EARLY EDITION · SUMMER 2015 · VOL. 12, NO. 1

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EARLY LEARNING INDIANA VALUES

EXCELLENCE: We strive for excellence, maintaining the highest standards for the education, development, protection, and care of young children.

COMMITMENT: We commit to supportive relationships, the foundation for all of our work with children, families and each other.

COLLABORATION: We work together, recognizing that providing the highest level of service to young children requires collaboration and partnership.

RESPECT: We treat everyone with respect, strengthening the bonds that bring us together, define our culture and allow us to lead in the wider community.

It is an exciting time for families with young children and for Early Learning Indiana! Buoyed by growing support for early education, we are poised to be part of a big step forward for the children of Indiana. Our Day Early Learning centers are filled with hundreds of children every day, learning and growing under the guidance of our hardworking teachers. Child Care Answers, our outreach arm, continues to help families find quality child care options and child care professionals improve their skills. These are services we have provided the community for decades, and will continue to do so for decades to come.

We are growing in new different ways as well. A five-year, $20 million grant from Lilly Endowment in 2014 has enabled us to work statewide to increase access to high-quality early education with through strategic partnerships. We were awarded a new federal grant to serve 88 infants and toddlers through an Early Head Start partnership with East 10th United Methodist Children and Youth Center and the Villages of Indiana. Our Day Early Learning centers are poised to serve more children through the On My Way Pre-K pilot program and the Indianapolis Preschool Scholarship Program.

New partners, new initiatives, and new opportunities enable us to reach more children and expand our mission to assure the highest level of early childhood education for the children of Indiana. We are able to do this work thanks to a strong history of being the organization that families turn to when they need a good partner to educate their children.

Thank you for your partnership and support for Early Learning Indiana and the young children of our community!

Sincerely,Ted Maple

DEAR FRIENDS:

Ted Maple, Ph.D.President & CEO

WHAT DOES EARLY LEARNING INDIANA DO?

Day Early Learning Centers

Child Care Answers

Partnerships for Early Learning

Advocate and influence to promote high quality

early ed for all

11 Day Early Learning Centers are the core of our mission, directly serving 1200+ students each year

Our outreach arm Child Care Answers refers parents seeking child care and works with providers in eight counties to improve quality and educate teachers

Partnerships for Early Learners, powered by a grant from the Lilly Endowment, enables us to increase access, raise quality, build workforce development, engage parents and create innovative partnerships all to improve early childhood education throughout Indiana

Early Learning Indiana advocates and influences to increase opportunities for, funding toward, and value placed on early childhood education

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Early Learning Indiana is a nonprofit dedicated to early childhood

education. We’re one of the area’s biggest and best providers of child care, preschool and pre-k. We run

a service that helps other early childhood programs improve, and helps parents make sure they can find a great place for their kids.

INVESTING ANEW IN FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

CHILD CARE ANSWERS UPDATE

Take a moment to think about a formative early childhood experience …. Now, ask yourself, who made that enriching experience possible? If you’re like me, your first thought may be a family member, your Mom or Dad, Grandmother or Grandfather. At Early Learning Indiana, we know that families and parents are the best and first teachers of their young child or children. As a provider of early childhood care and education, we are investing more and more in learning how to best support families in that role.

Family engagement—a term used in our field to describe thoughtful and intentional partnership with families—is serious business. Study after study shows that supporting parents and families may be as important to long-term educational and life success for a child as having a curriculum in a class or other more well-accepted notions of what it means to be a “quality” early childhood provider. A study by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching looked at what factors drove K-12 school success and they used

rigorous statistical analysis to identify just five essential factors—one of them was family engagement.

At Early Learning Indiana, we’ve just made some important new investments in family engagement.

In partnership with Day Early Learning’s Center for Infants and Toddlers and other programs in the community, we are set to launch on June 15 a new Early Head Start (EHS) program in Marion County. Serving low-income parents of infants and toddlers, EHS has a strong focus on engaging families, through comprehensive goal-setting around their child’s development, home visits, connecting them to supports in the community and engaging them in governance of the program. Two Family Engagement Specialists—Lenore Friedly and Scout Burns—will be leading this work for Early Learning Indiana.

