This evening, Minnesotans across the state will gather with their neighbors to participate in the political process and discuss issues important to them. You can join them at your Precinct Caucus.

Precinct caucuses are the beginning of the process that Minnesota’s major political parties use for choosing the candidates and the issues they will support in elections. Caucuses are hosted by the major political parties and are open to the public. You can find your Precinct Caucus though the Caucus Finder on the Secretary of State website.

I hope you will attend your Caucus and bring with you our sample resolution on early care and education. You can learn about what to expect by checking out our toolkit on Attending a Precinct Caucus.

And remember, this process is about grassroots participation. This is YOUR opportunity to bring forth the issues YOU care about and encourage your neighbors to Think Small and remember our smallest Minnesotans.

Kat Kempe
Senior Policy Advocate
Think Small

1. “Too many didn’t recognize our brand, or confused us with others. The bottom line was this:  Our brand was not working hard enough to help us achieve our mission, and that was not okay with us.”

If you’ve been relying on Ready 4 K to keep you up-to-date on policy changes impacting early learning, this might be a good time to check them out!

Visit Think Small today!

Child care bills are already moving through the process! See www.childcareworks.org/policy for links to key committees and to check out our Child Care Bill Tracker, a handy guide to child care bills that we publish weekly during the legislative session.

Watch Mary’s Video Message

The new Minnesota Office of Early Learning presented an implementation plan for Early Childhood Education Scholarships to the legislature last week. The scholarships, to be awarded in targeted areas on a first-come, first-served basis, will help low-income families with 3 or 4 year old children access high-quality preschool learning opportunities. Read the plan here.

Many legislators will be returning home for next week’s political party caucuses. We encourage you to touch base with your Senator or Representative in person at your neighborhood caucus or be in touch online to highlight child care issues. See more information on participating in caucuses below!

Finally, please plan to join us next week for our Child Care Policy Hour on Tuesday, February 7 at noon. Barb Yates, Chair of the Minnesota Early Learning Council will be our featured speaker at that meeting. No RSVP necessary and you are welcome to bring your lunch. Miss a meeting? Notes from this year’s Policy Hour sessions are available here.

How can parents cope with and enjoy this toddler age? What do toddlers need? The most important thing toddlers need is the freedom and opportunity to explore their environment. To understand their world, toddlers need to manipulate it. Of course, not everything is meant for toddler hands. Parents need to make sure the environment is childproofed. And parents need to supervise. A small toddler can get into things faster than a wink! However, parents need to train their children. If the child wants to try out the computer, a parent can sit with him and let him tap the keys. If the child wants to stir the items in the cooking bowl, let her try with help.

Toddlers also need a few limits that are clear and consistent. They often can’t control their impulses and become frightened when they lose control. Limits, set by parents and lovingly enforced, let them know what to expect as well as provide comfort and security. If a parent decides that a half hour of Sesame Street is enough for one day, then the parent sticks to that limit no matter how much the toddler protests. Learning to live with limits is essential for life in our world; and by setting limits for toddlers, parents teach self-control and self-discipline.

Most of all, toddlers need love in heaping cupfuls, seasoned with limits and opportunities to explore.

                                                                                                                           Jill Phillips
                                                                                                                   ECFE Parent Educator 

That’s why we’re excited to share that as of January 1, 2012, Ready 4 K was acquired by Resources for Child Caring, allowing both organizations to build on our strengths and focus on keeping Minnesota strong. In these lean economic times, it is critical that we maximize our resources to do what’s best for our youngest Minnesotans.

The work of Ready 4 K will continue in our new home. We will be a voice for our youngest Minnesotans to build the foundation for our future through quality early care and education. With the addition of Ready 4 K’s grassroots organizing, past successes, leadership and lessons learned, RCC will be able to expand its reach statewide.

We could not have had such success without you. Read Todd Otis’s message to the Ready 4 K network.

Look for more news in the weeks ahead, including an exciting new agency name that reflects a bold new direction for our combined work.

And don’t forget to mark your calendars: Voices for Children Advocacy Day will be April 24, 2012.

Thank you for all you do on behalf of our youngest Minnesotans. We look forward to new opportunities in the future.

The Ready 4 K team,

Todd Otis
Jesse Lee
Kat Kempe

There is no “secret” solution that works for every parent every time. However, there are ways to encourage and reinforce cooperation. Preschoolers look at life as one big game so a playful approach can mean the difference between resistance and compliance. For example, if your child is resisting picking up his toys, set the kitchen timer for five minutes and challenge him to try and pick up the most toys before the timer goes off.

Another idea to try is to suggest something fun after chores or errands. “If we finish our errands before lunch, we can visit daddy at work.” When using this strategy, keep your promise and make it something you can enjoy also. For example, time spent reading an extra book together is quality time. Rewards shouldn’t always be treats.

Offering choices can give a child a sense of independence. A parent can offer a multitude of choices during the day. Everything from the choice of clothing to the choice of books to read can be used as a tool for cooperation. Just make sure you as a parent are willing to live with the choice you give your preschooler.

Make your expectations clear to your child. Take a moment to get eye to eye with your child and issue a brief request without barking commands. Another important thing to remember with children is that they need advance warning before ending an activity. Children this age are sensitive to disruptions in their routine and do better with transition when they are told what is coming.

Picking your battles wisely is good advice throughout parenting but is especially necessary with your preschooler. Now is the time to lay down the framework of self-esteem by letting children feel successful in their everyday accomplishments. Is it really vital that the bed is made perfectly? An attempt to pull covers over the pillows can be acceptable.    

Getting children to cooperate can be a difficult thing to achieve for most parents. However, with a little creativity, understanding, consistency, and a lot of love, parents can find ways that work best with children. Helping children develop a cooperative attitude can help them with stronger friendships, success in school and eventually, meaningful contribution to society.

                                                                                                                              Jill Phillips

                                                                                                                      ECFE Parent Educator

The official announcement will be made by the U.S. Department of Education later this morning, but the AP is reporting that Minnesota is one of nine states to win significant federal funding to strengthen our early care and education system.

Quick Links:

Associated Press Report
(at Minnesota Public Radio)

Minnesota’s Race to the Top Early Learning Application

More details will be forthcoming as the official announcement is made today - and mark your calendar for Tuesday, January 3 to join us for a Policy Hour conversation with Minnesota Director of Early Learning Services, Karen Cadigan, to learn more.

Congratulations Minnesota Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge team!

Child Care Policy Update

The Minnesota legislature is currently on recess and will reconvene on January 24, 2012.

Thanks to all who have given feedback on our 2012 Policy Agenda - our Board of Directors will be approving a final agenda in early January, so let us know if you have any additional comments or questions (email mary@childcareworks.org)!

NEW LOOK & LOCATION COMING IN JANUARY!

We are very pleased to announce that Child Care WORKS is moving to a new office AND a new website this January! Please update your files with this information. Our website address will remain www.childcareworks.org but will offer many new ways to connect with our work!

As of January 3, 2012 our office will be located at:

Child Care WORKS
709 University Ave W
Saint Paul, MN 55104-4804
Phone: (651) 265-2322
Fax: (651) 227-0621

Please note that our office and website will be closed from December 19, 2011 to January 2, 2012 for the move. We will reopen on Tuesday, January 3, 2012.