“Webbed” and Ready to Go!

Web-based resources to support your important work

as a child care provider

Dee Love, Extension Specialist

Purdue University

Department of Child Development and Family Studies

Fowler Memorial House, Room 231

1200 W. State Street

West Lafayette, IN 47907-2055

Phone: (765) 494-2933

Fax: (765) 494-0503

Email: loved@purdue.edu

Purdue Extension—Knowledge to Go

The Cooperative Extension Service is one of the nation’s largest providers of scientific research-based information and education. It is a network of colleges, universities, and the U. S. Department of Agriculture, serving communities and counties across America. Our name implies what we are all about—

Cooperative—utilizes local, state, and federal dollars and resources

Extension—extends knowledge/research-based information and resources to individuals and families in local communities

Service—provides educational services with practical applications

The mission of the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service is the education of Indiana citizens, through application of the land-grant university research and knowledge base, for the benefit of agriculture, youth, families, and communities. As part of the national network of the Cooperative Extension Service we offer:

A coordinated network of master’s level (or higher) educators/trainers who are located in and serve all 92 Indiana counties;
A wide range of programs, trainings, and resources that are:

based on sound research and practice
relevant to the needs of individuals, families, and communities
accessible at county, multi-county, and/or state levels
free or reasonable cost

Opportunities to expand and/or create new programs and resources needed to support community needs in Indiana.
Assistance with community needs assessments and program evaluations

The Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service program areas include: Agriculture and Natural Resources, Consumer and Family Sciences, Leadership and Community Development, and 4-H and Youth Development.

Consumer and Family Sciences (CFS)

The Extension Consumer and Family Sciences program area is unique among other social and governmental institutions because it considers the wholeness of family life instead of fragmentary aspects. It brings the current research and the educational programs of Purdue University to bear on local situations, as well as transmitting the needs for new knowledge to the University.

Specialties within CFS include: Foods and Nutrition, Human Development, and Family Resource Management.

The primary responsibility of Extension Specialists at the university level is to support the network of Extension Educators at the local level in all of Indiana’s 92 counties by providing linkages to current research, educational resources, and statewide organizations. Other Specialist responsibilities include curriculum development, in-service training, statewide educational outreach, and evaluation of programs.

Extension Specialists at the state level work in partnership with Extension Educators at the local level to provide resources to citizens in their communities based on local priorities.

Extension Resources on the Web

Review these Extension-affiliated Web sites for research-based information and expertise:

www.ces.purdue.edu/counties.html

www.ces.purdue.edu

Purdue University Extension Find your local county Extension office and contacts. Click on your county for Extension contact information in your area.

Check out Indiana Extension information and resources in several topic areas including Environment, Healthy Families, Food Safety, Youth, etc.

www.nncc.org

National Network for Child Care The headings list a variety of web-based articles, resources, and links. For example, click on Connections to find back issues of the Child Care Connections newsletters.

www.cyfernet.org

CYFERnet (Children, Youth and Families Education and Research Network) Find practical, research-based information on a variety of topics. For example, when you click on the “Child” heading at the bottom of the home page, it takes you to a list of topics pertaining to children. Here are a few of the topic areas available: Activities for Children & Families, Child Care, Development, Nutrition, Health & Safety, etc.

www.nncc.org/Maintitles/kidcare.page.html

Kidcare This listserve encourages dialogue among child care providers, researchers, parents, and others working with children and their caregivers. Kidcare is open to anyone interested in electronic mail on child care related issues.

www.ncchildcare.org/

Professional Development Website for Child Care Teachers and Administrators (The North Carolina System) This website offers an interactive section to help develop a customized personal and professional development plan.

www.usda.gov/news/usdakids/index.html

USDA for Kids Check out a number of activities and information such as, the Food Guide Pyramid, Gardening, Team Nutrition, AITC (Agriculture in the Classroom) Kid’s Corner which includes virtual field trips, etc.

New Indiana Web Resource on the Way

The newest resource being developed through Purdue Extension in support of childcare providers in our state is the Provider-Parent Partnerships Website. This site, to be launched later in 2003, is designed specifically for childcare providers in all settings and provides resources for childcare providers to use with parents. Topic areas include child growth and development, guidance and discipline, health and safety, children and learning, supporting parents, and parent-provider relationships.

Indiana Early Childhood Resources and Supports

About Quality Child Care:

http://www.in.gov/fssa/children/bcd/famchd.html

How to Select Child Care:

http://www.in.gov/fssa/children/bcd/childSelect.html

Indiana Rules for Child Care Facilities:

http://nrc.uchsc.edu/indiana/indiana.htm

Child Care Applicant Training

For proposed child care centers, registered ministries, group homes and child care institutions, required training usually held on 1^st Wednesdays of each month at the Indiana Government Center South—Training Center, Room W141

Call 1-877-511-1144

To receive new applicant training for family child care homes, contact your local child care resource and referral agency (if unknown, call Indiana Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Association at 1-888-463-5473)

To access information on child care facilities in Indiana:

www.childcarefinder.in.gov

To access the Inside Child Care Magazine on-line:

www.in.gov/fssa/children/bcd/index.html

To access the web-based CDA (Child Development Associate) Credential course:

ChildCareLearning: www.in.gov/fssa/childcarelearning/

Indiana’s Early Childhood Events Calendar:

http://earlychildhoodmeetingplace.indiana.edu

Indiana’s Five Star Environmental Recognition Program

www.IN.gov/idem/kids/5star

Pest Control Assistance

For free assistance with pest problems in your child care facility, call toll free 1-877-668-8476 or visit on-line at http://www.entm.purdue.edu/schoolipm

Health-Related Information from the Community Education Department of the James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children at www.rileyforkids.org

“I Am Your Child Campaign Resources

http://www.iamyourchild.org

(Developed by Dee Love, Extension Specialist)

Take a Closer Look…

Evaluating Research and Web Resources

I. Research

Understanding Research: Top Ten Tips for Advocates and Policymakers

PowerPoint Presentation Outline

Article

Sample of Using Research to Speak to Policy Makers:

Issue Brief: Making Investments in Young Children:

What the Research on Early Care and Education Tells Us

(Note: both articles from the National Association of Child Advocates website).

http://www.childadvocacy.org

(under publications: http://www.childadvocacy.org/publicat.html)

II. Web Resources

Evaluating Family Life Web Sites—Colorado State University Extension

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/consumer/10253.html

Selection Criteria: How to Tell if You Are Looking at a Great Web Site—

American Library Association

http://www.ala.org/parentspage/greatsites/criteria.html

How to Evaluate World Wide Web Sites—Catherwood Library, Cornell University

http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/reference/guides/hri/www_eval.html

Usability rules for good websites—Richard Waller Website

(Note: an individual’s website, but offers credible resources and “common sense” approaches to creating clear, user-friendly websites).

http://www.waller.co.uk/usability.htm

Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) “Bobby”

“Bobby” is a tool to help identify ways to make Web pages more usable for persons with disabilities (helps special browsers work more effectively). CAST’s mission is to expand opportunities for people with disabilities through innovative uses of computer technology. Considered advantageous to have Websites “Bobby” approved.

http://www.cast.org/Bobby/AboutBobby313.cfm

Others to Consider:

Extension en Espanol

http://extensionenespanol.net/index.cfm

BrainWonders

http://www.zerotothree.org/brainwonders/

Handling Challenging Behaviors:

The MasterTeacher, Inc.

http://www.disciplinehelp.com

Internet School Library Media Center (ISLMC) bibliography of classroom discipline and management page sponsored by James Madison University

http://falcon.jmu.edu./~ramseyil/disciplinebib.htm

Discipline by Design