March 27, 2023

Family Resources Newsletter – April 2023

Dear CDA Families,

Each year in April, many people celebrate Earth month. It is an important time to raise awareness around the issues that affect our planet and learnings ways we can improve in keeping our planet safe. There are many things we can all do to contribute to a healthier life and planet.

We invite you to celebrate Earth Month by providing your children the opportunity for learning experiences that demonstrate the wonders of nature. One of the best ways adults can help children appreciate our planet is by creating fun ways to learn and explore nature and experience new adventures.

Below is a list of activities you and your children can do to celebrate Earth Month each day:

  • Planting:

    There are many ways you can create an eco-friendly space that will extend beyond Earth Month. Plant seeds indoors and observe with your child how plants, herbs, or flowers grow.

  • Reuse and Recycle:

    It’s important to get children interested in saving our planet at an early age by showing them whether items being thrown out could be reused or recycled. Show kids how to separate plastics, cardboard, glass, and metals and ask them to place each type into a separate bin for recycling. Reuse containers, such as baby glass jars or yogurt containers to help children plant seeds and watch them grow into plants or flowers.

  • Bird Watching:

    One of my favorite things to do is watch the different birds as they fly into my backyard and eat from a bird feeder. My favorite bird is a hummingbird, what’s yours?

  • Nature Walk:

    Take your kids on a nature walk and have them collect items that exist in nature, such as leaves, pinecones, fallen branches, rocks, and any other treasures they can find.

  • Sensory Play:

    As a childcare provider, I remember a typical day in my preschool, having various tables for preschoolers to explore sensory play with sand, water, rocks, seashells, and flowers. Sensory play can encourage fine-motor skills, language development, cognitive development, and explore their senses.

  • Art:

    Provide paint, markers, or crayons for children to create a drawing or painting of the one thing they enjoy about nature. When your child is done, you can ask them to talk about their artwork and have them explain why they enjoy what they created. This activity helps develop children’s language by describing what they made, the intention behind it, and why they chose to create it. Another benefit children have while creating artwork, is that they develop fine-motor skills while holding art supplies. These skills are helpful to provide support with writing, using tools, and typing.

What are the benefits of nature activities for kids?

Nature provides countless opportunities for discovery, creativity, problem-solving, and STEM education. Interacting with natural environments allows children to learn by doing and experiment with ideas. In nature, children think, question, and make hypotheses — thereby developing inquisitive minds. (Bright Horizons, 2020)

“The goal of early childhood education should be to activate the child’s own natural desire to learn.” Maria Montessori

Additional Resources & Events:

Every Day is Earth Day: One San Diego

Celebrate Earth Day & Each Other Southeast SD Style! Join us for this Free, Perspective Changing Event! Because Every Day is Earth Day! Learn more at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2023-every-day-is-earth-day-one-san-diego-tickets-558212908837?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

San Diego Earth Fest

San Diego EarthFest is a FREE Earth Day celebration presented by Vegan Food Popup. Featuring over 100 eco-friendly food, product and service vendors as well as environmental, conservation and animal rescue groups. Learn more at: http://www.sandiegoearthfest.com/

San Diego Fixit Clinic

Check out all SD Fixit Clinics Events hosted throughout the County of San Diego. Learn more at: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/sd-fixit-clinics-890609

San Diego Parks Earth Day Activities

County Parks is celebrating Earth Day with a series of outdoor events. Learn more at: https://www.sdparks.org/content/sdparks/en/news-events/news-archives/EarthDayActivities.html

Earth Day of Service and Celebration – City of Oceanside

The City of Oceanside is hosting an “Earth Day of Service and Celebration” event at Buccaneer Park to promote sustainability in the region, preserving the environment and to educate the community about simple steps it can take every day to protect our shared planet. Learn more at: https://theresandiego.com/event/oceanside-earth-day/

Reading List:

Earth Day – Hooray, By Stuart J. Murphy
What’s It Like, Living Green? By Jill Ammon Vaderwood
My Friend Earth, By Patricia MacLachlan
The Lorax, By Dr. Seuss
Compost Stew An A to Z Recipe for the Earth, By Mary McKenna Siddals

Upcoming Workshops

We have FREE workshops all year round. Click the button below for more information and register today:

Workshops

We’re Here to Help

For individualized assistance with resources or referrals, please contact our Family Resources Team via the contact form on our workshops page:

Contact Form

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CDA Reimbursement Schedule
Family is authorized with a variable schedule

Variable schedules are reimbursed for the actual care hours provided that are within the hours authorized. The reimbursement will not exceed the amount billed by the provider or the full-time (FT) or part-time (PT) RMRC listed on the certificate for child care services. CDA will not reimburse for child absences, provider holiday or closure days on a variable schedule. If the full billed/invoiced amount is not paid, the parent is responsible for the difference directly to the provider.

Reimbursement of provider non-operation days/holidays

The number of reimbursable provider holidays and/or non-operation days is limited to a maximum of 10 days per fiscal year. Once these allowable limits are exceeded, reimbursement will be prorated for future closure days.

Reimbursement of registration fees, material fees, insurance fees

Fees for registration, material and/or insurance may be reimbursed if the current reimbursement amount does not exceed the Regional Market Rate Ceiling (RMRC). Reimbursement of these fees is limited to one (1) per child, per fiscal year and will be made in a single payment when requested on the child’s attendance record.

Note: For providers with programs that have multiple fees in one year or where it has been determined that the reimbursement amount exceeds the RMRC, the excess fees will be the responsibility of the parent.

License-Exempt Providers

When child care is authorized for a total of 25 or more hours per week the Full Time Weekly RMRC will be used. When child care is authorized for a total of less than 25 hours per week the Part Time RMRC will be used.

View the State’s RMRC by County See the full Program Guidelines

Congratulations! You may be eligible for CDA’s program.

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We’re sorry, you may not be eligible for CDA’s program.

If you would like to receive a personal eligibility screening, please complete the form below:

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To receive a personal eligibility screening, please call us at: (619) 427-4411 ext. 1400