FEBRUARY 2014

A new exhibit called Eat Well, Play Well / Come Bien, Juega Bien is now on display at the Science Factory Children’s Museum & Exploration Dome located at 2300 Leo Harris Pkwy. in Eugene. The bilingual exhibit explores nutrition and fitness and the science of making healthy food choices. Visit the Science Factory for information on museum hours and admission fees.

 

Kids and families are invited to the Materials Exchange Center for Community Arts (MECCA) every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to make a creative reuse project. From magnetic puzzles to robot rockets to sock creatures, there’s always a fun, all-ages craft project for kids and families each Saturday. No need to preregister, just drop in any time between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. All materials are included for each workshop. A $3 to $5 sliding scale donation is requested per child. Children under 10 should be accompanied by an adult. MECCA is located at 449 Willamette St. in Eugene.

 

Early Childhood CARES will host part 3 of its Behavior Training for parents of children of preschool age children with challenging behavior on Mon., Feb. 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. in room 145 of the Clinical Services Building at the University of Oregon, located at 901 E. 18th Ave. in Eugene. This is an 8-week training to help parents learn effective behavior support strategies. The Spring Behavior Training will start in April.

 

The Swindells Resource Center will host a free training for parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) called Promote Social Communication During Daily Activities on Mon., Feb. 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Providence Cancer Center Amphitheater, located at 4805 NE Glisan St. in Portland. This training will discuss specific intervention techniques that promote social communication in children with an ASD and how to apply these techniques in daily living. Register at the Providence Online Class Catalog. Search by class name “Swindells Center-Social Communication-Portland.” To register by telephone, call 503-215-2429 or 800-833-8899 ext. 52429.

 

Decoding Dyslexia and the Providence Child Center will host a free presentation Are Early Reading Interventions Really Necessary? on Mon., Feb. 3 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Social Room of the Providence Portland Medical Center, located at 4805 NE Glisan St. in Portland. This training will review the expected progression of early literacy skills and what parents and professionals can do if young children are not reaching these benchmarks. RSVP online for this presentation.

 

Chili’s Bar & Grill will host a Daddy and Daughter Date Night on Tues., Feb. 4 from 5 to 8 p.m. at 281 Valley River Center. There will be crowns and tiaras for little girls to create and decorate. A picture will be taken, then printed and framed as a take home memory from this special night. Reservations accepted; call 541-683-9100 to make a reservation.

 

Discover your child’s strengths and gifts and learn how share these with extended family, your child’s education team and other people who support your child. This is a great class for parents who have a child transitioning to kindergarten in the fall. This training will be held on Tues., Feb. 4 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the library of the Brattain Early Learning Center, which is located at 425 10th St. in Springfield. Childcare will be provided for qualified children and their siblings. Preregistration is required. Parents need to register for the workshop even if childcare is not needed. To register, please call 541-346-2578 by Mon., Feb. 3. Please note, the workshop will be cancelled if fewer than five parents register.

 

All parents are invited to join the Early Intervention Council (EI Council) and meet representatives from community agencies who may serve their child. The EI Council will meet on Thurs., Feb. 6 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the Eugene Hearing and Speech Center, located at 1500 W. 12th Ave. in Eugene. Dr. Julie Rusby with the Oregon Research Institute will talk about her CareScapes research. CareScapes is a training for in-home childcare providers. Childcare will not be provided for this meeting; however, a stipend is available for self-arranged childcare. Please call 541-346-2578 to register by Mon., Feb. 3.

 

Come learn strategies to help children who experience an autism spectrum disorder expand their diets and learn healthy eating habits. This class will be held on Thurs., Feb. 6 in rooms 201 B & C of the Clinical Services Building on the University of Oregon campus, located at 901 E. 18th Ave. in Eugene. The class will be held at two different times: 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. Since this class will be held during the day, please allow extra time for parking. Metered parking is available on 18th Ave., or free, 2-hour parking is available on side streets. Families with children enrolled in A Child’s Garden will attend this training while their child is in class. Additional childcare is not available. To register, please contact your Early Childhood CARES autism consultant by Mon., Feb. 3.

