Summer is a great time for you to be outdoors with your children.  There are many activities that can really bring you close as a family.  Some of these are picnics, swimming, baseball games and family vacations.

It is important to remember to be safe in the sun during these activities.  The American Cancer Society has many tips for sun safety.  Sun Exposure happens on a daily basis, even if you are only in the sun for a few minutes.

Some sun safety tips include:

1.  Wear a shirt and pants when exposed to the sun for long periods of time. 

2.  Wear a hat that shades your whole face. This can protect your ears, face    and neck. 

3. Wear sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or above.

4. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes.

5.  The sun's rays are strongest between 10 am and 4 pm.  Limit your time during those hours.

The risk of sun cancer can be reduced if sunburns are avoided. especially during childhood.

For more info go to www.cancer.org or call The American Cancer Society at

1-800-ACS-2345

CHOOSING CHILDCARE

Choosing child care is one of the most important decisions parents can make. Below is a list of things you should look for when choosing child care or caregivers. You should always visit centers and homes before making a final decision. The more places you visit the better, it gives you a variety to choose from.

We will look at Licensed Child Care Centers first:

A licensed center is an agency that is licensed to care for children in a group setting. They may be independently operated or connected with a school, church, business, or other organization. An important factor to look at is the child to adult ratio, in other words how many adults to the number of children. Licensed facilities are required to follow the minium state requirements concerning child to adult ratio. Check to find out what your state requires. Other factors to consider are as follows:

1. What is the education level of the center director nd the teaching staff?
2. Is the enviroment safeand is it bright, attractive, and intresting to children?
3. Does it allow for a variety of play activities both inside and outside?
4. Request information on the criminal background checks of center staff?
5. Does the facility have an open door policy?

Second we will look at In-home care providers:

These are a group of individuals who provide child care in their private homes. They also have certain requirements, you need to find out what these requirements are. The factors you need to look for are similar to what you would look for in a licesened facility:

1.  Is the provider friendly and accessible?
2. Do they answer your questions to your satisfaction?
3. Are they well informed concerning child care matters?
4. What will the adult to child ratio be?
5.  Have they had a criminal background check?
6.  Do they posses a knowledge of CPR and First Aid?

This information should get you started, the more questions you ask the better. Below are some additional sources for more information:

http://www.chs-ca.org and/or you can call Choices at 1-(304) 622-6528.