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DiPiero
Center, Lakeland Road
512 Lakeland Rd Suite 200
Blackwood, NJ 08012
(856) 374-6376
Fax: (856) 374-6394
children@camdencounty.com
Sister
Donna Minster, Director
Who
We Are
As the Child Care Resource and Referral agency for Camden County,
the Camden County Department of Children's Services is responsible
for the coordination of child care services within the 37 County
municipalities. The office operates as an agency under the administration
of the Board of Freeholders, supported by local, state, and federal
funding.
Our Mission
As the Child Care Resource & Referral agency, the Camden County
Department of Children's Services exists to promote and support
quality, accessible and affordable child care services for all families
in Camden County.
Available Child Care Options
- Child
Care Centers
- Registered
Family Child Care Homes
- Head
Start Programs
- School
Age Child Care Programs
- Nursery
and Pre-K Programs
- Summer
Camps
Services
We Offer
- Free
resource and referral for families seeking child care in Camden
County
- Administration
of child care subsidy programs for income eligible families
- Family
Child Care Registration
- Technical
Assistance to licensed and registered providers and prospective
providers
- Training
and professional development programs for child care providers
- Pre-K
Planning for Abbott and ECPA School Districts
- Infant
and Toddler Initiative/ Health Consultant Program
- Community
outreach and education regarding child care issues and parenting
- Resource
development for child care
Child
Care Checklist
- The
program is licensed or registered
- Parents
are invited to visit anytime and their involvement is encouraged
- Policies
are in writing
- The
facility is clean, safe and inviting
- Adult/child
ratios meet licensing requirements
- Group
sizes are small to allow for personal attention
- The
program provides a well-rounded schedule with choices of age appropriate
activities
- The
children and staff seem happy and interact in a positive way
- The
staff is educated in child development
- Discipline
methods are positive and consistent
- Children
are treated as individuals
- Space
is available for quite play, active play, and outdoor play
Regulatory Agencies for Camden County
Child Care Centers, Head Start, Preschools,
Nursery Schools, School Age Child Care, Co-ops:
Bureau
of Licensing (DYFS)
(609) 292-9220
Family
Child Care:
Camden
County Division for Children
(856) 374-6376
Summer
Camps:
NJ Department
of Health and Senior Services
(609) 292-1021
Our
Locations
DiPiero
Center, Lakeland Road
512 Lakeland Rd Suite 200
Blackwood, NJ 08012
(856) 374-6376
Fax: (856) 374-6394
Work
First New Jersey Child Care
2600
Mt. Ephraim Avenue,
Camden, NJ 08104.
(856) 968-4290
Fax: (856) 968-4222
Child
Care Health Consultation Program
Training, technical assistance and consultation in the areas of
health and safety is available to child care providers through this
program. Areas of focus for this service are:
- Injury
prevention
- Preventing
the spread of infectious disease
- Recognizing
and managing illness
- Developing
and implementing policies relating to health and safety issues
- Emergency
readiness and first aid
- Strengthening
young children's emotional and behavioral health
- Healthy
eating and nutrition
- Including
children with special needs
- Accessing
free and low cost health insurance
Staff
also maintain a library of books, pamphlets and videos on health
and safety in child care for use or loan by child care providers
or parents. To access these services, please call 856-374-6008 or
856-401-2433. Existing consultants can access the network and resources
at www.cchcconnection.com.
Child
Care Health Consultation Training and Network
Are you interested in becoming a Child Care Health Consultant? Training,
based on the National Training Institute for Child Care Health Consultants
is available locally and throughout the state for health care professionals
interested in becoming part of a system that provides consultative
services to the child care community. If you are interested in becoming
part of this network of professionals, please call
856-401-2433.
Keeping
your toddler safe and healthy
As
parents and children look forward to summer fun, U.S. Surgeon General
Richard H. Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., today outlined a dozen tips to
help keep toddlers safe and healthy. This is the second in a series
of "Healthy Dozen Tips" that Dr. Carmona will release as part of
"The Year of the Healthy Child" agenda
"For toddlers everything is new and wonderful. Curiosity and discovery
are natural parts of childhood, and children of all ages can benefit
from a few simple reminders to parents and caregivers that can keep
toddlers healthy and safe," Dr. Carmona said. "As a child begins
to walk, a whole host of new dangers are available to them. So be
sure to safety-proof your home and begin to teach your toddler good
health and safety habits that will last a lifetime."
"I've declared this 'The Year of the Healthy Child' for the Office
of the Surgeon General. We're looking at ways to keep children healthy
and safe, from pre-birth through their teen years," Dr. Carmona
said. "Each phase of a child's life has its own series of potential
hazards, and we're trying to shine a light on preventing those illnesses,
injuries, and deaths that are preventable. By appreciating what
parents do every day and getting the best information out to parents
and children, I hope every child will grow up healthy, happy, and
able to reach their potential."
The Surgeon General's Tips to Keep Toddlers Safe and Healthy:
-
Teach healthy eating. Provide three nutritious meals supplemented
with two to three healthy snacks daily. Feed toddlers at the same
time as other family members and allow them to grow into feeding
themselves. Offer children nutritious foods and let them decide
how much to eat. Avoid foods and drinks that are high in sugar.
