July 2019 Monthly Minutes
A Message from Child Care Aware of NH
Hello Providers,

July is here! Hello summer, water days and watermelon. Southern New Hampshire Services, Child Care Aware of NH is looking forward to a great July.
Our staff is hard at work helping families and providers. Child Care Resource and Referral Outreach Specialists have spent the month of June providing referrals to families, visiting District Offices, working with Workplace Success and doing community outreach. Currently, our Child Care Resource and Referral Outreach Specialists are still calling providers to clarify data from the 2019 Annual Provider Information Update.

Ou r Training and TA Specialists finished out the 2018-2019 training year! Now it is time to look forward to next year. They are beginning to do the behind the scenes work to get everything ready for the next training calendar. We have lots of exciting things that we are planning, we can't wait to finalize them and share them all with you!

Several of our staff traveled to New Orleans for the 2019 Build Conference. This conference highlighted a multitude of topics, all around Quality Rating/Recognition and Improvement Systems. The conference was amazing and we have many new ideas we are looking to implement in our work with families and providers.

P lease note, that Child Care Aware of NH does not offer training or Leadership Collaboratives in July or August . We will resume professional development opportunities in September 2019. However, during the summer months, be on the lookout for flyers, brochures and the 2019-2020 Annual Training Calendar. If you want professional development over the summer, look below for possible online opportunities .

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for every thing you do for families and children. We hope that you enjoy this month's edition of Monthly Minutes. 
Our Latest News and Updates
Closed July 4 & 5, 2019
Southern New Hampshire Services, Child Care Aware of NH, will be closed on Thursday, July 4 and Friday, July 5, 2019 in observance of Independence Day. We will reopen Monday, July 8, 2019 with normal business hours.
Credential Challenge Prize Winners
Please join CCAoNH in congratulating the following Credentialing Challenge Award Winners. All of these teams and individuals  participated in the 2018-2019 Credentialing Challenge. To be eligible for the Challenge, participants had to apply and receive a credential during the contest time frames. In addition, participants received Technical Assistance during the process and attended the Celebration for Early Childhood Professionals in April.

Individual Credential Challenge Winners
  • Echo Show: Sandra Smith, The Growing Years, Manchester
  • Pamper You Package: Diane Pineo, Portsmouth Christian Academy Preschool, Dover 
  • $50 Gift Card: Erica Brough, Lakes Region Child Care Services-Belmont Early Learning Center, Belmont
  • $50 Gift Card: Madison Wright, Barrington Village Family and Child Enrichment Center, Barrington
 
Team Credential Challenge Winners
  • $500: Colebrook Area Head Start, Colebrook, Director-Sarah Dionne
  • $250: Live and Learn, Lee, Director-Johanna Booth-Miner
  • $250: Way to Grow Preschool, Barrington, Director-Roxanne Joniec
  • Community Playthings: Kellogg Christian Learning Center, Bedford, Director-Rita Jackson
Putting Training into Action
Dublin Community Preschool practiced their Emergency Response Drills. This was a culminating activity after all their hard creating a robust Emergency Operations Plan through the Progressive Training and TA Program. Congratulations Dublin Community Preschool on a job well done!
Check out the pictures below of their event!
Have you or someone you work with been inspired by a training? Have you implemented an idea, thought or concept you learned in a professional development opportunity? If you answered yes, share your stories with us. We would love to hear how CCAoNH trainings and TA have inspired your work. Send your story to outreach2ccrr@snhs.org and we will share your anecdote in our new Monthly Minutes section, Putting Training Into Action.
CCAoNH Trainings
Training
Please note that Child Care Aware of NH does not offer training in July or August. We will resume professional development opportunities in September 2019. However, during the summer months, be on the lookout for flyers, brochures and the 2019-2020 Annual Training Calendar.

If you want professional development over the summer, check out the links below for possible opportunities.

Leadership Collaboratives
Child Care Aware of NH offers Leadership Collaborative meetings for Directors, Administrators, and other Early Childhood Leaders from September to June each year.

These meetings are designed by each group in the region to reflect area needs and interests. 

Please be on the lookout in August for the 2019-2020 list of Leadership Collaborative.
Monthly Health and Safety Topics
Emergency planning happens year round. NEW this calendar year, we will highlight safety themes each month including resources. The National Safety Council has a list of themes and events:  https://www.nsc.org/events/safety-observance-calendar .
  July 2019 Is National National Fireworks Safety Month and National Heat Stroke Month !

