Our Schools
School Briefs
Smart Start offers help
Child Care Resource and Referral of Brunswick County has
funds available to assist persons in becoming licensed family
child care home providers.
This financial assistance is made available through Smart
Start and includes the cost of several safety items that are
required by the state to open a licensed family child care home
as well as the cost of the state application.
Child Care Resource and Referral also is offering technical
assistance in filling out the application and in other aspects of
the licensing process.
Newly licensed family child care home providers will then be
eligible for other services, such as access to a resource and toy
lending library, monthly trainings and opportunities to partici
pate in quality improvement projects.
For more information about starting a family child care home,
persons may call Shannon at 1-877-422-7710.
Southport Domino’s cards
Southport Elementary School’s Parent-Teacher Association
still has Domino’s platinum hards available for sale.
The card entitles the bearer to a free pizza for each one that is
purchased. The card has no expiration date.
Folks interested in purchasing the card may send a check for
$ 10 per card, made payable to “SES PTA,” along with a name
and address, to: Southport Elementary School Parent-Teacher
Association; c/o Satu Harris, fund-raising; 701 West 9th Street;
Southport, NC 28461-2918.
Health Choice re-enrollment
Brunswick County parents whose children have had N. C.
Health Choice insurance for one year should re-enroll for
Health Choice for the next 12 months if they have not already
done so.
Re-enrollment forms are available at the Department of Social
Services in Boli via. Application forms are available at the coun
ty health department, local schools, the Health Check office, the
Partnership for Children office in Shallotte and offices of fami
ly physicians.
The N. C. Health Choice program provides free or low-cost
health insurance for children up to age 19 who have no other
medical insurance. For more information, call 755-8082.
Dental Task Force to begin
The Brunswick County Partnership for Children will be start
ing the year 2000 with a new resolution — that “all children
enter school with a healthy smile.”
While this may seem like a small thing to some parents, for
many in Brunswick County, this is an increasing problem.
The N. C. Children’s Index found in its last study that 24 per
cent of children in North Carolina enter school with untreated
dental decay. In Brunswick County, almost double that number
— 46 percent — enter school with dental decay.
That number is large for several reasons: Children are not seen
by a dentist at an early age, parents have a lack of education
about early dental needs, and transportation issues often result
in missed appointments.
Brunswick County Partnership for Children is inviting any
one from the community who is interested in becoming a mem
ber of the Dental Task Force to attend a forum from 9 to 11 a.m.
January 14 at Brunswick Community College in the multipur
pose room of the “A” building.
For more information or to reserve a spot, persons may call
Renee Schrom at 754-3166.
Photo submitted by Judy Auman
Kushana Ballard and her child TyLequa Ballard of Leland enjoyed some of the activities at the Parents as Teachers
Program developmental seminar earlier this month. Activity baskets are placed on each table for parents and chil
dren to use at Parents as Teachers meetings.
Parents as Teachers
Seminar helps voung families
Parents of children up to five years of
age attended a developmental seminar
sponsored by Brunswick County
Schools’ Parents as Teachers Program
on Monday, December 6, at Supply
Elementary School.
Parents were invited to view the dis
play of homemade toys for all develop
mental ages and enjoyed refreshments
prior to the presentation.
Donna Vaught, developmental psy
chologist and director of the Full
Potential program in New Hanover
County, gave a presentation on "How
to Optimize Brain Development from
Birth to Five Years."
Vaught’s presentation provided par
ents with the latest information on brain
research and tips for recognizing when
their young child is ready for stimulat
ing experiences and activities.
Lorene H. Williams, director of fed
eral programs, welcomed the families
and thanked them for their participation
in the program. She addressed the
importance of involvement in their
/oung child’s life at an early age and
itated her appreciation for the Parents
is Teachers instructors who work to
:mpower families.
Parents as Teachers is a Smart Start
Drogram.
The seminar was sponsored by the
bllowing businesses: Little Professor
Book Center in Southport, Wal-Mart of
Shallotte, Domino’s of Southport,
Western Sizzlin of Southport, Joe’s
Barbecue of Shallotte and Brad’s Grill
rf Bolivia.
Tips from experts
Choosing care
for your child
Brunswick County Partnership for Children
One of the most critical decisions working
parents have to make is who will take care of
their children. While this can be a difficult
task, the Brunswick County Partnership for
Children wants to help by offering a few tips.
When choosing child care for their chil
dren, parents are confronted with all kinds of
decisions: A child care center or home? A
location near work or near home? Does the
facility’s hours match my work schedule?
How much will it cost?
With all of these concerns, it takes a dedi
cated parent to take the next step and ask
important questions about the quality of child
care their child will receive: Will my child be
comforted when sad? Will my child be safe ?
Will my child have fun? Will my child learn?.
It is a goal of Smart Start to improve the
quality of child care in North Carolina. One
of the best ways to achieve this is to help par
cues leam aooui quality care ana neip mem
learn to demand the best for their-child.
Child Care Resources and Referral of^
Brunswick County can help parents locate
child care facilities, but more importantly, it
can help parents become educated in this
area. The following is a list of things to ask
when choosing child care:
■ Is the atmosphere pleasant and caring?
Do people, including the children, talk to one
another? Are there lots of smiles and laughs?
■ What is the ratio of caregivers to chil
dren? Is each , child getting affection and
nuturing? - ' • ,
■ Does the program respond to each child
as an individual or is the child expected to
conform to the program?
■ What is the training and experience of
the caregivers that will be looking after your
child? Do they understand child develop
ment?
■ How long have the caregivers worked in
the program ? Can your child expect consis
tent care from the caregivers?
■ Is there support for parent involvement?
Are parents encouraged to visit?
■ Are the children engaged in experiences
that facilitate exploration and learning? Are
there opportunities to leam through play?
■ Are indoor and outdoor areas safe?
■ Are there clean, easily accessible bath
room areas?.
■ Are furnishings child size? Are the toys
appropriate for each child’s age?
Do not be shy about visiting child care cen
ters and homes or asking for references. ■
Remember that as a parent, the decision
about what child care to use is yours.
For more information, persons may contact
Child Care Resource and Referral of
Brunswick County at 755-3362.
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