 

Early Childhood CARES will host part 5 of its Florence Behavior Management Training on Thurs., Feb. 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Early Childhood CARES classroom in Florence, located in the southwest corner of the middle school parking lot at 2325 Oak St. This is a 10-week training to help parents learn effective behavior support strategies to help their preschool-age children with challenging behaviors. For more information, contact Bobbie Spencer at 541-997-1513.

 

Bridgeway House will host a Parent Support Meeting on Thurs., Feb. 6 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Wesley United Methodist Church, located at 385 Oakway Rd. in Eugene. The support group is for parents and caregivers of children with autism. Childcare is available, but parents must call in advance. Please call 541-345-0805 to make childcare arrangements. All parents and guardians are invited to attend.

 

The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon offers free admission to the museum the first Friday of every month from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Come enjoy the museum’s new exhibits at 1430 Johnson Lane in Eugene.

 

The City of Eugene will host the First Friday Family Fun Night on Feb. 7 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Petersen Barn Community Center, located at 870 Berntzen Rd. in Eugene. Dinner will be served until 6:30 pm. There will also be games, crafts and live entertainment. This is a free drop-in program; no registration is required.

 

The City of Eugene Parks and Recreation will host Family Fit Friday on Feb. 7 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Sheldon Community Center, located at 2445 Willakenzie Rd. in Eugene. Families will enjoy recreation time together in the gym, pool and playground! At this event, the movie Finding Nemo will be shown. Call 541-682-5312 for additional information. See Eugene RecEnroll for more information.

 

Families Connected will host a training called Successful Navigation of the Special Education System on Sat., Feb. 8 from 10 a.m. to noon at 4181 E St. in Springfield. The training will teach parents how to create a master plan, which will help them anticipate obstacles and prepare for the future. The training will also show parents how to create a simple document management system that will help them organize essential documents. Limited childcare will be available on site. To register for the training and arrange your childcare needs, please email Neva Donaldson.

 

Kids and families are invited to the Materials Exchange Center for Community Arts (MECCA) every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to make a creative reuse project. From magnetic puzzles to robot rockets to sock creatures, there’s always a fun, all-ages craft project for kids and families each Saturday. No need to preregister, just drop in any time between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. All materials are included for each workshop. A $3 to $5 sliding scale donation is requested per child. Children under 10 should be accompanied by an adult. MECCA is located at 449 Willamette St. in Eugene.

 

The Museum of Natural and Cultural History, located at 1680 E 15th Ave. in Eugene, will celebrate Charles Darwin’s birthday on Sat., Feb. 8 and Sun., Feb. 9 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a preview of the upcoming natural history exhibit, Explore Oregon! Enjoy free admission, cake and hands-on science activities for visitors of all ages.

 

The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art will host an ArtAccess Workshop for Children with Special Needs on Sat., Feb. 8 from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. This is a free, drop-in art class for K-12 children with developmental, emotional and physical disabilities. The class will be taught by occupational therapists and artists. Reservations are requested. Email Nori Rice or call 541-346-6443 to register. Visit Classes for Children for more information.

 

Families Connected will host a Family Fun Day at the National Academy of Artistic Gymnastics on Sat., Feb. 8 from 4 to 6 p.m. at 1205 Oak Patch Rd. The gymnastics studio will be open only to families with children with special needs. The cost is $5 per child. The National Academy of Artistic Gymnastics is located at 1205 Oak Patch Rd. in Eugene.

 

Visit the Portland Children’s Museum for a free night of play on Sat., Feb. 8 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The museum is located at 4015 SW Canyon Rd. in Portland. The Autism Society of Oregon will host the event. Preregistration is required to attend. In an effort to make the evening comfortable for all families, the number of guests will be limited. To register, visit Friends and Family Access Night at the Museum or call Alex Roth at 503-471-9914. Future Friends and Family Access Nights will be held May 3 and Aug. 2.

