At A Glance
October 2024
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Child Care Health Consultants
Child Care Health Consultants are health experts specializing in child health, development, and safety in childcare environments. Child Care Health Consultants (CCHCs) collaborate with childcare staff to foster healthy and safe spaces for young children. Our county in collaboration with Union County Division of Public health, is served by Fran Hoover and Beth St. Martin, both registered nurses, who provide health and safety training, specialized medical care plans for children and create safe centers for our children to learn in. Recently with the increase of pertussis in Union County and the state of North Carolina, Fran and Beth organized a mobile immunization van to administer the Tdap vaccine to child care providers throughout the county, as a result 120 teachers were vaccinated to help prevent the spread of pertussis.
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Ribbon Cutting
September 26, 2024
On September 26th, Alliance for Children and Union County Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting for the official opening of our new training room. The new training center will offer a space for small parent groups, provider groups, and the broader Union County community to learn, collaborate, and plan in partnership with Alliance for Children, a proud network affiliate of Smart Start.
In celebration of September officially being recognized as Smart Start Month, the event also acknowledged the significant impact Smart Start has had on North Carolina's children and families over the past 30 years with Governor Cooper's proclamation being read by City Manager and former board member, Mark Watson.
In addition, we had the honor of presenting the 2024 Smart Start Champion award on behalf of the Smart Start Network to Representative David Willis who represents District 68 in Union County. Representative Willis serves as Co-Chair of the Early Childhood Education Caucus.
Thank you for all that attended and celebrated with us.
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Dolly Parton Imagination Library
Smart Start and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library work together to get books into the hands of North Carolina's youngest children. This free program for children birth to kindergarten supplies age-appropriate books to help foster a love for reading.
In Union County the Dolly Parton Imagination Library serves 6,519 children each month. Through Alliance for Children a new, carefully selected book will be mailed in your child’s name directly to your home every month. He/she can look forward to new and exciting reading adventures from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library until he/she turns five years old as long as you remain a resident of Union County. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a FREE GIFT to our children! All you have to do is read to your children. (Please allow up to 60 days to receive your first book.)
Click here for more information.
Dolly Parton Imagination Library
Story Spotlight
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A Gift for Nana- By: Lane Smith
A thoughtful little Rabbit sets out to find the perfect gift for his Nana. He knows she will love anything he brings her but Rabbit wants this gift to be extra special. As he travels on his quest, Rabbit encounters an assortment of creatures-a crow, a smiling full moon, a stickler (whatever that is), a big fish, and a volcano. Each is certain they offer the best advice but nothing they suggest seems right for his Nana. It's not until Rabbit reaches the highest peak, that he finds exactly what he's been searching for.
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Dr. Elenia Daniels is the Director of Federal Programs for Union County Public Schools. She has been serving on the Alliance for Children Board of Directors for 2 years as the designee for the Union County Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Andrew Houlihan. Ms. Daniels has two sons and a fun fact about her is she was an extra in the movie Inkwell. We appreciate Ms. Daniels and her service on the Alliance for Children Board of Directors. | |
Apply Now!
North Carolina Pre-Kindergarten is a free, high-quality state
program designed to enhance school readiness for eligible four-year-old children. Studies show that children who participate in a high-quality pre-kindergarten program are more likely to succeed in grades K-12 and throughout their lives.
In NC Pre-Kindergarten, NC licensed teachers provide developmentally appropriate instruction to help children learn and strengthen a variety of skills in a classroom environment.
Click here for more information.
| This boss vowed to help his workers with child care and it hasn't been easy. | |
It was during the height of the pandemic that Sachin Shivaram realized the depth of his employees' struggles with child care. The CEO of the 115-year-old Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry was dealing with rising absenteeism as child care centers closed, and workers' other arrangements fell through. Then one day, a pink car seat in the backseat of an employee's car in the parking lot caught Shivaram's attention. He learned the worker was a single dad, working the evening shift from 2 to 10 pm. His daughter was 4 years old at the time. With child care centers closed during those hours, the worker told Shivaram how he cobbled together care, dropping off his daughter at a neighbor's house one day, an aunt's place another.
"He wasn't saying it in a way that he was sad about it," recalls Shivaram.
But the CEO was deeply unsettled. "We weren't doing right by her," says Shivaram. "It just got us thinking that man, we've got to do something."
Read More
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Farm To Early Care & Education
Ducklings Child Care Center in Waxhaw used the Farm2ECE grant that they were awarded to purchase gardening materials for planting vegetables outside, building a mud kitchen, and creating an indoor hydroponic planter. We can't wait to see the mud kitchen in action. Congratulations Ducklings on your award and your new project.
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Ingredients:
PART 1
- 1 large onion, peeled
- 2 carrots
- 1 medium potato with skin
- 9 green beans, ends removed
- 1/6 small head cabbage
- 1 stalk broccoli
- 3 medium tomatoes
- 1 small green pepper
- 1 zucchini (5-6 inches)
- 1 ear corn, husked
PART 2
- 4 bouillon cubes
- 5 cups water
- 1 big handful peas
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup parsley, snipped
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
PART 1
- Slice onion and carrots into rounds. Cut potato into cubes. Cut beans into 1-inch pieces. Chop cabbage wedge into shreds.
- Put in a large cooking pot. Set aside.
- Slice broccoli stem into rounds, leave tops whole. Chop tomatoes into eighths. Cut out stem of green pepper and take out seeds, slice pepper into rounds, then into pieces. Slice zucchini into rounds. Cut corn off cob.
- Put in a bowl. Set aside.
PART 2
- Add bouillon cubes and water to cooking pot with vegetables. Bring to boil.
- Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes.
- Add peas. Add vegetables in bowl. Add herbs. Stir. Bring to simmer.
- Taste, then add salt & pepper. Stir.
- Simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes longer, until vegetables are crisp-tender.
| | Happy 3rd Work Anniversary to Miranda Lord! Miranda is our Inclusion Support Specialist with one of the kindest hearts you will ever meet. Her desire to help the social and emotional well-being of all children is unmatched. We are thankful that she joined our team three years ago. Happy Anniversary! |
71st Annual Union County Christmas Parade
Now Accepting Applications
The 71st Annual Union County Christmas Parade will be held on Sunday, November 24, 2024, at 2:00PM in Downtown Monroe.
To find out how you and your organization can become involved in the annual Union County Christmas Parade please contact Alliance for Children at 704-226-1407.
Visit our website!
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Upcoming Events
27th Annual Senior Appreciation Day and Luncheon
Tuesday, October 15, 2024, 11:00AM-1:00PM
Agricultural Conference Center
Executive Committee Meeting
Wednesday, October 23, 2024, 11:30AM
Alliance for Children Office
Parade Princess Crowning
Thursday, November 7, 2024, 6:30PM
Monroe Country Club
71st Annual Union County Christmas Parade
Sunday, November 24, 2024, 2:00PM-4:00PM
Downtown Monroe
A Time With Santa
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Belk Mansion
NC Pre-K Committee Meeting
Tuesday, January 28, 2025, 9:00AM-11:00AM
Alliance for Children Office
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Want to get involved in our mission? Donations are a great way to make a difference in the future of the children we serve. Alliance for Children accepts donations of products, books, and monetary contributions. All donations are tax deductible.
Visit our website!
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