Parenting Resources

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"Don't worry that children never listen to you;
worry that they are always watching you."
                Robert Fulghum

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Day Care

IUPUI Center for Young Children

General:
Anyone who has a child and works outside the home and/or goes to school knows that addressing childcare issues can be a major concern. Here at IUPUI we are fortunate to have available the services of the on-campus Center for Young Children.

Picture a world where there is an intimate, family atmosphere due to the fact that each classroom looks like a friendly house with a distinctive design and paint color and opens onto an indoor park. Picture a place where all the primary teachers are professionals in early childhood education with bachelor's degrees and each classroom has at least one assistant teacher. Picture a setting where parents can view their children at work through one-way glass and can access a library just for parents. Picture a spot where there are outdoor playgrounds for various age groups, access to music education and all the benefits of a licensed child care program that is also accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Location:
321 North Limestone Street (south of Ronald McDonald house).

Eligibility and Available Services:
The Center focuses on children ages 2-5 (by September 1) throughout the school year, but accepts children up to the age of 12 during summer vacation. Part-time (half or full days) services are available to accommodate a parent's class/work schedule. While there is often a waiting list for classes, it changes all the time.

Assistance and Discounts for Low-Income Students:
IUPUI Students who have paid the General Service Fee and have a child attending the Center for Young Children quality for a 15% discount. Financial assistance is available to eligible Pell-Grant students with children. Vouchers, available from the Children's Bureau, are also accepted.

For More Information:
Go to www.childcare.iupui.edu, call the Center for Young Children at 274-3508 or go to cccenter@iupui.edu to send them a message.

Day Care and Afterschool Programs

IUPUI Center for Young Children - call 274-3508, go to cccenter@iupui.edu to send them a message, or visit www.childcare.iupui.edu.

The Day Nursery Association of Indianapolis is a non-profit with eight day care centers (most near downtown but some in suburban areas) all of which are open to the public. They offer a flexible fee schedule and most are NAEYC accredited or soon will be. Call 636-9197 or visit their site.

For afterschool program information for your city or town, go to http://www.ayskids.org/programs.html , http://www.indymca.org/child%20care/child%20care%20CorpSelect.asp?program=Before%20and%20After%20School , call 920-0181 or send an e-mail.

Mildly Ill Child Care is available at Sniffles 'N Such, a program of the Day Nursery Clarian Early Care and Education Center located at 2140 Boulevard Place (21st and Senate just north of Methodist Hospital). It is open to the public and operates 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pre-registration is required. FMI, call 283-3838 or visit their site.

Need information on Indiana childcare licensing requirements, help locating a childcare provider in your area, the licensing status of a childcare provider or how to obtain financial assistance for childcare? Contact the State of Indiana Division of Family and Children.

Child Care Answers (CCA) works to improve the quality and availability of child care in Central Indiana while also providing general information about types of care, accreditation, licensing, how to choose care or how to evaluate a provider. CCA also provides assistance to parents living in Hamilton, Hendricks, Johnson and Marion counties who need help locating child care (centers, homes, nannies and registered ministries), preschools, before/afterschool programs and summer programs. CCA is a member of the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA). For Marion, Hendricks, Hamilton and Johnson counties call 631-4643 or log-on to www.childcareanswers.com. For Hancock County, call (800) 554-9331; in Shelby County call (800) 856-9943 or (800) 554-9331; in Boone County call (800) 932-3302 and in Morgan County, call (800) 886-3952.

Assess whether a child care center is family-friendly - http://www.abcdependentcare.com/docs/family-friendly-care-centers-guide.pdf

Contact the National Association for the Education of Young Children for a NAEYC-accredited childcare provider or a great selection of parenting articles, books and brochures.

The National Child Care Information Center, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has information on brain development, how to choose childcare, health/safety, school-age care and more.

The Children's Bureau administers the Child Care Defense Fund, a federal program that assists low-income families (with a priority to serve those transitioning from public assistance to work) in Marion, Hamilton, Madison and Hendricks counties in obtaining childcare services. They are also the source for childcare vouchers. Call 545-5281 or visit their site. For Hancock, Henry and Rush counties, visit here.

Maternity

As an IUPUI employee, you may want to use FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) leave when an illness or pregnancy occurs or you are considering adoption. As early as possible, contact Human Resources at 274-8931 (Faculty Appointments & Advancement at 274-4627 for faculty) for specific FMLA eligibility requirements and additional information or visit

• http://www.indiana.edu/~uhrs/policies/uwide/fmla.html (staff employees)


• http://www.hra.iupui.edu/SM_Policy_Manual/policy/3_6.asp (service and maintenance employees)


• http://faa.iupui.edu/newFaa/benefits.asp (faculty).

