Jefferson-Lewis Childcare Project
A Program of Community Action Planning Council of Jefferson Co. Inc.

Click here to download the results of the 2007 Child Care Survey - Work Force Child Care Needs Click here to download the original survey

The Jefferson/Lewis Childcare Project is a non-profit community resource and referral committed to developing, promoting and supporting quality early childhood programs and professionals. We provide support and education to families and employers throughout Jefferson and Lewis Counties.

Table of Contents
Specific Services	Complaint Policy
Quality Indicators (programs)	Other Programs Available
How is Quality Maintained	What is Accreditation
Health & Safety Indicators	Subsidy Program
Child Tax Credit Info	Health Insurance
Helpful Hints	Training Schedule

Choosing a child care program
This is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make as a parent. Your final choice will depend on many factors, and you should consider them carefully in order to best meet the needs of your children and your family.
Find child care now

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Specific Services for JLCP:

Services for parents
The Jefferson-Lewis Childcare Project is a Childcare Resource and Referral Agency, offering free and confidential services to parents and families seeking childcare within Jefferson and Lewis Counties. For more information and assistance regarding childcare referrals, please contact JLCP at (315) 782-8475 or 1-800-287-8904

• Assistance in locating childcare and preschool programs.Through the use of NACCRRAware, JLCP is able to offer customized lists of childcare providers for referrals to family childcare, centers, pre-shcools and school-age programs that meet specific family needs.
• Consultation and assistance on evaluating and choosing child care including resources and interviewing techniques.
• Information about NYS childcare licensing and registration regulations
• All client data is held in confidence at all times.
  

The information provided on child care programs are referrals only. We cannot guarantee the quality of care.

Services for Childcare Professionals

For more information and assistance regarding any of the following services, please contact JLCP at (315) 782-4900. 

• Assistance in becoming NYS registered/licensed. (www.ocfs.state.ny.us/main/becs)
• Sponsor of the Child and Adult Care Food Program(CACFP). (www.health.state.ny.us)
• Health and Safety Grants for new and established regulated providers, as well as for legally-exempt providers
• A variety of training opportunities
• Training scholarship information(www.tsg.suny.edu)
  
• Assistance in meeting NYS regulations regarding medication administration (www.tsg.suny.edu/about_mat.shtm)
• Child Development Associate Credential Training Program (www.cdacouncil.org)
• Membership (Click Here for Membership Application)
• Lending library offering toys and learning materials for children and resources for childcare providers and parents
• Access to Ellison and Cricut die cut machines, as well as laminator
• Support Group for Family and Group Family Childcare providers.

Services for Business and Community

• Annual Community needs assessment
• Information and workshops on childcare issues
• JLCP staff serve of several community boards and advisory groups
• Collaboration with Fort Drum childcare community to address the unique needs of military families

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Complaint Policy:

Jefferson/Lewis Childcare Project (JLCP) promotes and supports quality child care. One important way to support high quality care is to have a policy regarding how to document and respond to complaints.

If parents or other concerned individuals suspect that there may be unregulated care or have concerns about a child care provider, they may call JLCP at 315-782-8475 or 1-800-287-8904. To obtain a regulated provider’s complaint history, please call JLCP at 315-782-4900 or 1-800-287-8904 if the provider is a Family Day Care or School-age program. For a complaint history for Child Care Centers or Group Family Child Care, please call the Syracuse Regional Office of Children and Family Services at 315-423-1202.

If you have a complaint regarding an action that might threaten the well-being of a child, such as allegations of physical, sexual, emotional abuse or neglect or lack of supervision, please call the New York State Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-342-3730.

Jefferson/Lewis Childcare Project strives to provide quality services to families in Jefferson and Lewis Counties. The Jefferson/Lewis Childcare Project staff welcomes individuals or groups to come forth with complaints or concerns regarding our services. The goals would be to correct perceived problems and improve the program. An individual or a group may submit complaints or concerns in writing to the Jefferson/Lewis Childcare Project Director to:

JLCP Director
CAPC
518 Davidson Street
Watertown, NY 13601

Or By phone at 315-782-4900 (Ext 240)

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Quality Indicators:

Programs that you can choose from:

Day Care Centers - Provide care for more than six children at a time, not in a personal residence.

