A bite counter may help your kids grow healthier teeth ?

The Japanese may get little crazy, or they’re the kind of weird parents who think getting the kids to bite as many times as possible in a day would lead them to grow with better teeth ?

The gadget presented to you here is a headgear which comes with two ear hooks which is to be worn like glasses, and a pad shall be nicely placed under the chin to measure the number of bites. This bite counter even plays a jingle when your kid has reached the 1,000 chews, to celebrate for this special occasion.

Putting Your Child Up For Adoption

Even considering putting your child up for adoption can be
one of the most difficult things a parent will ever have to
do in their lives.

The decision, however, is a gesture of love because you
know you are doing what is the best for that child and
their future.

There are many ways to put your child up for adoption and
also many different reasons this might be a good option or
the only option.

Sometimes, a parent or parents might know from the start
that adoption is the best way to go. This can be due to
many different factors.

The parent or parents might be very young, they might know
they can?t handle a child due to emotional or mental
issues, or they might not be able to support a child
financially.

All of these or a combination of them can lead to a
decision to put a child up for adoption.

There are a couple common types of adoption available if
you are in this situation.

There is the closed adoption where you give your child to
an agency that later places the child. This type doesn?t
allow you to give any input whatsoever. The agency will
make the choice they feel is best.

Open adoption might allow you to choose who the adopted
parents will be and have visits or other contact available
throughout the years.

Before you decide what type of adoption is the best for
you, it?s always a good idea to consult an adoption
attorney.

Each country and state have different laws regarding
adoption and it?s a good idea to get familiar with them
before you do anything at all.

Children Needs A to Z

From A to Z

Appreciation, for all they bring into our lives

Balance, somewhere between too little and too much

Commitment, it's the little things we do each day that matter

Dreams, to touch the future

Empathy, remember what it was like to be a child

Family and friends, everyone needs someone to love

Guidance, actions speak louder than words

H ealthy habits, to nurture body, mind and spirit

Inspiration, to explore beauty, wonder and mystery

Joy, sprinkle laughter and happiness daily

Kindness, to learn to care for others as they are cared for

Limits, set boundaries and consequences together

Mentors, to give wings to their aspirations

Nature, to delight in rainbow butterflies and shooting stars

Opportunities, to discover what truly makes their heart sing

Play, the "work" of childhood

Quiet time, to recharge their batteries

Responsibilities, to build self¬ esteem and self-confidence

Security, feeling safe is essential for growth

Traditions keep the family tree alive and sprout new branches

Unconditional love, for who they are, not for what they do

Values live yours and encourage them to find theirs

Words of encouragement, "You can do it, I believe in you

Xoxoxo's, hug and kiss them each and every day

Your presence more than your presents

Zzzzzzzs a good night's sleep

WHAT IS THE PRICE OF YOUR CHILDS LIFE?

By Michael Rivero

No, seriously, how much would you charge me to let me kill your kid? I'll make up a whole batch of comfortable lies about it so you can assuage your guilt when your kid comes home in a cheap box with a cheaper flag draped over it, but, c'mon, let's talk money here. How much?
No?

Ummm, okay, how much will you charge me to let someone else's kids get killed? Better deal, huh? You don't have to know them, and I'll try to make sure you don't have to see them.

I know the above sounds absurd, but this deal has indeed been made. In exchange for money, a certain group of people have agreed to let your kids be killed. That group is the United States Congress. And for the last several years, many of them have been accepting money from AIPAC, a supposed lobbying group that stands exposed as a spy operation for a foreign government, in order to promote that foreign government's agenda, which includes war in the Mideast, waged against that foreign government's enemies.

This selling of America's children to a foreign government to be that government's mercenaries has to rank as the greatest single betrayal of a people by their government in all of history. So, let is take it one step at a time.

First off, let us follow the money. There is no question that US Congressmen have been accepting money from pro-Israel lobbyists, AIPAC chief among them. This is beyond doubt, as even the Congressional financial disclosure records record the amounts given and accepted.

