not be resold through online auction sites or donated to local thrift stores. CPSC recommends disassembling the crib before discarding it.

Please check http://www.cpsc.gov/info/cribs/index.html for updated information.

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Immunization Forms Fee Payment

All children in care are required to have an immunization form in their file. This form is We have had several child care providers in the a Minnesota Department of Health form. past few months that have sent us their fee You can access this form by going to the payment in cash. Please DO NOT send cash website www.health.state.mn.us and doing to us through the mail. If you feel the need to a search for the child care immunization pay your fee payment in cash we would like form. you to do so in person at our office. It clearly states on the form that it needs to Also, if you are paying by check please make be filled out before a child attends care. sure that you attach your check to your Also, there are 4 sections on the form paperwork to ensure it is not floating in the where it can be signed. Please make sure bottom of an envelope and overlooked if the form is signed in the correct area and by someone other than myself or Michelle opens the appropriate person. the mail. If the parent brings you a printout from the clinic which documents the child’s immunization history, you can attach that printout to form and keep this in the child’s file.

You are not required to keep immunization forms on your own children.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the LANA Curriculum training, together we have the opportunity to encourage 516 children in Chisago County to eat more fruits and vegetables!

The LANA curriculum consists of tasting, cooking and other activities to get preschoolers eating more fruits and veggies. In addition to receiving the curriculum, participants in the training were asked to create an action plan detailing the changes they are planning to make in their daycare regarding nutrition practices.

The action plans were very impressive. The training inspired many of you to take another look at the nutrition practices in your daycare. Those who felt they had been in a menu rut were inspired to add new meals and snacks to the menus and introduce new foods. Even simple changes such as eating at the table with the children can make a big difference in the choices they make.

Here are some ideas being put into place:

 Serve 1 new meal and 1 new snack per week

 Ask families to provide new healthy recipes suggestions  Remove juice from menu completely or serve juice less frequently  Share your nutrition plan with parents and the children  Use online resources to create menus and shopping lists  Create a nutrition policy for all meals  Create a nutrition policy for snacks brought for celebrations In addition to the changes, it was great to see how many of you already have nutrition integrated into your daily activities. There are many of you who garden with your daycare children. This is a great way to get them familiar with many fruits and veggies. The more comfortable they are, the more likely they are to incorporate them in their diet. As you begin to implement the curriculum, please share with me your success stories. I want to hear about the fussy eater who tried apricots, the great activities that got your families involved, and whatever else you feel is a triumph-even if it wasn’t directly related to LANA. For those of you who were unable to attend the training you can look for the curriculum to be available at East Central Regional Library soon. If you are looking for more information on how to incorporate nutritious meals and snacks at your daycare please contact Darcy Rylander at [email protected]

The LANA workshop was presented by the Statewide Health Improvement Program in partnership with Chisago County Public Health. The Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP), an integral part of Minnesota’s nation-leading 2008 health reform law, strives to help Minnesotans lead longer, healthier lives by preventing the chronic disease risk factors of tobacco use and exposure, poor nutrition and physical inactivity. For more information, visit http://www.health.state.mn.us/healthreform/ship.

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Healthier Crackers

Crackers containing whole grain as the first ingredient and meet other nutrient guidelines are considered a healthier alternative to the typical crackers served to young children. Below is a list of some of the healthier -name crackers.

Annie's Bunny Graham ‐ Cinnamon Annie's Bunny Graham Friends Sesmark Ancient Grains ‐ Parmesan Herb Annie's Bunny Grahams ‐ Honey Sesmark Ancient Grains ‐ Sea Salt Crunchmaster Multi‐Seed Crackers ‐ Roasted Sesmark ‐ Brown Rice Garlic Sesmark Savory Rice Thin Cracked ‐ Wheat and Sesame Crunchmaster Multi‐Seed Crackers ‐ Rosemary Crackers Crunchmaster Multi‐Seed Crackers ‐ Toasted Sesmark Savory Rice Thins ‐ Toasted Onion and Garlic Onion Crackers Craked Pepper & Olive Oil Crunchmaster Multi‐Seed Crackers ‐ Toasted Triscuit Crackers Deli‐Style Rye Original Triscuit Crackers Fire Roasted Tomato Kashi Heart to Heart Whole Grain Crackers ‐ Triscuit Crackers Garden Herb/Rosemary Olive Oil Garlic Triscuit Crackers Hint Of Salt Kashi Heart to Heart Whole Grain Crackers ‐ Triscuit Crackers Original Original Triscuit Crackers Reduced Fat Kashi TLC 7‐Grain Triscuit Crackers Roasted Garlic Kashi TLC ‐ Asiago Cheese Triscuit Crackers Thin Crisps Kashi TLC Party Crackers ‐ Mediterranean Triscuit Crackers Thin Crisps Parmesan Garlic Bruschetta Triscuit Crackers Thin Crisps Quattro Formaggio Kashi TLC Party Crackers ‐ Roasted Garlic and Flatbread ‐ Garlic and Parsley Thyme Wheat Thins Flatbread – Tuscan Kashi TLC Party Crackers ‐ Stoneground 7 Grain Wheat Thins ‐ Hint of Salt Keebler Scooby Doo Graham Sticks – Wheat Thins – Multigrain Cinnamon* Wheat Thins – Original Pepperidge Goldfish Grahams ‐ Cinnamon Wheat Thins – Ranch Pepperidge Goldfish Grahams ‐ Honey Wheat Thins Stix ‐ Fire Roasted Tomato Pepperidge Goldfish Grahams ‐ S'mores Wheat Thins Stix ‐ Honey Wheats Pepperidge Goldfish Grahams ‐ Vanilla Wheat Thins ‐ Sundried Tomato and Basil Roundy's Rosemary Olive Oil Wheat Crackers

