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 CHILD CARE BULLETINIssue 12—November/December 1996 Child Care in Native American and Alaska Native Communities |
Celebrating Child Care in Tribal CommunitiesSupporting families is critical to their success. Whether it is provided through extended family networks, family child care homes, or center-based programs, quality child care is at the core of a system that supports families. Joan Lombardi, Associate Commissioner of the Child Care Bureau, recently said, "As communities rich in tradition, and with a firm belief in the resiliency and strength of families, tribal nations emphasize the importance of nurturing childrens' growth and development in ways that build pride in their heritage. With this issue of the Child Care Bulletin, we celebrate child care in Native American and Alaska Native communities and re-dedicate ourselves to ensuring that all children in tribal child care programs receive safe and healthy care.
The Child Care Bureau is supporting several activities related to strengthening child care systems in tribal communities:
Working together, we can provide safe, healthy, affordable child care that supports children, families, and communities in tribal nations.
Child Care and Development Fund Impacts Tribes Subsidized child care services will be available to eligible parents through certificates or contracted programs. Parents may select any legally operating child care provider. All providers funded by the CCDF must meet basic health and safety requirements set by states and tribes. These must address prevention and control of infectious diseases; current immunizations; building and physical premises safety; and minimum health and safety training.
The CCDF provides increased funding for tribal child care and includes significant policy changes that will impact tribal programs.
To learn more, contact the Child Care Bureau at: (202) 690-6782.
Cooperative Agreements Promote Tribal and State CoordinationSimilarly, the Navajo Nation has a process by which to arrive at intergovernmental agreements with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah regarding coordination of child care program policies, operating procedures, and standards. The process involves interactive review and comment by the state child care offices, then a final draft is presented to the Tribal Oversight Committee.
Tribal nations may oversee child care programs in a manner similar to a state, or they may opt to implement more stringent requirements. For instance, the Leech Lake Tribal Council in Minnesota licenses child care programs every two years, the same as the state does. The tribe requires annual monitoring visits. The state requires monitoring visits every two years as a part of the licensing renewal process.
Cooperative agreements among tribal nations and states in the area of child care improve communication and coordination of services, and can maximize limited resources. For example, a tribe and state may both require three monitoring site visits annually. They may arrive at a mutual arrangement to have the state licensing worker perform two visits and the tribal monitoring coordinator perform one visit, and then share copies of the monitoring records. The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is using this method on a trial basis, coordinating with the state licensing office. Sharing resources for training is another way that tribes and states can maximize their efforts. For instance, the state accepts the training that the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma provides for center directors, and the state also supplies training for the tribe's child care providers.
The key elements of the cooperative agreement between the Cherokee Nation Child Care Licensing Program and the Oklahoma Department of Human Services Office of Field Operations include:
Contributing to this article:
The Birth of a Center: Planning for Facilities Development by Julie Mitchell QuaidThe original plan was for a comprehensive learning center, but in 1989, the plan was revised to a facility specifically for early childhood programs. The initial planning stages involved hiring an architectural firm. Through this experience, we learned the importance of hiring a firm that will listen to ideas, needs, and suggestions and reflect them in the floor plans. An architect who understands the culture, is familiar with your values, and honors requests is invaluable in building a facility that meets your needs.
The architectural firm visited the existing facilities and analyzed program activities. The goal was to identify the current practices that worked well, the practices that could be enhanced by an improved facility, and specific aspects of design that would help to better meet the needs of children, teachers, parents, and staff. As the plans took shape, teachers and staff were involved in program analysis, reviewing facility plans and making suggestions for improvements. An analysis of facility requirements was completed by the architect. This included plans to meet requirements for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and certification and program requirements, such as Head Start Performance Standards, sanitation, play ground, and fire safety.
Additional planning included estimating the changing demographics of the reservation community. This involved determining the birth rate, projecting the birth rate by age of population, and estimating classroom needs based on this information. This was the method used to project the future need for services and to plan ahead for either growth or reduction in demand.
A tribal referendum was held and tribal members overwhelmingly approved $1.125 million for the project and granted permission to borrow the remainder. Ten year bonds were issued, resulting in an annual debt service of $470,385, which is included in the annual tribal budget. The final cost of the facility was $4.5 million, which was lower than an initial bid of $5.3 million. The operational and maintenance costs of the facility are primarily funded by the tribal government. Very little of the maintenance costs are included in the program budgets, which are comprised of federal, state, and tribal funding sources.