Family Day Care Homes- Provide care for three to six children at a time in a residence; may add one or two school-aged children. The maximum allowable number of children will depend on if there are infants in care and the number of infants in care. Providers own children are counted in their capacity.

Under 2 years	Over 2 Years	School Aged	Maximum
1 child	4 children	2 children	7 children
2 children	3 children	2 children	7 children
No children under 2 years	6 children	2 children	8 children
*When all children are over the age of 2 years, the maximum number of children allowed is eight. The maximum allowed if there is any child under 2 years is seven

Group Family Day Care Homes- Provide care for seven to twelve children at a time in a residence; may add one or two school-age children. The maximum allowable number of children will depend on how many infants in care. A provider must use an assistant and the assistant must be approved when there is more that six children present. Providers own children are counted in their capacity.

Under 2 years	Over 2 Years	School Aged	Maximum
1 child	9 children	2 children	12 children
4 children	6 children	2 children	12 children
No children under 2 years	12 children	2 children	14 children
*When any children in care are under the age of 2 years the maximum allowed in care is 12, When all children are over the age of 2 years the maximum allowed in care is 14 * Group Family Day Cares have assistants that must be approved to care for children.

School Age Child Care Program- Provides cares for more than six children from Kindergarten through age twelve. Care for children during school hours; also may provide care during school vacations and holidays.

Age of Children	Staff-Child Ratio	Maximum Group Size
Through 9 years	1 to 10	20
10-12 years	1-15	30
*Minimum Staff/Child Ratio Based on Group Size for School-Aged Children.

Legally Exempt- Or Informal Day Care provides care for one or two children at a time as well as the providers own children. The provider can also care for relatives as well. Care is usually done in the provider’s home; are not required to register. Informal providers now have to have ten hours of training per year to receive the enhanced rates. Please see rates section and if you have any questions please contact the Department of Social Services at 315-782-8475 or Lewis county DSS at 315-376-5562

Provider can only care for one to two children at a time along with the provider’s children. If you have any questions please contact: Ashley Collins - Jefferson County DSS 315-785-5024 Carmen Fuller - Lewis County DSS 315-376-5562

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Other Programs Available:

Nursery School- Provide care for three hours a day or less. A nursery school may voluntarily register with the State Education Department (SED) (for more information please contact 315-782-8475)

Pre Kindergarten Program- Usually located in a public school, but can also be found in private schools or daycare centers; supervised by SED. (for more information please contact CAPC at 315-782-4900)

Head Start Centers- Targeted for preschool-aged children from families who meet income eligibility guidelines; federally funded and usually licensed as a Day Care Center. (For more information please contact CAPC at 315-782-4900) Lewis County Head Start – please contact Sandra Roberts at 315-376-7531

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How Is Quality Maintained:

Parent Involvement- As a parent, you are the key to quality childcare. You have the right to drop in at anytime and observe the program or to see your child. You will probably see the provider often and should have a good idea of how things are going in the program. If you have questions or concerns talk to your provider, communication is important between the parent and provider.

Family Involvement- Caregivers should communicate each day with families, welcome parents into their childcare setting or classroom, organize special events that include the child’s family members. (Example: a Halloween party or Christmas party) Providers should talk to the parents about the child’s activities each day and let the parent know how the child’s day went. The providers should incorporate practices that reflect the values and beliefs of the families and the cultures of their communities.

Child-Adult Ratio- Regulated programs must limit the number of children each adult cares for based on standards set in regulations. These standards help to ensure children are properly supervised and get all the attention they need.

Training and Experience- regulated childcare providers must have prior experience caring for children and must receive ongoing training in areas such as safety, nutrition, and child abuse prevention. VISIT OUR ONLINE TRAINING SCHEDULE HERE!!

Regulation and Oversight- Programs regulated by the State Office of Children and Family Services must be licensed or registered. Any program that cares for more than two children three hours or more per day must have a license or registration certificate. When you visit a regulated childcare facility, you have the right to ask to see their registration or license certificate.

Inspections- Every licensed childcare program must be inspected at least once before each license renewal. At least 50% of all registered providers are inspected annually

Turn Over- Find out how long the provider has been doing care in their home or at the center. It’s best if children stay with the same caregivers at least a year. Getting used to new care givers takes time and can be difficult for some children.

