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Providers! Please print or email this newsletter to the parents in your program!

Completed one of the activities featured in our Highlights? Send us a picture and we will feature it in next month issue!

See page 19 for a copy of the Council Consent Form

40 Matthews Street, Suite 103, Goshen, NY 10924 (845) 294-4012 , 1-844-461-4689 or fax: (845)294-4045

Hours: 8:30AM – 4:30PM

Name Title Extension Email

Linda Martini Executive Director 222 Linda@childcarecounciloc.org

Tom Elwood Assistant Director 235 Tom@childcarecounciloc.org

Margaret Spiezio Registrar Supervisor 236 Margaret.Spiezio@dfa.state.ny.us

Janet Baker Registrar Specialist 221 Janet.Baker@dfa.state.ny.us

Carole Nolan Registrar Specialist 230 Carole.Nolan@dfa.state.ny.us

Beth Mindes Infant & Toddler Specialist 225 beth@childcarecounciloc.org

Shauna Best Resource Specialist 226 shauna@childcarecounciloc.org

Jennifer Brown Referral Specialist 224 jen@childcarecounciloc.org

Sandy Blanco Program Specialist/ CACFP 229 sandy@childcarecounciloc.org

Tonnia Weaver LE Enrollment Agent 568-5139 Tonnia.Weaver@dfa.state.ny.us

Jessica Smith LE Enrollment Specialist 568-5306 Jessica.Smith@dfa.state.ny.us

Helena Soberal Child Care Subsidy Specialist 568-5120 Helena.Soberal@dfa.state.ny.us

Starla Burks Child Care Subsidy Specialist 568-5129 Starla.Burks@dfa.state.ny.us

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Press Release

Major Face Lift for Child Care Council of Orange County Inc.

The Child Care Council of Orange Co., Inc., a Non-Profit Corporation established in

1971, has launched a major re-branding campaign. The major update was made

to re-emphasize their mission to coordinate, assist and promote legal, reliable,

healthy and safe child care services in Orange County.

"As a Child Care Resource and Referral Agency, the Council is a partner in state

and national activities and a leader in local initiatives to bring about accessible,

affordable, quality Child Care and Early Learning Services," said Linda Martini,

Executive Director of the Council. "Our children are the most important part of

our future, and when parents see our new seal on the providers premises, they

know they're an advocate for quality child care,” she added.

The re-branding helps providers, parents and employers in Orange County.

Parents are referred to legal child care centers, home based family child care

programs and school-aged before and after school care. Individuals who want to

start a child care business are offered technical assistance and training to start

and grow a Child Care business. The Council also partners with Employers to offer

resources they need to recruit and retain employees with children.

The new branding, which includes logo, website (ChildCareCounciloc.org), and

collateral material reflect the valuable resources of the Council.

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Council Happenings

New Infant Toddler Specialist!

The Council is pleased to announce that Beth Mindes is our new Infant & Toddler Specialist for Orange County!

As our Infant & Toddler Specialist, Beth will be a a valuable resource for parents and child care providers. She will provide:

Training and technical assistance to the child care provider community; Information on best practices for families and providers; Support to the CCR&Rs within the region; Support to the NYSOCFS regional office staff; and Assistance to the community in expanding comprehensive service delivery

for infants, toddlers and their families.

Contact Beth at beth@childcarecounciloc.org for more information!

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Council Happenings

New Resource Specialist!

The Council is delighted to announce that Shauna Best is our new Resource Specialist!

As our Resource Specialist, Shauna will provide on-going technical assistance to child care providers to meet their needs: i.e., mandated training, professional development, good business practices, program development, regulatory adherence, providing resources and meeting quality standards.

Shauna will also be serving parents with educational programs and fun parent-child events. She will also provide families with the necessary information to help them make informed child care choices.

Contact Shauna at shauna@childcarecounciloc.org for more info!

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Council Happenings

New CACFP Program Specialist!

The Council would like to welcome Sandy Blanco, our new Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)/Program Specialist.

As Program Specialist, Sandy will recruit and enroll prospective registered/licensed/enrolled child care providers in CACFP.

Sandy will also provide technical assistance to child care providers enrolled in CACFP, review monthly menus and attendance, and perform monitoring visits.

Contact Sandy at sandy@childcarecounciloc.org to welcome her and if you need information on CACFP!

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Council Happenings

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Celebration!

The Child Care Council of Orange County had a dance and drum

workshop to honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The event was

held at the Dance Diamond studio in Middletown. Council staff Linda

Martini and Shauna Best participated.

The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Front: Shauna Best, Linda Martini, and Ebonie

Avant, Studio Owner, Behind: Mr. Bettis

(drummer)

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Council Happenings New York State Budget Forum

Council staff Linda Martini and Beth Mindes attended the New York State

Budget Forum at Thrall Library, Middletown, NY. Linda Martini presented

about child care and nonprofit issues to State Senator Jennifer "Jen"

Metzger from the 42nd district and State Senator James Skoufis of the

39th District.