A benefit of centralizing staff is the ability to conduct training in a mixed group of providers, such as school-age, preschool, and infant care, as well as across competency areas such as nutrition training or inclusion. Additionally, providing more opportunities for interaction has improved staff relations and increased the professional appreciation for each other's responsibilities.
Centralizing services does not necessarily provide flexibility in providing drop-in care or care during non-traditional hours. The numbers of families needing these services are smaller and may fluctuate daily. The costs and logistics of keeping a large facility open for these purposes may prove to be impractical. A smaller "satellite center" could be more economically feasible in meeting such needs.
The center offers many programs that help to meet the changing needs of families in the tribal community.
Julie Mitchell Quaid is Director of Early Childhood Education for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. To learn more, contact Julie at: (541) 553-3241.
Child Care Facility Loans in Rural CommunitiesThe RCAC is one of 31 organizations nationwide to receive Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) funds from the U.S. Treasury to support a national network of financial institutions that finance community development.
Since 1988, the RCAC Loan Fund has acted as an intermediary to provide innovative solutions to the financing needs of rural communities. Previously, most borrowers have been nonprofit agencies engaged in the development of low-income housing. Through a recent grant from MetLife Foundation, RCAC has developed plans for expansion into child care facilities financing for low-income rural communities throughout the west.
RCAC recently received grants from the Packard Foundation and the National Association of Community Development Loan Funds to complete the underwriting criteria and begin lending. RCAC will lend to nonprofit child care providers for facility development, purchase or renovation. RCAC plans to lend for pre-development expenses and to partner with other institutions, such as USDA community facilities programs or secondary market programs, for construction and permanent financing.
For more information, contact Rod Marshall, Loan Officer, Rural Community Assistance Corporation, at: (916) 447-9832, ext. 142.
Child Care Initiatives Across the CountryAlaska Natives are as diverse in their heritage and culture as any other groups in the country. There are numerous distinct cultural communities within the more generally phrased groupings of "Indians," "Eskimos," and "Aleuts." Within this microcosm of varied cultures, geographical settlements, and economies, Alaska Native communities exist in more than 200 village corporations and 13 regional corporations, as well as in boroughs and cities. These circumstances often require that organizations providing services for children and families operate in an atmosphere of cooperation, interdependence, coordination, and flexibility in service delivery.
Each locality presents its unique challenges and opportunities in helping parents access child care assistance and find quality care, and in helping providers access needed resources and support. The Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, Inc. serves the child care needs of the villages at the end of the Alaska Peninsula and in the islands which jut out into the Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea. Through CCDBG support, Tribal Family Service Assistants are recruited from within villages and trained to work with parents and providers. Their training covers a variety of topics, including child growth and development, health and safety, early intervention assessment, teen pregnancy, at-risk populations, emergency assistance, and child welfare. The program provides support for child care in ways that are as unique as the communities it serves.
The program's services can range from assisting grandmothers that are providing child care on the small island of Saint George in the Bering Sea, to helping two women locate renovation funds for a child care center in Sand Point, a village with a large commercial fishing operation on Popof Island in the Pacific Ocean. The most distant island which is currently served by the program is Atka, more than 1,000 miles from the program=s main office, which is based in Anchorage.
By contrast, the Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. (CITC) serves a large urban Alaska Native and American Indian community. Through coordination with the CCDBG program that serves the municipality of Anchorage, the two programs were able to help families that needed child care services. The waiting list for services at CITC was long, and the municipality of Anchorage had a few vacancies for clients to fill their roles. They worked together, training the staff from CITC in the eligibility policies and process for the municipal Anchorage program. Those who qualified for services under the municipal criteria were able to receive services right away through the Day Care Assistance Program in Anchorage.
To learn more about child care services in these Alaska Native and American Indian communities, contact either Karen Gonné-Harrell, Tribal Family Service Assistants Supervisor, Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, Inc., at: (907) 278-2700, Gloria Nothstine, Director of Human Resources, Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. at (907) 265-5964, or Delores Jones, Senior Family Service Counselor, Day Care Assistance Program, Anchorage, at: (907) 343-6703.
