In the news:

• Harvest at the White House Kitchen Garden
• Center Spotlight: Region 11
• Board Business: Fundraising

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November 8 - Election Day

CONGRATULATIONS to the following centers on their recent NAEYC re-accreditation:

• Uncle Sam's Academy for Tots- Kansas City, KS
• Green Byrne- Philadelphia, PA
• Diplotots Too- Washington DC

This year’s Fire Prevention campaign, “Don’t Wait – Check the Date! Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years,” represents the final year of the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) three-year effort to educate the public about basic but essential elements of smoke alarm safety.

Why focus on smoke alarms three years in a row? Because NFPA’s survey data shows that the public has many misconceptions about smoke alarms, which may put them at increased risk in the event of a home fire. For example, only a small percentage of people know how old their smoke alarms are, or how often they need to be replaced. Read more from NFPA Journal.

As a result of those and related findings, we’re addressing smoke alarm replacement this year with a focus on these key messages:

• Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years.
• Make sure you know how old all the smoke alarms are in your home.
• To find out how old a smoke alarm is, look at the date of manufacture on the back of the alarm; the alarm should be replaced 10 years from that date.

Get the answers to some frequently asked questions about replacing your smoke alarms.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.nfpa.org/public-education/campaigns/fire-prevention-week

Raising Awareness Celebrating Children's Environmental Health. 

For more information please visit: http://www.cehn.org/

Quote of the Month:

"You are never too old, too wack or too wild to pick up a book and read to a child."

-Dr. Seuss

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Harvest at the White House Kitchen Garden

Earlier this month two local GSA child care centers: Bright Horizons @NOAA in Silver Spring, MD and US Kids Child Development Center in DC participated in First Lady Michelle Obama’s final Kitchen Garden harvest.  To help with her final harvest Mrs. Obama invited children from the Let’s Move! programs from across the country. The GSA child care network was an early adopter of this program with 98% of our centers being Let’s Move! certified.

Over seven years ago the First Lady initiated the Let’s Move! Program.  This program focuses on healthier eating, increased physical activity, school nutrition food marketing. Planting and harvesting gardens has been a big part of Let’s Move! and many GSA centers have planted gardens as part of their programs. Following the harvest Mrs. Obama and her helpers enjoyed a lunch prepared with the fresh produce.  

Helping the First Lady and the children were: Elmo and Rosita from Sesame Street, NASA Astronaut Kjell Lindgren, Al Roker of The TODAY Show, singer Ashanti, NBA’s Alonzo Mourning, Farmer and CEO of Growing Power Will Allen, Burke County School Nutrition Director Donna Martin, and President of the Produce Marketing Association, Cathy Burns.

See more pictures of the event http://www.letsmove.gov/blog/2016/10/07/president-barack-obama-joins-first-lady-michelle-obama-her-final-white-house-kitchen

Learn more about the Let’s Move! program and what’s happening around the country with this interactive map. 

You can also learn more about the White House Kitchen Garden and follow along to see what’s growing on Instagram: @WHKitchenGarden or contact Pamela Ray the GSA/PBS Let’s Move! Child Care coordinator.

Center Spotlight: Region 11

Pictured: Terri Harding-Campbell (left) and Hester Paul, EHCC National Director (right)

Congratulations to Fingerprints Child Development Center, Washington DC, and Center Director Terri Harding-Campbell for their award recognition from the Eco-Healthy Child Care Program (EHCC).  Terri and her staff were highlighted by the program for their work to promote a safe and healthy environment for all children in their care and maintaining EHCC endorsement since 2010. Children’s Environmental Health Network (CEHN) EHCC program supports child care providers in creating settings that are as environmentally healthy as possible. EHCC also helps parents choose child care programs that are committed to healthy environments for children to learn and grow. For more information and to download a checklist, visit: www/cehn.org/ehcc. Also visit EHCC’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ehcc1

Board Business: Fundraising

We are right in the middle of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) fundraising season, so a lot of Board questions now are about fundraising in federal buildings. 

All Boards who are properly incorporated with tax exempt status may qualify to participate in the CFC.  A Board must apply in advance.  You can learn more about participating in the CFC at the OPM website.  

It’s important to know that during the CFC you are not allowed to run independent fundraisers in federal buildings.  Outside of the CFC season normal practice requires Boards to get a permit to conduct or advertise fundraising in the public areas of federal buildings.   A child care center planning a fundraising event should contact the building manager well in advance for specific permitting instructions.

A Quick Fundraising Idea:  The Board can sponsor an on-going center recycling sale by providing large plastic bins marked with different children’s ages.  As their children grow out of them, parents can donate gently used clothes and toys by putting them in the age appropriate bin.  Parents can also buy items from these bins, which allows them to get greatly reduced deals on age appropriate clothes and toys, as their children grow and mature.  For just the cost of the bins, the Board raises money throughout the year, while giving their parents an easy and no-fuss way of recycling and reducing clutter at home.

If you have any good fundraising ideas to share in future newsletters, please contact Jill Rhea at jill.rhea@gsa.gov or Sandy Axelrod at sandra.axelrod@gsa.gov