Daycare News & Articles

Hero saves daycare house and children from fire

2011-08-02T21:47:00.002-05:00

The quick thinking of a cable company employee saved a house, and the sleeping children inside, from a potential fire. The man was passing the house, which has a home-daycare inside, when he heard a popping noise. He soon located that the sound was coming from the side of the house and that the power lines were on fire. He grabbed a fire extinguisher and used his cable company bucket truck to reach the fire. This quick thinking put out the fire before the side of the house was even burned.

Read the entire story here

Advice for new childcare providers

2011-07-29T06:52:00.003-05:00

Are you just starting out as a childcare provider? Are you thinking of starting a daycare? then head over to our daycare facebook page and read advice from the seasoned pros on how to help your childcare business run smooth.

Several providers suggested that you have a childcare contract. Not sure where to start? Check out our free sample daycare forms for examples of daycare contracts, daycare daily activity reports, daycare permission forms and more.

Childcare leaves 15-month old girl outside for an hour

2011-07-28T21:38:00.002-05:00

A childcare provider left a 15 month old girl outside in a 'timeout' for an hour. Police responded after neighbors called the police, stating that the heard a child crying for over an hour.

Read the full story here.

Average childcare rates

2011-07-25T20:49:00.003-05:00

Are you searching for daycare? Are you curious what childcare costs in your area? Check out our listing of average childcare rates across the U.S.

Many different factors can affect childcare rates. Centers typically cost more than in-home childcare. Rates can also vary depending on what is included in the tuition. While most providers include meals and snacks, some also include diapers and wipes while others don't. Daycare costs can also depend on whether the provider takes paid vacation and holidays, and how often.

The best childcare option for your child is not always the most expensive. Trust your instinct and choose a childcare provider that you feel is the best match for your family and your child.

Summer reading programs offer freebies for kids

2010-06-10T20:14:00.002-05:00

Sign your kids up for these summer reading programs and they can earn freebies, from free books to gift cards. Encourage your kids to read this summer and help them get some cool goodies too. Summer is full of freebies, from free movies to free bowling.

Learn about summer reading programs freebies here.

National sex offender registry tracks known sex offenders

2010-03-29T20:25:00.002-05:00

Before you buy a house or choose a childcare, check the national sex offender registry to see who lives in that neighborhood.

The easy to use registry allows you to search by zip code. Results show not only where known sex offenders live but also where they work. Detailed descriptions of each registered offender include photos, physical description, and a brief summary of the offense.

Check near your house, your childcare, your child's school and anywhere else you spend a lot of time with your child.

National Sex Offender Registry

Celebrate Earth Hour 2010

2010-03-26T07:09:00.002-05:00

Earth Hour is a reminder that our resources on this planet are limited and we need to conserve them. For an hour, turn off your lights, unplug your computer, and give the earth a much needed rest.

Earth Hour 2010 is Saturday March 27th at 8:30pm.

Earth Hour is happening at a time when most childcare providers are not working. But you can still take the opportunity to help your children learn about resources and conservation.

Here are some ideas to help children learn about Earth hour:

Unplug - Unplug or turn off all electrical appliances. Talk about what uses electricity and where electricity comes from.
Cook without electricity - Head outside and make a small campfire. Let the kids roast hot dogs and make S'mores. How else could you cook if you had no electricity. What fooeds could you eat?
Invent new games - Have each child work alone or work in teams to invent games that don't use electricity. Or teach your children some old-time favorites like 'kick the can' and 'freeze tag'.
Pretend power failure - It can be inconvenient when the power goes out, but it can also be fun. Gather flashlights and candles, some board games or cards, and spend an evening without lights or power.

Proposal pushes to ban toys in children's meals

2010-03-24T13:23:00.002-05:00

Santa Clara county in California is pushing to ban toys in children's meals, claiming it sends the wrong message to kids. Childhood obesity is a growing issue, and fast food meals are notoriously full of fat and sodium.

The proposal will be voted on next month.

What do you think? Why do you eat at fast food restaurants? The convenience? Your kids will eat it? The toy?

Toddler wanders away from Austin daycare

2010-03-24T13:03:00.003-05:00

An 18 month boy wandered away from an Austin, Texas Tutor Time. He was found walking next to a busy road. While the child was not injured, his parents are obviously upset that this was allowed to happen. Tutor Time says that the hole in the fence that the toddler escaped through has been fixed.

Toddler wanders away from Austin daycare

Be our fan on Facebook

2010-03-24T07:00:00.002-05:00

Daycarematch is on Facebook. Join us today and get tips on how to find daycare, share ideas with other parents and childcare providers, and even search for daycare right on Facebook.

Become a fan of Daycarematch today!

New look coming for Daycarematch

2010-03-23T21:00:00.001-05:00

We're working on redesigning Daycarematch and are excited to launch the new look of our site. Check back......the new look should be live in the next couple weeks.

This blog has moved

2010-03-23T20:52:00.001-05:00

This blog is now located at http://daycarematch.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://daycarematch.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

Swine flu information for childcare providers

2009-04-30T21:00:00.002-05:00

We received the following email from the National Association of Family Childcare and thought it was information worth passing on.

NAFCC has been working closely with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) as the CDC has been considering the implications of the flu pandemic for family child care. With the recent outbreak of the swine influenza, the Center for Disease Control has requested that NAFCC inform our membership of the following precautions to prevent the potential spread of swine influenza.
The CDC has identified cases of swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in people from several states including California, Kansas, Texas, New York and other states (see updates at www.cdc.gov/swineflu). CDC is working with local and state health agencies to investigate these cases. It has been determined that this virus is spreading from human to human.
Mexico has reported increased levels of respiratory disease including reports of severe pneumonia cases and deaths. The swine-origin influenza viruses identified by CDC from cases in Mexico are similar to viruses from patients in the United States. As of April 29, 2009, of 91 patients identified thus far in the US, most have recovered, but five have been hospitalized and one patient, a child, has died. However, the CDC is concerned about these cases in the United States and the World Health Organization are concerned about continued spread of this new virus. Right now, there is no vaccine for this new virus and the current seasonal influenza is thought to be unlikely to provide protection against this new strain.

For more detailed information about what child care providers should be doing to prevent the potential infection or spread of this disease, please copy and paste the following link in your browser; http://www.nafcc.org/documents/cdcproviderrecommendations.pdf or click here.

For up to date information, please see the CDC’s Website or view their swine influenza specifics site click here.

For a printable flyer to distribute to your parents and colleagues, please copy and paste the following link into your browser; http://www.nafcc.org/documents/preventingtheflu.pdf or click here.

Food allregy awareness week - May 10-16, 2009

2009-04-22T20:43:00.003-05:00

Food Allergy Awareness Week

Take Action, Prevent Reaction - May 10-16, 2009

In 1997, the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) created Food Allergy Awareness Week to educate others about food allergies. Approximately 12 million Americans have food allergies. Thatʼs one in 25. In the U.S., food allergy reactions result in 50,000
emergency room visits and 150 deaths each year.

My 4 year old son was diagnosed with an allergy to peanuts and tree nuts about three years ago. His allergy inspired me to start www.allergyapparel.com to remind his caretakers of his allergy. I design shirts for children with food allergies. His allergy has also inspired me to help to raise awareness. I would like to take this time to make you aware of a few important allergy statistics,
information, and tell you how you can help.

As the mother of a child who attends preschool I am asking parents to READ READ READ. Read the labels. It is amazing what contains allergens. Soap, lip balm, lotion; even some sponges contain nuts, milk, and other allergens.

Statistics:
• Eight foods account for 90 percent of all food-allergic reactions in the U.S.:milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (e.g.,walnuts, almonds,
cashews, pistachios, pecans), wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish.
• Though reasons for this are poorly understood, the prevalence of food allergies and associated anaphylaxis appears to be on the
rise.
• The incidence of food allergy is highest in young children-one in 17 among those under age 3.
• Even trace amounts of a food allergen can cause a reaction.

How you can help:
• Wash your hands and your childʼs hands with soap and water after eating.
• Clean the area where you ate with a cleanser.

Remind your child:
• Not to share food with friends who have food allergies
• Ask what your friends are allergic to, and help them avoid it.
• If a friend who has food allergies becomes ill, get help immediately!

Common warning signs and symptoms of an anaphylactic reaction:
Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death. The most common causes of anaphylaxis are food, medication,
insect stings, and latex.
• Complaint of a tingling, itchiness, or metallic taste in the mouth
• Hives
• Difficulty breathing
• Swelling and/or itching of the mouth and throat area
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Cramps and stomach pain
• Paleness (due to a drop in blood pressure)
• Loss of consciousness

If you see someone showing any of these symptoms, ACT FAST! CALL 911, mention anaphylaxis, and say you need someone who
can administer epinephrine.