The White Earth Reservation Child Care Program, located in northern Minnesota, operates under the auspices of the White Earth Tribal Council. The program began in 1991 through CCDBG funding. There are two components: the Child Care Assistance Program, and the Child Care Licensing Program.
Since there are no child care centers located on the White Earth Reservation, the Child Care Program works to recruit in-home child care providers. Although there are licensed family child care providers geographically dispersed on the reservation, most have offered child care services only during the traditional work week of Monday through Friday, 6:00 am. to 6:00 pm. More recently, the opening of the Shooting Star Casino and Hotel, along with some private businesses that operate three working shifts, has caused a dramatic increase in the need for non-traditional or "odd-hour" child care.
To address this need, the White Earth Reservation Child Care Program initiated a mini-grant program through a service development grant from the state of Minnesota, and continued funding from the Tribal Council. The goal of the grant is to recruit providers who will offer child care during non-traditional hours throughout the White Earth Reservation. With this additional funding, the Child Care Program offers financial assistance to tribally licensed providers.
The basic objectives for the grant are to:
A small portion of the project funds will also be utilized for direct recruitment efforts, including newspaper advertisements and informational materials such as color posters and brochures.
For more information, contact Barb Fabre, Child Care Coordinator, White Earth Reservation Tribal Council, at: (218) 473-2141.
The Oneida Indian Nation is constructing a facility that will address the needs of the Nation's elders and young children. The idea for the Ray Elm Children's and Elders' Center arose from assessing the needs of the Nation's Members. The elders requested an increase in the number of available services and a place where they could participate in more activities that would boost their socialization and their productivity. The child care center within the facility will address the growing need for safe and affordable, high quality, culturally sensitive child care for Members who work. One of the activities of the program is to teach the Oneida language to the children.
Oneida tradition has played a large role in the facility, designed by nationally-known Native American architect, Douglas Cardinal. He describes the structure as a sort of "21st century Longhouse." As in a Longhouse, the central section of the building faces true North, with entrances on the east and west sides. Inside, the focal point is a gathering place in the building's center that features a skylight, fire pit, and symbols of the Nation's three clans: Bear, Turtle, and Wolf. There, elders and children can gather in a place of tradition.
In addition to the child care center, the facility will have a 250 seat dining room and a kitchen area that will allow the Nation to increase its meals program to five days a week. The Children's and Elders' Center will also house a variety of crafts, programs and activities. It has a stage, woodshop, pottery room, sewing room, and arts and crafts area for oil painting, beadwork and basketry, along with recreational facilities.
All of the center's features are thoughtfully designed to bring back together the Nation's voices of experience. The center conveys to the elders that they are a vitally important link in the chain of the Oneida Nation. It honors the elders and Oneida's future generations.
Located west of Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Pueblo of Laguna is comprised of six villages among the foothills along old Route 66. To help preserve Laguna culture and tradition, this rural community established its own educational system in 1992. The Division of Early Childhood in the Laguna Department of Education sponsors the Laguna Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) for Young Children, which includes 17 agencies that serve families.
The ICC coordinates services through a "System of Care" for children birth through five years old. All services must be child-centered, coordinated, family-focused, culturally appropriate, integrated, community-based and comprehensive. The System of Care is a seamless service coordination model with the child and family at its center. Services include annual village-based "Child Find Services" which provide comprehensive screening in development, nutrition, health, vision, dental, and hearing. This process helps to educate the community and identify children who may qualify for early intervention services. Also, monthly Baby Basics classes are held for new and expectant families. The System of Care also includes educational services, such as child care programs, Head Start, schools, assessment and placement services, as well as parent support training, health, mental health, and social services.
The ICC has supported the research and publication of a booklet entitled, The Most Precious Gift - Traditions of the Laguna People. The booklet describes some of the traditional practices of the Laguna people regarding childbirth, child rearing, and child health. The ICC supports Laguna families in nurturing and educating their young children to grow to their full potential within traditional cultural values and beliefs. These beliefs are reflected in a message from Roland Johnson, Governor of the Pueblo of Laguna, in his forward to The Most Precious Gift: "Many children never reach their full potential. It is important for children to begin school with the essential support and self-worth needed to succeed. The first months and years of a child's life are the most critical to their development. Children who are raised in an atmosphere of love and acceptance learn to give back to others and to society as a whole. The answers to many of our problems lie in our family values and in how we parent and educate our children. The solution begins with families."
