Child Care Health Consultant (CCHC) Trainings

This Child Care Health Consultant (CCHC) educational activity is a 45-hour training that blends online and face-to-face learning. Each of the six online weeks consists of 4.5 hours of instructor-guided readings and activities that participants complete at their own pace throughout the week in preparation for follow up during the face-to-face sessions. The CCHC training is open to registered nurses, advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, and physicians. CCHC practice integrates well with Public Health Nursing, School Nursing, Head Start Health Coordination, and the roles of practitioners working in community settings. Questions? Contact: Joyce Murphy, Statewide Early Childhood Health Consultant and graduate of NTI/CCHC email: jomurphy@usm.maine.edu or phone: 207-615-2407

Maine’s Early Childhood Learning Guidelines

Maine’s Early Childhood Learning Guidelines (30 hrs) Maine’s Early Childhood Learning Guidelines have been approved by Maine ’s Department of Education and Department of Health & Human Services. They are written for all children ages 3-5 and are a precursor to Maine’s K-12 Learning Results. Eight 3-hour sessions will include: orientation to the Early Childhood Learning Guidelines, integrating the guidelines into your current curriculum, adapting the guidelines to children with special needs, observation and assessment of young children using the guidelines and sharing them with families. This training is open to family child care, center-based, nursery school, Head Start and public pre-k programs. Cost is $15.00 for QRS participant, $20.00 for non-participant. For Saturday class please bring a bag lunch. Instructor: Hector Sapien Location: Sun Garden Learning Center, Rt. 1A, Winterport Dates & Times: March 5; 8-2:00 pm, March 10, 17, 24, 31; 6-9 pm, April 9; 8-2:00 pm Contact: Gail P. Johnston, 1-877-684-0466 or(207)443-1690 Gail.P.Johnston@maine.gov

Kids Kids Kids Conference - KVCC - April 16, 2011

Presented By: Southern Kennebec Child Development Corporation Child Care Options Resource Development Center 18th Annual Kids, Kids, Kids Conference $50.00 WHEN: Saturday, April 16, 2011 WHERE: Kennebec Valley Community College Fairfield, ME TIME: 7:30 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Earned Income Tax Credit for Direct Care Workers

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable tax credit for low- and moderate-income working families. Refundable means that it reduces what you pay in taxes and/or gives you money back. http://phinational.org/taxes/all-other-states/

Free classes on Dealing with Patients with Dementia

This two-hour training is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of information vital to all professional caregivers. Learn: • Overview of dementia and its causes • The stages of dementia • Understanding how to tailor tasks and activities to disease stage • A review of the dementia-friendly environment • Communicating with individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders • Understanding behavior as communication • Assistance with activities of daily living January 19, 2011 9:30 am —11:30 am Seely Hall Woodford Congregational Church 202 Woodford Street Portland, ME 04103 March 4, 2011 9:00 am—11:00 am Family Room First United Methodist Church 703 Essex Street Bangor, ME 04401 April 1, 2011 9:30 am—11:30 am Bluebird Conference Room Downeast Community Hospital 11 Hospital Drive Machias, ME 04654 April 1, 2011 2:00 pm—4:00 pm Calais Regional Hospital 24 Hospital Lane Calais, ME 04654 Alzheimer’s Association, Maine Chapter 800-272-3900 Toll-free www.alz.org/maine FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER PLEASE CALL THE CHAPTER OFFICE AT 800-272-3900. understanding the resident with dementia THESE TRAININGS ARE BEING OFFERED FREE OF CHARGE THANKS TO A GENEROUS GRANT FROM THE BORMAN FAMILY FOUNDATION. SPACE IS LIMITED. PRE-REGISTRATION MANDATORY.

HHS Increases Total LIHEAP Funding Available to Help Low-Income Families to $3.9 Billion

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently announced the availability of additional funding to help eligible low-income families meet their home energy needs, bringing the total made available since October 1 to $3.9 billion. These funds will go to states, tribes and territories under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and are available under the terms of the latest continuing resolution. LIHEAP assists qualified families with their home energy needs such as heating in the winter, cooling their homes in the summer, and insulating their homes to make them more energy efficient and reduce their energy costs. These block grant funds will supplement two previous releases of funds under continuing resolutions in Fiscal Year 2011. A complete list of funds available to states today can be accessed at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/news/press/2011/liheap_allocation.html Individuals interested in applying for energy assistance should contact their local/state LIHEAP agency. For more information, please go to: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap/ or http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap/brochure/brochure.html

Minimum Wage Not an Option for Most Home Care Workers

• This summer, Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) filed the Direct Care Workforce Empowerment Act (H.R. 5902) a bill that would extend the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to include home care workers.
• This legislation would provide home care workers - who provide essential service to more than 13 millions seniors and people with disabilities - federal minimum wage and overtime protections. Home care workers are currently excluded from the basic workplace standards generally taken for granted by most working people - and poor compensation has led to a growing shortage of workers.
• Passing the Sanchez bill will be difficult, but it is crucial. And you can take action today to move the legislation forward:
• * On Facebook, become a fan of the Department of Labor and post this message: Secretary Solis, home care workers deserve minimum wage and overtime protection. It's time to change the companionship exemption regulations: http://bit.ly/a5pF1e
• * On Twitter, copy, paste and tweet this message: @HildaSolisDOL, it's time to end the exclusion of home care workers from minimum wage and overtime exemption: http://bit.ly/a5pF1e
• Read more about the campaign from the SEIU blog.