In our statewide initiative, Partnerships for Early Learners, we are planning an AmeriCorps initiative that would use the power of national service to work with 15 early childhood programs on family engagement. The Corps members would serve for nearly a year in a pre-K program, helping to build the capacity of programs to engage families. One of their important goals will be to help promote family literacy and help with the transition to Kindergarten. We are partnering with Indiana University on this important initiative.

We are honored to partner every day with families and will continue to encourage family engagement. To all parents and family members, thank you for your trust in us.

Child Care Answers is excited to share that we have begun some new programing to enhance the services that we provide throughout Central Indiana. We have added a School Age Specialist, an Early Childhood Development Specialist, two new Paths to QUALITY Coaches with Infant and Toddler Emphasis, and a Pre-K Project Manager.

Speaking of Pre-K, Child Care Answers has been busy helping Marion County implement On My Way Pre-K. On My Way Pre-K is the name of Indiana’s state-funded prekindergarten pilot program, which awards grants to four year olds from families with low incomes who live in one of five pilot counties. These families can use the grants to access a high-quality prekindergarten program in the school year before they begin kindergarten. Families who receive a grant may use it at any approved On My Way Pre-K provider. We have been educating families about this wonderful opportunity as well as encouraging high quality child care sites to become an approved On My Way Pre-K provider.

With summer right around the corner you will find Child Care Answers staff at many community functions. We attend health fairs, community fun fairs and other events to help educate families about quality child care options that meet their unique needs. If you know of a community event that we should be at give us a call at 317-636-5727 x 247. We would love to attend.

Kent Mitchell, Vice President for Outreach and Partnerships

Mindy Bennett, Child Care Answers, Director of Programs

The parent group at IU Health Day Early Learning put on an art auction last fall.

WHAT PARENTS SAY ABOUT US

“They (the teachers) go above and beyond for every one of the kids in that room and make sure we, as parents, know just how much potential our children have. We could not ask for more!”

“I had a hard time leaving him this morning after having a week straight with him because of the holiday, but he was SO HAPPY when we arrived - he wanted Miss Karen to hold him immediately. It makes it so much easier to leave him when I know he’s having fun while we are separated.”

“My three-year-old just corrected me as we counted to 10 in Spanish. Day Early Learning: 1, Butler University: 0.”

“Keep the family feel and caring atmosphere that you have achieved at Lilly Center and beyond. I think it speaks volumes about what you do differently in the growing world of child care. Keep up the good work!”

General Services Administration of theU.S. GovernmentIndiana University HealthThe State of IndianaPhalen Leadership AcademyVision Academy at Riverside

SUSTAINERAyres FoundationDay Nursery AuxiliaryStephen F. Fry*Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana, Inc.C.P. and Martha Gorman, Jr.Indiana University Health –Community Outreach & EngagementJunior League of IndianapolisKenyon K. Kopecky*Lilly EndowmentLilly Family Early Childhood ProjectLISCJanett B. LowesBrighton Foundation Trust/Robert and Jean MarkleyMary J. Proctor Trust FundNicholas H. Noyes, Jr. Memorial Foundation, Inc.PNC FoundationRichard M. Fairbanks FoundationRuth Lilly Philanthropic Foundation L. Gene and Rosemary TannerThe Glick Fund, a fund of the Central Indiana Community FoundationSeason for Sharing Fund a fund of The Indianapolis FoundationUnited Way of Central Indiana