L to R: Beth, Jen Metzger, Linda, James Skoufis

State Senator

Jen Metzger

State Senator

James Skoufis

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Council Happenings

Council staff Margaret Spiezio and Shauna

Best at the launch of the Fund for Women

and Children. The workshop explained about

the new Funding for Nonprofits Supporting

Women & Children. Shauna Best won the

door prize, a Fundraising Day in NY!

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Radio Friday

Goshen Chamber Connects

Council Staff Beth Mindes and Linda

Martini were featured guests on

WTBQ Radio March 29. They shared

information on the Council and child

care issues with the Executive

Director of the Goshen Chamber of

Commerce, Barbara Martinez.

Elizabeth Rowley, President and CEO Community Foundations of Orange and Sullivan and Shauna Best

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Council Happenings

Business EXPO Best in Business Awards 2019

Council staff Carole Nolan and Jennifer Brown attended the Orange

County Business EXPO.

Featured Speaker was Col. Denise M. Donnell, Commander of the 105th

Airlift Wing at Stewart Air National Guard Base.

EXPO Vendors showcased their businesses and had opportunities to

network, seek professional development and get inspiration!

Shown is Referral Specialist Jennifer Brown at the Expo.

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Day Care Fun and Learning!

The children at Susan Christiano’s Group Family Day Care made wind socks and enjoyed some sunny outside time playing with them.

Want the activities you're doing in YOUR child care program showcased in the Council Highlights? Send us a picture and we will feature it in next month’s issue!

See page 19 for a copy of the Council Consent Form. .

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April 22nd is Earth Day! Earth Day 2019 - Protect Our Species

https://www.earthday.org/campaigns/endangered-species/earthday2019/

Earth Day Network is asking people to join our Protect our Species campaign. Educate and raise awareness about the accelerating rate of extinction of millions of species and the causes and consequences of this phenomenon.

Achieve major policy victories that protect broad groups of species as well as individual species and their habitats.

Build and activate a global movement that embraces nature and its values. Encourage individual actions such as adopting plant based diet and stopping pesticide and

herbicide use.

Sign up here to receive updates on how to Protect Our Species and new ways to get involved Here are simple and easy tips to help you go green, protect the earth, save money and make every day Earth Day. You can make a difference!

· Join Earth Day Network’s campaign to End Plastic Pollution.

· Plant a tree or donate a tree through our Canopy Project.

· Use environmentally-friendly, non-toxic cleaning products.

· Stop using disposable plastics, especially single-use plastics like bottles, bags and straws.

· Recycle paper, plastic and glass. Reduce your garbage by 10% and your carbon footprint by 1,200 pounds a year.

· When you need to use paper, make sure it’s 100% post-consumer recycled paper.

· Use reusable bottles for water, and reusable mugs for coffee.

· Bring reusable bags when you shop, pack your lunch in a reusable bag.

· Organize to have healthy, locally-sourced food served at in your school district.

· Buy local food to reduce the distance from farm to fork.

· Grow your own organic garden, or join a farm-share group.

· Compost kitchen scraps for use in your garden — turning waste into fertilizer.

· Conserve water outdoors by only watering your lawn in the early morning or late at night. Use drought-resistant plants in dry areas.

· Turn off lights when you leave a room.

· Take the stairs instead of the elevator to save energy.

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LIVE Cameras for Earth Day Africam http://www.africam.com/wildlife/index.php

What’s happening RIGHT NOW on remote cameras in the African wild. Africam is a website that brings you live 24/7 video feed of protected areas of southern Africa. You can watch elephants, giraffes, zebras, hyenas, and other species in the wild living life!

Cornell Bird Cams: All About Birds

http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/

The Cornell Cams cover many zones with a huge variety of birds. You can view fruit feeders at the warm Canopy Lodge in Panama and seed feeders in snowy north of Ontario Canada. There are many more types of bird cams to discover.

Explore

https://explore.org/livecams

Explore is a multimedia organization that documents leaders around the world who have devoted their lives to extraordinary causes. Both educational and inspirational, these Cams create a portal into the soul of humanity by championing the selfless acts of others.

Reminder: Any media should only be on when it’s a part of a planned developmentally appropriate program with an educational, social, physical or other learning objectives that include identified goals and objectives. There must be an educational, social or physical learning experience and the provider must know

what that learning experience is. NY OCFS Regulation 417.7 (u)

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Science for Earth Day Grow an Avocado Tree

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/growing-avocado-tree-easiest-cheapest-215700395.html

Avocados make everything taste better: eggs, sandwiches, salads, even desserts (well, according to some people). Growing an avocado tree indoors is as simple as saving a leftover pit and gathering up a few common supplies. It's an easy foray into gardening and pretty much the perfect low-cost science experiment to try with kids.