Help me keep my kiddo and others safe. Be aware and help us raise awareness. Read a book at your childʼs school about food allergies, give a presentation to a local school or to a club, team, or organization to educate others about food allergies. Visit http://
www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/books-child.html to find a book about food allergies.

Would you like to support a local Mom? Both Nutty Scurries to School and No Nuts for Nutty were written and illustrated by Virginia mothers and are available at Amazon.com.
☛ Facts and statistics were obtained from foodallergy.org

Thank you to Teresa Green from Allergy Apparel for this article

We're on Myspace

2009-04-08T21:13:00.002-05:00

We're having such a great response from Facebook that we decided to try out MySpace too.

Check out our profile.....
www.myspace.com/daycarematch

We're still learning how to use it, so have patience with us. If you have any pointers, we'd love to hear them.

All this technolgy is both amazing and overwhelming. I'm curious about Twitter too. Maybe you'll be seeing tweets from Daycarematch sometime in the future. I supposed I should learn how to send text messages first. Between parenting the kids and running our website, there's simply not enough time.

So check out our MySpace page and become our friend, or fan, or whatever term MySpace uses.

Check out our Cafe Press store for help advertising your childcare

2009-03-30T13:56:00.004-05:00

We mentioned this in our newsletter a while ago, but it's worth mentioning again. We heard from many providers who wanted more options to spread the word locally about their childcare, so we created some products and started a Daycarematch Cafe Press store.

We've created yard signs, bumper stickers, license plate holders.

If you have an idea for a product, let us know! We'll add it to our store as quick as we can.

Economy affects daycare providers

2009-03-06T13:56:00.002-06:00

We recently asked the daycare providers listed on our site to let us know if the current economy is affecting their business. We are so thankful to those providers who responded.

It sounds as though the downturn in the economy is making its way to childcare providers. Several providers who responded said that they typically have a waiting list for their childcare, but that recently that list has disappeared. Several providers also reported getting less calls from parents interested in childcare.

With many families tightening their budgets, many families are trying to save money. One daycare provider reported that they are still getting calls from parents tring to find daycare, but that parents are now trying to negotiate a lower rate.

Several providers who responded said they have received termination notices from families who either lost a job or had a reduction in pay and are trying to save money by eliminating childcare.

Based on the information from the daycare providers who responded to us, it sounds as though providers are seeing a reduction in the number of kids in their care and a decrease in the number of parents looking for childcare.

How can you keep your openings full during this economy? Well, of course keep your profile on Daycarematch updated. And try to complete your profile with as much information as possible so you show up higher in our search results.

Do you have other ideas on markeing your childcare in this economy? Share it with others by leaving a comment.

Cloth diapers at daycare

2009-02-26T21:25:00.002-06:00

We thank Michelle from Snooty Booty Diapers for this article on some pointers for using cloth diapers at daycare....
________________________________________________________________

There are many reasons to use cloth diapers, with the environment and saving money at the top of many lists. Yet there are many interested parents who don’t cloth diaper or only use cloth part-time due to daycare concerns. Many parents assume that cloth diapers are not allowed at daycare, but this is not often the case.

Some daycare facilities say they “can’t” use cloth diapers. This is personal policy rather than law. States have varying regulations on diapering procedures, but cloth is rarely, if ever, prohibited. A daycare’s refusal to use cloth may stem from a misunderstanding of regulations, unfamiliarity with modern cloth diapers, or the perception that cloth diapers are more work.

What should you do if you want to use cloth diapers at daycare? Here are some tips:

Find your state’s regulations on diapering at daycare. Plan how you can make it easy for your daycare to follow the regulations. If your state requires that all diapers soiled with fecal matter be put into plastic bags, for instance, then offer to supply the plastic bags.
Show your daycare provider how easy cloth can be. Bring easy diapers to use-pocket diapers or all-in-one diapers often have velcro closures and are very similar to disposables. If your daycare provider has the idea of complicated folds and pins, these innovative diapers may change his/her mind.
If cloth diapering for health reasons, make sure to provide a doctor’s note.

In short, present cloth diapering is a positive way and bring samples of the diapers you plan to use. Show your provider how easy cloth can be and how you will help follow state laws. If your daycare provider can feel confident using cloth and knows that all regulations are being followed, you will have an easier time of convincing him/her to try cloth.

Tech free time for families

2009-02-23T14:00:00.000-06:00

Technology creeping into more and more aspects of our lives has been an issue for me for a while. While I can’t deny the value of many of these gizmos and gadgets, I think that our increasing reliance on technology is degrading our personal relationships and killing our ability to communicate with other people. And by communicate, I mean actual face to face communication, taking a pen and putting it to paper, or even making a phone call.
Learning that Leap Frog is planning the release of the “Text and Learn”, a smart phone looking device aimed at toddlers, sent me over the edge. The Leap Frog website touts that “learning modes offer practice with letter matching, shape identification and QWERTY keyboard”. In this age where kids are already overscheduled, does a toddler really need to “exchange text messages with their puppy pal Scout, check Scout's planner to see what his week entails” as the product description states? To me, this toy represents two much larger issues with our current society.

First, it is an acceptable lesson of childhood for a child to learn that some things are not toys. Children do not need a toy phone to keep them from playing with their parent’s phone. Children need to be taught that the phone is not a toy. Many things will continue to literally or figuratively be out of reach and learning the coping skills to deal with that will serve children well throughout life. While I’ll readily admit that sometimes the easier parenting choice is tempting, I think that battles fought when children are young lay a strong foundation for later on.

Second, is how technology is eroding our relationships. Nowhere is this more important than within each family. So often when I see families out in public, at least one person is engaged not with the other family members, but with some gizmo. It goes for both parents and children and I think it sends the wrong message. It sends the message that you’re unwilling to give your full attention to the person you’re currently with or that you are waiting for a better offer or something more interesting to come along. What might parents learn if they talked with their children at the grocery store? How might a child feel to hit a great shot in the game only to look in the stands and see that their parent didn’t see because they were busy checking email. Do you really feel heard if during your entire conversation your spouse has their bluetooth ear piece on?

These gadgets have their place in the work world. I can even see their value in helping families keep in contact or organize their schedules. But there needs to be tech free family time. A lot of tech free time. Turn off your cell phone, leave your Blackberry at the door, turn off your Ipod, refrain from checking email, turn off the computers and TV, and truly focus on each other as individuals, as family members, as people who you truly care about.

We wont be getting a “Text & Learn”. Our children learn their letters by looking at books and reading street signs. They learn their colors by coloring and painting. And if they want to check our dog’s schedule, they’ll ask if they can take him in the backyard to play fetch.

Spring clean your Daycarematch provider profile

2009-02-18T06:46:00.003-06:00

Our main goal of Daycarematch is to provide parents with an easy way to find childcare providers and give childcare providers an easy and cost-effective way to advertise. Put those together and our overall goal is to "connect parents and providers"

We need you, the childcare providers, to keep your information accurate and updated. Not only will that help your profile be more valuable to parents, it will also help you show up higher in our search rankings.

The order in which provider profiles show up in the search results depends on several criteria:
- how closely the profile matches the parent's search criteria
- completeness of the profile
- date last updated
- does the profile include photos

Accurate and updated information is important to us. We offer a $25 monthly incentive and a $250 quarterly incentive for updating your profile each month.

Not listed on Daycarematch yet? Join us! It's FREE!

Vote for Daycarematch

2009-02-10T21:01:00.002-06:00

We've thrown our hat into the race to be listed as one of the top 200 Mom Businesses by Startup Nation. Help us win by voting for us!

Should childcares be peanut free?

2009-02-06T08:58:00.002-06:00

We have close friends whose children have allergies. Her son's allergies are so severe that he started to react when a child walked into their home carrying a piece of toast with peanut butter on it. Just the smell of the peanut butter was enough to make her son start coughing and wheezing.

I know many schools are struggling with how to keep children with allergies safe. I'm wondering what childcare providers are doing? What are guidelines parents can use when looking for daycare or preschool for ther child with food allergies?

Should a childcare be completely peanut free? Should a childcare also be free of other common allergens? If so, how does that affect parents of other children?

Our son starts kindergarten this fall. I don't know how the school addresses peanut allergies, but I do know that if peanut butter is not allowed at all, we are going to have a very hungry toddler until he decides to expand his preference for lunch. He eats a PB & J almost every day. I want our son to have a healthy and filling lunch, but I also want to honor the other children with allergies.

What do you in your childcare? How to you address food allergies? Do you allow foods that contain common allergens, like peanut butter?

Food allergies? Great ways to warn others

2009-02-05T15:19:00.004-06:00

Food allergies seem so common now. We have several close friends whose children have allergies so we've watched them scan every food box for a list of ingredients, interview waiters on what's in the chicken nugget breading, and drill into their children that they can't have any snacks at a friend's house.

