Archive: Locations

Where to find your dream nanny in Seattle

Looking for a nanny in Seattle to watch your kids during the days can be a challenge. You’re trusting her with your most precious cargo: your children. You want to make sure that she’s qualified, trustworthy and someone your little ones will enjoy spending time with. Here are some tips for exactly where to find the perfect nanny in Seattle and its surrounding areas:

 

Ask friends for recommendations

Maybe a friend recently stopped working full time so he or she no longer needs their nanny. If your friends don’t want to share (trust us, it’s not uncommon with a great nanny in Seattle), ask them to ask their nannies for suggestions. Remember that the good ones tend to flock together so if a quality sitter or nanny recommends a friend, odds are she’s high in rank too.

 

Ask around at local community events

Let neighbors and friends in your community know you’re on the hunt. A lot of times, someone knows someone who has a great nanny in mind. Ask around at your local farmer’s market or church to see if anyone comes to anyone’s mind.

 

Look on Mom Trusted:

Mom Trusted doesn’t only offer top choices to preschool programs and child care options. We connect with quality nannies too! Just visit our search tool and enter your Seattle zip code to start searching today.

 

Sources:

-Mom Trusted: http://momtrusted.com/

-“How to find a good nanny” Baby Center: http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-to-find-a-good-nanny_5933.bc

-“Hiring a nanny: 7 tips on finding the right fit for your family when hiring a nanny” Momeo: http://www.momeomagazine.com/hiring-a-nanny-7-tips-on-finding-the-right-fit-for-your-family-when-hiring-a-nanny/

-Photo courtesy of marin/freedigitalphotos.net

Going Green with Your Portland Child Care Center

 

Portland is a city known for it’s environmentally friendly trends. It’s a great place to go for green living. Why should Portland child care be any different? Children learn the basics early and daycare is a great place to start. By making your Portland child care center greener, not only are you making a great business decision, creating a healthier environment for your little ones and being kind to Mother Earth, but you’re also teaching children basic, environmentally friendly living habits that they can carry throughout their entire lives. Here are a few ways you can make your Portland child care center greener:

 

Get eco-healthy air.

Make sure children at your care center are breathing fresh air by taking a few safety precautions. First, do not allow smoking anywhere near the building that your care center sits in. Even outside in your parking lot isn’t a good idea. Try hanging some no smoking signs around the entire property. You can also ask parents not to leave their cars running while they drop off their children. Leaving a car running in idle creates unnecessary exhaust pollution. Make sure your space is entirely free of any type of dust or mold. Not only do both cause severe issues for children with allergies or asthma, but some types of mold can even be deadly. Ditch chemical-based air fresheners for non-toxic essential oils. With these simple steps, children at your Portland child care center will be breathing the freshest air possible.

 

Invest in greener art supplies.

Many art supplies on the market contain toxic chemicals. The good news is that a lot of the mainstream brands are already onto the importance of this and have removed these dangerous chemicals from their supplies. That said, you should always be careful, especially when buying paint, clay and glue. Keep an eye out for the non-toxic stamps of approval: AP, AP New, AP + PC, CL, CP, HL/CR and HL/NT at http://www.acminet.org. You can also avoid ingestion of these dangerous materials by making it a rule that everyone has to wash their hands thoroughly after doing any kind of art project.

 

Keep the playground fresh and safe.

An environmentally friendly playground may be tougher to come by than you think. For three decades, playground wood was treated with toxic preservatives containing arsenic. This use stopped in 2003, but if you have a wooden playground that was built before then, you should consider rebuilding or, at the very least, covering the equipment with paint or sealant to reduce exposure.

 

Sources:

–Healthy Child

–Eco-Healthy Child Care 

CHALK Preschool: In-Person or Free Online Options for Early Education

CHALK Preschool is one of the most technologically advanced early education programs of its time. Its online program is totally convenient and totally free. If parents prefer a more traditional, in-person option for their child, they’re invited to opt into one of CHALK’s five in-person preschools, located in Chicago and Los Angeles.

 

 

The CHALK Preschool Mission

CHALK Preschool believes that every child deserves access to an early education. That’s why, in addition to offering several in-person locations in both the Chicago and Los Angeles areas, it’s also available to preschoolers around the world through CHALK’s online preschool program. And because CHALK knows how vital those first few years of learning are, it offers its online curriculum for free.

