Carolina Farm Stewardship Association

"Safe, Local, Organic: Building a Healthy Food Economy"
December 4-6, 2009 at the Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain, NC

child and youth programs

This year we are extremely fortunate to have the resources of the Blue Ridge Assembly to provide us with quality child and youth programming on Saturday. Ages 3 to 14 are available. Each three hour session is only $14. The center has an impressive and fully-stocked crafts studio. There is also a child care center. The Assembly provides trained staff to oversee the program. Content includes crafts and nature education. To sign up, use the Blue Ridge Assembly registration sheet at their website,
www.blueridgeassembly.org.

Early Childhood Adventure	ages 3-5
We have a special child care room equipped with age-appropriate materials for little ones. Toys, stories, songs, crafts and people working with your children. Each session includes a snack and, weather permitting, a time on our playground designed specifically to be a part of the mountain adventure experience.

School-age Adventure	ages 6-14
Packed with adventure, fun and excitement, programs are planned for your school-age children with activities appropriate for the number of children, age-range and focus of your conference group. With your guidance, we will plan a great adventure which includes selections from our adventure pages - games, hikes, stream exploration, heritage crafts, storytelling and more. Our chils care room, programs in that room and all programs supervised by our staff conform to and exceed both the letter and the spirit of child care laws of the state of North Carolina. It is important to us that our young guests have a fun and safe time. The following guidelines are included in our policies: There are 2 staff present at all times with each group of children. There is a staff to child ratio of at least 1:4 in the early childhood room and 1:6 for the school-age groups. There are no more than 25 children in a group. An adult is never alone with a child. There are sign-in/sign-out procedures for children. Parents/guardians are required to show identification when dropping off and picking up children. Criminal background checks are conducted on each staff member and volunteer. Required staff training includes first aid certification, CPR, child abuse prevention training, hand washing, behavior management and emergency procedures. Physical and emotional punishments are not acceptable. Education levels of staff include Masters and BA in early childhood, education and other fields, high school diploma or international equivalent, YMCA certifications and volunteers currently in high school. Staff are female and male, American and international, and a diversity of ages. Children must be 3 years old and potty-trained - not in diapers or pull-ups. Groups must make advance arrangements of their own for care for children under age 3.