Whenever there's more than one child, keeping track of what child can eat what can be a challenge. Parents might want to consider these products any time their child is going to be with other children or in a new situation, like when the child starts at a new childcare provider.

Here are some fun ways for parents to let others know about what foods their child is allergic to.

Allergyapparel A stay-at-home Richmond mom came up with shirts and hoodies to protect her own son who has a food allergy.

Sansgluten offers products for wheat, peanut, gluten, dairy, and egg allergies. They have a great selection of products including clothes, lunch bags, tote bags, and more.

Allergators includes cute alligator characters warning of food allergies. They also offer wristbands.

Alert Clothing Company has bright and colorful designs on shirts and tote bags.

Kids Aware has a wide selection of products from shirts to bags to pouches to carry epi pens.

2009-01-27T20:55:00.002-06:00

A new study raises concern about the safety of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Increasing in use over recent years, high fructose corn syrup is used as a sweetner in many foods from sauces to jellies. And it turns up places you wouldn't expect, like breads, cereals, lunch meats and yogurt.

The study, conducted by the Institute of Agiculture and Trade Policy, found traces of mercury in almost one third of popular foods tested that have HFC as the first or second ingredient.

Foods that tested positive for traces of mercury include:

Quaker Oatmeal to Go Bars
Jack Daniel's Barbecue Sauce
Hershey's Chocolate Syrup
Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce
Nutri-Grain Strawberry Cereal Bars
Manwich Sloppy Joe
Market Pantry Grape Jelly
Smucker's Strawberry Jelly
Pop-Tarts Frosted Blueberry
Hunt's Tomato Ketchup
Wish-Bone Western Sweet and Smooth Dressing
Coca-Cola Classic
Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt
Minute Maid Berry Punch
Yoo-Hoo Chocolate Drink
Nesquik Chocolate Milk
Kemps Fat Free Chcolate Milk

We avoid HFCS in our house as much as we can. I scan ingredients and choose foods that don't include it. For example, Boboli pizza sauce has HFCS. Kroger brand does not. I buy the Kroger brand. Check your labels, even on food that you don't think will have it. We switched brands of bread that we buy because our old brand listed HFCS as one of the first ingredients. And remember, ingredents are listed in order of how much of that ingredient is in a product. So if HFCS is one of the first ingredients, that product contains HFCS as one of the main ingredients.

Consider natural products over synthetic ones. Pancake syrup is almost completely sugar, corn syrup, and high fructose corn syrup. Natural maple syrup contains only natural sugars.

This is only one study, and it certainly didn't test all products out there. It didn't even scientifically prove that HFCS is the source of the mercury. But scientists propose that the only possible source of the contamination is HFCS.

Even if HFCS is found to not be the source of the mercury, it's still not a good choice for a healthy diet and should be consumed in small quantities, if at all.

Check out this WebMD article on High Fructose Corn Syrup
And read the IATP press release

Lose your juice box - help the environment and your wallet

2009-01-26T14:57:00.002-06:00

Do you send a juice box with your child to school or to daycare? They're easy to pack, fairly cheap, and at least in our house, fairly guaranteed to be drank.

But think about this... Say you send a juice box with your child each day of the week. Multiply those 5 juice boxes a week times 52 weeks in the year, and you end up with 260 juice boxes. 260 juice boxes that eventually end up in the landfill. 260 juice boxes that probably cost you about $130.

Instead, consider buying a reusable bottle that you can fill with water, juice, watered down juice, or whatever your child likes to drink. When deciding what bottle to buy, do some research on Bisphenol A (BPA), and come to your own conclusion on whether you trust a bottle that contains BPA.

If you're looking for bottles that are BPA free, two great options are www.sigg.com and www.kleankanteen.com.

Both Sigg and Klean Kanteen bottles come in great colors. Our son and daughter loved picking out their own bottles and now use those almost exclusively when we are out and about.

And the best part, reusable bottles don't send a fountain of juice all over the inside of your car when your toddler accidentally squeezes them too hard.

Peanut Butter Recall Expands - Check Your Pantry!

2009-01-25T13:29:00.002-06:00

As the FDA tries to track down what foods are affected by the recent salmonella outbreak, more and more foods are being added to the list of possibly contaminated foods. I've seen recommendations that you throw away all foods that are made with peanut butter, until the FDA is able to narrow down the source of the outbreak.

Just yesterday, salmonella was confirmed in a package of Kellogg's Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter.

Since may childcare providers offer snacks for the children in their care, check your pantry and throw away any foods that have peanut butter as an ingredient. As far as I've heard, jars of peanut butter are not affected.

Whenever anyhting like this happens, I believe that the cliche of it's better to be safe than sorry holds true. I would rather throw away a perfectly good package of crackers than serve tainted food to our children.

2009-01-23T14:06:00.000-06:00

Flu season is just getting into full swing. Make sure you know how to keep your family safe.

Drs. Carol Baker and William Schaffner eliminate conFLUsion about influenza.

What is influenza?
Although influenza can cause headache, cough, sore throat, and a stuffy/blocked nose, it's not the common cold. A cold can feel like a cake walk compared to the flu. Influenza is a serious viral infection that can spread quickly through a home, school or office and cause severe illness, like pneumonia and sometimes even death. It hits you very suddenly, usually with high fever, aches and chills. Children can also have ear aches, nausea and vomiting. It?s not pretty.

How bad can it really be?
You've heard the phrase 'hits you like a ton of bricks.' People use the word 'flu' loosely, often to describe a terrible cold or a stomach virus. But flu is more than an inconvenience; it can wipe you out and it can lead to some pretty severe complications. When a person has the flu, he/she will probably spend at least a few miserable days in bed, miss work and not be able to perform other normal day-to-day activities. You really don't feel well for about 2 weeks when you get influenza, and longer if you develop complications. Flu in children can be especially severe young kids are hospitalized as often, or more often, than any other group, including the elderly.

But nobody in my family has gotten the flu before. Why should I be worried?
If nobody in your family has gotten flu before, you've been very lucky and we are very jealous! But unless you plan on hibernating at home during flu season with your flu-free family, you're at risk like the rest of us. Some people mistakenly think that hand washing completely prevents influenza, but this virus travels not only on hands but in the air. The absolute best protection is annual vaccination.

Isn't it too late to be vaccinated?
Influenza is just rearing its ugly head in the U.S., so if you haven't already been vaccinated you can still do so. The flu typically peaks in February and cases can continue for many months after. Make some phone calls to see if your health care provider or other health centers in your area have flu vaccine, or use the flu clinic locator or flu shot finder. Note that children younger than 9 years of age who haven't been vaccinated before will need two vaccine doses at least one month apart for full protection.

Who should be vaccinated?
Basically anyone who doesn't want to get the flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention specifically recommends influenza vaccination for all children 6 months through 18 years of age. Everyone around a baby who is less than 6 months of age should get influenza vaccine to prevent what can be a deadly infection in the very young. Get vaccinated for the baby and get the benefit of protection for yourself. There's a great tool available on the Childhood Influenza Immunization Coalition's Web site called the Flu Risk Calculator, where you can input information about yourself and your family to find out who is recommended for vaccination.

Can I just chance getting sick?
Sure, but why? Influenza can really knock you for a loop. And many people, including children younger than five and anyone with chronic medical conditions, like asthma or diabetes, are at increased risk for complications. Chances are there's no reason you shouldn't get yourself and your family vaccinated, so ask about the flu vaccine.

But my family was vaccinated last year!
That's great but as with taxes, it's something you have to do every year. The influenza virus likes to reinvent itself each year, so the vaccine changes too to provide the best protection. Even if you are vaccinated early, protection lasts throughout the entire yearly influenza season.

What should I do if I get the flu?
If you suspect you or someone in your family has the flu, check with a doctor right away there are medications available that may be able to help you feel better faster if they are given in the first 2 days of illness.

For more information, check out National Foundation for Infectious Diseases - Childhood Influenza Immunization Coalition

Keep Your Childcare Safe In A Tech World

2009-01-23T09:00:00.002-06:00

We're surrounded by technology. Some of it is fantastic and makes our lives easier, like seriously, when is the last time you flipped through the yellow pages? But the constant access to mountains of information also presents some security concerns, especially for childcare providers.

Childcare providers need a way to get in contact with parents who are looking for childcare. Most providers use their home phone as their business phone. Did you know that if you type a phone number into most search engines, it will give you the complete address associated with that number, photos, and even directions to the location? Keep this in mind when you are giving out your phone number, and consider using a cell phone instead.

Do you have a website for your childcare? Websites are a great way to let current parents and potential parents know about your childcare, but they can also pose a risk. You can use a whois lookup to find who own a domain name. It often includes your first and last name, your address, and sometimes your phone number. You can prevent this information from being public by choosing a private domain registration.