Full Article: http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/priceofyourchild.html

Hersh: children raped at Abu Ghraib, Pentagon has videos

Hersh: children raped at Abu Ghraib, Pentagon has videos

Posted by Xeni Jardin, July 15, 2004 12:22 PM

From Daily Kos' partial transcript in New Yorker of a video of Seymour Hersh speaking at an ACLU event. He says the US government has videotapes of children being raped at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

" Some of the worst things that happened you don't know about, okay? Videos, um, there are women there. Some of you may have read that they were passing letters out, communications out to their men. This is at Abu Ghraib ... The women were passing messages out saying 'Please come and kill me, because of what's happened' and basically what happened is that those women who were arrested with young boys, children in cases that have been recorded.

The boys were sodomized with the cameras rolling. And the worst above all of that is the soundtrack of the boys shrieking that your government has. They are in total terror. It's going to come out. There's also a piece worth reading in this week's Newsweek about new allegations of rape and sexual torture at Abu Ghraib. Feature includes details on the identities of the Iraqi prisoners shown in those widely-circulated photographs -- including Satar Jabar (charged with carjacking, not terrorism), whose iconic hooded figure with wires attached is derisively described by many Iraqis as the "Statue of Liberty."

Mathematical Genius in India set Guinness World Record

Entering the Guinness Book of World Records is a dream for many. And 13-year-old Nischal Narayanam has entered the Guinness records not once, but twice. The teen genius successfully completed his new feat at an event at Taj Krishna in the presence of some distinguished guests.

Nischal memorised 132 digits within a span of one minute and read it out in the same order without any error. With this feat, he entered the Guinness record for the second time. Chief Minister K Rosaiah acted as the witnessing judge to the whole programme and praised the talented child protagonist for the stunning accomplishment. Rosaiah who had in the past too attended Nischal’s programme, said, “I am very pleased to see such a feat and this boy is very gifted. I congratulate Nischal on behalf of the State and Central government for successfully passing this memory related test. We expect to see more such wonderful acts from him.”

Roshaiah felt that Nischal could be a inspiration to the future generation. The wonder child Nischal first stepped in to the Guinness hall of fame when he was 11. He memorised around 225 random objects within a minute and broke his mentor Squadron leader R Jayasimha’s previous record. Expressing happiness over his student breaking his record, Jayasimha shared, “I have been training Nischal from past two years and since four months we were working on this feat. Though he is gifted with natural abilities, it is his sheer determination and concentration that brought him to this stage.” Nischal has not only excelled in memory tests but also on the academic front. Nischal had become the youngest school

finalist at the age of 13 by passing IGCSE, AS and A levels of Cambridge University equivalent to 10th, 11th and 12th standards respectively in India, all in just one academic year 2008-2009. Nischal is also the youngest person to pass the common proficiency test of the chartered accountancy.

The guests who witnessed the event include Chief Election Officer I V Subba Rao, Additional DGP Law and Order A K Khan, P Ramakrishnam Raju, retired Judge of High Court and G Kishan Rao, Director, Chowmahalla Palace.

Most Number of Child Birth inside Mobile Vans set World Record

Claiming its mobile emergency health service a success, Uttarakhand government is planning to seek the state's entry into the 'Guinness Book of World Records' for having provided facilities for the birth of 784 children in moving vans during 16 months time.

"Birth of children inside mobile vans in such a large number is a world record and the state would soon send its claim to the Guinness Book of World Records in this regard," said Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank.

"With the help of these vans, a total of 28905 women were admitted to the hospitals where they delivered babies during the period," said Nishank, who also holds the health ministry.

Considering the geographical conditions of the hill state where people especially women generally do not get appropriate and timely medical help, the 108 emergency mobile health services have proved very useful, Nishank said.

The service was launched by the state government in collaboration with Hyderabad based Emergency Medical and Research Institute, a private company, in 2008 to provide medical facilities in remote areas.

