Keeping Kids Safe in Severe Weather
May 2016
 
Keeping the children in our care safe and secure is the primary responsibility of every child care professional. This responsibility is never more evident, or more difficult, than during an emergency situation. 
Oklahomans have grown accustomed to extreme weather, and child care providers must be prepared to deal with tornados, earthquakes, floods, ice storms, blizzards and extreme heat. We must also prepare for emergency situations that are not created by Mother Nature, things like intruders, utility failures and bomb threats.
It may seem like an intimidating task to plan for all these scenarios, but a thorough and thoughtful emergency plan can help ensure the safety of our kids and our coworkers. Rainbow Fleet has resources available to ensure that you are taking the right steps and making the right emergency plans to protect those kiddos when faced with a crisis or disaster. 
Our resources include comprehensive crisis/disaster response plans and tips for how to practice and prepare children and staff through use of drills. We can help you build an emergency kit and create a list of emergency responders in your area. We also provide training on how children can be impacted by experiencing an emergency event. 
Advance planning and practice can help ensure your facility is prepared in the event of an emergency and Rainbow Fleet stands ready to assist. Just give us a call.
Thanks for reading.

 
Carrie Williams
Executive Director



PS - We recently spoke with our friends at KOKH's Living Oklahoma about disaster planning and even demonstrated a fun activity that you can use to teach your kids about how clouds make rain. Take a look.

May at a Glance
Don't miss out on the  upcoming events
Rainbow Fleet has to offer this month!

Gardening with Young Children
May 12 7-9pm

First Aid and CPR 
May 21 9am-5pm 

Accident and Disease Prevention
May 24 7-9pm
Helpful Contacts

Caring Van: (405) 316-7216  
  
Center for Early Childhood Professional Development (CECPD): 1801 North Moore Avenue, Moore, OK 73160  (405) 799-6383  www.cecpd.org
  
CECPD offers various programs for individuals in the childcare field, some programs offered are R.E.W.A.R.D. Oklahoma, CDA/CCP Advisement, Environmental Rating Scale, ELCCT training, The Leadership Academy, Literacy Programs, Video Lending Library and Oklahoma Registry.
  
Scholars for Excellence in Child Care
Program Scholars Coordinators:
  
Oklahoma City Community College,
(South OKC) Bonita Spinner (405) 682-1611
 
Oklahoma State University OKC, (North OKC) Jeff Rosson (405) 945-9168/1-800-560-4099  
  
Redlands Community College, (El Reno) Karen Hewitt (405) 422-1286
  
Rose State College, (Midwest City) Jennifer Bachhofer (405) 733-7449
  
The Scholars for Excellence in Child Care program will ensure that eligible child care professionals in the state of Oklahoma have an opportunity to further their education while earning a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential, Certificate of Mastery, Director's Certificate of Completion and/or an associate degree in child development or early childhood education.
 
Reaching for the STARS (DHS): Central Oklahoma-Jennifer Towell (405) 522-0256  www.okdhs.org
  
STARS is a program held by the State of Oklahoma, that has been implemented to improve the quality of child care for children.
 
Warmline: 
Warmline offers free telephone consultation to child care providers and families on numerous topics of concern. Consultants refer providers to appropriate services and resources within their communities.

Resource Center Item of the Month

Add a skill-building element to restaurant play with this activity box that encourages children to start reading, writing and learning numbers. Your kids can post daily menus and prices on the magnetic board with the included picture-word magnets, magnetic numbers and write and wipe cards.

F lorencia les envía esta nota:
Florencia Briglie 
Resource & Referral Specialist

Estimadas Proveedoras:
¡Hola estimadas proveedoras!
El entrenamiento que les anticipé el mes anterior será el sábado 7 de Mayo: " Early Birds para proveedoras del cuidado infantil".
Estará dividido en 2 grupos:  8:30 am a 12:30 pm: niños recién nacidos hasta 2 años de edad  1:00 pm a 5:00 pm: niños de 3 a 5 años.  ¡ Será GRATIS! 

