GMCAA Early Childhood Programs Newsletter

September13, 2013 Volume 8, Issue 1

GMCAA Executive Director, Tom Reed GMCAA Planner/Help Me Grow Director, Teresa Varian Find us on Facebook

Gallia Meigs CAA Early Childhood Programs

Theodore T. Reed lll,

Upcoming Events
Please check for cancellations and changes before attending . Call (Meigs) 9925266 or (Gallia) 367-7341 (Ask For Debbie Davidson) or 1-866-219-0110. Remember to register if you will be attending any of the activities!

Here are the current programs offered by GMCAA Childrens programs. If you think you, or any one you know might enjoy enhancing their young Childs learning please give us a call. Help Me Grow Central Coordination: Any child that is referred to Help Me Grow in Meigs County is put into the Early Track Data system and referred to the proper agency/program that the parent requests after contact from us confirming that they would like to be enrolled. Help Me Grow Home Visiting: Must be a pregnant mother or have a child under 6 months old. Funding is through the Ohio Department of Health. Maternal Infant Childhood Home Visiting: or what we call MIECHV (McV). This program at this time can serve any parent with a child from pregnancy up to the child's fifth birthday in Gallia and Meigs counties. Funding is provided through the Ohio Department of Health. Meigs County Help Me Grow Early Intervention (EI) This program is for children with a disability or suspected disability. The child can be served from birth up to the child's third birthday. We chose to not apply for the Meigs EI grant this year as for the past two years Gallia Meigs Community Action supplemented funding for this program. When the grant RFP was released, it was for less money than the previous year and it was not enough for us to do the same quality of work for the families. DJFS, Childrens Services was the only bidder for the grant so they are the ones serving this population of Meigs County children for the next grant year. However please continue to make EI referrals to Help Me Grow @740-9925266 and we will assign them to the proper agency Gallia County Early Intervention: Gallia

Meigs: Stop and Play Sept 13th @ HMG office 10:30 to 11:30 Gallia: September 17th Haskins Park 10:30 11:30

September

Meigs: Fall Fun at Overbrook October 30th at 1:30 to 3:30 Gallia: Look for a flyer soon

October

Gallia & Meigs: Parents Smarts II November 13 Gavin Club House 10:00 to 11:30

November

Meigs: Breakfast with Santa @Meigs district

December

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GMCAA Early Childhood Programs Newsletter

September Activities
Meigs County Help Me Grow Home Visiting, and Pathways programs will be having a Stop and Play on Friday, September 13 from 10:30 to 11:30 at the new playground located at 1369 Powell Street. Come join us and play on the new equipment and have a snack with us. We will have bubbles and a sand and water table to explore. Remember to wear comfortable clothes and bring a change of clothes because the water table is lots of fun.

Meigs County

Need Help with Heating this Winter?

What is HEAP?
The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is a federally funded program administered by the Ohio Development Services Agency's Office of Community Assistance (OCA). It is designed to help eligible low-income Ohioans meet the high costs of home heating. If you are eligible for assistance, the amount of your one-time HEAP benefit will depend on federal funding levels, how many people live with you, total household income, and the primary fuel you use to heat your home. In most cases, the onetime benefit will be a credit applied to your energy bill by your utility company (or fuel vendor). Am I Eligible for HEAP? Applicants for HEAP must be at or below 200 percent of the Fiscal Year 2012 federal poverty guidelines. Applications for the 2013-2014 regular HEAP applications will be taken after the end of September at Gallia Meigs Community Action. Please watch

October Activities

Gallia County Help Me Grow Home Visiting, Early Intervention and Pathways Programs will have a play date on Tuesday, September 17th at Haskins Park Mill Creek Road Gallipolis from 10:30 to 11:30 Please check for cancellations and changes before attending . Call (Meigs) 992-5266 or (Gallia) 367-7341 (Ask For Debbie Davidson) or 1-866-219-0110. Remember to register if you will

Gallia County

residents in the dining room. A small fall craft will be available for all Meigs County to do and take home.

Meigs County Help Grow Gallia County Help Me Me Grow Home Visiting and Early Intervention Programs visiting and Pathways willon a Monday in October. Plans are still willHome be having their fall celebration be made holding their Fallin your mail box soon. being so look annual for a flyer Festival at Overbrook Rehabilitation Center 333 Page Street Middleport, on Wednesday, October 30th at 1:30. Please bring your children in costume and they will trick or treat with the participating residents of Overbrook. We will then share snacks with the

Gallia County

November Activities
Gallia and Meigs Counties Help Me
Grow programs and Pathways will combine to bring you Parent Smarts II at the Gavin Rec center off of Rt 554 on November 14th. We will have a series of short demonstrations on ways to make Christmas gifts and decorations for less.

One of the Demonstrations will be

how to make gift baskets for Christmas gifts from inexpensive Dollar Tree Items.