What You'll Need

How to Grow an Avocado Tree 1. Save an avocado pit (without cutting or breaking it) and wash off any residue. Let dry,

then insert 3-4 toothpicks about halfway up the side of the pit. 2. Suspend the pit broad end down in a drinking glass or jar. Fill the container with enough

water to submerge the bottom third of the seed. 3. Place the glass in a warm spot out of direct sunlight and change the water regularly.

Roots and a sprout should appear in about 2-6 weeks. If not, start with another seed. 4. When the sprout gets about 6 inches tall, cut it back to about 3 inches to encourage

more root growth.

5. Once the stem grows out again, plant the pit in an 10-inch pot filled with soil.

How to Care for an Avocado Tree Place the pot in a sunny spot and water lightly but often. The goal is to keep the soil moist but not sopping wet, California avocados recommends. Occasionally prune your plant (every 6 inches or so) to encourage fullness. TIP: Yellow leaves signal you're overwatering. Dial back to avoid root rot.

What to Make With Avocados Although your tree won't produce fruit anytime soon, round out your green-thumb project with some avocado themed dishes. See the next page for some recipes with avocado.

Avocado seed Toothpicks Drinking glass or jar

10-inch pot Rich Potting soil Trowel

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Recipes for Earth Day Best Ever Guacamole https://downshiftology.com/

Slice the avocados in half, scoop out and place in a mixing bowl. Mash with a fork and add the remaining ingredients and stir together.

Avocado Toast https://www.spendwithpennies.com/avocado-toast/

Cut avocado, toast bread, while toast is still hot, lightly rub the surface with the cut side of the garlic clove. Use a spoon to scoop avocado flesh out, then a fork to mush it onto the toast. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Squeeze over a bit of lemon juice, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with cilantro or parsley. Serve immediately! Chicken Skewers with Cool Avocado Sauce https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chicken-skewers-with-cool-avocado-sauce/

Ingredients Sauce

Flatten chicken to 1/4-in. thickness; cut lengthwise into strips. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the lime juice, vinegar, chipotle pepper and salt; add the chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 30 minutes. Place remaining ingredients in a food processor; cover and process until blended. Transfer to a bowl; cover and refrigerate until serving. Drain and discard marinade from chicken. Thread meat onto four metal skewers. On a lightly oiled rack, grill skewers, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 8-12 minutes or until no longer pink, turning frequently. Serve with sauce.

3 avocados (ripe) 1/2 small onion, finely diced 2 tomatoes, diced 3 tbsp. cilantro, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 lime, juiced 1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 avocado (ripe) 2 slices bread of choice 1 garlic clove cut in half (skin on) Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper, lemon juice Finely chopped cilantro or parsley

1 pound skinless chicken breasts 1/2 cup lime juice 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce 1/2 tsp. salt

1 avocado (ripe) 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream 2 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro

2 tsp. lime juice 1 tsp. grated lime zest 1/4 tsp. salt

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Fun and Games for Kids https://www.thespruce.com/jungle-party-games-2104611

Monkey Tag This game is played much like the classic backyard game of freeze tag, but the player who is “it” has to act like a monkey. When a player is tagged, rather than freezing in place, she jumps around and acts like a monkey. Once a player is turned into a monkey, she has to continue to imitate a monkey as she helps the original monkey tag the remaining players. Every time a player is tagged, there is another monkey.

Catch the Snake's Tail Gather the players and have them line up, each player holding the waist of the player in front of her. The line they form is a snake. The object of the game is for the snake to catch its own tail. The first player in line will lead the rest of the snake around the jungle as he tries to catch up to and touch the last player in line. The snake chain must not be broken or the snake will have to return to the starting line

and start over.

Sleeping Lions Forget freeze dance, the lazy lions are too tired for that kind of action. Instead, play some music and have your players prowl around the dance floor, roaring like lions. When the music stops, instead of freezing, the kids will fall to the floor and lie still like sleeping lions. The last child to become a sleepy lion is out of the game. Start the music again and play for as many rounds as it takes until only one player remains.

Elephant Trumpet Have the players sit in a circle and trumpet-like elephants. Pick one player to stand in the center of the circle. Have the child in the middle close his eyes. Walk around the outside of the circle and pat one child on the head. That child performs her best elephant trumpeting sound. The player in the middle has to guess which player was the trumpeter.

Jungle Animal Charades Like the classic game of charades, this activity requires players to act something out without using any words. Write the names of various jungle animals on note cards, fold them up and place them in a safari hat. Players will pull an animal name out of the hat and try and get the others to guess the name of the jungle animal using only gestures and motions.

Animal races

Best played in the garden or large room if possible. Call out an animal and the children have

to race in that style example. snakes slithering, bunny hopping, elephant with swinging trunk.

