Tag Archives: home

Sucessful Home Improvement Projects: Advice And Tips

Sometimes it only takes one small improvement to increase the value of a house. If you?re looking to sell your house, then consider doing one or two small things. For example, give your house, inside and out, a fresh coat of paint. Something as simple as this, which costs you only one or two hundred dollars, can increase the value by nearly one thousand dollars!

Before painting, stripping wallpaper, or performing other updates to your walls, remove all of the outlet covers and switchplates from the room in which you are working. This ensures that the covers remain free of paint splatters, and when you reinstall them over the painted surface, the results will be seamless.

Before buying any materials for a home improvement job, you should go online and comparison shop at the local home improvement store websites. This is a great way for you to be certain that you are getting the materials at the best price that you can rather than overpaying and wasting your money.

Set up a payment schedule with your home improvement contractor based on the amount of total work completed, NOT a time line. This will give you the ability to fire the contractor if the work isn?t at the quality you expected without leaving incomplete projects or the contractor requesting more money.

When undertaking home improvements, either by yourself or through a contractor, it is important that all parties know the budget that they are working with, and that the budget is realistic. Trying to renovate ?on the cheap? can lead to inferior materials being used and no profit being gained at the time of the property resale.

Another good home improvement tip to add some flavor to your home is to take that plain painted ceiling and add some popcorn paint onto it. This will make it stand out a bit more, and make it less plain. Also, doing this is also very light on the wallet, which is perfect for these times.

Be flexible. Remember, just because you want something done in 2 months, it may take longer than this. You should also be flexible with your budget and the resources you have. You should always factor in the extra time it may take to complete and any extra money that may be involved.

There are different types of screws to use when improving your home. Know which screws you need to use for whatever home improvement projects you may have. Wood screws work best for projects involving wood as they can easily go through the wood. Sheet metal screws are best for sheet metal.

Sealing air leaks is an inexpensive way to improve the energy efficiency of your home. Unsealed cracks and openings are one of the leading causes of heat loss in the average home. Common problem areas include around doors and windows, around pipes, wires and ducts that lead outdoors and around recessed light fixtures. Use caulk to seal small cracks and expanding spray foam for larger gaps and openings.

Home improvement is not as complicated as it is made out to be. Sure it can be a lot of work, but it doesn?t have to be. It can indeed have small jobs too. Now that you understand a bit more of how to use things and what to do, go give it a try.

Maggie Ranah has a blog page concerning Extensions Melbourne

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MarketAark : News on : United Kingdom ||Consumer Goods, Home …

United Kingdom: Consumer Goods, Home, and Garden Industry Guide

http://www.aarkstore.com/reports/United-Kingdom-Consumer-Goods-Home-and-Garden-Industry-Guide-118953.html

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United Kingdom: Consumer Goods, Home, and Garden Industry Guide is an essential resource for top-level data and analysis covering the United Kingdom Consumer Goods, Home, and Garden industry. It includes detailed data on market size and segmentation, textual analysis of the key trends and competitive landscape, and profiles of the leading companies. This incisive report provides expert analysis with distinct chapters for Consumer Electronics, Furniture & Floor Coverings, Gardening & Outdoor Living, Home Improvement, Homewares, Household Appliances, Household Products, Kitchen Appliances and TV & Video

Scope of the Report

* Contains an executive summary and data on value, volume and segmentation for Consumer Electronics, Furniture & Floor Coverings, Gardening & Outdoor Living, Home Improvement, Homewares, Household Appliances, Household Products, Kitchen Appliances and TV & Video

* Provides textual analysis of the industrys prospects, competitive landscape and profiles of the leading companies

* Incorporates in-depth five forces competitive environment analysis and scorecards

* Includes five-year forecasts for Consumer Electronics, Furniture & Floor Coverings, Gardening & Outdoor Living, Home Improvement, Homewares, Household Appliances, Household Products, Kitchen Appliances and TV & Video

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Creating Success In Your Home Based Business: Part Two …

I?m back with the second installment of my success challenge to help you significantly ramp up your home based business.

Own Your Destiny: What Could I Be If I Refuse To Quit In My Home Based Business

If you could wave your magic wand and make three things happen in your home based business, what would they be? Not 30 or 300 things: When you make a list that?s a mile long, you?ll never tackle it. But three is a number you can wrap your head around.