Use caution with pictures too. If you use pictures in advertising, in flyers, or on your website, do not show the children's faces. Show the children from the back, or just post pictures of your facility and your supplies.

I love seeing groups of children out on field trips, and love seeing the colorful matching shirts they are often wearing. Believe me, I have a hard time keeping track of our two, and I can't imagine keeping track of 12. But be careful what you put on those shirts. Don't put the children's names or the phone number of your childcare. Both can lead right back to your address. Instead, put the child's name and information somewhere easily accessed, but not visible to strangers, like on a tag inside the shirt.

Instant access to information is great. But take some small steps to make sure the information is going into the right hands.

Join Daycarematch On Facebook

2009-01-23T08:46:00.002-06:00

We're always looking for ways to let others know about our site and to help parents connect with the childcare providers we have listed on our site. So we did it....we joined Facebook!

People who use Facebook can also use our Daycarematch application to search for childcare.

Make sure they find your childcare's listing!

To be included in our Facebook application you must:

Have a paid enhanced listing
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The Inauguration - What Did You Share With Your Children

2009-01-20T22:01:00.002-06:00

Today was a monumental day in history. It doesn't matter what side of the political coin you fall on, todays swearing in of Barack Obama was an important moment in history.

I watched most of the inauguration and following ceremonies with our son. Our daughter was much more content empying our toy box, although the police on motorcycles did get a squeal out of her. Our son asked some questions about who the president is, what he does, why we chose a new one, and what happens to the old one. I explained as best I could so that he would understand.

How did you mark the day with your children? Did you do anything special with your daycare children?

It seems that today's festivities would be a great way to launch into a discussion about how our government runs, how laws are made, and how the president is chosen.

Our children are our future. They should understand how history is made.

Fighting Chapped Skin and Lips

2009-01-18T14:47:00.003-06:00

If you're in a colder climate, then you're probably dealing with dry skin and chapped lips right now. And if your kids are anything like ours, then they aren't huge fans of anything designed to help them feel better.

Our son licks chapstick off his lips faster then we can apply it. And that constant licking, followed up with some rubbing of his drippy nose, leaves him with badly chapped lips and skin. I tried everything I could think of, and nothing seemed to work. Chapstick didn't stick around long enough to work, because he licked it off. He complained that lotion got into his mouth and tasted bad.

But finally I found something that works. And I mean really works. Lanolin. I had some left over from when our daughter was an infant and figured if it was safe enough for infants to be in contact with when hey nursed, that it would be safe for a 4 year old. I slathered some on him at bedtime and pleaded with him to try not to wipe his face all over the sheets.

And the next morning, his chaped lips and skin were almost completely healed.

I don't use it during the day, because if it rubs off on something else, like clothes or the couch, it leaves a greasy stain that is almost impossible to get out. But at bedtime, a coating of Lanolin seems to be a quick easy cure for chapped skin.

Childcares and Unions - Good idea or not?

2009-01-15T13:50:00.002-06:00

This is a topic that I'll have to turn over to the experts, the childcare providers, to see what they think. But recently I am hearing more and more about childcare providers joining unions. I remember a couple years ago, I spoke with several providers who were completely against the concept. But now I wonder if that is still the case.

I understand that the state of Maine is currently making the switch to unionizing the childcare providers. After doing a quick online search, it appears that California and Pennsylvania are also unionizing.

So providers, what do you think? Is your state trying to form a union? If so, are you planning on joining? Why, or why not?

Just curious.....

Starting Your Baby in Daycare - That First Week

2009-01-13T14:01:00.003-06:00

I remember that day as if it was yesterday. And it wasn't. It was almost 5 years ago. It was our son's first day at daycare. I was almost to the end of my maternity leave so we were going to start him on half days at the daycare, just to get him used to it. I'm not sure if it was more for his benefit, or mine, but our thought was that easing into full days would make the process easier.

Those first couple days are bound to be hard, both on the parents and the baby. You're all getting used to a new routine, and that takes time. Give everybody a chance to adjust and realize that there are going to be some bumps.

Keep your goodbyes short and sweet. I love a lingering kiss on a baby's cheek as much as the next person, but drawn out goodbyes are harder on you both. It's similar to ripping off a bandaid; it hurts more if you do it fast, but the recovery is quicker. By the time you are getting back in your car, your baby is probably snuggled in the provider's arms or exploring a new toy.

Ask your provider if they mind if you call during the day. It will help you fell connected to hear that your baby is doing great, or that he had peas and crackers for lunch. As you get more comfortable, you'll probable feel the need to call less.

And realize that you are going to miss your baby and your baby is going to miss you. That's natural, and that's part of the love you share.

It took me about 2 weeks to really adjust to having our son at childcare.

But that first day was hard. As soon as the door closed, I cried. I sobbed. I bawled. And that's ok too.

Where Do Sex Offenders Live And Work? Find Out!

2009-01-11T21:48:00.002-06:00

Who lives next door to your childcare provider? Who lives next door to your parents? To your babysitter? To you?

Parents do everything they can to keep their children safe. Here's one more step you can take. Check to see where registered sex offenders live in relation to addresses where your children spend time - their school, their daycare, your home. We recently bought a new house and we used this site to check our neighborhood before we made an offer on the house.

It should be noted that these online directories only include individuals who are registered sex offenders. An individual may have committed a lesser crime and not be required to register as a sex offender, so they would not be included on these sites.

http://www.familywatchdog.us

I believe that information like this should not be used to frighten, but to educate. There are threats all over our lives and you cannot possibly avoid them all. What you can do is educate yourself and your children on how to stay as safe as possible.

My Dad is a retired police officer. When I was little, he gave me pointers on how to stay safe. He didn't scare me, but he was honest. He empowered me by teaching me how to grow up with a strong sense of self and how to look at my surroundings to keep myself safe. They are lessons I plan to pass on to our children.

So, check out who lives near you. And make sure you keep talking to your children. Help them learn how to make choices to keep themselves safe.

Preschool Registration Time

2009-01-09T09:48:00.002-06:00

The beginning of next shool year is month away, right? Not even on your radar? Something you'll think about in a couple months. Well, if you're planning on enrolling your child in preschool, it's something to think about right now. And right now might be too late.

Our son's preschool sent home information on registering for next year. I still have Christmas cards that are waiting for addresses before I can mail them. It doesn't seem like the two should happen at the same time. But they do.

Many preschools are now enrolling for next year. Some are so popular that they enroll in stages, giving priority to current families before openings enrollment to first time attendees.

And then there are the ones that are so poular it's like trying to get tickets to a rock concert. Last year my friend was looking around for preschools. She finally found one she liked. When she asked about registration, she was told that it was very competitive. Competitive to me means that maybe you turn in your application paperwork and some kids are enrolled and some aren't. Competitive at this preschool means that parents started lining up in the registration line at 4am. And this was in the bitter cold of winter in Wisconsin, so we're talking some hard core souls here. They camped out, tailgated, and guarded their spot in line until the preschool office opened and it was first come first served.

Now, I love our children. They are our life, our loves, and my husband and I do everything we can to give them the best upbringing possible. But I draw the line. And sitting outside in 5 degree weather is where I draw the line.

We found a preschool that we love. And I didn't even have to stand outside.

Also, consider in-home childcare providers who offer preschool curriculum. Your child will get similar programming to a preschool, but in a smaller environment.

Good luck!

Childcare Forms - Contracts, Policies, Activity Sheets,and more

2009-01-08T07:08:00.002-06:00

Not everybody is a huge fan of paperwork, but sometimes it's necessary. When you're a childcare provider, forms can establish a relationship between you and the parents, serve as a means of communication, and help ensure that everybody is on the same page.

The childcare contract is what parents sign when they decide to enroll their child in your daycare. This is a legally binding contract. Make sure you cover all the basics, like cost, when you are open, when you take vacation, how the parents give notice, how you give notice, and procedures for picking up late. The conact should be thorough enough that is covers all the main points and leaves you and the parents with few questions, but it doesn't need to be so long and detailed that it spells out how many grapes the child gets for snack. Some providers choose to have a lawyer review their contracts.

There are other forms that help a childcare run smoothly. Emergency contact cards; releases for field trips, medications, photos, and more; daly activity logs; and applications for enrollmentcan all help your childcare run smoothly.

You can find samples on Daycarematch.

January - National Give Blood Month

2009-01-07T13:53:00.002-06:00

January is National Give Blood Month. What a great new year's resolution to vow to donate blood at least once, or twice, or as often as you are able.

According to the Red Cross, when you give blood just once, you can save the lives of three people. Three people! That's amazing.

The Red Cross website has easy ways to find locations to give blood.
www.givelife.org

If there are other childcare providers in your area, you can host a blood drive. What a great way to teach your children about giving to others. Encourage your daycare parents to sign up, have them recruit friends, even have a little friendly competition between daycare providers to see who can get the most donations.