The Chief Minister said the response time of this service is very less and the mobile vans reach the needy persons in 8-10 minutes.

So far the 108 services have received 25,42,135 calls and of these 30,09902 were emergency ones. Besides, 90,890 people were also provided emergency facilities through the service, he added.

Worlds Heaviest Baby Born by Indonesian Woman

Worlds Heaviest Baby Born by Indonesian Woman

An Indonesian woman has given birth to the heaviest baby ever born in the country, a boy weighing in at an eye-watering 19lbs. We take a look at some of the other extreme sizes and shapes the human body can reach.

Heaviest baby ever

Sadly, the heaviest baby ever born, in January 1979 in Ohio, USA, died after just 11 hours. The boy weighed 23lb 12oz. His Canadian mother, Anna Bates, was herself was an unusual woman at 7ft 5in tall.

The heaviest surviving newborn seems to have been a 22lb 8oz boy born to one Carmelina Fedele in Aversa, Italy, in September 1955.

World's Lightest baby ever
Of course, babies are often born prematurely, and before a certain point they are unlikely to survive. But the lightest baby to have survived was Amillia Taylor, who weighed just 10oz – less than a thirtieth of the weight of the Indonesian newborn.
Amillia was born after just 21 weeks and six days in the womb in February 2007 in Miami, Florida, to parents Sonja and William.

World's Heaviest man ever
Jon Brower Minnoch, of Bainbridge Island, Washington, is believed to have been the heaviest man ever to have lived, weighing an estimated 1,400lb or 100 stone – well over half a ton. This is only an approximation as his size meant it was impossible to get him on a scale.
Married with two children, he was also the holder of two other records: greatest weight loss (924lb – almost two-thirds of his body weight); and greatest difference in weight in a married couple, with his wife Jeanette. Jeanette weighed just 110lb (eight stone) – less than 1/12th the weight of her husband. Mr Minnoch died in 1983, aged 42.
The heaviest living man was believed to be Manuel Uribe of Mexico, until he lost more than half his bodyweight following gastric bypass surgery.

World's Heaviest woman ever
Carol Yager of Beecher, Michigan, was the heaviest woman ever to have lived, peaking at 545kg (1,200lb, or 85.8 stone). She also achieved the greatest non-surgical weight loss, losing 520lb in three months. She died in 2006, aged 34.
World's Tallest man ever
Robert Wadlow of Alton, Illinois, measured 8ft 11in at his death aged 22. A pituitary gland problem had given him unusually high levels of human growth hormone, and he was still growing when he died from an infection caused by a faulty leg brace, which he required to walk.
He was known as the “Alton Giant”, and is buried in a half-ton coffin.

World's Tallest living man
Sultan Kosen, of Mardin, Turkey, born in 1983, is the world’s tallest living man according to Guinness World Records. He is 8ft 1in tall. He also has the world’s largest hands.

World's Tallest woman ever
Trijntje Keever, of Edam in the Netherlands, was 8ft 4in tall at her death aged 17 in 1633. She was 6ft 7 at the age of nine and was visited by Frederick V, King of Bohemia, who was curious about the “nine-year-old girl taller than every man in Europe.”
World's Tallest living woman
Believed to be Yao Defen of Anhui Province, China, although the Guinness Book of World Records has not confirmed this. She is 37 years old, and said to be 7ft 8in tall.

World's Shortest man ever
Gul Mohammed, of New Delhi, is the shortest adult human being ever, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. He stood just 1ft 10in. He died, aged 40, of respiratory problems brought on by heavy smoking.

World's Lightest woman ever
Lucia Zarate, of San Carlos, Mexico, is said by the Guinness Book of Records to have been the lightest woman ever, at just 4.7lb, and one of the shortest at 21.5 inches tall. Her calf was barely thicker than the average adult male’s thumb.
She died of hypothermia when her circus train became stranded in snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in 1890.

Michelle Duggar gives birth to 18th Child

Associated Press

ROGERS, Ark. – An Arkansas woman has given birth to her 18th child.