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CPR/First Aid/AED

TBA Time 9:00-5:00

Janet Baker Carmen Rigaud Certified by the

American Red Cross

$85 non-members $75 members

Training Calendar

Please see our calendar for exciting offerings this quarter! Offered to all child care providers in all modali-ties! You will find descriptions and goals for each training; topics and training hours that would be covered. Trainings listed meet hours for CDA and SACC creden-tials. Visit our website.

CACFP is a program that pro-vides reimbursement for meals and snacks served in all day care settings. This program promotes the health and well-being of infants, children up to 18, and adults in day care, by ensuring that providers serve wholesome and safely prepared meals and snacks.

Free Orientation/Technical Assistance for Pending Providers We provide support for people and organizations interested in starting Family Day Care programs and School Age Child Care in their communities. Orientation is every 3rd Tues. Call: (845)294-4012 to register for orientation or if you have questions about the application. To view the webinar and receive an applica-tion go to the OCFS website, http://ocfs.ny.gov/main/childcare/becomeaprovider.asp.

“The environment is where we all meet; where we all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.” -Lady Bird Johnson

Fair Market Rates: Albany, Dutchess, Orange, Saratoga, and Ulster https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/policies/external/OCFS_2016/LCMs/16-OCFS-LCM-18.pdf

DAY CARE CENTER

AGE OF CHILD Under 1 ½ 1 ½ - 2 3 - 5 6-12 Weekly $262 $247 $225 $220 Daily $56 $51 $46 $46 Part-Day $37 $34 $31 $31 Hourly $8.50 $8.25 $8.50 $9.

FAMILY DAY CARE HOME AND GROUP FAMILY DAY CARE HOME

AGE OF CHILD Under 2 2 3 – 5 6-12 Weekly $225 $200 $200 $200 Daily $45 $45 $42 $40 Part-Day $30 $30 $28 $27 Hourly $8.75 $8. $8. $8.

SCHOOL-AGE CHILD CARE

AGE OF CHILD Under 1 ½ 1 ½ - 2 3 - 5 6-12 Weekly $0 $0 $225 $220 Daily $0 $0 $46 $46 Part-Day $0 $0 $31 $31 Hourly $0 $0 $8.50 $9.

Determining the Applicable Market Rate The LDSS must consider at least three factors when selecting the applicable market rate for child care services. The factors that affect payment are: the type of provider, the age of the child, and the duration of care. 16-OCFS-LCM-18 August 30, 2016 5 Additional factors affecting rates may apply when care is provided outside of the family’s district of residence, when care is provided to a child with special needs, when a program is accredited or provides care during non-traditional hours, and when care is provided in excess of a weekly or daily period.

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“I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees for the trees have no tongues.” ― Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

Parents!

The Council is seeking parents interested in forming a Parent Support Group. Our goal is to give parents a place to discuss issues they are facing in child care and discuss solutions. Contact us at 294-4012.

Parents are invited free of charge to Council featured trainings for child care providers. Parents need to call and sign up for the workshops they would like to attend. CPR/FA, CDA, Healthy and Safety and MAT are excluded from this offer.

Earth Day Stories!

https://www.familyeducation.com/videos/top-10-earth-day-books-children\

The Earth Book, by Todd Parr Vivid illustrations help kids understand all the reasons to care for our planet.

One Tree by Green Start An eco-friendly line of books made from 98 percent recycled materials and inks.

The Earth and I, by Frank Asch This story is full of sensitivity that will resonate with adults, too. "The Earth and I are friends."

The Curious Garden, by Peter Brown A little boy named Liam comes across a struggling garden and decides to give it some TLC.

Compost Stew, by Mary McKenna Siddals This book offers "An A to Z Recipe for the Earth"

Olivia's Birds: Saving the Gulf, by Olivia Bouler A young bird lover who was worried about the effects of the 2011 Gulf oil spill.

The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss Eco-minded classic by Dr. Seuss, the greedy Once-ler cuts down the lovely Truffula Trees for the sake of manufacturing, the fuzzy yellow Lorax speaks up "for the trees have no tongues."

Michael Recycle, by Ellie Bethel Who is Michael Recycle? A green-caped superhero with the power to educate and excite towns about recycling, of course! This rhyming story gets creative in conveying the im-portance of recycling to kids.

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Picture Consent for Child Care Council of Orange County Inc.

I am aware and have agreed to the:

Picture taking of my child while attending child care.

I consent to having my child’s picture to be used by Child Care Council

of Orange County Inc. for item(s) below:

Newsletter

Website

__________________________________________________________

Print Child’s Name

________________________________

Print name of Parent/ Guardian

________________________________ ____________

Signature or Parent/ Guardian Date

________________________________ ____________

Signature of Provider Date