Be specific. For example, maybe you want to get out of debt. Too vague. Instead, make it clear: ?Pay off the $9,000 credit card balance in four months.? One of the items on your list may be ?make more money??again, that?s obvious. Instead, be deliberate and targeted: ?Generate $20,000 in sales in the next three months. Next, define yourself and declare your expertise. . You must figure out what exactly you want to be known for before you can build an effective plan to make it happen.

Know who you?re targeting?not everyone is your customer.

Targeted outreach is always better than a mass approach. Knowing your customer makes your marketing efforts so much more effective.

If you sell skin cream, you could logically assume that everyone has skin, so everyone is a potential buyer. Of course, that?s ridiculous. The ingredients, benefits, pack?aging and pricing all determine your client. Distribution matters, too: Is this a high-end skin cream sold in derma?tologists? offices or would it be found on the shelf of a big-box retailer?

When you know who you?re targeting, you can identify where your customers hang out and how to approach them.

The easiest place to start is with your existing clients. Study them to look for common themes.

The best way to get to know your customers is to talk to them. Yup, good old conversation! If your home based business offers a face-to-face opportunity, plan to greet people for a week or two and chat them up. If that?s not possible, call to intro?duce yourself. Creating an online survey is another option.

Let everyone know that, in an effort to best serve them, you?d appre?ciate the benefit of a few minutes of their time. Ask the questions that are most relevant to getting to know your base. This isn?t a sales pitch, so keep it focused.

Home Based Business: Create A Top 50 List

I have what I refer to as my top-50 list. At all times, I have a list of 50 people or companies I am eager to do business with. I never wait for the phone to ring to see who just happens to come my way. Instead I work proactively to pursue the people I want to do busi?ness with.

Rather than dialing aimlessly or buying lists, I target my efforts: Who do I want to get to know, who would I like to know about my products and services, and who would benefit greatly from my newest offering?

To create your list, think of people or companies that you know would be ideal clients, even if you don?t have a personal connec?tion. Read industry blogs and publications to get inspired about people you should work with. Pay attention to chatter on Facebook and Twitter to spot potential pros?pects.

Add names of people you meet at events when you believe they?re an ideal match. You may not come up with 50 overnight, but if you commit to growing your list daily, the names add up quickly and you?ll have instant structure to your home based business sales efforts.

Source: http://bludelta.info/archives/1593?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=creating-success-in-your-home-based-business-part-two

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Essential Tools For Home Improvement Plans ? T Scope

When you are doing projects to improve your home, you will do the best work, when your tools are the best. Decide what jobs you can do, with the tools you have on hand, and start purchasing the tools you will need for other jobs you have planned. Jobs around the home always seem to go better when you can find your tools, so being organized is a good idea. Home improvement projects need tools to be completed, so we will discuss some of the essential ones.

Anyone that starts a home improvement project must consider all of the essentials before they begin. For instance, screwdrivers are very important to have, and you should have an entire set to use. There are two different types of screws, for which you should have a flat and Philips screwdriver. Another great tool to have is called a claw hammer which is useful for these types of projects. To ensure that you have the right kind of pliers for each job, you should have multiple kinds in your toolkit if you can. Have you heard of slip joint pliers? These are great to have for almost any situation that requires a firm grip. Using a pry-bar is very common when doing home improvement projects, especially when you are renovating your roof or your floor. Another tool you should have, especially with several different varieties, is a wrench to accomplish what you?re doing. An adjustable wrench can be a valuable tool for working on many different sizes of nuts and bolts. These wrenches must be kept lubricated or they can get jammed. It is sometimes necessary to buy new wrench if the old one does get stuck. Automatically adjusting wrenches are tools that can save you a lot of time. Just push a button, and it adjusts to the correct size. It?s also good to have a combination wrench set on hand, which allows you to either tighten or loosen nuts.

Organization skills must be applied when doing certain home-improvement jobs; the more tools that use, the more organized you must be. This can be very easy if you have a toolbox. The best thing to do with tools, and you are done with them, is to put them away so that you can find them later when you need to use them at a later time. If you have a peg board handy, you can hang your tools on this. If you have power tools, this works perfectly because of the cord that must also be organized. This way, by being organized, you can proceed forward without any problems, nor waste any time looking for tools. You will be much more safe, as well, once everything is organized. We are offering you solid pieces of advice here, but do be aware that some are more critical to understanding Room additions san diego. There are tons of tools you could use to do home repairs or facelifts; we have shown you the fundamental tools that will get you started. Your entire project will run smoothly if you take the time to provide all of the necessary tools and equipment before you need them; otherwise you are setting yourself up to be annoyed down the road.