 

CHALK’s Teaching Philosophy

Teachers at the in-person centers believe in a warm, welcoming environment where children learn by embracing the arts and achieving classroom goals, based on studied learning standards. CHALK focuses primarily on a hands-on learning style. Even the online courses are about much more than screen time. This hands-on teaching approach means preschoolers learn both inside and outside, with both the online and in-person options. The curriculum focuses on primary learning objectives centered on literacy, math and science. But CHALK goes beyond the books. Preschoolers in the program hone their creative skills through art projects and perfect motor skills through music and dance activities.

 

 

The Nitty Gritties of CHALK

The online courses are available on regular computers, as well as on smartphones and tablets. While age varies, based on the needs of each individual child, most are ready to join the preschool program somewhere between the ages of two and five. While they’re first separated into classes by age, if a parent feels it’s not a perfect fit, staff members are happy to switch children to more suitable class groups.

 

CHALK’s History

The idea for CHALK was first established in 2004, but the first center went up in Illinois the following year. For the next few years, more and more centers were opened in the Chicago area and in 2009, the first Los Angeles CHALK Preschool was established. Since then, the centers have continued to multiply in both cities. Because the founders of CHALK wanted their preschools to reach across the country, and even the world, they decided to launch the online preschool option. With this digital curriculum, even those who don’t live in Chicago or Los Angeles can still reap the benefits of a CHALK early education.

 

Parents are welcome to enroll their child in the online program at any time, simply by visiting CHALK Preschool’s website. In-person programs accept applicants year-round, so Chicago and Los Angeles-based families are also welcome to enroll at any time.

 

UPDATE 1/26/15: CHALK’S FREE SITE IS NOW AVAILABLE AT WWW.FREEONLINEPRESCHOOL.COM

Iridescent 2014 Bay Area Summer Camp for Little Tinkerers

 

Shopping around for the best summer camps of the year? Iridescent is one of the leading summer camps for innovation and creation. It inspires children to invent and embrace their passion for engineering. It can even help those who have never explored the world of engineering to find their passion.

 

Iridescent’s Summer Camp is built for “natural explorers, builders and inventors,” which “channels children’s natural curiosity through carefully designed exploration that will encourage the development of lifelong skills such as persistence and courage.” The camp is offered in three areas, including LA, New York and the Bay Area.

 

The 2014 Bay Area Summer Camp is open to 3-8 year-olds.  At camp, kids learn about engineering and robots as well as observation of nature, leading to lots of creativity and engineering skills along the way.

 

Don’t worry if your kids have yet to express interest in the science, technology and engineering world.  Workers at the Bay Area Summer Camp believe that all children are natural builders and explorers. In the past, activities in camp have included nature walks, learning about birds, flying paper airplanes, learning about trees and leaves, building safe animal homes, lizards, robots and many more. Iridescent’s summer camp truly blends nature with the innovations of the modern world.

 

The day camp runs from July 7 until August 1, lasting all day from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.  Parents and care providers can enroll children for as short or as long as they’d like, but Iridescent recommends a minimum of two weeks and ideally at least four weeks in order for the children to fully benefit from all the learning that the Bay Area Summer Camp has to offer.

 

Iridescent is a non-profit that heads projects around the globe. These projects are aimed to help inspire and teach children about technology and science, as well as math and engineering. Their goal is to help kids of all ages find inspiration, hone in on newfound skills and achieve great things.

 

The programs that Iridescent runs are available to kids of all ages, ranging from preschool all the way to working with college engineering program. From summer engineering camp to technology challenges to books and apps, Iridescent has their hands in all parts of innovation and science. The summer camp is a great way for kids to get an introduction to science and technology while having a blast this summer!

 

Don’t miss the opportunity for your child to explore their creative and innovative sides! Sign up for the Bay Area Summer Camp today.

 

Photo courtesy of Iridescent

The Master List of Questions to Ask When Seeking Boston Care

 

Are you a working parent in Massachusetts seeking Cambridge daycare or Boston care? The Boston area offers one of the most extensive child care opportunities out of cities across the country. After you’ve sorted through your options, using Mom Trusted’s search tool, picked your favorites and set up tours with your top choices, it’s time to lay out the questions to ask to figure out if you’re choosing the best Boston care option for your little ones. Here’s what to ask:

 

Fundamentals:

How long have you been in business?

What are your hours?