Y podrá concurrir solo 1 proveedora por centro o casa de cuidado infantil de cualquier parte del estado que Oklahoma que hable español.
Recibirán un certificado de 4 hs. por cada uno de los entrenamientos que asistan, además de  información, actividades, y ¡juguetes! relacionada con cada grupo de edad. También hablaremos de disciplina, desarrollo, seguridad y salud.
¡Solo tienen que traer su almuerzo y muchas ganas de aprender!

El espacio es muy limitado y pueden enrolarse a través de la página de CECPD, enviarme un correo electrónico a: fbriglie@rainbowfleet.org o comunicarse por teléfono al: 405-525-8783.
Si ya lo han tomado, NO pueden volver a participar.

La conferencia Hispana será el sábado 4 de Junio de 8 a 16 hs. Celebraremos 10 años de trabajo, dedicación y esfuerzo de todo este grupo.
Pueden contactarme a mí para más información.
El entrenamiento del mes de Junio en español se llamará: "Durmiendo seguro" y va a ser a mediados de Junio. Chequeen el correo para saber la fecha y hora exacta por favor.

Nuevamente, muy importante que chequeen o abran una cuenta de correo electrónico. De esta manera podrán recibir la información sobre los entrenamientos y conferencias.

Recuerden que pueden participar también de las reuniones que estamos teniendo una vez al mes en OKC. Un grupo formado por proveedoras hispanas que quieren relacionarse con otras proveedoras que trabajan en hogares para el cuidado infantil.

¡Todas están bienvenidas! Nuestra próxima reunión será el 21 de Mayo de 9 a 12 pm. Pueden comunicarse conmigo para que les informe  la dirección . Recuerden que el objetivo  final y común del grupo es formar una Asociación de Proveedoras Hispanas.

Como siempre, no duden de contactarme si puedo ayudarlas con algo: fbriglie@rainbowfleet.org
405-525-8783

¡Muchas Gracias por su atención!


Notes from a Nurse
Kristen Millican, RN, BSN
Cleveland County Health Department
 
Just a few serious sunburns can increase your child's risk of skin cancer later in life. Kids don't have to be at the pool, beach or on vacation to get too much sun. Their skin needs protection from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays whenever they're outdoors.  
  • Seek shade. UV rays are strongest and most harmful during midday, so it's best to plan indoor activities then. If this is not possible, seek shade under a tree, an umbrella or a pop-up tent. 
  • Cover up. Clothing that covers your child's skin helps protect against UV rays. Although a long-sleeved shirt and long pants with a tight weave are best, they aren't always practical. A wet t-shirt has less protection than a dry one, and lighter colors have less protection than darker ones. A t-shirt, long shorts or a beach cover-up are good choices too, but it's wise to double up on protection by applying sunscreen or keeping your child in the shade when possible.
  • Get a hat. Hats that shade the face, scalp, ears and neck are easy to use and give great protection. Baseball caps are popular among kids, but they don't protect their ears and neck. If your child chooses a cap, be sure to protect exposed areas with sunscreen.
  • Wear sunglasses. They protect your child's eyes from UV rays, which can lead to cataracts later in life. Look for sunglasses that wrap around and block as close to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays as possible.
  • Apply sunscreen. Use sunscreen with at least SPF 15 and UVA and UVB protection every time your child goes outside. For the best protection, apply sunscreen generously 30 minutes before going outdoors, and re-apply every two hours and after swimming, sweating or toweling off. Don't forget to protect ears, noses, lips and the tops of feet.

Follow the directions on the package for using a sunscreen product on babies less than 6 months old. All products do not have the same ingredients; if your or your child's skin reacts badly to one product, try another one or call a doctor. Your baby's best defense against sunburn is avoiding the sun or staying in the shade.

Keep in mind, sunscreen is not meant to allow kids to spend more time in the sun than they would otherwise. Try combining sunscreen with other options to prevent UV damage.  


Rainbow Fleet
3024 Paseo     
Oklahoma City, OK 73103

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