Articles

Is your preschooler ready to go to summer camp? Many preschool summer camps operate out of nursery schools and daycare centers, but there are some things parent need to take into account before they send their preschoolers to camp.

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Not sending your kids to summer camp this year or going on a vacation and need some things to do with your kids during the long summer months? Taken from our guide Terri Mauro's great Camp Mom tips, here are some great ideas to make the summer days with your kids, entertaining, enlightening and a whole lot of fun.

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Apryl Duncan, one of our About.com guides, came up with a wonderful idea of parents coming together in a co-op babysitting group where parents would watch each other's kids for free, thus saving money and never having to worry about scarmbling for a teenage sitter you may not know or trust.

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There's nothing more important than the safety of your child, so when you or your spouse has something come up at the last minute, a go-to list of emergency providers is incredibly important when you're short on time.

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After returning to work from maternity leave, many new mothers will start to worry about their company's "mommy track", or the work-life balance your company gives working mothers. Balancing your home life with the rigors of a pressure-packed work environment is not for everyone and talking to other working moms in the company will provide a good idea of what the future will hold.

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It's coming, really, it is. Spring will be here in just a few short weeks and all those cold winds and snow storms that plagued the entire U.S. this year will be history. The change of season often means breaks form school and daycare. If you're planning to take some time together to welcome the warm weather, enjoy it with these 12 ideas for celebrating the spring season with kids.

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Goodbye to all my loyal readers.  This is my last blog I will write as the About.com Guide to Child Care.  I have had an incredible journey the past 5 1/2 years serving as your guide, and have become a much better parent because of it.  Finding quality and affordable child care has always been a topic very near and dear to my heart, and I hope I have helped others find childcare solutions along the way.  With three kids, I have utilized the services of an in-home provider, institutional daycare, a gamut of babysitters, and even a nanny.  Mostly, I have been quite pleased with the care my children have received.  But, now, my youngest is approaching the age of 10, and this parent is turning her interests to life beyond daycare.   I look forward to continuing to utilize About.com as a reference to my next stage in life:  tweens and teens!  At the same time, the childcare care site will continue to promote helpful information for parents, so keep childcare.about.com bookmarked!   Hug those kids, and God bless! 

U.S. military families now have a new resource to helpthem  locate quality child care.  Sittercity is offering a free membership, funded by the Department of Defense, to aid in searches for military caregivers.  Sittercity has more than 1 million in-depth caregiver profiles showcasing caregivers and includes reviews from families, background checks, references, and more.  It also serves as a natural resource for military families to find military subsidized daycare providers or providers who have authorized access to a military installation site. 

President Obama has proposed almost doubling the child care tax credit for middle-class families.  This is one of the latest administrative initiatives that are hoped to reassure Americans nervous about today's economy.  The proposal is one of five new recommendations from the president's Middle Class Task Force.  Obama is pushing to increase the Child and Development Care Tax Credit rate from 20 percent to 35 percent for familes who make less than $85,000 a year.  Families whose incomes are between $85,000 and $115,000 annually will see an increase in their tax credit as well, under the proposal.  Further, low-income families would receive a $1.6 billion increase in child care funding.  This is the largest annual uncrease in 20 years.  These task force recommendations, including others, will be included in President OBama's proposal 2011 fiscal year budget, which is set to be unveiled on Feb. 1.

I am so very proud of how children across America have teamed with teachers, caregivers, and families to help those in need in Haiti after the horrific earthquakes and toll on human lives.  My youngest child's school is having a coin drive, where kids bring in spare change, which will then be sent to the Red Cross.  Is your family or your child's school or daycare doing something to help out here or in another way?  If so, do you mind sharing the details?