U.S. FoodsTom and Barb Vandevender

SUPPORTER AnonymousMary and Craig AjangoRobert and Sally Anderson*Mrs. Robert D. ArnoldPaul AshleyJose AzarJerri Bain*Kristin BaxterAnita BeckBarbara J. BeckwithAnne E. Belcher*Paula BeloatDesma and Matt BelsaasKevin and Melinda Bennett*Scarleth BermudezHoward BiblerPamela BiggerstaffBlue & Company, LLCBartholomew and Abby BrownDaniel and Betsy BrunetteLorre’l BurisonBrent CandebatMr. and Mrs. James ChesterfieldDaphne ChiuSteve Clouse*Cynthia CollierCarolyn CookSally A. Coombs*Bobbie J. Craft*Kay CunninghamCarolyn M. DedererDoug DeLormeHenry B. Diaz*Charlie and Christine DouglasBill and Mary DriehorstDarrell S. Dunkin*Thomas J. and Judy EggersEli Lilly & CompanyMelissa EltzKyle and Kate EmsLoree EverettePaul and Billie FoutsBethany K. Fox*Margie FoxJim and Sarah FronczekPhil GolobishRobert and Marti Gough*Paul and Karen HagamanDenise Hancock*Joli HeavinWilliam T. Hilderbrand*Donald J. HutchisonTom and Teresa HutchinsonEva M. Johnson*Tony and Traci Kaufman*Anson KellerSarah LaceyWilliam A. Legg*Bryan and Natalie LeniskiDesirae Lenoir*Kyle J. Lewis*William K. and Marsha Hearn LindseyJim and Sara LootensLloyd C. and Wendy LyonsDan and Joanne MagesGeorge and B.J. MaleySara Mamuska-Morris*David and Sueanne MartinErin McGrew

Cathie McKinneyMike and Angela McNelisAnne MeitzkeAmanda Meko*Donald MenchhoferMickey’s Camp for WomenElizabeth MillettMolly MiltonKent MitchellCarrie Montgomery*Doran MorelandDavid and Mary Beth MuellerMatthew NelsonMike and Janet NiemeierMichael and Anne O’ConnorMike and Judy PearceF. Bruce and Sally PeckCharles and Georgiana PerkinsAnne PetersonStafford W. and Clara B. PileJennifer D. Pittman Ensley*Charles and Jane PodellBecky Powell*Bloor and Molly ReddingApril Risk*John R. and Patty RoeschJames L. and Rita RosensteeleJoEllen Florio RosseboLynda A. Ruble*George and Sandra RunkleMr. and Mrs. Richard RushMark and JoAnne RutledgeLori L. Shaefer*Charlie SchlegelRobert and Alice SchlossJohn and Kathy SharpeAnita Sherman*Sean and Marla SmithSharon SpackeState Auto Insurance*Robert StaytonCathy Stoll*Cheryl StrainDamien and Glenda StrohmierAnthony and Gail Thomas StrongTerrill and Joslyn Sullivan

Early Learning Indiana Gifts

FOUNDERADP-Automated Data ProcessingJoni L. AlbrightIrving F. and Patricia BallDavid and Shirley BishopBorshoffRaven and Pam Buchanan*Berniece CarlinoTony and Jennifer DzwonarEnergizing IndianaThe Eugene & Marilyn Glick FoundationChris and Paje FeltsMatthew and Elisabeth FriesGoelzer Investment ManagementGregory & Appel InsuranceEugene and Helene HennJames and Julia HoganHoosier Trust CompanyIndiana Sports CorporationJohnson-Weaver FoundationKaplan Early Education CompanyGary and Terri Klotz*Dr. and Mrs. Jonathan A. Lee*Thomas R. and Sarah S. LugarTed and Johanna Maple*Thomas F. and Barbara MaurathDennis and Donna Oklak*Steve Pockrass and Kathy Osborn*Mary Ann Schmid*Simon Property GroupBrent SorensonMatthew L. and Valerie Erb Tully*Gretchen A. Turner*John and Ruth Twenty*

BENEFACTORBryan and Melissa AveryJessica BarthPatricia L. Brown-Augsburger*Cash & Carry Paper Co., Inc.Celebrate Life ChildcareCharity Church Ministry, Inc.J. Andrew Concannon*Troy FarmerTina M. Gilbert*Dr. and Mrs. Byron HoogwerfWanda J. Kaiser*Steve and Rose Kelly Falls Roger L. KesslerJames Legault*Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.Michael and Laura Opincar*Seema Parikshak Verma*Marilyn PecsokRoche Diagnostics Corporation*Simons Bitzer and Associates, PCSNF Writing Solutions, LLCRichard and Cindy SteeleThe Hylant GroupTU Escuelita, LLC

Donors January 2014 - December 2014

“I know that my daughter is able to receive great care and early education while I am away and that is a relief in so many ways. I am extremely grateful for everything Early Learning Indiana is able to do for me financially, as well as the development and education my child is able to receive. I would be lost without this help. From the depths of my heart, I thank Early Learning Indiana for their care and assistance for my family.” - Day Early Learning Parent

Your gift helps us make Indiana a better place to live and work by making sure every child has access to excellent early childhood education. Thank you for your donation.