Another demonstration will be gifts to give with food stuffs

from your kitchen. Things like a cake in a mug, or cookies from a jar, and snack mixes will be demonstrated and there will be a cookbook with the recipes for you to take home. Please check for cancellations and changes before attending . Call (Meigs) 992-5266 or (Gallia) 367-7341 (Ask For Debbie Davidson) or 1-866219-0110. Remember to register if you will be attending

GMCAA Early Childhood Programs Newsletter

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Meigs County a book. A light breakfast will be served with milk and juice available. Meigs County Help Me GrowPictures with Santa will also be taken for those that want them. Home Visiting and Pathways Programs will be having Breakfast with Santa on Friday September 13, at the Meigs Gallia County Gallia County Public District Library in County will be having their Christmas celebration in December also Look for a flyer in the mail closer to Christmas with the location and times. Pomeroy from 10:30 to 11:30. Homade Bubble Santa will be on hand to visit Solution and Bubble with each child and they will Blowers. receive a developmental toy and
Here is an easy recipe for bubble solution that you and your kids can make at home from ingredients parts. you may have in the Finger Plays and Nursery Now Im finished kitchen. Rhymes are something you wiggling and your children can enjoy And Im quiet as can be. 2 cups hot water together. Children of all ages cup of light corn syrup can reap more benefits from Touch Your Nose cup of liquid dish soap. music and movement than Suit actions to words just enjoyment. From Touch your nose, Stir together hot water Touch your chin. and corn syrup until syrup exposure to these things Thats the way is dissolved. Add dish children can enhance their This game begins. soap and stir in until language development, body Touch your eyes, incorporated. Pour the awareness, auditory Touch your knees. bubble solution into a discrimination, self-esteem, Now pretend bottle or a container with muscular coordination; these Youre going to sneeze. a lid. Let the solution areas of development are Touch your ears, rest for a few hours thought to be a crucial Touch your hair. before using it for the prerequisite to other, more Touch your ruby lips best results. academic activities. So go Right there. (Blow a kiss) Touch your elbows ahead, dance, sing and do Where they bend. For bubble blowers finger plays with your child. secure several straws Jump right up and say You are helping them with together with rubber THE END!! early learning skills though bands to make a super play. bubble blower or use pipe cleaners to bend in different shapes. Look around your house for items to use as bubble My Thumbs are Jack in the Box blowers. Starting to Wiggle Start crouched down small. On Yes, I will! jump up and fling your arms up high over Sung to the tune of The your head! Bear Went Over the Mountain Jack in the box My thumbs are starting Stay so still to wiggle Wont you come out? My thumbs are starting Yes, I will!!! to wiggle Be all kinds of animals: kitty, My thumbs are starting dog, monkey, crocodile, lion. to wiggle Ask your child what they Around, around, around. want to be in the box. Continue with other body

December Activities

Fun Learning Songs and Finger Plays

Protect Your Young Children from Lead Hazards

GMCAA Early Childhood Programs 1369 Powell Street P.O. Box 129 Middleport, Ohio 45760 Phone: 740-367-7341 (740) 992-5266 1-800-219-0110 Fax: 740-992-6553
Wondering how lead can poison your child? One out of 40 American Children has too much lead in their bodies. Lead may cause learning and behavior problems. It may damage hearing and the nervous system, including the brain. Dust from lead paint is the biggest threat to young children. Children put their hands and everything else in their mouths, so they can eat the dust or chips of lead-based paint without knowing it. Even bits of paint too small to see can come off windows, doors, and walls, creating lead dust. Children who crawl on the floor, put toys in their mouths, or play in soil can be poisoned without you even knowing it. Children with too much lead in their bodies may not look or feel sick. A simple blood test is the only way to know if your child is being exposed to lead. Ask your doctor or health care provider to test your child for lead. Ways to protect your children from lead Wash childrens hands and face often with soap and water, especially before they eat. Wash toys every week. Wipe windowsills, floors, and other surfaces with paper towels, warm water and soap once a week. Rinse well. Never sweep, vacuum, or dry dust in a room that has lead dust, you will not remove the harmful dust and can stir it up. This includes porches, which were often painted with lead paint. Dont let children chew or put their mouths on windowsills. Keep cribs away from windowsills and walls. Never dry scrape or dry sand lead paint. Dont burn or torch it. Children and pregnant women should stay away while work takes place. Test dust for lead around the remodeling area afterwards. If you have lead pipes or pipes joined with lead solder dont use hot water from the tap for drinking, cooking, or making formula. Feed your children a healthy diet. Foods with vitamin C, calcium, and iron can help reduce lead poisoning. Making sure your children get enough of these nutrients can lower

Give your child a helping hand right from the start!

Visit us on Facebook! Meigs Help Me Grow

GMCAA Help Me Grow 1369 Powell Street P.O. Box 129 Middleport, Ohio 45760 740-992-5266 866-219-0110 galliameigscaa.webs.com