Fireworks Safety Month
"Summer is synonymous with barbecues, parades and fireworks. The National Safety Council advises everyone to enjoy fireworks at public displays conducted by professionals, and not to use any fireworks at home. They may be legal but they are not safe." National Safety Council

If You Choose to Use Legal Fireworks be sure to follow the following safety tips:
  • Never allow young children to handle fireworks
  • Older children should use them only under close adult supervision
  • Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol
  • Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eye wear
  • Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands
  • Never light them indoors
  • Only use them away from people, houses and flammable material
  • Never point or throw fireworks at another person
  • Only light one device at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting
  • Never ignite devices in a container
  • Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks
  • Soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding
  • Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don't go off or in case of fire
  • Never use illegal fireworks

All tips were taken from the National Safety Council

National Heatstroke Prevention Month and Day
"July is National Heatstroke Prevention Month with July 31st being National Heatstroke and Prevention Day. As summer heats up, heatstroke continues to be the number one vehicle-related killer of children, outside of car crashes, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Children are more vulnerable to heatstroke than adults, especially in the summer months and when it starts to get hot outside.

Since 1998, more than 790 children across the United States have died from heatstroke when left unattended in a vehicle. Those deaths have occurred in the following ways:
  • The child was forgotten by a caregiver—54 percent.
  • The child gained access to an unattended vehicle—26 percent.
  • The child was intentionally left in the vehicle by an adult—18 percent.
  • The cause of the child’s death is unknown—1 percent.
 
In 2018, 52 children died from heatstroke, the highest number of deaths on record. Since 2015 there has been a gradual increase in annual deaths from vehicle-related heatstroke.
 
Because children are more vulnerable to heatstroke than adults, especially in the summer months, please share the following links to tip sheets and resources with families to help remind everyone to  look before you lock ." Administration for Children and Families Office of Child Care
 
Preventing Heatstroke Resources
Resources to Share with Families
Fourth of July Celebrations
fireworks-summer.jpg
Check out the two (2) websites below. They have lists of 4th of July Celebrations across the State. Share them with families, so we can all celebrate Independence Day.



A Message from the Child Care Licensing Unit
We are excited to collaborate with Child Care Aware of NH to bring news from the Child Care Licensing Unit to the child care community on a regular basis through their e-newsletter, Monthly Minutes. Every month, we will strive to bring you information to increase your understanding of the NH Child Care Licensing Rules, and to share other resources to assist you in your work with and on behalf of children and their families. We will also use this space to share any important announcements as they relate to Child Care Licensing Unit (CCLU).
Please check back in August for a New Monthly Message.
Territory List
Other Early Childhood News & Updates
Vaccinations and the Child Care Worker  
Although NH law does not require vaccinations for Child Care staff, some Child Care employers may require it as a condition of employment. It is important to protect yourself against vaccine preventable diseases. People who work with children are at an increased risk of catching and passing on infectious diseases. Immunizations are recommended because:
  • Young children and babies are more prone to illness as their immunity develops.
  • Children are often less likely to practice good hygiene (for example, washing their hands, covering their mouth when they cough, using tissues) and more likely to expose you to their body fluids.
  • Some infectious diseases can be very serious – for example, whooping cough (also called pertussis) can be deadly for young babies, but will often be a mild illness in adults.
  • Many infectious diseases, such as measles, are highly infectious before any symptoms appear.
  • Many babies are often too young to receive immunizations, therefore, are at more risk for contracting these diseases.
Staying up to date with vaccinations is the most effective way to protect yourself and the children and babies you work with from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Here are some of the recommended vaccines for Child Care workers:
  • One (1) dose of influenza (flu) vaccine every year
  • At least one (1) dose of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine or evidence of immunity
  • One (1) dose of tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine
  • Two (2) doses of Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine or evidence of immunity
  • Also consider Hepatitis A vaccine

Take care of yourself so that you can take care of them! Find out more about Immunizations for Adults:
Child Care Aware of New Hampshire 
Contact Information
We hope you've enjoyed this edition of "Monthly Minutes". Look for future editions at the beginning of each month! Items for submission for the "Monthly Minutes" must be sent to  outreach2ccrr@snhs.org  before the 25th of each month with the subject line "Monthly Minutes". 

Thank you,
Child Care Aware of NH Team


Need Help? Support? Call our Training and TA Lines
Main Toll Free Line: 1-855-393-1731
Bilingual Support Line: 1-855-393-1731 x 28
Child Care Aware of NH Outreach Offices:
Southern/Main Regional Office
Eastern Regional Office
Concord Regional Office
Western Regional Office
Northern Regional Office
Child Care Aware of NH Training & TA/Help Line:
(603) 578-1386, x 32
(603) 330-0961
(603) 227-6383
(603) 903-0830
(603) 752-1327 or (603) 323-7091
Child Care Aware of NH, powered by Southern NH Services, offers Free & Confidential Child Care Resource & Referral Services to families and early childhood professionals.
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The preparation of this email was financed under a Contract with the State of NH, Department of Health and Human Services,   Division of Economics and Housing Stability, Bureau of Child Development and Head Start Collaboration, with funds provided in part by the State of NH and the US Department of Health and Human Services.