Early Learning IndianaCenter Partners

Donald and Marcia BozicMary J. BrownAnne Buskirk-BaileyJulie ChampagneBarbara E. ClayLynda ClineKenneth and Maureen CorneliusDavid and Bonnie CraigRosemary CrowleyDavid and Kathy CurryThomas M. and Margaret K. DeputyGayl W. and Bevery DosterKathy DurkottTony and Jennifer DzwonarDonald F. and Dorothy ElliottMichael and Arden ElliottAnn EngelRobert J. and Janet FairheadMrs. Francis FeeneyJane FlemingKaren FryeKaren and Paul HagamanPam HallockCoy HalpernBarbara HamiltonLarry and Pamela HannahPatricia HartmanT. Guille and Ann HarveyDr. Rosemary HearnLarry and Frances HeckJudi HedbergGinny HodowalJames and Mary Lynn HoffmanDouglas and Lois HorthBetty HullettRebecca L. JacksonIvan and Margaret JahnsSarah JenkinsLinda JenkinsDouglas and Marty KaderabekBen KarchVicki KempMax R. and Jan KendallSuzie KerrChristopher and Maria KiragesCindy KirchDonald and Carolyn KlingerDonna LebherzCharles W. and Mary LinderMary Catherine LottiHon. Richard G. and Charlene LugarRonald and Caroljane LuxEthel MaddenFred and Jean MathiasJane McCabeCarl and Mary McClellandGeoff and Michelle McCuenJoan McDaniel

Jennifer PulleyGlee Renick-MayShuntel RobinsonDan and Carol RyanScott E. Seip*Sam and Alice SimmonsBrandi SmithSharon D. Smith*Amber Stephanoff*Sylvia K. Sterling*Summer N. Stone*David and Cindy SwiderRonnie Taylor*Steve and Barbara TegardenAnn Marie TiernonWilliam and Patricia Todd*Thomas and Amy Tokash*Jennifer E. Trownsell*Johanna Van Der SchansJeff VanParisAmie VazquezDoug and Katie VincentCatherine WeaverCarly WeidmanDouglas and Susan WelcherMarie WilhiteTonya Williams*Lori WilliamsonJennifer M. Young*Anastassia Zinke

FOUNDERJim and Sue EibelGastroenterology of Indianapolis/ Digestive Health CenterThomas R. and Sarah S. Lugar

BENEFACTORCharles J. and Louise ColletEdwards-Rigdon ConstructionFaegre Baker Daniels, LLPMike and Judy PearceRobert V. and Jenny RosebrockThe Secret IngredientL. Gene and Rosemary TannerJean K. Welch

SUPPORTERCynthia J. AhlemeyerRobert and Sally AndersonMrs. Robert D. ArnoldCarla AskrenBecky AyresKaren BaileyMarilyn BainIrving F. and Patricia BallJoseph and Karen BoariniVirginia BrowningJames R. and Gretchen Cain

Barbara WeetmanBob and Margaret WenteCharles W. and L. Jeanne WhiteJames and Yvonne Wide*Lori WilliamsYolanda M. Wood*C. Daniel Yates*