How is vacation time handled?

 

Safety:

Are you properly licensed with the state?

Are all of your staff members CPR and First Aid certified?

Are staff members required to go through background checks before hiring?

How would you handle a missing child?

 

The Numbers Game:

How much will it cost for my child to attend?

What is your late policy?

How is billing handled?

How many staff members are there?

What’s the child-to-teacher ratio?

How many of your staff members are required to hold a degree?

 

Food and Health:

What’s your sick policy?

Are there any food restrictions?

My child is allergic to ____. How would you deal with his or her allergy?

How are snack and mealtimes handled?

What type of food do you serve?

How does nap time work?

 

Learning Style:

Which teaching philosophy do you follow here?

In terms of learning, which approach do you find to be most effective?

What are some of the main subjects you focus on throughout an average day?

 

Behavior:

How do you deal with disciplining here?

Do you believe in spanking?

My child struggles with ____ and this is how we handle it at home: _____. Could you respect and continue to enforce our rules?

How do you handle potty training?

What do you expect from me as a parent?

 

Environment:

Can you describe an average day to me here?

How much time is spent inside versus out?

What is your policy on TV and computer time?

Can you show me some crafts kids here have made?

Can you describe some of the games children play here?

 

Find Boston Child Care Now

 

Sources:

-“Home daycare provider interview” Baby Center

-“Questions to Ask When Choosing Child Care” Al.com

-“Questions to Ask a Home-Based Daycare Provider” PDX

 

Photo By lee

CARE Fights Poverty, Helps Women and Families

 

Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere better known as CARE works hard to fight poverty across the globe. The organization focuses specifically on women who are working to care for families and children. CARE workers believe that, with the right information, tools and resources, women can help by joining their side to fight poverty in each of her own communities. Some of the organization’s main focuses include stopping the spread of disease, providing clean water to communities, especially those with many women and children, protecting their natural environments and helping to expand business and economical opportunities in each of these communities.

 

Throughout the previous year, CARE assisted women in 84 countries across the world. Some of those countries included Afghanistan, Sudan, Peru, Uganda, India, Haiti and Cambodia. Staff members and volunteers of CARE want to make a global effort to empower women and families spread throughout the world, struck by poverty.

 

The organization is funded by government agencies here in the U.S. The United Nations and the European Union also assist financially, along with hundreds of thousands of private donors from individuals to large corporations.

 

While CARE doesn’t normally take on volunteers, they’re grateful to any financial assistance that individuals, families or companies can afford.

 

Their headquarters are located in Atlanta, Georgia.

 

Sources:

-CARE: http://www.care.org/index.asp

-Photo courtesy of Africa/freedigitalphotos.net

Free Preschool: Yes, It really exists!

With the steep costs of preschool, many parents are searching for lower costing options or even eliminating pre-k altogether. Those in Los Angeles County may have a more affordable option at their fingertips. The Un Mundo de Amigos Preschool offers free and affordable preschool to kids in the LA county.

 

Un Mundo de Amigos offers free half-day preschool without any financial restrictions. The only requirements are that the families live in LA County and children fall within the birthday perimeters. Un Mundo de Amigos does, however, still offer affordable childcare to families of kids who are younger than four or those who’d like their kids to participate in the full-day program. Families who fall into those categories are welcome to opt for the program’s private pay option, which costs $5 per hour, still much lower than most other pre-k programs.

 

Laurie Peterson, who had previously worked in the business of PG golf tournaments, founded Un Mundo de Amigos after seeing the joy her own son got from starting school. “I realized that not every child had had the same beginnings as he has had,” said Peterson. “And yet every parent loves their child as much as I love him.”

 

Most of it is funded through the Los Angeles Universal Preschool, a non-profit dedicated to increasing preschool affordability and access in the LA area. In 1999, as a result of a 50-cent tax law on cigarettes and other tobacco products in California, more funding was put toward early childhood development. Eighty percent of the new revenue was distributed among counties in California and backs organizations such as LAUP, working to improve the lives and education of children from the age of birth to five years old.

 

The program has been going strong and just graduated its fifth preschool class. Un Mundo de Amigos enrolls about 130 students each year and this year is no different. With the school year officially beginning in September, Un Mundo de Amigos has a handful of spots available in its free program and only one private place still open.

 

For more information about Un Mundo de Amigos Preschool, click here.