Michelle Duggar delivered the baby girl by Caesarean section Thursday at Mercy Medical Center in Rogers. The baby, named Jordyn-Grace Makiya Duggar, weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces and was 20 inches long.

"The ultimate Christmas gift from God," said Jim Bob Duggar, the father of the 18 children. "She's just absolutely beautiful, like her mom and her sisters."

The Duggars now have 10 sons and eight daughters.

Jim Bob Duggar said Michelle started having contractions Wednesday night. She needed the C-section, her third, because the baby was transverse. Jim Bob said both baby and mother were doing well Thursday night.

"We both would love to have more," he said.

The cable network TLC broadcasts a weekly show about the Duggars, called Seventeen and Counting. Chris Finnegan of TLC – which handles public relations for the Duggar family – said the show's name would be updated to account for the latest addition to the family. He said TLC also will air a show Monday on the baby's delivery. The Duggars have also had a book published recently.

Jim Bob Duggar is 43, a year older than his wife. Their oldest child, Joshua, is 20.

The other Duggar children, in between Joshua and Jordyn-Grace, are Jana, 18; John-David, 18; Jill, 17; Jessa, 16; Jinger, 14; Joseph, 13; Josiah, 12; Joy-Anna, 11; Jeremiah, 9; Jedidiah, 9; Jason, 8; James, 7; Justin, 6; Jackson, 4; Johannah, 3; and Jennifer, 1.

"Our whole family is excited about Jordyn's addition to our family," Jim Bob Duggar said. "She's just perfect in every way."

Courtesy: dallasnews.com

24 Ways to Brighten Your Morning

The Wake-Up Routine

The morning is probably no one's favorite part of the day, particularly if you stayed up the night before to watch Leno orJaws for the seventeenth time. Remember: Stress and anxiety wreak havoc on your immunity. Enter your day happy and relaxed, and you greatly increase your chances of a healthy, productive day. 

1. Go to sleep with your blinds or curtains halfway open. That way, the natural light of the rising sun will send a signal to your brain to slow its production of melatonin and bump up its production of adrenaline, a signal that it's time to wake up. When the alarm goes off, you'll already be half awake. Even better: Go to bed early enough so that waking up when the sun shines through your window still gives you the recommended seven hours of shut-eye. If you maintain this routine, it's likely that you can start relying on your biological clock rather than an alarm clock. 


2. Set your alarm 15 minutes earlier. This way, you don't have to jump out of bed and rush through your morning. You can begin your morning by lying in bed, slowly waking up. Stretching. Listening to the news headlines. Mentally clicking off what you're going to wear, what you're going to do, what you're going to have for breakfast. It's just as important to prepare yourself mentally as physically for your day. These few minutes in bed, before anyone else is up, are all yours.

3. Stretch every extremity for 15 seconds. Try this even before you open your eyes. Lift your arm and begin by stretching each finger, then your hand, then your wrist, then your arm. Then move on to the other arm. Then your toes, feet, ankles, and legs. Finally, end with a neck and back stretch that propels you out of the bed. You've just limbered up your muscles and joints and enhanced the flow of blood through your body, providing an extra shot of oxygen to all your tissues. 

4. Stick a chair in the shower and sit in it. Use one of those plastic chairs you can buy at any hardware store. Let it warm up under the spray for a minute, then sit in it and let the spray beat on your back. It's simultaneously relaxing and energizing, like getting a water massage. After a couple of minutes, you can swing the chair out of the way and commence with washing. 

5. Read a motivational quote every morning. This can provide a frame for the day, a sort of self-talk that keeps you motivated in the right direction as opposed to the negative thinking of the morning news. Another option: Use a motivational mantra that provides a meditation-like burst, or read or recite a poem that helps you focus. A good one to use: Rudyard Kipling's "If." 

6. Take a vitamin. Keep a multivitamin out on the kitchen counter right by the coffeepot so you remember to take one every morning. More than 20 years of research led to a major recommendation in one of the country's premier medical journals suggesting that every American take a multivitamin as part of a healthy lifestyle. 