And hey.....you get free cookies for donating!

Balancing Diapers and Deadlines

2008-12-30T13:57:00.002-06:00

Tips for working from home with an infant

Whether you are new to working at home while caring for your infant, or you’re a pro at typing while bouncing a baby on your knee, getting work done while also parenting can be a challenge. You can set yourself and your environment up to better balance both roles and your work and baby will benefit.

Your Work Space Area
Take a good look at where you do most of your work. Set up the area so you can manage your work and baby at the same time.

Use a portable crib, swing, bouncy chair or gates to keep your baby close. Your baby is happy, entertained, and contained and you don’t have to interrupt work every time he goes crawling off.

Have a stash of new toys near your desk, since babies tire quickly of the same toys.

Baby proof your work area as much as possible. Cover or tie back cords, lock cabinets and make sure your baby can’t reach anything that could hurt him. Not only will this keep your baby safe, but it’s no fun losing hours worth of work because your little one rebooted your computer or emptied your filing cabinet.

If baby’s room is not close to your work area, store diaper supplies close too. Having diapers and wipes close means you don’t have to spend time taking baby upstairs every time she needs a change. The more time you spend at your work area, the more work you’ll be able to accomplish.

If your baby is eating finger foods, keep some snacks close.

Managing Your Time
Plan time at your desk, but also plan breaks for both you and your baby. Meal and snack times are a great chance to get away from work and spend time with your baby. Make sure you take enough time to play and talk with your baby so she gets the attention she craves. Most babies are content to play by themselves for a while, but they also need interaction from you. Be realistic about how much time you can spend working and how much time your baby will need.

Working Around Naps
Be careful counting on naptimes to get your work done. It’s true that infants sleep a lot, but it probably doesn’t come in long stretches, especially when they are very young. Nor are nap times completely predicable. You may schedule an important conference call at naptime only to be faced with a wide-awake baby. Schedule tasks and calls that require complete quiet and focus for times when somebody else can watch your baby.

Hiring Help
A great way to increase how much you are able to focus on work is to hire a mother’s helper. Mother’s helpers care for your child in your home while you are home. You’re able to focus on work, but you’re also able to step in if your child needs you. Because you are home and able to monitor your baby’s care, you may consider helpers with less experience than somebody you would trust to watch your baby when you’re not home. High schools and colleges are often good places to start your search for a mother’s helper.

You may also want to consider finding childcare outside your home for a couple hours a day. It's easiest of all to focus on work if you can't hear your little one playing, or wailing, in the next room.

One Income or Two - Does it Pay To Work

2008-12-30T13:14:00.003-06:00

Second only to the mortgage, childcare costs are one of the highest expenses most working families have. And sometimes the cost is more than a mortgage.

It might be easier than you think to have one parent stay home and make it on one income. That probaby sounds counterintuitive coming from us, who run a childcare website. But one of our main goals has always been to make life easier for families. And that may mean helping you realize that staying home just might be affordable.

We had the exact same discussion almost 5 years ago when our son was born. We wondered if we could make it on one income. I went back to work for several months and our son was with a childcare provider that we loved. When my job role changed, the decision was almost made for us that I would stay home. We never looked back. Going down to one income takes some adjusting, but it wasn't as painful as we thought it would be.

When thinking about the money you save by having one parent work, don't just consider salary. There's a lot more that is spent on maintaining a working parent. Since I no longer go to work at an office, my usual work wear is now jeans and a sweatshirt, which is much cheaper than maintaining a wardrobe of business suits (and matching shoes). Makeup? Since I never seem to have time to put it on, I save money there. I save money on hairstyling costs by going longer between cuts and no longer getting frequent highlights. Although, going back to my natural, unhighlighted color has added the unwanted highlight of showing more grey hairs. And I"m pretty sure that I remember what each child did to cause each grey strand.

There are many other costs you can save by not working - lunches out, expensive coffee breaks (although coffee stores with drive throughs are still a weakness of mine), gas, car maintenance, professional memberships, and more.

Here's a helpful calculator to help you add up the pros and cons of one income versus two.
http://moneycentral.msn.com/personal-finance/calculators/Adding_a_second_income_calculator/home.aspx

It's a tough choice to make, and sometimes your situation makes the choice for you. But regardless of whether you work outside the home or not, you already have the best job in the world - being a parent.

Tax Time

2008-12-29T15:22:00.001-06:00

As we get close to the end of the year, it's almost time to think about getting your taxes and receipts in order. Here's a link to an article that describes how parents can benefit from tax credits for the monty paid for childcare.

http://taxes.about.com/od/deductionscredits/qt/child_care.htm

Happy Holidays

2008-12-23T07:43:00.003-06:00

We'd like to wish you, your family, and all your daycare children and families a very happy holiday season. All our best for the new year.

We are thankful for every childcare provider who's listed on our site. We hope our site helps both parents and providers in the search for childcare.

Enjoy this holiday season. We hope you are able to enjoy some time with your family.

Best wishes to you for a peacful and prosperous New Year.

Scott & Melissa

We're back

2008-12-08T21:22:00.002-06:00

It's been forever since we posted. We hope to start posting again soon, so keep an eye out.

Thanks,
Scott & Melissa

Getting Back Online

2008-12-08T21:17:00.001-06:00

We've been so busy that we haven't had time to post on this blog. We hope to get back to posting to let you know what we're doing with the site and what's going on in the childcare community.

Thanks,
Scott & Melissa

Finally Updating Our Blog

2008-04-21T13:32:00.002-05:00

It's been a hectic time around here, leaving us less time to stay on top of this blog. In the last couple months we experienced the birth of our second child, we moved halfway across the country, and had a death in our immediate family. Things have been busy and challenging.

We hope to update this more frequently now with updates of what we are doing with Daycarematch, and what is going on in the childcare field. If you have any ideas for us, please send them to us.

Thanks!
Scott & Melissa

CPSC Urges New Parents to Adopt Lifesaving Routine to Prevent Child

2007-03-16T14:32:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Every day thousands of new parents assume the
responsibility of caring for and protecting a child. Many of these
first-time caregivers are unaware of the dangers of unintentional
poisonings often related to medicines and household products commonly
found in the home, such as personal care products, over-the-counter pain
relievers and cleaning substances.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Poison
Prevention Week Council are kicking off National Poison Prevention Week
(March 18-24) to educate and inform consumers of the dangers associated
with unintentional poisonings.

From 2002 through 2004, about 36 children younger than 5 died each year
as a result of ingesting poisonous substances found in and around the
home. In 2005 about 91,000 young children visited hospital emergency
rooms and more than one million calls were placed to poison control
centers as a result of unintentional poisoning.

"For most first-time parents and caregivers, poison prevention messaging
is new," said CPSC Acting Chairman Nancy Nord. "It is an especially
important message to understand and act upon."

Young children are curious and use their home environment as a classroom
- a place to learn and explore. Exploring for younger children is often
done by mouthing objects which puts them at greater risk of
unintentional poisonings. For young children who are unable to read, a
bottle of orange-scented household cleaner may be mistaken for orange
juice; the medicine in the pill container can look a lot like small
candies; and baby oil, which can be deadly if ingested, can resemble a
clear drink.

To prevent these incidents, CPSC recommends the following safety steps:
1. Keep all household chemicals and medicines locked up, out of sight
and out of reach.
2. Use child-resistant packaging properly by closing the container
securely after each use. Some products also come in child-resistant
blister cards, which avoid the need to re-secure.
3. Call 800-222-1222 immediately in case of poisoning.
4. When products are in use, never let young children out of your sight,
even if you must take them along when answering the phone or doorbell.
5. Keep items in original containers.
6. Leave the original labels on all products, and read the label before
using to understand correct use and dosage.
7. Do not put decorative lamps and candles that contain lamp oil where
children can reach them. Lamp oil can be very toxic if ingested by young
children.
8. Always turn the light on when giving or taking medicine. Check the
dosage every time.
9. Avoid taking medicine in front of children. Refer to medicine as
"medicine," not "candy."
10. Clean out the medicine cabinet periodically and safely dispose of
unneeded and outdated medicines.

To request poison prevention publications, visit
www.poisonprevention.org
To get more information on CPSC and National Poison Prevention week,
please go to:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/pppa/ppw07.html

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting
the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more
than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction.
Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents
cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. The CPSC is committed
to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire,
electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children. The
CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys,
cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals -
contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of
deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30
years.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's
hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or
visit CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. To join a CPSC email
subscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.asp. Consumers can
obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's Web site at
www.cpsc.gov.

State Childcare Rankings - How Did Your State Do?

