IUPUI Human Resources

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). You get the picture - it's great!

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.

Financial assistance is available to eligible Pell-Grant students with children. Vouchers, available from the Children's Bureau, are also accepted.

For those who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, www.marchofdimes.com offers a wealth of information. You can also call (317) 262-4668.

Visit the Web site of the Center of Excellence in Women's Health (located here at IUPUI) at www.iupui.edu/~womenhlt or their community-based women's health site, www.womenshealthtoday.org for services such as monthly e-mail reminders, current women's health events in the community, "Ask the CoE," etc. Their national partner, the National Women's Health Information Center, at http://www.4woman.gov, has information on breastfeeding, menopause, pregnancy, girls' health and more.

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 to www.clarian.org/expressions or try Mommies & Poppies, staffed by a labor and delivery nurse, at 931 E. 86th St., Suite 205 (257-0801 or www.mommies-poppies.com).

We recommend a book that's called "What to Expect When You're Expecting," by Arlene Eisenberg, Heidi E. Murkoff and Sandee E. Hathaway, B.S.N. You can borrow a copy from the IUPUI Work/Life office.

The Parents Without Partners Web site has a list of resources for single parents. Go to http://www.parentswithoutpartners.org, click on resources and scroll down for the list.

Solo Flight is a nondenominational group for single parents that is affiliated with St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 100 W. 86th St. The group meets the first and third Wednesday of each month and childcare is available on certain evenings. For more information, call 846-3404, ext. 332.

Women Helping Women Inc., a not-for-profit organization, was established to assist single mothers attempting to complete their college education by providing financial, emotional and educational support for both the mother and her child. The program also includes a mentoring program connecting professional women in the community with a recipient and helping them access a network of free/discounted professional women's services. Currently, Women Helping Women Inc. is assisting single moms who reside and attend college in Indiana only and IUPUI students have received help from this organization. To learn more, visit them at http://www.collegeattendingsinglemothers.org for information on donating to the cause or receiving assistance.

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 at http://www.in.gov/fssa/carefinder.

Child Care Answers (CCA) works to improve the quality and availability of child care in Central Indiana by providing 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 (317) 631-4643 or log-on to www.childcareanswers.com. For Hancock County, call (800) 554-9331 or (765) 529-4403; in Shelby County call (800) 856-9943 or (800) 554-9331; in Boone County call (800) 932-3302 or (765) 482-0674 and in Morgan County, call (765) 342-3948 or (800) 886-3952.

Want general information about types of care, accreditation, licensing, how to choose care, how to evaluate a provider or locating a local provider? Contact ChildCareAware, http://www.childcareaware.org. They even offer an online parenting newsletter and many parenting publications.

Looking for a NAEYC-accredited childcare provider or a great selection of parenting articles, books and brochures? Contact the National Association for the Education of Young Children at http://www.naeyc.org.

Looking for resources about fatherhood? Check out the National Fatherhood Initiative at http://www.fatherhood.org

The National Child Care Information Center, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at http://www.nccic.org, 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) to obtain childcare services. They are also the source for childcare vouchers. Go to http://www.childrensbureau.org or call (317) 545-5281.

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 (317) 636-9197, Ext. 227, or go to http://www.daynursery.org.

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 at http://www.state.in.us/fssa/.

Want to know about the schools in Indiana, visit the Indiana Department of Education Web site at http://www.doe.state.in.us. At this Web site you will find information on K-12 schools, alternative learning programs, charter schools, private schools, vocational schools and colleges/universities. Information about ISTEP and current news articles that relate to education are also available.

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. Go to http://www.bsu.edu/sis.

Is research-based information on parenting, family involvement in education and/or education policy what you are looking for? Contact the National Institute for Early Education Research at http://nieer.org/

Want to know about activities that are available for children in Indianapolis? Go to Indy's Child at http://www.indyschild.com, then go to "Site Search" at upper right, enter date you are interested in and select "Calendar"; you'll be amazed at all the options.

Want access to information on child development? 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 at www.cyfernet.org.

We recommend the books, "What to Expect the First Year" (available to borrow from IUPUI Work/Life office) and "What to Expect the Toddler Years," by Arlene Eisenberg, Heidi E. Murkoff and Sandee E. Hathaway, B.S.N. as well as Penelope Leach's "Your Baby and Child: From Birth to Age Five."

The local Family Strengthening Coalition has a cool Web site at http://www.indyfamilies.org/ 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.

The American Academy of Pediatrics at http://www.aap.org has great information on children's health and normal development.

The National Institute of Child Health & Human Development contains a wealth of information. Go to http://www.nichd.nih.gov. 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. Go to http://www.kidshealth.org

Car Seat Safety for Children - http://www.preventinjury.org - They also have information about car seat safety for disabled children.

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

Connect for Kids offers resources on child health/development, parenting, television/media, fathers, learning disabilities, diversity awareness, crime/violence and legislation affecting children. Go to http://www.connectforkids.org.

Go to http://www.cabf.org for the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation. They have 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 at http://www.loveisnotabuse.com/ 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. Visit their Web site, www.fvpf.org to get, "Coaching Boys Into Men." THESE ARE GREAT!

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

For information about the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), contact http://www.cms.hhs.gov/schip/

Go to http://www.kidsmoney.org for information on allowances, kids and work, current books, etc., in English, Spanish, French, German and Portuguese.