ADVOCATEStephanie L. Abner*Robert T. and Julie AngerAshley and Jeremy ArnoldMarilyn BainLarry BeiterSuzette Bewley MathisDrew and Mary BoggsKimberly Bower*Robert and Julie Burns*Alma CarreraArlindo Chimbanda*Barbara J. ClayJustin and Jennifer CliftonCharles J. and Louise ColletLaura DandoletSamuel B. and Susan Davis*Joseph K. Fitzgerald*Michael and Brittany FortmanMartha GravesStephanie HainesNathan and Autumn HandMarian HeplerHeidi HudnallRoberta JaggersEarl H. and Anita JohnsonErica L. Johnson*Ralph E. Jones*Barry KaseffShannon L. Kelley*Despina KochJosefa LopezKurt E. Lorey*Joan LydayDonna J. Lyles*Harriett MajorsDr. Rose Mays and the late William Mays*Joy McCall*Megan McKinney CooperRobert and Eleanor McNamaraSteve McNearMeghan McNultyBrad and Myrta McQueenAndreas MichalisMatthew Miller*Jeffrey H. and Mary PatchenScott J. Preston*Mary Proctor

Day Nursery Auxiliary Gifts

Sunrise Christian AcademyGeneva TaylorJulie and Kurt TornquistAngela VanVlietRachelle VaughnAndrea H. Vermeulen*Ken Wakefield*F. Edward and Kathryn M. WallRichard and Jane WarneJeff Webster

Max and Fraun CalifarR. Ronald and Mary CalkinsCarolyn CookPaul and Becky CorsaroCarol Ann Crichlow

G. Terence and Kay A. CrowleySamuel B. and Susan DavisCarolyn M. DedererWilliam and Nancy DiehlStephen and Marcia DowdenDTM Real EstateThomas J. and Judy EggersDon and Linda FledderjohnJames and Gracia J. FloydWanda Y. FortuneMichael C. and Margie GallowayDan and Marianna GerritzenRichard K. and Barbara GibsonMarilyn A. GoekeC.P. and Martha Gorman, Jr.Paul and Patricia GreenCharlotte HapakEugene and Helene HennTroy and Nancy HillMrs. Frank A. HirschmanMary Ann HoganJames J. and Bernice B. HoppC. Bruce and Pat HubleyMrs. Terrell HudsonCheryl and Scott JacklinEdmond and Ann JarboeEarl H. and Anita JohnsonRobert J. and Sandee KleymeyerOrvis M. and Dru KnarrAndre and Julia LacyKathy Ball LaeschRichard and Susan LambertusEileen LaughnerJames and Ruth LawrenceBarbara LinkThomas M. and Betty LoftonJoan LydayDoug and Patty LydayKathleen M. MacGillGeorge and B.J. MaleySteve and Sarah MapleStephen and Sandy McCuenCindy McDanielMarvin and Karen MeltonSharon MooreRoger J. and Jane NewcombJohn and Anne PantzerSally PeckMarilyn PecsokCharles and Georgiana PerkinsSherry PetrinStafford W. and Clara B. PileBing and Suzi PrattJim and Ginny PurvisBloor and Molly ReddingRonald E. and Dotty ReehlingGlee Renick-MayEllen M. RettererRobert and Helen RudesillMark and JoAnne RutledgeH. Kenneth and Yolanda SchmidtDwight W. and Anne SchusterRobert and Spencer ScottMarge SkarbeckMichael P. and Cynthia SkehanRichard C. and Mary Kay SnyderDaniel and Marianne StoutF. Edward and Janet SwearingenThomas F. and Jenny TrainerSherry TuckerRobert and Dianne TurnerAndrew and Sarah VanzeeJosue J. and Maria VillaltaJane WalkerSteven and Jayne WoodSusan WoodenJudy Zinn

ADVOCATEPatricia Manning ArbuckleMarilyn A. Bardon

HEROStephen F. Fry*Indiana Sports Corporation/Susan Williams CHAMPS Grant ProgramKenyon K. Kopecky*Janett LowesBrighton Foundation Trust/Robert and Jean MarkelyAngie and Mike McNelisGene and Rosemary Tanner

SUSTAINERAnonymous David and Shirley Bishop*Raven and Pam Buchanan*Robert and Julie Burns*James and Julia HoganGary L. and Terri Klotz*Ted and Johanna Maple*Thomas F. and Barbara Maurath*Steve Pockrass and Kathy Osborn*Mary A. Schmid*Matthew L. and Valerie Erb Tully*Gretchen A. Turner*The Emily Charitable FundBorshoff