2007-03-08T13:24:00.000-06:00

The National Association of Childcare Resource and Referral Associations recently published their findings on how each state ranks regarding childcare standards and childcare oversight. Here's a summary of their findings. The full report can be read at http://www.naccrra.org/policy/scorecard.php

"Every week, nearly 12 million children under age 5 are in some type of child care setting. The children of working mothers spend an average of 36 hours each week in child care. Very simply, child care has become part of the daily routine for millions of American families. "

"The quality of child care is important because the health and safety of children are at stake and 90 percent of brain development occurs between birth and age five, which makes this time a critical period for child development. Yet, child care standards and oversight vary greatly by state. Given the importance of quality child care for children, the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) reviewed state child care center policies and regulations and ranked the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) based on key benchmarks to see how the states measured up. The results are shown on scorecards ranking state child care center standards, state child care oversight, and a combined score ranking states on both standards and oversight."

"State Rankings: NACCRRA found that the Department of Defense child care system stands alone as a model for states. The Department of Defense child care system ranked number one on the top 10 list of states with the best child care center standards and number one on the top 10 list of states with the best oversight practices. Other than DoD, no state appears on both top 10 lists. What does that mean? It is not enough to be moving in the right direction with strong child care standards if a state’s oversight system doesn’t measure up. Without adequate oversight, there is no way to evaluate whether state standards are actually being met. "

"There is much room for improvement by the states. The top 10 overall (combining scores for standards and monitoring) have a better system in place to ensure that the standards are enforced or that the actual settings comply with the standards as envisioned. But, even the top 10 states fall short of the 150 possible points to be earned by meeting each benchmark."

Top 10 Best Overall

DOD (Department of Defense)
Illinois
New York
Maryland
Washington
Oklahoma
Michigan
North Dakota
Tennessee
Minnesota
Vermont

For a full listing of states and how they scored on the report, go to http://www.naccrra.org/policy/scorecard.php

Keeping Track Of Recalls

2007-03-01T14:46:00.000-06:00

As parents and childcare providers, you are surrounded with products and toys used by children. Did you know there's an easy way to keep updated on what products have been recalled? You can sign up through the Consumer Products Safety Commission to receive emails when recalls have been issued. Or, you can use their site as a resource if you have a question about a specific product.

The website is http://recalls.gov/. If you want to sign up for the email reminders, click on the 'sign up for emails' link on the left side. You can choose what categories you want information on, so you only get information that is ineresting to you.

Also, when you buy a major purchase like a car seat, make sure you fill out the registration card and send it in. You can leave all the questions blank, like whether you like to camp and whether you plan to buy a home. They use that information to sign you up for more junk mail. But make sure you give them your address. You'll get a card in the mail if your product is ever the subject of a recall.

National Provider Appreciation Day - May 11, 2007

2007-02-21T21:29:00.000-06:00

Did you know that May 11, 2007 is National Provider Appreciation Day? Start planning now for how you as a parent can recognize your childcare provider, or how you as a childcare provider can celebrate you profession.

Check out the national website for a list of events that are going on in your area. http://www.providersfirst.com/events.html

Start planning now for how you can celebrate National Provider Appreciation Day!

Search Results Order Updated

2007-02-13T21:30:00.000-06:00

We recently updated the process we use to determine what order providers show up in our search results. Providers who have updated their openings more recently will be given priority over those who have not updated their profile recently.

Our goal is to give parents accurate and up-to-date information. Parents are especially interested in whether a provider currently has an opening for the age group the parent needs. By revising our process, parents will now see those providers who are more likely to have a current opening, since their profile was updated recently.

The order in which providers show up still is not a judgement on the quality of care they provide. Determining where to place your child is a personal decision that only each individual parent can make.

Look For www.childcarematch.com coming soon!

2007-01-22T14:42:00.000-06:00

We know that many providers prefer the term "childcare" over "daycare". To reflect this, we've been working on acquiring the website name www.childcarematch.com. We successfully acquired it at the end of the year.

We plan to have both daycarematch.com and childcarematch.com direct users to our current site. This way, no matter what term they use, a parent or provider can find our site. While providers may prefer the term childcare, it's been our discovery that the majority of parents still use the term daycare.

Thanks for using Daycarematch!
Scott & Melissa

Halloween Safety - How To Keep Your Goblins Safe

2006-10-25T15:00:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that summer is over and we are well into fall, but Halloween is almost here. Hopefully you have your costume all ready for your little one. Or you're like me, and trying to find a costume that doens't include anything on my son's head, because he wont wear hats. Whether you have everything planned, or are in a last minute panic, here are some tips to help keep Halloween safe.

Make sure your child's costume doesn't limit their vision. When possible, use face paint and not a mask. Paint is safer because they can still see where they are going and their surroundings.

Check your child's costume and make sure there isn't anything that is going to trip them, or tangle them in any way.

If you are trick-or treating at a mall, or some other location where there will be a lot of children, make sure you pick a place to meet in case you get separated.

Before you even set out trick-or-treating, have a talk with your child about what is going to happen to all that candy. That way, they know what to expect before they are tempted with a bag full of candy. A good solution is to keep some candy out, and put the rest away for later. Or, you can take the candy to work and let your co-workers enjoy it.

Have a fun time trick-or-treating and enjoying the last days of fall!

Daycarematch Growing and Changing

2006-10-08T22:03:00.000-05:00

We've been very busy this summer. You may notice some changes to Daycarematch. We hope you like the improvements. Here's a summary of what we've done.....

We added a subscription option for parents. Parents can still see basic information on providers for free. To access the expanded information like pictures and philosophies of care, parents will now need to pay a small fee. We would love to keep Daycarematch free for everybody, but we simply can't keep the quaity as high as we want without charging a small fee.

We also added enhanced listing for childcare providers. For a small fee, providers can now choose to have their very own website that they update using the Daycarematch website. Providers can choose their own web address, which will show up as yourdaycarename.daycarematch.com. To update the informatin on the website, providers simply update their profile on Daycarematch. The information is the same. Providers can also choose to pay a small fee and allow parents to see all their information without having to pay the subscription fee.

We are constantly working on ways to make the site better. Many of the impreovements we've made have been suggested to us by visitors to the site. If you have ideas on how to make the site better, please let us know.

Thanks for using Daycarematch!

Blogging and Childcare Providers - How Can It Help Your Business?

2006-07-26T07:24:00.000-05:00

Hey, Daycarematch has a blog.... Here are some thoughts about how childcare providers can use blogs to communicate with parents.

Several years ago, the word “blog” was barely even a commonly used word. Now it seems that everybody has a blog. For those that don’t know, a blog is an online journal where an individual can write about whatever they like, as often or as infrequently as they like. They can be used for many reasons, including as a helpful tool for childcare providers. Here are some guidelines for how to set up a blog, how it could help your business, and some safety precautions.

Blogs have become so popular that there are numerous sites that allow you to set one up for free. Search for the term ‘blog’ and you should discover many sites to choose from. You need minimal computer knowledge since the sites make the initial set-up and adding posts to your blog very easy. Even adding pictures is not that hard. You’ll need to come up with a name for your blog. Using your childcare business name will make it easy for parents to remember.

Once you have your blog set up, how you decided to use it is up to you. You may want to use it mainly to communicate with parents who currently have children in your care. Let them know what you are doing each day, what is coming up, and any announcements they should know about. A blog is a nice way for parents to know what their children do each day, and is a good way for childcare providers to communicate information to all the parents at once. You can remind parents about upcoming events, let them know what the children are working on in each day, and communicate any other information it's helpful for the parents to have. Some providers write an entry each day that summarizes what the kids did that day. That way, parents can read about their child's day.

If you do write about specific children in your care, for safety reasons do not use their full names. Consider using just their initials, or nicknames to identify them. Do not post pictures that show children’s faces. Again for safety, post only pictures that show the children from the back, or other poses in which they cannot be identified. Make sure the parents give permission to use their child's picture.

A blog can also be a powerful tool to let parents looking for childcare to know about the care you provide. They can get an idea of what average days are like at your childcare. The more information you have in your blog, the more likely it is to come up in searches, so parents looking for care may find you by finding your blog in a search.

No matter how you use your blog, remember that it is a representation of you and your business, so keep it professional. Whether you add a post once a day, or once a month, a blog can be a quick and easy way to communicate with both the parents who currently have children in your care, and those who are looking for childcare.

Show Off Your Baby... We Need Spokesbaby Pictures!

2006-07-17T07:24:00.000-05:00

As you already may have noticed, each month Daycarematch chooses a different child to be featured on our website. Their picture is featured at the top of each page. We receive so many pictures that we can't possibly use them all, which makes choosing just one picture a hard job.

With Fall and the Holidays coming up sooner than we care to admit, we're looking for fall and Holiday pictures of your little ones. Some ideas of what we would love to see....