7. Eschew any decisions. For truly relaxing mornings, reduce the number of choices and decisions you make to zero. Go about this two ways: First, make your morning decisions the night before: what clothes to wear, what breakfast to eat, what route to take to work, and so on. Second, routinize as much of your morning as possible. Really, there's no need to vary your breakfast, timetable, or bathroom ritual from one morning to the next. 

8. Cuddle with your kids. Few things are more stressful in the morning than waking up an overtired fifth grader or a snoring high schooler. Yet this is one of the few times you can catch your child still vulnerable. Sit on his bed and gently smooth his hair as you softly waken him. Or, if you're dealing with a very young child, lie beside him and gently hug him awake. Such a moment will send a quiet surge of joy through your entire day and will become all too rare in all too short a time. 

9. Spend 5 to 10 minutes each morning listening to music or sitting on the deck or porch just thinking. This allows the creative thinking that takes place during the night to gel and form into a plan of action, grounding you for the day. 

10. Wake to the smell of coffee. Really great coffee. Buy the absolute best coffee you can afford -- fresh beans are preferred -- and put twice the amount you've been using into your coffee maker, the one you bought specifically because it has an alarm that can be set to start brewing times. The strong scent of strong coffee will pull you out of bed like a fishhook in the back of your pajamas. Plus, if you're going the caffeine route, morning is the best time for it. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that acts in many ways like other stimulant drugs such as amphetamines, waking you up and increasing your muscular activity. Even better: A study of 18 men found that caffeine improved clear-headedness, happiness, and calmness, as well as the men's ability to perform on attention tests and to process information and solve problems. 

11. Brush your tongue for one minute. There's no better way to rid yourself of morning breath and begin your day minty fresh and clean. After all, more than 300 types of bacteria take up residence in your mouth every night. You think a quick brush over the teeth is going to vanquish them all? 

12. Take a baby aspirin. There. You've just significantly reduced your risk of a heart attack. In one study of 220,000 doctors, those who took an aspirin every day for five years slashed their heart attack risk nearly in half. Of course, check with your doctor first to make sure this is okay for you. 

Stay Organized and Healthy

13. Use real sugar in your coffee, or drink a cup of orange juice. When researchers at the University of Virginia tested the memories of healthy 60- to 80-year-olds, they found those who had a small amount of sugar in the morning (the experimenters compared sweetened to unsweetened lemonade) even before breakfast had better memory recall that day on into the following day. We're talking small amounts, however, about a teaspoon or less; so put down that doughnut. 

14. Check your morning calendar. This is the large calendar or white board you've hung in a prominent position in your kitchen. On it, you write everything you need to know for that particular day, from kids' activities to whether the guy is coming to service the furnace to whether it's time to pay bills. Check it out carefully while you sip that first cup of coffee or morning tea; it will help you structure your day in your mind and avoid the stressful effects of forgetting something important. 

15. Swallow 500 mg of calcium citrate. Your body is better at absorbing this form of calcium than the other commonly used form, calcium carbonate, found in antacids like Tums and Rolaids. You'll need at least another 500 mg before you go to bed. 

16. Drink eight ounces of water. You've been fasting all night and you wake each morning dehydrated. 

17. Create a checklist for your kids. If you don't have kids, skip this one. But if you do, this is a biggie. To cut down on morning chaos, hang a white board in the hallway or kitchen and list all the things that must be done before the kids can leave: brush teeth, eat breakfast, get backpack together, make bed, and so on. Have them check off or erase each item once it's completed. You can do the same thing with lists printed out from your computer. Set aconsequence: If all items aren't checked off 5 minutes before you need to leave, there's no TV, PlayStation, dessert, or computer time that night. 

18. Keep a wicker basket for yourself and each child by the front or back door. Into it go your keys, wallet, purse, and the child's backpack, papers, gloves, hats, etc. This will prevent that frantic last-minute scouring of the house as you look for lost items.