FOUNDERAnonymous*Jerri Bain*Bartholomew and Abby Brown*J. Andrew Concannon*Ted J. Feeney*Roger KesslerDr. and Mrs. Jonathan A. Lee*Richard and Cindy SteeleCathy Stoll*

BENEFACTORRobert and Sally AndersonSally A. Coombs*Vanessa L. Fletcher*Marti Gough*Cheryl A. Knierim*Kyle J. Lewis*Sara Mamuska-Morris*Michael R. and Laura Opincar*April Risk*Barbara Sams*F. Edward and Kathryn WallDeborah A. Wiley*

Jane McKinzieEleanor and Robert McNamaraDiane NeffDaniel and Rita O’MaliaFrank J. and Sally OtteSteve Pockrass and Kathy OsbornKaren PoynterGregory and Myla RiskShirley RominePat Garrett RooneyMrs. Charles H. RudyJoan RyserCarol A. SavianoJames and Sheila SchroederBeverly ShreveDick and Judy SlocumSusanne Sogard

Day Nursery Auxiliary Gifts Cont.

Donors January 1, 2015 - March 31, 2015

Early Learning Indiana Gifts

SUPPORTERAnne E. Belcher*James R. and Gretchen Cain*Bobbie J. Craft*Henry B. Diaz*Bethany K. Fox*John & Jennifer Gernand*Denise Hancock*Cathy Johnson*Doug and Megan Cooper*Andrew Perrin*Lynda A. Ruble*Lori L. Schaefer*Tom and Barb VandervenderKen Wakefield*James and Yolanda Wide*

ADVOCATEKimberly Bower*Darius Conley*Carolyn DedererJoseph K. Fitzgerald*Courtney Hardy*Ralph E. Jones*Tony and Traci Kaufman*Despina KochCecilia LarsonPamela Lay*Donna J. Lyles*Matt Miller*Nikkia Owens*Scott J. Preston*Scott E. Seip*Sharon D. Smith*Sylvia K. Sterling*Jim and Tracy SwearingenSteve and Barbara TeagardenWilliam and Patricia Todd*Thomas and Amy Tokash*Andrea H. Vermeulen*

FOUNDER Thomas and Sarah Lugar

Day Nursery Auxiliary Gifts

*United Way Designated Donor Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this list. Designated gifts to the United Way are included in the giving totals. If your name is misspelled, not included, in an incorrect category, or if you made a gift through your company’s United Way Campaign and are not listed, please contact the Development Office at (317) 636-9197.

For children living in poverty, a high-quality early education program is what can make the difference in their lives and give them the skills they need to be successful in school and in life. Research tells us that children in poverty, without the right intervention, start school behind their peers, having had less access to learning materials, books, and opportunities for social development. High quality early education truly impacts these children and helps foster skills that can help them keep pace with their classmates. High quality early education for at-risk children impacts their future literacy, graduation rates, and even crime. Early education is critical for young children, neighborhoods and communities. Help us do more! Every dollar you give to Early Learning Indiana goes to our Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) to support scholarships for qualified families and enable more children to access Day Early Learning programs. Be a hero and help us help them by making your gift today.

To donate, simply enclose your gift in the attached envelope or visit us online at EarlyLearningIN.org and click Give. Thank you!!

“My son is currently receiving tuition assistance at the State center. As a single mother, the assistance has helped me a lot by letting me arrive to work on time and by providing my son the perfect care and education. At only age one, I have noticed that my son can now grab a pencil with his two fingers. Without the assistance I would have to take my son to a “babysitter,” where they would have him watching TV and probably eating all the wrong foods.” - Day Early Learning Parent

HELP US DO MORE

Richard and Cindy SteeleBarbara L. StoryHerbert E. and Ann Strong , Jr.Steve and Alice TarrBill and Mary ThomasAnne ThroopMrs. John F. TownsendSpencer and Thelma TrudgenJohn and Ruth TwentySuzanne VanReedDon R. and Jennie WalkerPhilip and Sue WalkerF. Edward and Kathryn M. WallDavid and Demetria WaltersPaxton and Rosemary WatersDaniel and Angela WeiserMrs. Robert WelchPeggy WigginsAnton and Debra Zotter

Early Learning IndianaCenter PartnersGeneral Services Administration of theU.S. GovernmentIndiana University HealthThe State of IndianaPhalen Leadership AcademyVision Academy at Riverside

YOU SHOP. AMAZON GIVES.