To learn more, contact Rebecca Viers, Executive Director, Division of Early Childhood, Pueblo of Laguna, at: (505) 552-6467.
The Navajo Nation Division of Social Services has CCDBG programs in five agencies throughout the Navajo Reservation, which is largely located in northeast Arizona, and has land that extends into New Mexico and Utah.
Due to the large number of families that apply for child care assistance, the Navajo Nation developed an automated management system. The computer program is tailored to address specific reporting needs and also to serve as a case management tool for the CCDBG Coordinator. All client information is entered into several relational databases and then sorted for reports, analyses, case management, and payments to child care providers. The automated program allows for data analysis based on specific dates for reporting statistics. It also has the capacity to filter a query by age, city, or other specified data field. The system is also capable of printing the statistics portion of the CCDBG ACF 700 form for reporting to the federal government. The software used to develop the database system is FoxPro on a Windows 95 operating system.
This system will eventually link with other Navajo Nation Division of Social Services database systems to facilitate cross referencing with other types of assistance available to clients. This could serve as a referral system capable of sharing information electronically with other assistance programs, and eliminate the need to re-enter client information.
For more information, contact Sam Namoki, Computer Programmer, Navajo Nation Division of Social Services, at: (505) 368-1182, or e-mail at: snamoki@juno.com
Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe Serves Infants and Toddlers by Jacki HaightThe tribe's early childhood programs had outgrown their original building and Head Start funds from AIPB helped to construct a new facility on the reservation to accommodate expanded services to families with infants and toddlers. The construction of the building was a community spirited event. A committee of staff, parents, the tribal planner and administrator all participated in planning with a local architect. In August 1996, the new building's open house celebration included local politicians, the tribal community, and tribal leaders.
The new facility includes a parent resource and training room, equipped with computers and Internet access. Evergreen State College donated computer hardware to the program and has been a partner with the tribal education department in designing a reservation-based higher education program. Microsoft also donated software to the program.
Services to infants, toddlers, and their families are strengthened by partnerships with other resources on the reservation. The Tribal Health Center's maternal and child programs include the Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and a Washington state funded First Step program which supports mothers through pregnancy and follows their newborn's development through the first year of life.
Weekly parenting classes are offered through a partnership with the Indian Child Welfare Department. The curriculum is tailored to the parents' interests. Group sessions can range from learning about health and wellness, nutrition, filling out a job application and practicing job interviews, to reading native legends and learning about cultural history.
Parents have been involved in creating and managing a "parent store" at the center for obtaining items such as diapers, toilet paper, thermometers, and baby tylenol. Parents earn points for participating in activities, and the points translate into buying power at the store.
Relationships among the infant, the family, and the child care provider are important to quality care. Through activities and daily interactions at the center, young children are exposed to positive developmental experiences, including hearing the S'Klallam language for the first time. Group activity time provides special growth opportunities for children, mothers, fathers, grandparents, or other relatives to learn together.
Through the EHS program, the tribe will be able to provide families and children with much needed child care and parent support services. The S'Klallam people are a strong people who support and nurture each other, and their vision for their future generations.
Jacki Haight is the Director of Early Childhood Programs for the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe. To learn more, contact Jacki at: (360) 297-6258, or e-mail at: PGHDSTRT@telebyte.com
Early Intervention and Care in Native American CommunitiesIn the project's first year, local community planning teams of parents, community leaders, child care professionals and project staff worked together to guide local training activities. They conducted parent and professional focus groups and held a forum to highlight the needs and resources of the tribal community. Since parental views about services are powerful catalysts for change, future training will concentrate on empowering Native American parents to tell their stories and become more effective public speakers. Other planned activities include linking professionals with resource materials such as books, videotapes, and inclusion strategies, providing training on cultural diversity, and presenting project activities at state and national conferences.
For more information, contact the project's co-directors, Virginia Buysse, at: (919) 966-7171, e-mail: buysse.fpg@mhs.unc.edu, or Debra Skinner, at: (919) 966-4571, e-mail: skinner.fpg@mhs.unc.edu
Preparation Yields Quality Before- and After-School Program by Stan Bienick
After you identify the need, secure funding for the program, find a location, and recruit the staff, what's next?