For those who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, www.marchofdimes.com offers a wealth of information. You can also call 262-4668. Related information about prepregnancy nutrition can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/quiz.htm .

Visit the Web site of the Center of Excellence in Women's Health (located here at IUPUI) or their community-based women's health site for services such as monthly e-mail reminders, current women's health events in the community, "Ask the Center," etc. Their national partner, the National Women's Health Information Center has information on breastfeeding, menopause, pregnancy, girls' health and more.

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Other Maternity Resources

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Breastfeeding

The nutritional, emotional and immunological benefits of breastfeeding a baby are well substantiated. In addition, breastfeeding can help a mother bond with her baby, lower her risk of breast and ovarian cancers and lose her pregnancy-related weight more quickly. Moreover, there is the economic benefit of not having to purchase formula. As always, check with your doctor and make sure he/she is familiar with prescriptions you are taking, your overall health and any conditions your baby may have. Some helpful information can be found here. For special African American women's resources, click here.

IUPUI offers dedicated spaces for nursing mothers in the Engineering Building, 799 W. Michigan Street, room 130A; the Union Building, 640 Union Drive, room 130; and the Health Information and Translational Services Building, 410 W. 10th. There is also a small curtained area in the lounge of the west women's restroom of the AO Building. Contact Maggie Stimming for details.

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Other Breastfeeding Resources

If you need breastfeeding information and supplies, try Expressions, a store staffed by certified lactation consultants with locations in IU Hospital (278-8120) and Methodist Hospital (962-0496), go here.

Parents: Dads, Grandparents and Stepparents

National Fatherhood Initiative
Fathers Network
The Fatherhood Project
Especially for Young Dads in Central Indiana

Grandparents As Parents - AARP has helpful information about benefits, health insurance, legal issues and taxes for grandfamilies at http://www.aarp.org/families/grandparents/raising_grandchild .

National Stepfamily Resource Association.

Single Parents

Parents Without Partners

Solo Flight is a nondenominational group for single parents that is affiliated with St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 100 W. 86th St. FMI, call 846-3404, ext. 306.

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Other Single Parents Resources

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Children's Services

If you want to know about children's services (division of Families and Children local offices, adoption, Head Start, Step Ahead, First Steps, child support, etc.) in Indiana, go to the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration Web site.

Hoosier Healthwise is a health insurance program for Indiana children, pregnant women and low-income families. Call 1-800-889-9949 or visit their site to get information.

Education and Learning at All Ages

Want to know about the schools in Indiana, visit the Indiana Department of Education Web site At this Web site, you will find information on K-12 schools, charter schools and more. Information about ISTEP and current news articles that relate to education are also available. To search by county, go here.

• Information about Indiana Private/Non-Public Schools
  
• Information about Alternative Learning Programs
  
• Information about Indiana Universities and Colleges
• Information about Vocational Schools

Shared Information Services of Indiana loans educational materials, free of charge, to Indiana residents. Their materials are especially for the gifted/talented, but they have materials suitable for all learners.

Early Readers Club - for children up to six years of age in Hancock, Hendricks, Marion and Morgan counties.

Imagination Library is aimed at improving the early literacy of Marion County children by delivering a free book each month from birth to age five. If you live in Marion County, visit their site or call 211 to enroll your child.

Contact the National Institute for Early Education Research for research-based information on parenting, family involvement in education and/or education policy.

The Davidson Institute for the Gifted offers tips for parenting gifted kids, activities for gifted kids in a variety of disciplines (aeronautics, history, technology and many more), educators' resources, etc.

Dyslexia Institute of Indiana offers educational services for children, adolescents and adults with dyslexia.

Childhood Learning at All Stages teaches how to turn everyday moments into fun learning experiences and also informs about how nutrition, sleep and general health contribute to learning ability. It also provides advice for each stage between birth and the age of five. The site is recommended by the United Way and the Families and Work Institute.

Education Ideas for All Ages - From educational games to play with a preschooler, to ideas for middle schoolers, to exploring career choices as a high school or college student to making a career change as an adult, this site has it all. It even offers homework help, has material on paying for college, provides information about Core 40 and gives you information about many colleges and universities.

Helpful Homework sites.

Kids/Family Community Activities

Visit Indy's Child

Child Development, Behavior, Etc.

To gain a better understanding of ages and stages, take this quiz from University of Oregon..

Purdue University Extension Service has many publications of interest including, "Why Won't You Behave," "Helping Children Overcome Fears" and "Living With Your Teenager: Understanding Physical Changes." Go to http://www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/menu.htm, scroll down to the section labeled "Consumer and Family Sciences," and select Human Development (for most child-related publications) or select one of the other options that suits your interest (financial management, food safety, nutrition, home canning, estate planning, credit management, etc.).
If you would like access to University Extension information across the country, go to the Children, Youth and Families Education and Research Network

The Search Institute has developed 40 developmental assets for various ages and also provides tools. The assets lists are available in 14 languages.