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Speech in Young Children

Babies are learning to talk and understand language beginning at birth.

How can I know what is typical?

All children develop at their own pace and there is a range of typical development. Generally, here’s what’s happening as children develop understanding and use gestures, sounds, and words to communicate:

By 3 months

Responds to loud noises by startling or crying

Smiles at the sound of familiar voices

Consistently coos with vowel sounds like “aaah” and “ooooh”

By 6 months

Turns to sounds they hear

Babbles consonant and vowel sounds like “bababa”, “googaga”, “gamada”

Participates in back and forth play with sounds and facial expressions

Laughs, squeals, and makes sounds with varied intonation

By 9 months

Responds to their own name consistently

Shows what they want by reaching, gesturing, and vocalizing

Uses voice to get help and attention

Uses at least one sound that has consistent meaning like “mum, mum” for mother

By 12 months

Understands simple directions with gestures like “Give” when you hold your hand out

Says 1 or 2 words with meaning

Uses gestures like giving, showing, and pointing

Enjoys social games like peek-a-boo and waving bye-bye

Begins to understand “no-no” 6

By 15 months

Uses more words and gestures to communicate, like mama, dada, more, uh-oh, all-done, hi, bye, and continues to add new words

Turns and looks when asked questions like “Where’s dada?” or “Where’s the puppy?”

Shows interest in being a helper and imitating others

Points to a few body parts

By 18 months

Uses 10-20 words and continues to add new words

Tries to imitate words after you say them

Plays pretend with cooking, dolls, or stuffed animals, like feeding or stirring

Follows simple commands like “Go get your blanket” or “Put this in the garbage”

By 21 months

Uses 25-50 new words and learns new words each week

Starts to combine simple words together like “Go bye-bye” or “Juice mama”

Identifies objects by pointing, when asked, “Where’s the ___?”

Language is understandable to others at least half the time

By 24 months

Uses at least 50 words

Combines 2 words to express wants and needs

Recognizes pictures in books and listens to simple stories

Points to and names common objects

Between 2 and 3 years

Strings three or more words together to form a short sentence

Language is understood by others most of the time

Responds to simple questions

Follows two step directions like “Get your shoes and sit down on the steps”

Shows interest in other children and make believe play

Begins to demonstrate sense of humor

Background Study Pre-Screening

Did you know you can conduct your own pre-screening background study of substitutes, helpers or anyone who would require a background study? Prior to submitting a background study to the licensing, conduct your own pre-screening by following these steps:

1. Go to www.mncourts.gov/publicaccess

2. Scroll down to the bottom of your screen, read the terms of use and click on the “I Accept” box.

3. In the “Case Records Area,” leave the drop down box as “All MNCIS Sites – Case Search” to search all of Minnesota

4. Under “(+) Required Fields”, in the “Search By” drop down box, select “Defendant”.

5. In the “Party” field, enter the Last Name, First Name (make sure the spelling of the first and last name is correct). Add the date of birth to narrow your search.

6. If your search shows results, click on the blue case number for additional information.

This screening method will not provide a full background check, but may offer you information on which to base a decision about submitting a request to Licensing for a full study.

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Child Care Licensing

Bubble recipe Chisago County Human Services 6133 402nd Street 12 cups water North Branch, MN 55056 • 1 cup Joy or Dawn dishwashing soap

• 3 tablespoons glycerin (in lotion aisle of store) PHONE:

651-277-0360 - Lanay Mix together and create bubbles galore! 651-213-5249 - Michelle

NEW FAX: 651-213-8955

E-MAIL:

[email protected] [email protected]

We’re on the Web! See us at: www.co.chisago.mn.us