You shop on Amazon. Amazon gives to Early Learning Indiana. With the AmazonSmile program, you can help Early Learning Indiana’s programs every time you shop. Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Early Learning Indiana.

To shop at AmazonSmile simply:

1. Go to smile.amazon.com from your web browser

2. Sign in using your regular Amazon account

3. Select Early Learning Indiana as the charitable organization to receive donations from your eligible purchases

4. Then, every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation

You will see eligible products marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on their product detail pages. Subscribe-and-Save purchases and subscription renewals are not currently eligible.

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support Early Learning Indiana every time you shop, at no cost to you!

DAY EARLY LEARNING GOLD STANDARD NUTRITION PROGRAM

We are very proud to announce that our Day Early Learning Lilly Family Center achieved the Gold level status in the Indiana Department of Education’s (IDOE) Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) in April, and we expect to achieve the Gold status at seven of our other centers later this summer. Over the past year center management, teachers and cooks have been working hard to implement the highest standard of nutrition and nutrition instruction at the Lilly Center thanks in part to a grant from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation of Indianapolis. By developing more nutritious menus, increasing nutrition instruction in the classroom, and providing parents with nutrition education, the center has made great strides in improving healthy eating habits and increasing physical activity for students, families and staff.

The improvements in the Lilly Center’s nutrition program started with including more whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and low-fat milk into the menus while reducing sugary snacks and limiting juice to twice per week. All of the Day Early Learning cooks have received training on ways to reduce sodium, to cut down on fats when preparing foods, and to plan healthy alternatives that can replace juice, crackers and empty-calorie snacks.

Additionally, teachers have made a significant change in nutrition instruction by adding a new lunchtime lesson. Day Early Learning center teachers have always eaten meals with their students, but the Lilly Center teachers have taken lunch instruction one step further, to include a complete nutrition discussion with each meal. From the infant class to the Pre-K class you hear comments like, “yes a bread is a grain,” “what meat are we eating today,” or “milk helps our bones grow strong,” etc. Teachers are intentional in their conversations about healthy eating especially during meals, when children are playing in the housekeeping area, and during cooking activities. When the children sit down with the teachers, they actively

talk about what they’re eating, what food groups each item comes from, and the health benefits that come from each type of food they eat.

This has all come from careful curriculum planning between the teachers and the center director. The children are developing a better understanding of why good food is important for their bodies and are cultivating knowledge and understanding that they can share at mealtimes with their families. Our next step will be to gradually introduce “family style” service so that the children will be introduced to serving sizes, serving their own food, pouring their milk and helping with clean up. This provides the educational opportunity of math skills, eye-hand coordination, self-regulation and social-emotional involvement.

ELI ADMINISTRATIONPhone: (317) 636-9197Ted Maple, Ph.D., President & CEOMarsha Hearn-Lindsey, Vice President forDay Early LearningKent Mitchell, Vice President for Outreach & PartnershipsKeith Reissaus, Vice President of AdministrationPatty Fisher, Director of Center Administration Julie Goldsberry, Director of Finance

Lamont Hulse, Director of Partnerships for Early LearnersCathy Johnson, Director of Human ResourcesChristine Garza, Director of Early Head Start Childcare NetworkMegan McKinney Cooper, Dir. of Development & Marketing

Child Care Answers, a program of Early Learning Indiana (317) 636-5727 or (317) 631-4643Mindy Bennett, Director of Programs

ELI BOARD OF DIRECTORSValerie Tully, ChairJennifer Dzwonar, Vice Chair Anthony Kaufman, Treasurer Melissa AveryJerri BainRaven BuchananKate EmsTroy FarmerPaje Felts

Jason KlothAngela McNelis, Ph.D.Andrew PerrinJoanne RutledgeKameelah Shaheed-DialloMarge SkarbeckBrent SorensonPitt Thompson Kathy WallRussell Williams

THIS SPRING IN OUR DAY EARLY LEARNING CLASSROOMS

1. Day Early Learning Center for Infants & Toddlers: The children made their own musical instruments and used them to create a band. This allowed the children to develop musical rhythm and sensory skills. They enjoyed listening to their friends and all of the different sounds the instruments made.

