Happy New Year From Solano Family & Children's Services

 

Thank you to all who made a difference in 2021

with perhaps even greater impact and benefit in 2022

Happy New Year!

SFCS Presentation: Becoming a Licensed Child Care Provider - Jan 5th 2022

Becoming a Licensed Child Care Provider - Informational Presentation

by Solano Family & Children's Services

Do you love working with children? Are you already caring for your own children, or a friend or relative’s children?

About this free event

Make a world of difference from your home

You can become a licensed family child care provider, and start your own business out of your home!

Who needs a license to care for children?

People who care for children from more than one family and who are not relatives of the child in care need to be licensed.

What does it mean to be a licensed family child care provider?

Join us during this informational meeting, where we will answer your questions.

Multiple Dates Available:

Next available date:

Jan 5, 2021

Register here.

Merry Christmas To All

 

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

Finding Quality Child Care - Solano Family & Children's Services

Solano Family & Children’s Services offers FREE child care referrals (not recommendations).  We maintain a database of licensed child care providers in Solano County and will personalize a search for you based on your needs and requirements by asking you some questions that will help narrow down your search.

Searching for a child care provider can be overwhelming.  Sometimes additional services and information is needed.  Our Resource and Referral Team can help by answering your questions.  We can also provide one-on-one support for families with high-priority needs, such as finding a program for a child with special needs, an infant or toddler, a child entering foster care, or for children of essential workers.

Find out more at https://solanofamily.org/find-child-care/

SFCS Employment Opportunities

Solano Family & Children’s Services is a rewarding place to work with flexible, family-friendly policies and a diverse workforce. We offer benefit plans with medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts for dependent care and health expenses; and a 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan where contributions are tax-deferred. New, full-time employees accrue ten days of vacation leave, ten days sick leave, and are given ten paid holidays per year.

See more at https://solanofamily.org/employment-opportunities/

Holiday Delights: Homemade Gingerbread House

 

Building and creating traditions around the holidays are something children have to look forward to annually. Here's a healthy twist on a homemade holiday favorite, our version of a foodie's, Gingerbread House. Here are the ingredients that your recipe will need.

6 cups whole wheat flour

1 Tbsp. baking soda 

1 cup rye flour

1 Tbsp. sea salt

3 cups almond flour

2 ¼ cups fresh butter 

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

2 ¼ cups raw sugar 

1 tsp. allspice

6 fresh eggs

2 Tbsp. ground ginger

2 cups rich dark molasses 

1 Tbsp. nutmeg

Thick icing

1 tsp. mace

2 Candy for decorating

INSTRUCTIONS FOR GINGERBREAD DOUGH

Sift all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl (flours, spices, salt). Set aside. Cream butter and sugar together in a separate large bowl. Add eggs one at a time until fluffy and thoroughly mixed. Stir in molasses. Add dry ingredients to wet in two-cup increments. Mix thoroughly between additions. Wrap the dough securely in beeswax wrap, dehydrator liners, parchment paper, or plastic wrap. Chill for at least four hours, or overnight. I usually complete my gingerbread house-making over a whole week and just chill mine overnight to deal with the next day. When ready, remove chilled dough to the counter and let sit for around 30 minutes.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR GINGERBREAD HOUSE BAKING

Print out a gingerbread house template. Cut the dough into manageable chunks and check wetness. If it's too wet to roll out without sticking, work a little flour into the dough ball. Dust your rolling pin and rolling surface with flour. Roll each piece to a consistent width, 1/8 inch thick. The pieces will about double in thickness once baked. Place your template on top of the section of rolled dough and cut out each piece with your sharpest knife. Be sure to note which template pieces need to be doubled (like walls and roof pieces). Transfer each piece carefully to the baking sheet and bake at 350F/176C for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges start to brown and the middle is pretty firm when you gently press on it. Remove and let cool completely before moving the pieces to a cooling rack. Do NOT reuse a hot baking sheet. If you have to, you can cool your baking sheets under running water or in the snow. I have five baking sheets and I use them all for this process. The gingerbread house pieces MUST be completely cool before you can construct the house. Use the icing to stick the pieces together and decorate with candy of your choice. www.homesteadlady.com

SolanoFamily.org

SFCS News: ARPA Survey For Child Care Providers

In California, American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding was used for the $525 and $600 per-child stipends issued in 2020 and 2021, licensed child care provider stipends ($3500-$6500) issued in 2021, reimbursement for COVID-19-related closure days, and reimbursements based on maximum certified hours rather than attendance. ARPA funding will also be used to fund provider reimbursement increases effective January 2022.

The federal government requires all child care providers, regardless of license status, to complete a survey if they received and/or plan to receive any benefits funded by ARPA. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) is asking all Child Care Providers to complete the ARPA survey by December 31, 2021.

To access the ARPA survey, Child Care Providers can visit the ARPA survey webpage at: https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/child-care-and-development/american-rescue-plan-act-survey.

For questions or concerns about how to complete the survey, you can email  CCPB@dss.ca.gov.

To help with survey completion and to answer questions about the survey, CDSS will host two ARPA survey webinars for child care providers:

Please click here to register for the daytime webinar on Dec. 14th, from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm

Please click here to register for the evening webinar on Dec. 16th, from 6 pm to 7 pm

Live, simultaneous interpretation in Spanish, Cantonese, and American Sign Language will be provided, as well as closed captioning.

Sincerely,

Solano Family & Children's Services
www.solanofamily.org

SFCS Presentation: Becoming a Licensed Child Care Provider - Dec 13th

Becoming a Licensed Child Care Provider - Informational Presentation

by Solano Family & Children's Services

Do you love working with children? Are you already caring for your own children, or a friend or relative’s children?

About this free event

Make a world of difference from your home

You can become a licensed family child care provider, and start your own business out of your home!

Who needs a license to care for children?

People who care for children from more than one family and who are not relatives of the child in care need to be licensed.

What does it mean to be a licensed family child care provider?

Join us during this informational meeting, where we will answer your questions.

Multiple Dates Available:

Next available date:

Dec 13, 2021

Register here.

Reminder: SFCS Workshop: EMSA Approved Preventive Health Practices for Child Care - Dec 6th

Health and Safety Training in the safety and comfort of your home!

About this event

This is the 8-hour course that is required by Community Care Licensing in order to become a licensed family child care provider. The course includes:

Lead Poisoning Prevention*

Recognition, management & prevention of infectious disease

Sanitary Food Handling

Child Nutrition

Identification and reporting of signs and symptoms of child abuse

Immunizations

Prevention of childhood injuries

Emergency preparedness & evacuation

Caring for children with special needs

This is a three-part training. You must attend all sessions to receive your certificate.

No make-ups for any portion of this class will be allowed.

~ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST REGISTER HERE. (THIS WILL REGISTER YOU FOR ALL THREE EVENINGS.) PLEASE DO NOT SHARE THE ZOOM LINK. ~

Monday, December 6, 2021 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

*If you have already taken Preventive Health Practices, but need the Lead Poisoning Prevention, check for a "Stand-alone Lead Poisoning Prevention " training on our website: www.solanofamily.org

SFCS Workshops: Join Us For A Virtual Parent Café On Dec 9th

 

Join Us For A Virtual Parent Cafe

by Solano Family & Children's Services

Virtual Parent Cafe for Solano County

About this event

Join us for a virtual parent cafe! Different topics of discussion every month with chances to engage and communicate with other parents, guardians, grandparents, etc. Giveaways and so much more!

Next event: Thursday, December 9th 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Register here