Sign up for weekly updates on what's going on from early pregnancy to the toddler years. .

The National Institute of Child Health & Human Development contains a wealth of information. Consider going to the site, clicking on the site map, and checking out publications under "Health Information and Media."

The Nemours Foundation runs a terrific Web site with sections for parents, kids and teens.

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More Child Development Resources

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Wellness of Mind/Body/Spirit

Car Seat Safety for Children - They also have information about car seat safety for disabled children.

Crime Prevention Safety Tips for Kids

Help Stop Bullying - http://www.webmd.com/parenting/tc/bullying-how-adults-can-help-stop-bullying or http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/emotion/bullies.html

How to Help Deal with Kids' Cliques - http://www.bhg.com/health-family/school/back-to-school/combating-popular-kids-and-their-cliques or http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/friend/clique.html.

The Riley Community Education and Child Advocacy Department - offers a variety of educational resources, materials and programs on more than 15 areas of safety - fire, bike, water, poison, emergency numbers and home safety - for all children, including children with special needs.

The Riley Safety Store is a good place to purchase (for yourself or as a gift to the family with a new baby) all kinds of child safety items like cabinet locks, bike helmets, gun locks, fire smothering blankets, tub spout covers, window blind cord covers and more at very reasonable prices. Learn more.

Common Sense Wisdom for Raising Safe and Sound Kids - http://www.wecantalk.org/

Prevent Child Abuse - http://www.preventchildabuse.org/index.shtml

Child Abuse Hotline - 1-800-422-4453 or 1-800-800-5556 (Hendricks and Marion counties).

Signs of Child Physical Abuse - http://medicine.iu.edu/body.cfm?id=5212&oTopID=0

Signs of Child Neglect - http://medicine.iu.edu/body.cfm?id=5211&oTopID=0

Signs of Child Sexual Abuse - http://medicine.iu.edu/body.cfm?id=5210&oTopID=0

Signs of Emotional Maltreatment - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/signs.cfm and scroll down.

For those grieving the death of a child - http://www.compassionatefriends.org

The local Family Strengthening Coalition has a cool Web site . It lists fun local events of interest to families, ideas for family stay-at-home night and more. You might want to subscribe to their online newsletter, Indyfamilies Online, to get updates on events.

Ideas for Family Night at Home - http://images.exacttarget.com/members/3817/FamilyNightAtHomeBro.pdf

The American Academy of Pediatrics has great information on children's health and normal development.

Before you use that old crib, stroller or other item, check to see if it is on the recall list You can also find information at this site about recalls for food, boats, motor vehicles, medicine, cosmetics and more.

Talking to your kids about drugs is effective in preventing drug use. Want to learn more, go to http://www.theantidrug.com (for information in six languages), www.drugfreeamerica.org and www.family.samhsa.gov (this site also has information on choosing friends, discipline, rules/choices/consequences, etc.).

Fun sites on body weight and health for kids - www.kidnetic.org and http://www.bam.gov.

The Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation has good information and even chat rooms where you can share with other parents.

Want to be proactive in talking to children/teens about the importance of healthy relationships, go to the Liz Claiborne site and download your own copy of the publications, "A Parents Handbook: How to Talk to Your Children About Developing Healthy Relationships," "A Parent's Guide to Teen Dating Violence: 10 Questions to Start the Conversation," and "What You Need to Know About Dating Violence: A Teen's Handbook." Another good source is the Family Violence Prevention Fund Web site for "Coaching Boys Into Men."

Interested in information about safeguarding the health of low-income women and their infants and children up to age five who are at nutritional risk? The Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program provides nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating and referrals to health care. Contact WIC at http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/.

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Other Wellness Resources

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Kids/Teens and Money

Adoption

As an IUPUI employee, you may want to use FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) leave when you are adopting. As early as possible, contact Human Resources at 274-8931 (Faculty Appointments & Advancement at 274-4627 for faculty) for specific FMLA eligibility requirements and additional information or visit our website ( staff employees), (service and maintenance employees) or (faculty).

To learn about children available for adoption in central Indiana and about Indiana's legal regulations in regard to adoption, go to the Indiana Department of Child Services Web site.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is a comprehensive resource on all aspects of adoption. Visit them here.

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption Web site has a listing of resources, a newsletter and more.

For those who have adopted from China, here's a Chinese word/phrase guide - http://www.wku.edu/~yuanh/AudioChinese/index.html

Adoption research - http://www.umassmed.edu/adoption/index.aspx.

For information on adoption-related tax information, go to the Internal Revenue Service Web site and put the word "adoption" in the "Search" box.

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More Adoption Resources

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