19. Split up in the morning. That means you use one bathroom and your partner uses another. Even if you are still madly in love, bathroom time should be private time. It makes for a calmer, less stressful start to your day. 

20. Wash more efficiently. We spend an average of about 12 minutes in the shower. That's fine when you're preparing for date night. But in the morning, you need to get in and out quickly. If you're not into showering the night before (we do understand about bed head) try using two-in-one products like a cleanser that both cleans and moisturizes or a combination shampoo and conditioner. When you wash your body, just hit the hot spots, i.e., your groin and underarms. Everything else can just be rinsed off. The health benefit: reducing stress by saving time. 

21. Prepare an emergency outfit in your closet. Include socks, jewelry, hose, etc., so on those mornings when you sleep through the alarm or simply need an extra 10 minutes, you can just pluck it off the hanger and go. 

22. Dry more efficiently. Start with an oversized, 100 percent cotton bath sheet for maximum blotting. Towel-dry your hair and let it air-dry while you do your makeup or put on your underwear. Then, if you use a blow-dryer, make it a high-energy one, at least 1,600 watts. Anything else is just wasting precious time. 

23. Hop on the treadmill for 30 minutes. Studies find that people who work out in the morning are more likely to stick with their exercise regimen because they get it out of the way and don't have all day to come up with diversions and excuses. Plus, you will produce endorphins that will last most of the day. 

24. Kiss all the people you love in your house (including the dog and cat) before you leave. Connecting with the ones you love soothes stress and provides you with a positive start to your day, as well as keeping you focused on what's really important says therapist Barbara Bartlein, L.C.S.W., author of Why Did I Marry You Anyway? 125 Strategies for a Happy Marriage. 

UK Police Go Online To Warn Kids Of Social Website Dangers

UK police launched a website to warn children as young as eight about the dangers of putting their personal details on social networking sites such as MySpace and Bebo.

The site — THINKUKNOW CYBER CAFÉ — has an online cafe where children can learn about the dangers of revealing too much about themselves online. It warns them not to give away their real name, full address and mobile phone number and to think twice before posting their pictures.

The child exploitation and online protection centre, a police agency set up to tackle child sex abuse, said it receives about 10 reports each month relating to children aged between eight and 11.

"We want children to use the Internet," said CEOP chief executive Jim Gamble," but we want them to do it in a way that safeguards their time in the virtual world." (Times Of India)

13 Things Your Child's Teacher Won't Tell You

1. My rule for hormonal middle-schoolers: Keep your hands where I can see them.

2. My first year of teaching, a fifth-grader actually threw a chair at me. I saw him recently, and he told me he just graduated from college. That’s what makes it all worthwhile.

3. I have parents who are CEOs of their own companies come in and tell me how to run my classroom. I would never think to go to their office and tell them how to do their jobs.

4. We don’t arrive at school 10 minutes before your child does. And we don’t leave the minute they get back on the bus. Many of us put in extra hours before and after school.

5. We are not the enemy. Parents and teachers really are on the same side.

6. The truth is simple: Your kid will lie to get out of trouble.

7. Encourage your child to keep reading. That’s key to success in the classroom at any age.

8. We can tell the difference between a parent helping their child with homework and doing it for them (especially when they’re clueless in class the next day).

9. Teaching is a calling. There’s not a teacher alive who will say she went into this for the money.

10. Just because your child says he did his homework doesn’t mean it’s true. You must check. Every night.

11. Teaching is not as joyful as it once was for many of us; we get jaded too. Disrespectful students and belligerent parents take a toll on us.

12. Parents give their kids the pricey gadgets and labels, but what kids really crave is for you to talk to them. They want to know you are interested in their lives.

13. We spend money out of our own pockets to buy things our students need, such as school supplies and even shoes.

14. Supportive, involved parents are crucial. But some are “helicopter parents”--they hover too much.

15. Having the summer off is great, but many of us have to take on extra jobs--teaching summer school, tutoring--to make ends meet.