The Jump$tart Coalition has information for kindergarteners to adults. Much of it is designed for teachers, but individuals may find it helpful, too. Go to http://www.jumpstart.org.

The Mint Web site has good information about the parents' role in helping their children be financially literate. They also have teacher information and information for the kids themselves. Go to http://themint.org/index.php.

Cost of college attendance minus expected family contribution (EFC) = financial need for federal college aid programs and at most higher education institutions, so it is important to know what the costs for the colleges that your child might consider are and how that particular college/university figures the expected family contribution (what types of income and assets are assessable and at what percentage, etc.). This information can help you determine where to put the money you are saving for college expenses.

The federal Department of Education (1-800-433-3243, 1-800-730-8913 for TTY users or http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/map.htm) has information on grants, loans, scholarships, the FAFSA (financial aid application form that is used to determine the expected family contribution for federal and most college financial aid), help filling it out, etc. I suggest clicking on "Expected Family Contribution" and downloading the Student Guide it refers to as a good starting place and (if your student is a senior) click on "Deadlines," too. I also suggest going to www.ifap.ed.gov and clicking on "EFC Formula Worksheets and Tables" as this is where you can see what sources of income and assets are assessed and at what percentage for federal aid (some colleges/universities may be different). At this time, federal programs assess parents' income and assets at a lower percentage rate than the income and assets of students. Other good sources of information are www.finaid.org, http://studentaid.ed.gov and www.collegegoalsunday.org to learn about getting help with FAFSA in February in your area.

Good sources of Indiana-specific information include the Indiana Career and Postsecondary Advancement Center, http://www.icpac.indiana.edu/ which offers topics such as how to finance college (describes 529, Coverdell, etc. briefly, but get more comprehensive information before making a decision), GRAD magazine (for college grads); www.indnext.com (home of Next magazine) and www.state.in.us/ssaci which offers scholarship information. Your local high school guidance counselor is another good source.

Each financial situation is different, so it is important to look at various options and to start planning long before your student is a senior in high school. For information on Indiana's 529 college savings plan (called CollegeChoice 529 in Indiana), go to http://www.in.gov/tos/p_links.htm. While some think 529 plans are the way to go, in consideration of your unique situation, you may want to compare to Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, Uniform Gift or Transfers to Minors Account, U.S. Savings Bonds, Lifetime Learning Credits, Hope Scholarship Credits, universal life insurance policies, IRAs, etc. Consider whether federal and state tax implications (tax-deferred earnings, tax-free withdrawals, restrictions), which expenses qualify, how much personal control of funds/earnings/how earnings are invested you want, what the contribution limits are, who can contribute, estate ramifications, etc.

For information on the SAT and how to fund college (including a cost calculator), go to www.collegeboard.org. For ACT information, go to www.act.org.

IUPUI sponsors Upward Bound to assist low-income 9^th and 10^th grade students from Arlington High School, Arsenal Technical High School, Broad Ripple High School, Emmerich Manual High School, Northwest High School and Warren Central High School . Go to http://uc.iupui.edu/earlystudents/ub.asp

Adoption can be a rewarding experience but sorting through the process can be difficult and time-consuming. Here is some information that can help.

As an IUPUI employee considering adoption, you may want to consider using FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) leave. As early as possible, contact Human Resources at 274-8931 (274-4627 for faculty) for specific FMLA eligibility requirements and additional information or visit http://www.hra.iupui.edu/Policy_Manual/policy/10_8.html (staff employees); http://www.hra.iupui.edu/SM_Policy_Manual/policy/3_6.asp (service and maintenance employees). (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 Family and Social Services Administration Web site at http://www.state.in.us/fssa/.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Adoption Information Clearinghouse is a comprehensive resource on all aspects of adoption. You can contact them at http://naic.acf.hhs.gov/

RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association has information on infertility, treatment, coping, pregnancy and adoption. You can also find your local chapter. Go to http://www.resolve.org/main/national/index.jsp?name=home.

For information on adoption-related tax information, go to the Internal Revenue Service Web site at http://www.irs.ustreas.gov and put the word "adoption" in the "Search IRS Web site for" box.

Patricia Irwin Johnson - "Taking Charge of Infertility" - has a good chapter on decision-making and one on considering adoption
Patricia Irwin Johnson - "Launching a Baby's Adoption"
Patricia Irwin Johnson - "Adopting After Infertility"
Lois Melina - "Raising Adopted Children"
H. David Kirk - "Shared Fate: A Theory and Method of Adoptive Relationships" - a classic (and helpful) sociological study of adoption
Cheri Register - "Are Those Kids Yours?: American Families with Children Adopted from Other Countries"
Mary Hopkins-Best - "Toddler Adoption: The Weaver's Craft" - excellent on adopting children over 12 months of age and really helpful with second adoptions
Mary Watkins and Susan Fisher - "Talking with Young Children About Adoption"
Jean and Michael Carter - "Sweet Grapes" - has a terrific chapter on considering adoption
Jana Wolff - "Secret Thoughts of an Adoptive Mother" - very funny and brutally honest

Have a question about or a suggestion for the content on this website?
Contact mstimmin@iupui.edu. Having technical problems? Contact gbrenner@iupui.edu.
WORK / LIFE WEBSITE MAP - IUPUI Human Resources Administration Website