 

The Museum of Natural and Cultural History, located at 1680 E 15th Ave. in Eugene, will celebrate Charles Darwin’s birthday on Sun., Feb. 9 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a preview of the upcoming natural history exhibit, Explore Oregon! Enjoy free admission, cake and hands-on science activities for visitors of all ages.

 

Early Childhood CARES will host part 4 of its Behavior Training for parents of children of preschool age children with challenging behavior on Mon., Feb. 10 from 6 to 8 p.m. in room 145 of the Clinical Services Building, located at 901 E. 18th Ave. This is an 8-week training to help parents learn effective behavior support strategies. The Spring Behavior Training will start in April.

 

Come join a group of parents and share in the joys and emotional struggles of parenting a child with special needs. This is a great group for parents looking to connect with other parents. The bimonthly Early Childhood CARES Parent Support Group will meet on Tues., Feb. 11 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Clinical Services Building, located at 901 E. 18th Ave. The Spanish group will meet in room 145, and the English group will meet in room 201A. Childcare will be provided for qualified children and their siblings. Preregistration is required. Parents need to register for the meeting even if childcare is not needed. To register, please call 541-346-2578 by Fri., Feb. 7. Please note, the support group will be cancelled if fewer than five parents register.

 

In Lane County, there are many resources available to parents who have children with developmental delays or disabilities. Early Childhood CARES will host a panel discussion with representatives from local service agencies on Wed., Feb. 12 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in room 145 of the Clinical Services Building, located at 901 E. 18th Ave. in Eugene. Come learn about the services each agency provides and get answers to any questions you may have. This is a great class for families new to Early Childhood CARES or families who recently received a developmental disability diagnosis. Childcare will be provided for qualified children and their siblings. Preregistration is required. Parents need to register for the workshop even if childcare is not needed. To register, please call 541-346-2578 by Mon., Feb. 10. Please note, the panel discussion will be cancelled if fewer than five parents register.

 

On Thurs., Feb. 13, Early Childhood CARES will share information from local area school districts about the kindergarten transition process, and representatives from Lane County Developmental Disabilities Services and Direction Service will be available to answer parent questions. The class will held at two different times: 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. Both classes will be held in room 201 B & C of the Clinical Services Building, which is located at 901 E. 18th Ave. This class is for parents of a child with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. Since this class will be held during the day, please allow extra time for parking. Metered parking is available on 18th Ave., or free, 2-hour parking is available on side streets. Families with children enrolled in A Child’s Garden will attend this training while their child is in class. Additional childcare is not available. To register, please contact your Early Childhood CARES autism consultant by Mon., Feb. 10.

 

Valley River Center hosts a monthly Kids Club the second Thursday of every month. The Kids Club will meet on Feb. 13 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at 293 Valley River Center in Eugene. This month’s meeting will focus on pet care. Children will learn how to care for pets, sing a fun song and create fun crafts. Greenhill Humane Society will have a table to promote its adoption organization. Kids Club is free and is geared for children ages 4 to 10.

 

Early Childhood CARES will host part 6 of its Florence Behavior Management Training on Thurs., Feb. 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Early Childhood CARES classroom in Florence, located in the southwest corner of the middle school parking lot at 2325 Oak St. This is a 10-week training to help parents learn effective behavior support strategies to help their preschool-age children with challenging behaviors. For more information, contact Bobbie Spencer at 541-997-1513.

 

The Swindells Resource Center will host a free training called IEP – A Parent’s Rights and Responsibilities on Thurs., Feb. 13 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Providence Cancer Center Amphitheater, located at 4805 NE Glisan St. in Portland. This training will review families fundamental rights, how parents can participate in developing their child’s IEP goals and how to communicate with the IEP team. Register at the Providence Online Class Catalog. Search by class name “Sensory PDX-Understanding Your Rights and Responsibilities-Portland.” To register by telephone, call 503-215-2429 or 800-833-8899 ext. 52429. Spanish interpretation is available; parents must call 503-574-6595 to arrange an interpreter by Feb. 1.

 

Parents and preschool-age children are invited to the Museum of Natural and Cultural History (MNCH) at the University of Oregon on Fri., Feb. 14 at 10:30 a.m. for stories and hands-on fun, including crafts, songs, games and museum exploration. Little Wonders is hosted the second Friday of every month at MNCH, located at 1680 East 15th Ave. in Eugene. A new theme and new activities will be presented each month. Little Wonders is free for MNCH members and $5 for non-members.

 

The 29th Annual Asian Celebration will take place on Sat., Feb. 15 and Sun., Feb. 16 at the Lane Events Center located at 796 W. 13th Ave. in Eugene. The Asian culture and heritage are celebrated at this event with traditional music and dancing, foods, crafts and merchandise.

 

Kids and families are invited to the Materials Exchange Center for Community Arts (MECCA) every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to make a creative reuse project. From magnetic puzzles to robot rockets to sock creatures, there’s always a fun, all-ages craft project for kids and families each Saturday. No need to preregister, just drop in any time between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. All materials are included for each workshop. A $3 to $5 sliding scale donation is requested per child. Children under 10 should be accompanied by an adult. MECCA is located at 449 Willamette St. in Eugene.

 

The 29th Annual Asian Celebration will take place on Sun., Feb. 16 at the Lane Events Center located at 796 W. 13th Ave. in Eugene. The Asian culture and heritage are celebrated at this event with traditional music and dancing, foods, crafts and merchandise.

 

Bridgeway House will host a Family Swim on Sun., Feb. 16 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Tamarack Wellness Center, located at 3575 Donald St. in Eugene. Enjoy a wonderful swim in a 92° indoor saltwater pool. Bring your own snacks and towels. The cost is $10 per family.

 

Chili’s Bar & Grill will host a Mother and Son Date Night on Tues., Feb. 18 from 5 to 8 p.m. at 281 Valley River Center. Boys will be given a pirate hat and telescope to decorate. After dinner, your little pirate may choose a complimentary dessert from the menu for you both to share. A picture will be taken, then printed and framed as a take home memory from this special night. Reservations accepted; call 541-683-9100 to make a reservation.

 

Come learn how to plan for a possible and positive future for your child using person-centered planning at a training on Feb. 20 in rooms 201 B & C of the Clinical Services Building, located at 901 E. 18th Ave. The class will held at two different times: 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. This class is for parents of a child with an autism spectrum disorder. Since this class will be held during the day, please allow extra time for parking. Metered parking is available on 18th Ave., or free, 2-hour parking is available on side streets. Families with children enrolled in A Child’s Garden will attend while their child is in class. Additional childcare is not available. To register, please contact your Early Childhood CARES autism consultant by Feb. 13.

 

Early Childhood CARES will host part 7 of its Florence Behavior Management Training on Thurs., Feb. 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Early Childhood CARES classroom in Florence, located in the southwest corner of the middle school parking lot at 2325 Oak St. This is a 10-week training to help parents learn effective behavior support strategies to help their preschool-age children with challenging behaviors. For more information, contact Bobbie Spencer at 541-997-1513.

 

Bridgeway House will host a Parent Support Meeting on Thurs., Feb. 20 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Wesley United Methodist Church, located at 385 Oakway Rd. in Eugene. The support group is for parents and caregivers of children with autism. Childcare is available, but parents must call in advance. Please call 541-345-0805 to make childcare arrangements. All parents and guardians are invited to attend.

 

The City of Eugene Parks and Recreation will host Family Fit Friday on Feb. 21 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Sheldon Community Center, located at 2445 Willakenzie Rd. in Eugene. Families will enjoy recreation time together in the gym, pool and playground! This event will feature a taco feed and fiesta. Call 541-682-5312 for additional information. See Eugene RecEnroll for more information.

 

The Rose Children’s Theatre will present A Midsummer’s Night Dream on Fri., Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Wildish Theatre, located at 630 Main St. in Springfield. The play will also be presented on Sat., Feb. 22 and Sun., Feb. 23. The admission cost varies. Call 541-868-0689 or visit the Wildish Theatre.

 

There will be a Family Fun Day as part of the Oregon Logging Conference on Sat., Feb. 22 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lane Events Center, located at 796 W. 13th Ave. in Eugene. All exhibits are free and open to the public. There will be educational activities such as paper-making, wildlife exhibits and families will have an opportunity to build their own bird-feeder.

 

Kids and families are invited to the Materials Exchange Center for Community Arts (MECCA) every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to make a creative reuse project. From magnetic puzzles to robot rockets to sock creatures, there’s always a fun, all-ages craft project for kids and families each Saturday. No need to preregister, just drop in any time between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. All materials are included for each workshop. A $3 to $5 sliding scale donation is requested per child. Children under 10 should be accompanied by an adult. MECCA is located at 449 Willamette St. in Eugene.

 

The Rose Children’s Theatre will present A Midsummer’s Night Dream on Sat., Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. and again at 7:30 p.m. at the Wildish Theatre, located at 630 Main St. in Springfield. The play will also be presented on Sun., Feb. 23. The admission cost varies. Call 541-868-0689 or visit the Wildish Theatre.

 

The Rose Children’s Theatre will present A Midsummer’s Night Dream on Sun., Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. at the Wildish Theatre, located at 630 Main St. in Springfield. The admission cost varies. Call 541-868-0689 or visit the Wildish Theatre.

 

Early Childhood CARES will host part 5 of its Behavior Training for parents of children of preschool age children with challenging behavior on Mon., Feb. 24 from 6 to 8 p.m. in room 145 of the Clinical Services Building, located at 901 E. 18th Ave. This is an 8-week training to help parents learn effective behavior support strategies. The Spring Behavior Training will start in April.

 

The Swindells Resource Center will host a free training called The Misunderstood Child – Understanding Sensory Processing Disorder on Mon., Feb. 24 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the Dundee/Sherwood Conference Room at the Providence Newberg Medical Center, located at 1001 Providence Dr. in Newberg. This training will help parents and professionals understand the essential ingredients of a sensory processing diet and and the impact of sensory processing on attention, learning, behaviors and social interaction. Register at the Providence Online Class Catalog. Search by class name “Swindells Center-Misunderstood Child-Newberg.” To register by telephone, call 503-215-2429 or 800-833-8899 ext. 52429. Spanish interpretation is available; parents must call 503-574-6595 to arrange an interpreter.

 

A support group for parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder who live in Mapleton or Florence will meet on Tues., Feb. 25 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Early Childhood CARES classroom in Florence, located in the southwest corner of the middle school parking lot at 2325 Oak St. Childcare is available for children enrolled in Early Childhood CARES’ programs. Parents must register by Fri., Feb, 21. For more information or to register, call Bobbie Spencer at 541-997-1513.

 

Come join a group of parents and share in the joys and emotional struggles of parenting a child with special needs. This is a great group for parents looking to connect with other parents. The bimonthly Early Childhood CARES Parent Support Group will meet on Tues., Feb. 25 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in room 201A of the Clinical Services Building at the University of Oregon, 901 E. 18th Avenue, Eugene. Childcare will be provided for qualified children and their siblings. Preregistration is required. Parents need to register for the meeting even if childcare is not needed. To register, please call 541-346-2578 by Fri., Feb. 21. Please note, the support group will be cancelled if fewer than five parents register.

 

Early Childhood CARES will host a four-week workshop for Spanish-speaking parents to learn effective behavior strategies to support their preschool-age children with challenging behaviors. The first class will be held on Tues., Feb. 25 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Clinical Services Building, located at 901 E. 18th Ave. Future classes will be held March 4, 11 and 18. Childcare will be provided for qualified children and their siblings. Preregistration is required. Parents need to register for the training even if childcare is not needed. To register, please call 541-346-0742 by Fri., Feb. 21. Please note, the workshop will be cancelled if fewer than five parents register.

 

Families Connected will host its monthly Dinner Night on Wed., Feb. 26 from 6 to 8 p.m. at 4181 E St. in Springfield. Families Connected is a way for parents to come together to support each other and be supported. Monica Bounds with the Asperger Support Network will deliver a presentation on helping children manage their anger and anxiety. Please RSVP by emailing Sydney Shook or calling 541-343-5256 ext. 113.

 

The Swindells Resource Center will host a free training on the Use of Augmentative Communication in the Home – Tips for Being a Successful Communicator on Wed., Feb. 26 from from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Social Room of the Providence Portland Medical Center, located at 4805 NE Glisan St. in Portland. This training will help parents and professionals learn techniques in integrating a child’s communication system into their daily life without creating added stress. This will NOT be a training on specific devices or systems, rather ways to integrate any system a child may have into the home and community. Register at the Providence Online Class Catalog. Search by class name “Swindells Center-Aug Comm Home-Portland.” To register by telephone, call 503-215-2429 or 800-833-8899 ext. 52429. Spanish interpretation is available; parents must call 503-574-6595 to arrange an interpreter by Feb. 10.

 

Early Childhood CARES speech experts will be on hand to answer parents specific questions related to speech and language development and articulation. Come hear tips and learn new strategies to help boost your child’s language skills. Childcare will be provided for qualified children and their siblings. Preregistration is required. Parents need to register for the training even if childcare is not needed. To register, please call 541-346-2578 by Mon., Feb. 24. Please note, this panel discussion will be cancelled if fewer than five parents register.

 

Come learn how to plan for a possible and positive future for your child using person-centered planning at a training on Feb. 27 in rooms 201 B & C of the Clinical Services Building, located at 901 E. 18th Ave. The class will held at two different times: 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. This class is for parents of a child with an autism spectrum disorder. Since this class will be held during the day, please allow extra time for parking. Metered parking is available on 18th Ave., or free, 2-hour parking is available on side streets. Families with children enrolled in A Child’s Garden will attend while their child is in class. Additional childcare is not available. To register, please contact your Early Childhood CARES autism consultant by Mon., Feb. 24.

 

Early Childhood CARES will host part 8 of its Florence Behavior Management Training on Thurs., Feb. 27 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Early Childhood CARES classroom in Florence, located in the southwest corner of the middle school parking lot at 2325 Oak St. This is a 10-week training to help parents learn effective behavior support strategies to help their preschool-age children with challenging behaviors. For more information, contact Bobbie Spencer at 541-997-1513.

 

The City of Eugene Parks and Recreation will host Family Fit Friday on Feb. 28 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Sheldon Community Center, located at 2445 Willakenzie Rd. in Eugene. Families will enjoy recreation time together in the gym, pool and playground! This event will feature a family obstacle course. Call 541-682-5312 for additional information. See Eugene RecEnroll for more information.

 

The Arc Lane County will offer its respite program on Sat., March 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 4181 E St., Springfield. This is a low-cost program the Arc Lane County provides to families the first Saturday of each month. The cost is $10 per child with disability and $5 for each sibling. Families must email Megan King or call 541-743-5237 as soon as possible to confirm space availability and reserve a spot for their child.

 

The Bethel School District will host a meeting for Early Childhood CARES families who have a child transitioning to kindergarten in the fall. The meeting will be held on Tues., March 4 at 6:30 p.m. at Willamette High School, which is located at 1801 Echo Hollow Road in Eugene.

 

The Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities will host Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month at the Oregon State Capitol on Fri., March 7 at 1 p.m. The celebration will feature guest speakers, the unveiling of the new awareness poster and DD Champion Award Winner presentations. Visit the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities for future announcements about the event.

 

The Springfield School District will host a meeting for Early Childhood CARES families who have a child transitioning to kindergarten in the fall. The meeting will be held on Thurs., March 13 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Brattain Early Learning Center, located at 425 N. 10th St. in Springfield. Childcare will be provided. Parents must call 541-346-2578 to register for childcare by Mon., March 10.

 

Illnesses commonly spread this time of year, especially among small groups. Here are some tips to prevent the spread of infection:

• Wash hands frequently. Hand washing is still the best line of defense against illness. Washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds can go a long way towards washing away germs BEFORE they enter bodies. Have your kids sing the “Happy Birthday” song with you while they soap up. Also make sure kids wash the different surfaces of their hands. Have kids wash their hands after coming home from school or going out in the community, before eating, after sneezing or coughing into their hands or wiping their nose, after going to the bathroom and after your child touches something that has been touched by lots of people (door handles, drinking fountains, grocery cart handles, etc).

• Keep kids home when they are sick. If your child meets the Early Childhood Cares exclusion guidelines, please keep them home. This may prevent your child’s classmates from becoming ill as well. Please remember, fevers must be gone on their own and not only when your child has taken a fever reducer, such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen. Illness is often the most contagious when a child has a fever and lowering the fever with medicine does not make the illness less contagious. Also, if your child has a rash that is unknown in its cause, please keep your child home until the cause of the rash is determined or the rash is gone. We understand children often have sensitive skin and rashes from detergents or other allergies are not contagious; however, there are many other causes of rashes in children and it is not always possible to determine what is causing a rash.

• Keep kids home if siblings are ill and they are showing first signs of illness. Currently, many homes have family members with head colds. If a brother or sister or other person your child spends a lot of time with is ill and your child begins to act more tired than usual, look pale, have decreased appetite, or does not seem like herself/himself, please consider keeping him/her home. This is likely the first sign he/she is becoming ill also, and many illnesses are contagious when you first begin to feel sick.

Early Childhood CARES appreciates every chance it gets to help kids achieve their full potential and doesn’t want to see this time limited due to illness. Please follow these tips and stay healthy!

Early Childhood CARES is implementing something new and fun with respect to its parent trainings and events. We understand it is sometimes difficult for families to get bundled up and out the door for an evening class. To help make getting out the door a little easier, Early Childhood CARES will now provide free pizza at some events and will raffle store gift cards at other events. We’re hoping more parents will take advantage of Early Childhood CARES diverse trainings and add more tools to their parenting tool belts. Please contact Early Childhood CARES Outreach Coordinator if there are other things we can be doing to make it easier for parents to attend trainings.

 

The Oregon Technical Assistance Corporation (OTAC) is looking for a limited number of people who receive developmental disability services to interview and videotape. OTAC will use the interviews and video clips to develop trainings for direct support professionals. Participants will receive a small stipend for their time.

Participants must be willing to be videotaped talking about their lives. People are encouraged to share only details they are comfortable sharing. Some topics of discussion may include: home life, work or school life, job skills or interests, a “typical good day,” a recent “bad day,” interests, hopes and dreams, the role of service providers in your life and other topics of interest.

Candidates should be able to talk freely (independently or with a support person). Please email Josiah Barber or call 503-875-9060 if you are interested.

 

Faculty at West Virginia University are interested in learning more about parent perceptions related to assistive technology, social emotional development and experiences with early intervention (EI). If you are a parent of a child with a disability who is currently in EI services (birth to three services) or was in EI services before your child turned 3 years old, the researchers would greatly appreciate you taking a survey. The information you provide will help us in improving services and supports for children and families! All information will remain confidential. Thank you for your time and consideration.

 

Last chance to enroll! The deadline to enroll in the parent-delivered massage study is Fri., Feb. 14. Western Oregon University’s Teaching Research Institute received a grant from the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau to conduct this study on the beneficial effects of parent-delivered massage in children with autism. Services are provided in Eugene for Eugene area families. Participants receive free training and treatment in the Eugene area worth over $1,500. Please email Kris or call 503-474-0218 if you have any questions or if you would like to enroll your child. Children with autism under the age of six are eligible. (Children ages 6 to 11 will be eligible during the 2014-15 school year.) Participants will be recruited from the Portland, Salem, Albany/Corvallis and Eugene areas, and will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. To learn more, visit the Qigong Massage Study.

 

Early Childhood CARES is seeking a part-time American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter to work with a preschool-aged child with disabilities in a classroom setting on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Minimum qualifications include: BA/BS or AA/AS degree from an Interpreter Education Program or related education field, passing score of 3.5 or above on the EIPA Performance Test or hold RID NIC, CI or CT certification and passing score on the EIPA written test. To apply, send resume to Cheryl Henderson.