16. Success is not achieved by just making kids memorize flash cards and prepping them for an Ivy League school. Sensible parents know there is a college for every kid, and that responsibility and good citizenship are what really drive success.

17. Nobody says “the dog ate my homework” anymore, but we hear a lot of “I left it on the kitchen table.” And then Mom will send in a note to back up the story.

18. We wish parents would make their kids own up to their actions instead of pressuring us to bend the rules.

19. Please stop doing everything for your child and allow them to make mistakes. How else will they learn? Kids are not motivated to succeed because they feel their parents will bail them out every time.

20. There are days when I just want to quit, but then that one smile from that one kid, changes it all.

Sources: American Federation of Teachers; interviews with elementary and middle school teachers in California, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, and Texas.

Family day care providers get encouragement, useful tips from mentors during visits arranged by Child Care Connection Visits

Heather Dodd has been taking care of children for seven years in a basement room she converted for her child care business at 17th and Madison in Quincy.

But it took a second pair of eyes to help her see how some small changes, like a coat of paint or a sturdier gate, could improve the quality of care she offered the children in her home.

Dodd was one of 45 family day care providers who benefited from a two-year mentoring program offered by the West Central Child Care Connection. The program was funded by the Community Foundation of the Quincy Area's Communityworks Fund. The foundation provided $25,000 each year in matching funds from the Grand Victoria Fund to provide a program that would benefit families in Adams, Brown, Pike and Hancock counties.

"I thought it was a great help," Dodd said. "These weren't things I thought about, just being at my house and seeing it every day."

The Child Care Connection will highlight the program at its annual meeting at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the WCU Fellowship Hall.

As the foundation considered how it would use the funds, meetings around the region bore out what Child Care Connection officials already knew to be true from national statistics on child care. Working families needed day care but were concerned about their providers' education, turnover and wages.

The Child Care Connection was chosen for the funding, and it developed a voluntary program that sent mentors to day care providers' homes for at least eight hourlong visits to help them look at the strengths and weaknesses of their day care program.

"It made them realize that they're not alone ... that they had someone on their side," said Marla Willard, grant writer and operations manager at the Child Care Connection. "Sometimes when we're really busy just trying to meet everyone's needs, we forget where we're going in all of this."

Visiting the homes offered a chance for the mentors to see the environment and offer hands-on suggestions for improvements. It also freed the provider from having to travel for an educational opportunity.

The mentors introduced the providers to the international Family Childcare Environment Rating Scale, and worked with them to compare notes on such areas as health and safety, furnishings, personal care, and activities. They also provided $500 to buy some of the items the day care providers identified.

"It gave them more power to know where to make changes and what changes to make," said Sheila Smith, a mentor and Quality Rating System consultant at the Child Care Connection.

The providers completed reports on each visit. Their comments and other data collected show the program has answered the concerns identified in the initial meetings, Willard said.

The participants have become more invested in what they do, meaning they'll continue offering day care. They also feel more confident in taking advantage of the Illinois Department of Human Services' Quality Rating System that is tied to wages. The experience boosted the providers' opinion of themselves as professionals, developing increased opportunities for networking and interest in continuing education.

The program ended in May, and the Child Care Connection is looking for other sources of funding to continue offering mentoring. The agency has applied for a Marion Gardner Jackson Trust Fund grant and hopes to be able to use some of its state funding.

"We hope we can continue," Smith said. "It was so positive to see them become empowered and excited. No one else sees them or gives them a pat on the back. The parents could see the providers do extra things for the benefit of their children."

Dendra Curtis is one of the program participants who has been providing child care in her Quincy home for 23 years.

"I thought it was really good," Curtis said. "At first I thought it might be somewhat intimidating ... that the mentor would come in and find all kinds of things I was doing wrong. ...

"But she was nice and friendly, and she was able to give me suggestions on how to improve and enhance it. My parents noticed the changes, and they work really well for the children."