The rest involves set up, public relations, and registration. Watch the fruits of quality preparation as the before- and after-school program gets rooted in the community, watered with professional care, weeded by constant evaluation, and produces a crop of healthy children. Quality preparation does work, even if you aren't a gardener.
Healthy Child Care America Update: Sitting Bull College' Child Care InitiativeSitting Bull College is one of three tribally controlled colleges in the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) to receive funds from the Administration for Native Americans (ANA) to support the Healthy Child Care America Initiative (see "Healthy Child Care Update," Child Care Bulletin, January/ February 1996). The other two colleges that have received technical assistance grants are the College of the Menominee Nation in Keshena, Wisconsin, and Northwest Indian College in Bellingham, Washington.
The Early Childhood Program at Sitting Bull College has evaluated and modified the curriculum for the two-year Associate of Science (AS) degree to meet Child Development Associate (CDA) requirements as well as the needs of the community. The program trains providers in basic topics, such as health, safety, CPR and first aid. Training sessions in cultural diversity have provided grandmothers an opportunity to be guest speakers on traditional Lakota/Dakota ways and the roles of the extended family.
Outreach, awareness, and consumer education contribute to building a healthier and safer environment for children. The college held an informal dinner to facilitate discussions about child care issues among tribal women. The dinner brought together mothers, daughters, grandmothers, aunts, and sisters to discuss the role that each family member plays in the upbringing of a child in the traditional ways. Plans are also underway for a similar informal dinner involving tribal men.
For more information, contact Melody Silk, Early Childhood Program Director, Sitting Bull College, at: (701) 854-3861.
Spotlight on...NICCA is comprised of tribal CCDBG grantees and other interested associate members. Decisions regarding issues that affect tribal child care programs are discussed and voted on by the full tribal membership. Tribes are allowed one vote per issue in order to assure impartiality. The NICCA Executive Board has 14 members: the chairperson, vice chairperson, secretary, treasurer, and 10 area representatives.
Currently, NICCA is sponsoring a design contest for an association logo. Native American artists are invited to submit design entries by January 31, 1997. NICCA is also in the process of developing a Home Page to be accessible via the World Wide Web.
For more information about the National Indian Child Care Association, contact Janet Wise, NICCA President, 279 East 137th Street, Glenpool, OK, 74033, or call: (918) 758-1463, fax: (918) 758-1498, e-mail: jlw@ionet.net
Short ItemsThe Child Care Bureau is sponsoring the fourth annual National American Indian/Alaska Native Child Care Conference at the Radisson Hotel in St. Paul, Minnesota, April 27-30, 1997.
The conference will provide a forum for discussing issues such as welfare reform and highlighting promising initiatives in several areas, including child care and Head Start collaboration. The conference will also address leadership issues and long range planning for child care, as well as the common challenges that face Native American and Alaska Native communities, children, and families.
For more information, contact Pattie Howell, Child Care Technical Assistance Project, at: (202) 639-4465, or Roger Iron Cloud, Child Care Bureau, at: (202) 690-6244.
The Administration on Children, Youth and Families published a notice of proposed change in data source used to determine tribal child counts on October 25, 1996 in the Federal Register, Vol. 61, No. 208, on page 55305. The notice announces the Proposed Self-Certification Process for Tribal Child Counts Used to Calculate Tribal Allotments Under the Child Care and Development Block Grant. This will afford tribes the opportunity to select a data source or utilize a method for counting tribal children that accurately reflects the child population.
For more information, contact the Child Care Bureau at: (202) 690-6782.
Wisconsin Inter-Tribal Early Education and Child Care Coordinating Council Funds from a foundation and the State Office of Child Care are helping to strengthen child care systems for tribal families. The Bremer Foundation funds projects in Northwestern Wisconsin and was instrumental in starting the Wisconsin Inter-Tribal Early Education and Child Care Coordinating Council in 1988. The Council members, from 11 tribal nations located in Wisconsin, are those who work with their tribe's child care system. The project is administered by the Wisconsin Child Care Improvement Project, a collaboration of stakeholders in child care that provides technical assistance in organizational start up activities.