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What is Accreditation?

Accreditation is the status given to an early childhood program reviewed by a national commission composed of recognized experts in the childcare and early childhood education. The program must be judged to be in substantial compliance with the NAEYC, NAFCC or NAA criteria for high quality early child hood programs. Child care centers, preschools, Kindergarten, or before and after school programs can voluntarily apply for accreditation by the NAEYC Academy for Early Childhood Program Accreditation. Family child care can voluntarily apply for accreditation by the NAFCC and School-age programs by the NAA. All three acknowledges this is a high quality program that is recognized nationally. Providers that are accredited have met voluntary standards for childcare that are higher than most state licensing requirements. If you have any further question please contact Lori Booking at 315-782-8475 or go to the following web sites: www.naeyc.org, www.naaweb.org, www.nafcc.org

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Health and Safety Indicators:

Appropriate Health and Safety Practices:

New York State ensures that the basic health and safety requirements are met by licensing childcare centers and registering family day care homes. New York State standards are among the highest in the nation, addressing everything from hand washing procedures and sanitation to policies on administering medications. The full set of regulations can be found at www.ocfs.state.ny.us

>Children are supervised by the caregiver and can be seen and heard at all times, even at naptime.

>The program is childproofed to prevent accidents:

• Poisonous and dangerous materials, like medicines, and cleaning solutions are stored out of the reach of children.
  
• Electrical sockets are covered.
• There are childproof locks on cabinets.
  
• Hanging cords from blinds are secured.
  
• Small household objects that may be a hazard are out of reach.
  
• There are safety gates on stairs.

>Preventing Accidents

• There is fencing to keep children away from pools, ponds, and other bodies of water.
  

>Handling Emergencies

• The provider has a plan to handle fire or medical emergencies
  
• The caregiver has a working phone and the proper phone numbers in case of emergency.
  
• The caregiver has a first Aid Kit, fully stocked.
  
• There are smoke detectors on each floor and extinguishers in the child care home.
  
• Caregiver should practice emergency escape fire drills with children once a month.
  
  

Medication Administration Training (MAT)- Is a training that is approved by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) to train daycare providers to safely administer medication in their programs. The training is facilitated by an approved MAT Trainer and includes video training component. The training includes written tests and a demonstration of competency. Participants who successfully complete the course will receive eight hours of training credit. After the provider has completed the training they must have a complete health care plan.

>Health Care Plans Must:

• List the staff that will act as the medication administers.
  
• Be approved and signed by your programs health care consultant.
  
• Submitted to the provider’s licensor or registrar for approval.
  
• A copy of the approved health care plan must be kept at the program and be available to parents and regulatory staff upon demand.
  
  

>When Should A Parent Choose A MAT Approved Provider:

• When your child has special needs
  
• When your child has regular everyday medications that he or she needs to take on a regular basis.
  
• When your child has asthma
  
  

If you have any further question please call: 315-782-8475
Our registration staff is here to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

To get a list of approved MAT trainers you can call our office or call SUNY Medication Administration Training Program toll-free at 1-866-665-5537

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Subsidy Program For Help in Paying for Child Care

Jefferson County Department of Social Services

Ashley Collins Ashley.Collins@dfa.state.ny.us
315-785-5024 or 315-782-9030

Carmen Fuller cfuller@lewiscountyny.org
315-376-5562

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Helpful Hints:

Ask questions that you would like answers to when visiting a day care that you are considering in for your child. Communication is the key between you and the provider.

• Ask to see their License or Registration.
  
• Ask about the providers contract if they have one. Don’t be afraid to take the contract home and read through it very carefully to make sure it meets your needs.
  
• After signing the contract make sure the provider keeps a copy and you take a copy for your records.
  
• Ask about holidays, vacations and sick days for you and the provider, many providers and parents do take vacation time, so talk to your provider and ask questions about what is expected of you and of them when a vacation or holiday comes up.
  
• Ask about the provider’s experience, get to know the provider, ask how your child’s day went and if there were any concerns.
  
• Find out if all staff members have been trained in CPR and First Aid

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