Useful information for anybody interested in
helping create a better world for kids.
Bottle Drive for Autism Support
On-going
Bottle Drive @ Willy's Variety Store to benefit "Parents
Supporting Our Children - the Bennington, Vermont Autism Support
Group". This support group operates in conjunction with
United Counseling Service of Bennington County and is organized and
managed by parents with children/relatives and friends with
developmental disabilities.
Their Vision is to be a resource for the community
and help all children/adults reach their full potential. Their
Mission is to unite families who have youth and adults with
disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders. They do this through
advocacy, education, and support.
For more information please call: 802-447-5716, or
email
asdbenningtonvt@gmail.com.
Visit our website:
www.asdvt.org
Vermont Fitting Stations and the Vermont Discount Car Seat Program
Certified child passenger safety technicians check seats for:
~ Recalls
~ Correct fit of the car seat to the child
~ Proper installation of the car seat to the vehicle
~ Missing parts, i.e., do you need a locking clip?
A Fitting Station is held every 3rd
Monday of the month, from 3 – 7 pm @ the Bennington Rescue Squad,
McKinley Street, Bennington. Please call 447-5160 for more information.
Make sure the children you are transporting are safe!!
This is a great service for both parents and providers!!
Center/Home
Safety Checklist
1. Household products, such as
drain cleaner and furniture polishers, bleach/water solution
kept out of reach?
2. Medicines off tables,
counters and window sills?
3. Food kept separately from
household/cleaning products?
4. Least hazardous cleaning
products chosen?
5. Safety latches installed on
cabinets?
6. Houseplants identified and
toxic ones out of reach?
Kitchen/emergency numbers list:
Is the Poison Center hotline
number displayed?
Bathroom:
7. Medicines in a safe place?
8. Expired and unused
medicines discarded regularly?
9. Safety closures secured
properly?
10. Product labels always read
before using?
11. Beauty supplies kept out
of reach?
Bedroom:
12. Medicines kept off and out
of dressers and bedside tables?
13. Perfumes and cosmetics out
of reach?
14. Building checked for lead
paint if it was built before 1978?
15. Carbon monoxide detector
installed and working properly?
Other Rooms:
16. Soaps, detergents, and
cleansers stored out of reach?
17. Checked for radon and
mold?
Garage:
18. Instructions read
carefully on bug sprays and pesticides?
19. Insecticides, weed killers
and fertilizers out of reach?
20. Painting and car products
in original containers, not in food or drink containers?
21. Gasoline and antifreeze
out of reach?
22. Products used in a
well-ventilated area?
Northern
New England Poison Center
1-800-222-1222
ALL ABOUT ECERS
(Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale)
ECERS
(Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale) is used to measure
quality in early childhood environments in terms of a child’s
actual day-today experience. A quality program must provide for
three basic needs all children have: Protection of their
health and safety - nutrition, sanitation, personal hygiene,
measures to reduce infectious diseases in group settings, parent
education materials, precautions to avoid injury mishaps,
supervision, prevention of abuse and neglect. Building
Positive Relationships – child to child, adult to child,
adult to adult; With Children – separation from parents,
continuity of care, positive approaches to discipline,
development of social skills; With Parents –
Opportunities for communications, building trust over time,
parent support and education, anti-bias approach, cultural
sensitivity, tuned-in to the child’s community. Opportunities
for stimulation and learning from experience (what is
accessible, how it is being used, how long
is it accessible) - Variety of hands-on activities, appropriate
activities for group and individual needs, many open ended
materials available, schedule that handles routines gracefully
and leaves time for activities, language related to activities,
concepts brought out of play. Each of these components has
implications for the program’s environment, policies, schedule,
curriculum, supervision and parent involvement. These are the
key aspects of process quality measured in the environment
rating scales developed by Harms, Clifford and Cryer. The
scales can be used as a tool in measuring and improving quality
regardless of curriculum or philosophy.
How is the scale scored?
Each item is described in four
levels of quality: inadequate (1), minimal (3), good (5), and
excellent (7). The inadequate and minimal ratings focus on
provision of basic materials and on health and safety
precautions. The good and excellent ratings require positive
interaction, planning and personalized care as well as good
materials. It is difficult, if not impossible to score a 7 in
all areas. A typical first time score tends to fall between 3.5
– 4.
How does the scale relate to
CDA competencies or National Accreditation Criteria?
The authors of the scales
collaborated on NAEYC Center Classroom Observation and
Accreditation Questionnaires and the CDA Classroom Observation.
The items on the scale help providers identify and organize the
necessary components required for reaching NAFCC and NAEYC
accreditation and CDA goals.
How are the Rating Scales
related to STARS?
STARS (Step Ahead Recognition
System) is a statewide program to recognize a provider’s
(program’s) accomplishments above and beyond regulatory
requirements in several arenas including: Licensing Compliance
History, Training and Qualifications, Administration, Family and
Community Interaction, and Program Assessment. ECERS is one
tool that can be used to perform a program assessment. The
scales can be used for self-assessment as well as outside
observations. Any program applying for 3 or more STARS and/or
desiring to partner with a public school system (under Act 62)
must have an outside assessment done and earn an average score
of 4.0 in all subscales and no subscale score below a 3.0 in
order to earn 2 points in the Program Assessment Arena.
Why use the scales in a
program?
The scales can be used to:
Measure the impact of your planned activities, schedule, and
routines or children’s experiences; Identify materials that
would enhance learning; Identify future training goals; Evaluate
child to child and adult to child interactions; Prepare for
accreditation;
Isolate any gaps between
curriculum/policy and practice; Promote program achievements;
All around quality of care/program improvement.
There is a scale designed to
fit your program: ITERS-R - Infant/Toddler Environment Rating
Scale; ECERS-R - Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale;
SACERS - School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale; FCCERS-R -
Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale
