Better Tomorrows Early Childhood Iowa

05/18/2026

05/18/2026

Frustration and persistence. Teach patience with these tips:

Frustration is a leading cause of challenging behaviors! It’s natural for young kids to feel frustrated—new things don’t always come easily. It’s important for kids to persist, even when learning just seems to take too long!

Here are some ways to encourage kids:

Recognize his feelings.
* “I can see that you’re frustrated. Want to tell me about it? What’s making you feel that way?”
* Help your child find a way of calming down that works: taking some belly breaths, counting to 10, or taking a break. Encourage her to walk away and try again later.
* Facing a new challenge can be difficult. Make a plan together. If it doesn’t work, make a new plan. Invite your child to invent her own super-hero name. Then say, “This sounds like a job for ___________!”
* Together, think of something new he’s learned to do in the past year. Ask, “Did you do it the first time you tried?” Learning something new takes patience and practice. Remind him that it’s not that he can’t do it—it’s that he can’t do it…yet!
* Break the task into lots of little steps. Help her to master one before moving onto the next. Remind her of the progress she’s already made.
* Explain that every failure is an opportunity to learn—and to get closer to the final goal.

05/11/2026

Take the Family Health Survey! Iowa HHS needs your input!

We invite you to take the Family Health Survey to share your experiences in getting health care and social support services. Your feedback will help HHS improve the health of women and children in Iowa.

No personal information will be taken during the survey.

The survey will close on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

05/05/2026

05/05/2026

The training will be held on Thursday, May 21st at the Human Services Campus in Cedar Rapids. This is an introductory training to learn basic skills for su***de prevention. This is a three to four hour training that equips people to be more alert to someone thinking of su***de and better able to connect them with further help. Using a simple yet effective model, LivingWorks safeTALK empowers everyone to make a difference. The flyer includes additional information on the training and instructions on how to register.

05/05/2026

Produce Basics Virtual Child Care Provider Training

Only 14 percent of Iowa youth eat vegetables more than three times a day (excluding French fries and potato chips), and 20 percent eat fruit more than three times a day. Research has shown that less than 10 percent of youth meet recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is piloting a NEW child care provider training, Produce Basics, which has been approved for two hours of credit by Iowa Health and Human Services (IHHS) and Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The training helps providers learn best practices related to food safety and garden safety to provide a healthy environment for children in their care.

Health and Human Sciences Educators will be hosting Produce Basics virtually on Wednesday, June 10, from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. Child care providers will discover the risks related to produce while exploring garden safety guidelines and learn ways to keep fresh fruits and vegetables safe through proper storage, cleaning, and preparation. One provider responded, “This was a wonderful class and very enjoyable. I truly learned a lot about produce that I didn’t know.”

The program cost is $20 per person. Register online in I-PoWeR and through ISU Registration Services at https://go.iastate.edu/JXHGOL. Registration closes May 27.

Questions? Contact Cathy Drost at (641) 676-9123 or [email protected]

05/05/2026

A Marvelous Mess
ACTIVITY: The sensory experience of messy outdoor play can offer children the opportunity to build creativity in a way that indoor play can’t. Plan for messy play by dressing children in clothes that can get dirty or stained. Try letting go and joining them yourself!

It’s okay to get messy sometimes!

05/05/2026

Senses After a Rainstorm
ACTIVITY: Print this page, and together with your child, watch this video of Oscar and Abby playing outside after the rain. Invite your child to color the picture as you talk about how Oscar and Abby used four of their senses: touching, hearing, seeing, and smelling.

Children can use all their senses when engaging with nature.

05/05/2026

Nature Is Everywhere
ACTIVITY: Watch this video in which Abby, her buddy Bunberry, Elmo, and Elmo’s mommy observe nature in their city environment. Next time you’re outside, encourage your child to notice the nature around them — mud on their shoes, weeds growing through cracks of a sidewalk, or the breeze blowing in their hair.

Nature is all around us — even on a city block — and it’s for everyone to notice, discover, observe, wonder about, and enjoy.