Funds from the Bremer Foundation and the state will be used to build strong communication links to apprise council members of activities and decisions affecting child care systems for tribal families. They will also be used to build leadership and technology skills, and to increase capacity to address the need for child care under Wisconsin's welfare reform program known as "W2." A Tribal Child Care Specialist has been hired to carry out the tasks associated with the project, including information dissemination and facilitating meetings and training sessions.
To learn more, contact Mary Van Den Heuvel, Executive Director, Wisconsin Child Care Improvement Project at: (414) 336-8868, or Sandy Kolodziejski, Chair of the Wisconsin Inter-Tribal Early Education and Child Care Coordinating Council, at: (715) 682-7134.
The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) Telecommunications Project is comprised of 30 tribal and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) administered community colleges and universities in 12 states and Canada. These colleges foster educational opportunities for Native Americans and Alaska Natives in a place that promotes their cultural heritage. Many of the colleges are in remote areas.
The AIHEC Telecommunications Project aims to connect tribal colleges together in a seamless telecommunications system to maximize educational resources. It plans to be an educational network not only for the colleges, but to extend services to the communities as well. The project began in 1992, with a grant administered through the Department of Commerce. Through satellite technology, the AIHEC Distance Learning Network delivers telecourses and videoconferences for students, staff, and others in the community.
Thus far, the AIHEC Distance Learning Network has worked with one college to deliver telecourses on child-related topics. Most of the AIHEC colleges have an early childhood component, offering courses related to child development, or administering onsite child care programs. Many of the colleges do both, as the student population includes single parents, and child care services are essential to being able to attend classes.
Gary Garrison, member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, serves as the Network Director on the AIHEC Telecommunications Project. For more information, contact Gary at: (402) 472-0498.
As part of its Healthy Child Care America technical assistance materials development, Northwest Indian College in Bellingham, Washington, is gathering information for a health and safety guide that reflects a Native American perspective. The guide is to assist child care providers and program directors in helping parents understand health and safety regulations. Individuals who are willing to share their insights and traditions of their tribal communities are asked to contact:
Carole ThomasThe Administration on Children, Youth and Families published the Final Rule - Head Start Program Performance Standards on November 5, 1996 in the Federal Register, Vol. 61, No. 215. This comprehensive revision encompasses all performance standards for Head Start programs and integrates them with new standards for serving infants and toddlers. The standards go into effect January 1, 1998, although grantee and delegate agencies may implement the standards prior to that date.
Send inquiries to: Head Start Performance Standards, P.O. Box 1182, Washington, DC 20201, or call the Head Start Publications Center at: (202) 205-8560.
The Child Care Bureau has determined that tribal grantees should continue to report program information in the same manner as in the past, using the ACF-700. Tribes and tribal organizations will not be required to file the Biannual Aggregate Child Care and Development Fund Report (ACF-800) nor the Quarterly Disaggregate Child Care and Development Fund Reports (ACF-801). Tribes are strongly encouraged to complete the ACF-700, as this information will be reported to Congress for deliberations regarding the child care needs of Native Americans. During the next year, the Bureau will be looking at streamlining the ACF-700 form.
Resources in Child CareWith each issue, the Child Care Bulletin highlights resources available to the child care community. We encourage providers, parents, administrators, and other readers to share knowledge of what is available so that we may pass it on to the field.
The National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) works to insure that every Indian child has ac cess to community-based, culturally appropriate services to help them grow up safe, healthy and spiritually strong. NICWA provides training and technical assistance in topics related to child welfare and family preservation, and publishes a bimonthly newsletter, Pathways, and other printed materials. To learn more, contact Terry Cross, NICWA Executive Director, 3611 S.W. Hood St., Suite 201, Portland, OR, 97201, or call: (503) 222-4044, fax: (503) 222-4007, or e-mail: Tcross820@aol.com
The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) provides technical assistance to members and Indian organizations on health topics. For more information, contact Yvette Joseph-Fox, NIHB Executive Director, 1385 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite A-707, Denver, CO 80222, or call: (303) 759-3075, fax: (303) 759-3674.
| The document is for informational purposes only. No official endorsement of any practice, publication, program, or individual by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Administration for Children and Families, the Child Care Bureau, or the National Child Care Information Center is intended or is to be inferred. For additional information on this or related topics, please contact the National Child Care Information Center at (800) 616-2242 or info@nccic.org. |