Be a good role model and follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines/index.html
-
Begin a habit of good oral health. Brush your child's teeth twice
a day with a soft toothbrush. Begin brushing for your child when
his or her teeth first appear and continue until age 3 or 4 when
you can start teaching your child how to brush. Introduce fluoridated
toothpaste at age 2. www.nidcr.nih.gov/HealthInformation/OralHealthInformationIndex/Childrens
Oral Health/HealthyMouth/default.htm
- Don't
smoke. And don't allow anyone else to smoke around your child.
Second-hand smoke can have a harmful effect on your child's breathing
and can have long-term respiratory consequences like impaired
lung growth, chronic coughing, and wheezing. Diseases of the respiratory
system (aggravated by second-hand smoke) are the leading causes
of child hospitalization and one of the leading causes of toddler
doctor visits. Also, smoking kills half of all lifetime smokers,
costing them more than 12 years of their life. For help to quit
smoking, please visit www.cdc.gov/tobacco/how2quit.htm
-
Give positive feedback. Praise good behavior and accomplishments.
Hug, talk, read, explore, and play together. This also begins
to ensure a healthy bond between parent and child. Also, when
choosing a caregiver, discuss their attitudes about discipline
and be sure that they agree with your point of view. www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/Ca-0048/default.asp
-
Always use a car safety seat. Be sure your child rides in an age-
and weight-appropriate child safety seat, correctly installed
in the back seat, on every trip. If you have any questions about
how to install your child safety seat, many local fire and police
departments will help you. www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/childpas.htm
- Safety-proof
your house. To prevent accidental poisoning, move all medications
and cleaning products to high shelves. To prevent burns, set the
temperature of your hot water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit,
never leave cups of hot liquid on tables or counter edges, and
never carry hot liquids or food while holding your child. To prevent
choking, be sure that any toys your child plays with do not have
parts that are small enough to choke on. You can test any toy
part by simply dropping it through a paper towel roll. If it goes
through, the piece is too small and could become a choking hazard.
Do not give toddlers under age 2 foods that may cause choking,
like hard candy, large pieces of raw vegetable or fruit, or tough
meat. To prevent drowning, install a toilet lid lock on every
toilet in the home. Drowning can happen in less than a couple
of inches of water. www.hhs.gov/safety/index.shtml#injury
- Never
leave your toddler unattended. As a child grows, so does his or
her natural curiosity to explore. It just takes a few seconds
for an inquisitive toddler to get into a dangerous situation.
www.hhs.gov/safety/index.shtml#injury
- Make
sure your child has a primary health provider. Prevention is the
key to a healthy childhood. So make sure that your child has a
primary health provider, such as a pediatrician or family practitioner,
who knows your child before your child has an illness, injury,
or developmental delay that requires medical attention. www.ahrq.gov/ppip/childguide/
- Fully
immunize your child. Make sure your child gets all immunizations
on time. Immunizations have prevented death and disease for millions
of children throughout the United States and the rest of the world.
Talk with your child's primary health provider about keeping up
to date on all vaccinations. www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/child-schedule.htm#Printable
- Learn
child first aid and CPR. Be prepared. Know how to call for help,
including poison control. The national toll-free line for poison
control is 1-800-222-1222. Also, learn child first aid and CPR.
We hope you will never have to use these skills. But if you do,
the life you save could be your child's. www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/firstaid.html
- Practice
prevention and safety. Teach your child safety tips, including
always swimming with a buddy, and wearing a bicycle helmet. Teach
your child about sun safety, including wearing a hat outdoors
and frequently applying SPF 30 sunscreen. Also, a growing child
will come into potentially dangerous situations or may become
separated from a parent or caregiver. Be sure your older toddler
knows his or her name, parents' names, and phone number. Help
him or her to recognize police and fire officials as trusted individuals,
while raising caution to other strangers. Get your child's fingerprints
taken and keep a recent photograph in your wallet. www.healthfinder.gov/scripts/SearchContext.asp?topic=160&refine=1
- Have
fun. Hug, talk, read, explore, and play together. Parenting is
the most difficult job in the world. As much as you love your
child, it can be stressful to be a parent. Be patient, manage
your stress, and ask for help. All parents sometimes feel overwhelmed
and frustrated as they tackle the challenges involved with parenting.
If you feel so stressed that you feel unable to cope with the
demands of parenting, get help. http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/parenting/parenting_advice.cf
For
more information on "The Year of the Healthy Child" visit www.surgeongeneral.gov
Resources
for Talking with Children About Traumatic Events
These links are general resources that can be used by parents, teachers,
and other caregivers to help children through difficult times.
The following websites have useful information:
Some
general advice from the experts includes:
- Continuously
reassure your children that you will help to keep them safe.
- Turn
off the TV. Overexposure to the media can be traumatizing. If
your older children are watching the news, be sure to watch with
them.
- Be
aware that your child's age will affect his or her response. Adolescents
in particular may be hard hit by these kinds of events. Obtaining
counseling for a child or adolescent soon after a disaster may
reduce long-term effects.
- Calmly
express your emotions--remember that a composed demeanor will
provide a greater sense of security for your child.
- Give
your children extra time and attention and plan to spend more
time with your children in the following months.
- Let
your children ask questions, talk about what happened, and express
their feelings
- Play
with children who can't talk yet to help them work out their fears
and respond to the atmosphere around them.
- Keep
regular schedules for activities such as eating, playing and going
to bed to help restore a sense of security and normalcy.
- Consider
how you and your child can help. Children are better able to regain
their sense of power and security if they feel they can help in
some way.
Children's Defense Fund Links
Resource for childcare out of our local/State
area
www.childcareaware.org
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