2. Day Early Learning at Park 100: The children investigated nature by helping dig in the dirt and plant sunflower seeds. This activity also allowed them to fill buckets with dirt and dump the buckets out, which helps gain a sense of proportion.

3. Day Early Learning at Vision Academy @ Riverside: We have been studying weather and seasons. Along with talking about weather we came up with a weather channel. The children first built a camera that they could use to record their channel. Once that was complete, they designed their weather cues to put on their map. After seeing everyone’s excitement we

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decided to let everyone act as a meterologist. After the show was over, the children drew pictures to share what they learned with their parents.

4. Day Early Learning Lilly Family Center: The preschool and pre-K children are excited about the spring weather! They have been busy transplanting the strawberry plants and deciding what to plant in the gardens this year. The children are involved in every aspects of the garden: raking and preparing the grounds, planting seeds or transplanting plants, watering and weeding, harvesting the crops, and of course tasting the fruits of their labor.

5. IU Health Day Early Learning: We read the book “Earth Day” by Mercer Mayer and talked about what people do to harm our environment and what we can do to help it. We decided to make a compost pile for a place to put our trash.

6. The children of Day Early Learning Federal center learned about earth worms for Earth Day. They expressed a wide variety of emotions, observations, and opinions about our wiggly visitors. While some friends were a little hesitant about touching or holding our tiny guests, others were excited and ready to explore what they were all about.

7. A child in the 3-year-old class at IU Health West Day Early Learning works on her self-portrait using a variety of materials. Teachers can use an activity such as this to expand on a child’s knowledge and understanding. For example, a teacher may use self-portraits to discuss the shapes that make up a child’s face or the similarities and unique aspects of each person’s face.

8. The children of Day Early Learning State Government Center enjoyed a visit from Smokey the Bear on Earth Day. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources also planted trees on the Center’s playgrounds.

9. Day Early Learning at Fort Harrison: students in the Pre-K1 room worked together to make collaborative artwork. Ping-pong balls were rolled in paint and thrown into a box that friends had to move together to make their art.

10. Day Early Learning at Phalen Leadership Academy: Teachers froze objects in ice and placed the ice in the sensory table. The children learned how to safely use their tools to chip and chisel away at the ice to find their objects.

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NameAddressCity, StateZip

Administrative Office615 N. Alabama St., Suite 300Indianapolis, IN 46204(317) 636-9197info@earlylearningindiana.org

Our mission is to assure the highest level of early childhood education for children in Indiana.

All centers are open to the public.

1. IU Health Day Early Learning 2140 Boulevard Place, Indianapolis, IN 46202 (317) 283-38382. Day Early Learning Federal Building 575 N. Pennsylvania Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204 (317) 226-5487

3. Day Early Learning at Fort Harrison 5545 Herbert Lord Road, Indianapolis, IN 46216 (317) 377-70154. Day Early Learning at Park 100 5735 W. 73rd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46278 (317) 291-80485. IU Health West Day Early Learning 1351 N. Ronald Reagan Pkwy, Avon, IN 46123 (317) 271-26036. Day Early Learning Lilly Family Center 3522 N. Central Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46205 (317) 926-12037. Day Early Learning State Government Center 100 N. Senate Avenue N150, Indianapolis, IN 46204 (317) 233-17768. Day Early Learning Center for Infants & Toddlers 1030 W. 16th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202 (317) 550-39679. Day Early Learning at Phalen Leadership Academy 2323 N. Illinois Street, Indianapolis, IN 46208 (317) 333-6980, ext. 1100

Day Early Learning Locations

10. Day Early Learning at Vision Academy @ Riverside 1751 E. Riverside Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46202 (317) 632-2006 11. Day Early Learning at Eastern Star Church 5750 E. 30th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46218 (317) 636-9197, ext. 222

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