- Fall pictures with leaves, scarescrows, pumpkins, apple orchards, and anything else that makes you think fall.
- Pictures of your little ones in halloween costumes - no need to buy a costume early. Last year's picture is perfect.
- Pictures of your little ones from winter and the Holidays. Let's see those party dresses, snowmen, and sledding pictures!

To submit your pictures, go to www.daycarematch.com/photos.asp

Thanks!!
Scott & Melissa

Keep Children Safe Around Cars

2006-07-12T22:39:00.000-05:00

Now that we're in the middle of summer, and they're forcasting temperatures near 90 for the Midwest, let's remind ourselves how to keep our children safe around cars. We've all heard how quickly the temperature in a parked car can rise to dangerous levels. Heat is not the only danger when it comes to children and cars. Children can pull vehicles out of park, release parking brakes, burn themselves with cigarette lighters, and more. Children should never be left in cars alone, and never be allowed to play in or around them.

For more information and safety ideas, check out www.kidsincars.org This site has excellent safety tips, and materials to help educate people on how to keep children safe.

Calling All Bloggers........

2006-07-06T22:36:00.000-05:00

Are you a childcare provider who has a blog? If so, let us know. We'd love to link to your blog as a resource for other providers.

Are you a parent with your children in childcare? We'd love to hear from you too. Nobody understands trying to balance work and family better than those who do it every day.

We'll post links to blogs as we get them.

Thanks!
Scott & Melissa

Swingset Safety

2006-07-06T15:19:00.000-05:00

Our son loves to climb and swing. We've been thinking about getting him a swingset for a while, but it took a summer-end clearance sale to push us over the edge. We now have what seems like an overwhelming number of pieces of wood piled all over our garage floor. According to the picture on the box, this pile of wood somehow fits together to make a swingset. That's a project for this weekend, and possibly several weekends to come, depending on how easily it goes together.

Here are some tips on swingset safety from the National Safety Council website - www.nsc.org.

- Buy sturdy equipment that will grow and change as your children become older.
Consider modular equipment that can be bought, installed, replaced or upgraded in
phases.
- Stability is very important. Install the swing set legs in concrete below ground
level to avoid a tripping hazard. However, if you use anchoring devices that
usually come with the equipment, all pegs should be well below ground level and
little or no slack should be in the chain or cable.
- Cap any exposed screws or bolts.
- Do not buy equipment with open-ended hooks, particularly "S" hooks. Avoid:
equipment with accessible moving parts which can pinch, scissor or crush fingers;
sharp edges or rough surfaces; or, rings with a diameter more than five inches but
less than 10 inches, since a child's head may become trapped.
- Slides should have a slope of no more than 30 degrees and sides at least 2 and 2
1/2 inches in height along both sides. They should also have an extended exit
surface parallel to the ground so children can regain their balance and be in an
upright posture at the bottom of the slide.
- Equipment choice should be based on each child's abilities, interests and physical
size. Infants who are unable to sit upright unassisted need to be constantly held
on slides. Preschoolers are susceptible to burns on metal equipment in hot
weather. Children should not play on equipment that is more than eight feet in
height. It doesn't add to their play, but offers a more dangerous fall.

Happy swinging!
Scott & Melissa

July Is National Ice Cream Month

2006-06-28T21:58:00.000-05:00

Who needs an excuse to eat ice-cream? Certainly I don't. Just in case you do, July is National Ice-Cream Month. What a great time to set out bananas, sprinkles, hot fudge, and other toppings, and let all the kids make their own personal sundeas. Or, if you live close to a factory that makes ice-cream, ask if they give tours. Freeze softened ice-cream in small paper cups and use popsicle sticks to make your own ice-cream treats. Whatever you choose, make sure you celebrate again and again. Nohing beats ice-cream as a summer treat.

Scam Continues to Target Childcare Providers

2006-06-20T22:04:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, a scam continues to target childcare providers. The scam asks providers to provide short term care for children while their parents visit the United States. The 'parent' will then ask the provider to cash a check and send extra money back to the parent.

We have changed our site to try to protect providers from receiving scam e-mails, and are continuing to work to keep illegitimate e-mails from being sent through our site. Providers should question any e-mail that asks them to cash a check from an individual outside the United States.

Please let us know if you receive any questionable e-mails that originate from our site.

Thank you,
Scott & Melissa

$250 Incentive Almost Over....Make Sure You Keep Your Openings Updated!

2006-06-15T12:17:00.000-05:00

June is the last month of the three month long incentive. To be eligible, you must have updated your openings at least once a month in all three months. If you just signed up, you must have updated your openings in the months since you've become a registered provider.

Our goal is to give parents as up-to-date information as possible. Some of the most inportant information is whether a provider has an opening for the age of child the parent is looking for. Keeping the openings updated helps providers keep their openings full, and helps parents narrow down their search for childcare.

We'd love to hear from you. Let us know how you like the site, and what we can do to improve it.

Thanks for using Daycarematch!
Melissa & Scott

Hello Summer!

2006-05-28T13:34:00.000-05:00

If you live in the midwest like we do, you know that one day you can be scraping ice off your windshield and the next cursing that you grabbed the seat belt buckle before checking if it's hot. Summer is finally here, and it's here with a vengeance. Now's the time to make sure you are taking steps to keep your little ones protected from the sun and heat.

Little ones are like adults in that they need to stay hydrated. Our 2 year old wants nothing to do with stopping play so that he can have a drink, so we have to be creative to keep fluids in him. Make sure they drink plenty of water as they play outside.

Summer also means sun, which means sunscreen. I'm a big fan of the spray sunscreens. Trying to wipe sunscreen on a wiggling toddler, who now is wiggling and slippery because he's covered in sunscreen, is not the easiest thing to do. The spray sunscreens make it a little easier. Make sure you cover them before they go outside, and reapply according to the directions, especially after they've been in the water.

Be careful about your little one's carseat. The seat, even the fabric, can get really hot if left sitting in a car for any length of time. Check the fabric, buckle, and straps to make sure they are cool enough, before putting your little one in the seat. I carry a light colored towel in the car. When I leave, I throw the towel over the carseat, helping to keep it cool.

Stay cool and have a great summer. And cherish these days. All too soon we'll be back to scraping the windsheild.

Melissa & Scott

Your Ad Here.....Where should that be?

2006-05-23T07:22:00.000-05:00

Daycarematch started as an idea to help providers and parents in Dane County, Wisconsin. We had no idea it would grow as far and fast as it did. Now that we're nationwide, and even in Canada, we're looking for ways to help get the word out about our site.

If you know of a good website, or publication, that we should advertise on, please let us know. We're looking for inexpensive ways to reach parents and providers. It's just the two of us running the site, so our advertising budget is pretty tiny. The more we spend on advertising, the less we have to spend on keylime yogurt, which is our son's favorite.

If you have ideas of website or publications, let us know.

Thanks!
Scott & Melissa

Rainy Days and Toddlers Can Mix

2006-05-16T07:45:00.000-05:00

Depending on what part of the country you live in, chances are good you may be staring out your window at yet another rainy day. Here in Wisconsin, we're beginning to forget what the sun looks like. Rainy days keep the children inside, but it doesn't mean that you can't still have fun. Or if you want, throw on a raincoat and boots and go stomp in some puddles.

Here are some sites with some fun ideas to keep kids busy on rainy days.

www.amazingmoms.com

www.preschoolrainbow.com

And never fear....we will see the sun again, hopefully.

Need Childcare Activity Ideas? Join a Childcare Provider Association

2006-05-09T07:44:00.000-05:00

Are you running out of ideas for circle time? Have you made the same crafts for weeks now? Wondering how to best manage your expense receipts? Learn from the pros - other childcare providers. Many areas now have childcare provider groups and assocations. The groups can be large and highly organized that have board meetings and annual meetings. Or they may be a small group of providers that meets every so often in a provider's living room. Either way, it's a chance for you to meet other providers in your area and share ideas on how to improve your childcare.

You can find a listing of associations at http://www.daycarematch.com/associations.asp Please let us know if you want your association listed on our site.

Child Care Provider and Teacher Appreciation Days Approaching!

2006-05-04T14:32:00.000-05:00

If your child is in child care or school, there are special dates quickly approaching that provide an optimal way to say thanks to some mighty important people! Tuesday, May 9, is National Teacher Appreciation Day, although most schools and parents honor teachers throughout the week of May 1-5. The theme this year is "great teachers make great public schools." Friday, May 12, is National Child Care Provider Appreciation Day, and commemorates the hard work, training and professionalism that comes with being an early childhood provider.

New Incentive For Childcare Providers

2006-04-05T14:13:00.000-05:00

If you are a childcare provider, you can win $250 just for keeping your information up-to-date. When we were looking for childcare for our son, one of the most frustating things was to call providers who, according to the referral agency, had an infant opening, only to find that opening had been filled. We want to make our site as useful as possible for parents and providers. One way to do that is to make sure provider openings are up-to-date.

So...as an incentive to keep openings up to date, we are offering an incentive in addition to the $25 we give out each month. If a provider comes back to the site and updates either their openings or their information in April, May and June, they are entered into the random drawing for $250.

See more about the incentive here... Child Care Incentive

Thanks again for using Daycarematch!
Scott & Melissa

Scam Targeting Childcare Providers

2006-03-22T13:21:00.000-06:00

We have had several providers let us know about a scam that is targeting childcare providers. Please be careful if anybody from overseas contacts you looking for short term childcare. Do not send money to anyone, do not cash any checks sent to you, and report any suspicious activity to your local authorities.

Here's how the scam works...
Individuals are contacting childcare providers and saying that they need childcare for a short period of time, often as brief as a week, while they are visiting the US. They then say they will mail you a cashiers check to pay for the care in advance. When you get the check, it is for a much larger amount than the cost of childcare. They will then ask you to cash the fake check and send the extra money back to them at an address outside the US.

Your safety and security is important to Daycarematch. That is why we only show the first initial of your last name, and keep your e-mail address protected.

Please let us know about anybody you feel is using our site fraudulently.

Happy Birthday Daycarematch!

2006-03-07T20:37:00.000-06:00

It was about a year ago that we launched Daycarematch. In that year, we've had providers sign up from all 50 states, and across Canada. We had planned to keep the site just for our area of Madison, WI, but the power of the internet helped it spread faster than we ever imagined. We're excited that others agree that a site like this is a good idea.

After struggling to find care for our then infant son, we thought there must be an easier way. We got a list of providers from the local referral agency, but the list was out of date, and having just names and phone numbers meant we had to call every provider to find out more information about their experience. We wrote down what we wanted to know about childcare providers, asked our friends, and then asked childcare providers what they wanted to tell parents. We pulled that all together, and came up with Daycarematch.

We look forward to another exciting year. Thanks for being a part of it!

Childcare Unions - Good or bad Idea?

2006-03-02T16:15:00.000-06:00

We've heard from several providers that there is talk in the childcare world about unionizing childcare providers. Some providers seem to be for this, while others are against it. Here's an interesting article about what is happening with childcare unions in Iowa ....

Vilsack's Order Paves Way for Union
The Associated Press

Tuesday 17 January 2006

Gov. Tom Vilsack has issued an executive order allowing child care providers to form a union and negotiate for better wages, health care and incentives for training, union officials said.

Vilsack issued the order Monday, allowing more than 13,000 in-home daycare providers in Iowa to begin collective bargaining.

"We need to make a comprehensive commitment to early childhood in order to uphold our responsibility to ensure every child in Iowa reaches his or her full potential," Vilsack said in a statement.

The reason providers have pressured the governor for help is that many workers care for children from low-income families whose child-care costs are subsidized by state and federal funds.

Child care providers now have to decide which union will represent them.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees/Child Care Providers Together and the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, have been vying to represent the group.

About 5,000 providers, certified through AFSCME, have signed support cards with the union, spokesman Joe Lawrence said Tuesday. Some of those providers will formally petition the state for recognition on Tuesday at the Iowa Mediation Services, Inc., he said.

"Without Iowa child care providers, Iowa parents couldn't go to work," Dan Homan, president of AFSCME Iowa Council 61, said in a statement. "Hats off to registered providers for winning this important victory for families across the state."

SEIU has said it wants to represent all 13,000 child care providers, both certified and otherwise.

Iowa Mediation Services will conduct a review of the support cards to see which union has the most backing from child care providers, said Mike Thompson, executive director.

Vilsack's order follows a similar deal for providers in Illinois, where workers have unionized and received a 35 percent average increase in their daily rates over the life of the 39-month contract.

Workers would be able to demand an even higher rate increase by taking training courses, and they'll have access to health care coverage in the final year of the deal.

The contract agreed upon last month, which covers 49,000 in-home child care providers, will cost the state of Illinois $250 million and increase child-care expenses by $70 million.

Information on the impact of the executive order in Iowa was not immediately available.

Currently in Iowa, child care providers have received a state subsidy that ranges from $7.36 to $11.25 for a half day, or five hours of care, depending on the child age and the provider's education and experience.

In Illinois, AFSCME and SEIU battled over who would represent the child care workers. AFSCME was forced to drop its campaign by the AFL-CIO, whose rules govern both unions. The AFL-CIO determined that SEIU had been working to unionize the state-subsidized child care workers longer, so AFSCME was forced to stop campaigning.

A telephone message left with the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, on Tuesday morning wasn't immediately returned.

New name?

2006-02-26T20:10:00.000-06:00

We know that many childcare providers prefer the term childcare over daycare, because it more accurately represents what childcare providers do on a daily basis. We are considering adding a website address that reflects this, and we are looking for ideas for a name. We are going to keep daycarematch, since most parents use the term daycare. We are just wanting to add another site name so that our name can reflect the professional work done by childcare providers.

If you have ideas for a name, please e-mail them to us. Thank you for using Daycarematch!

Childcare or Daycare?

2006-02-23T15:46:00.000-06:00

If you’re looking for somebody to watch your child while you’re at work, you’re looking for daycare, right? Or should you be looking for childcare? Both terms are used when talking about care for your child, but what is the difference, if any, between the two?

Most parents will refer to care for their children as daycare. Daycare has been the more common term and is commonly used by parents. Although in the past, the term daycare was used almost exclusively, the term childcare is becoming more and more common. While parents still often use the term daycare, many providers are making a push to make childcare the accepted term when talking about care for children provided outside the home.

As more and more home-based childcare providers entered the market, they began to offer curriculum and daily activities that provided a high quality educational programming for the children in their care. Providers felt that the term daycare did not do justice to the level of care being provided. They were not simply watching the child for the day, nor were they babysitters. To convey this level of care, many providers started to switch to calling themselves childcare providers.

The switch in terminology can also be seen in the center-based providers. Many centers are moving away from names that include the word ‘center’, and are now adopting names that convey a sense of learning, like academy. Even though the children in this care are often very young, they are being exposed to teaching once reserved for much old children. Younger children in childcare centers are even being exposed to foreign languages.

Whether you call it daycare, childcare, or something else, it all means providing care for children, typically in a setting outside the child’s home.

Easy Marketing for Home Childcare Providers

2006-02-23T15:43:00.000-06:00

Setting up a quality childcare is only part of what’s needed to have a successful program. You also need to let parents know about your business. Since most home-based childcare providers do not have a lot of money to spend on advertising, a little creativity can help you reach parents who are looking for care.

Networking is a strong tool. Make sure that everybody you know knows that you provide childcare. That way, if they hear of a parent looking for care, they can refer that parent to you. Add your business name and current openings to your voicemail or answering machine message. Parents looking for childcare will know instantly whether you have openings for the age(s) they need. Announce current openings to parents who currently have childcare in your care. Parents who are current customers are strong references for parents who are looking for care.

Parents who are current customers can help you find new families. Start a referral program, where current families can get a discounted rate or bonus if they refer a new family to you. For each referral that signs a contract, the referring family could get a free day of childcare, or care for a parents’ night out.

If you don’t already have one, consider creating a website. More and more people are using the internet to find childcare, and a website is a great way to give parents more information about the care you provide. Several companies offer free or low-cost web space, although the websites allowed by these companies will be fairly basic. If you would like a little more polished and complex website, plan on spending several hundred dollars to get it started.

Advertising online can also be an effective and inexpensive way to reach parents. Directory sites like www.daycarematch.com allow you to reach parents instantly and nationwide. You can manage your own profile, update your openings, and tell parents in-depth information about the care you provide. Many providers also report having success by posting ads on free classifieds websites. Placing an ad in a newspaper is typically expensive, and providers have reported mixed results with these ads resulting in new families signing contracts.

Target your advertising efforts where parents tend to gather. Ask toy stores or children’s boutiques if you can display some brochures by the cashier. Ask your local hospital if you can leave brochures for the parents taking birthing classes. Put your business card in trick-or-treat bags at Halloween. The more you can get your business name out there, the better your chances of reaching parents interested in care.

Use creativity when coming up with inexpensive ways to advertise. However, make sure you consider safety. While a sign in your front yard may be an effective and inexpensive way to advertise that you provide childcare, it also alerts every passerby that there may be several children in the home, a potential safety risk. When creating brochures or a website, don’t use your exact address. Rather use a close intersection – on the corner of Park and Solomon – or a close landmark – behind Southgate Mall. Parents can still get an idea of where you are located, but you can save your actual address to give out in person or over the phone.

With a little creativity, some hard work, and networking, you can build a strong childcare program and help keep your openings full. Keep your marketing efforts constant, so that you don’t need to scramble when you have an opening, but little enough that you have plenty of time to spend with your little ones.