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The Adoption Home Study Process-And how We got Screwed Over …

The Adoption Home Study Process:

This is a flyer Nashua DCYF put out for my grandson looking for adoptive parent’s at the same time the Home Study was being done. Nice Huh?




My Comment’s about mine and my husbands Home study are in Bold

The Adoption Home Study Process

Series: Factsheets for Families
Author(s): Child Welfare Information Gateway
Year Published: 2010

The laws of every State and the District of Columbia require all prospective adoptive parents (no matter how they intend to adopt) to participate in a home study. This process has three purposes:

Educate and prepare the adoptive family for adoption
Evaluate the fitness of the adoptive family
Gather information about the prospective parents that will help a social worker connect the family with a child whose needs they can meet
With accurate information about the process, prospective parents can face the home study experience with confidence and the excitement that should accompany the prospect of welcoming a child into the family. It may be helpful to remember that agencies are not looking for perfect parents. Rather, they are looking for a good match between a child’s needs and a family’s ability to meet those needs.

Specific home study requirements and processes vary greatly from agency to agency, State to State, and (in the case of intercountry adoption) by the child’s country of origin. They are also subject to change. This factsheet discusses the common elements of the home study process and addresses some concerns prospective adoptive parents may have about the process.

If you are just beginning your journey to adoption, you may find useful information in Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Adoption: Where Do I Start?

Information Gateway also offers the National Foster Care & Adoption Directory, a searchable database listing public and licensed private agencies, attorney referral services, support groups, State adoption specialists, and more, for each State, Territory, and the District of Columbia.

These resources, as well as factsheets with specific information about various types of adoption (such as foster care or intercountry), can be found on the Information Gateway website.

This factsheet includes information on:

Elements of the home study process
The home study report
Common concerns about the home study

Elements of the Home Study Process

There is no single format that adoption agencies use to conduct home studies. Many agencies include the following steps in their home study process, although the specific details and order will vary. For more information, talk with the agencies you are considering.

Orientation
Many agencies offer an initial informational session or orientation that provides an overview of the process and their agency. These generally are free, do not carry any obligation, and are a good way to find out about the agency, their process, the children available, and if the agency would be a good fit for you and your family. No orientation

Training
Many agencies require trainings for prospective adoptive parents prior to or during the home study process. These trainings help prospective parents better understand the needs of children waiting for families, adoption issues, and agency requirements. They can help families decide what type of child or children they could parent most effectively.

Interviews
You will probably be interviewed several times by a social worker. These interviews help you develop a relationship with your social worker that will enable him or her to better understand your family and assist you with an appropriate placement. You will discuss the topics to be covered in the home study report (see below). You will likely be asked to give examples of your experiences with children, your important relationships, your approach to parenting, and how you handle stress and past experiences of crisis or loss, including discussions about infertility, which is a topic of concern for many adoptive families. You and your social worker will discuss what age of child would best fit in your family, whether a sibling group would work well, and other important characteristics you would be willing to accept in a child. Again, this should be both a self-reflective process and a time to educate yourself about issues with which you may not yet be familiar. With couples, some agency workers conduct all of the interviews with both prospective parents together. Others will conduct both joint and individual interviews. If families have adult children living outside the home, they also may be interviewed during this process. It is important to be honest with the social worker and yourself about your own strengths and limitations.

Home Visit
Home visits primarily serve to ensure that your home offers a safe environment for a child and meets State licensing standards (e.g., working smoke alarms, safe storage of firearms, safe water, pools covered/fenced, and adequate space for each child). Your home should be free from hazards and offer a child-friendly environment for the age range for which you are being licensed. For example, poisons and household cleaners should be in cupboards with childproof locks, window drape cords should not hang within reach, firearms should be inaccessible to children, etc. Some States require an inspection from local health and fire departments in addition to the visit by the social worker. One visit by two caseworker’s to our home. Did you know we have a pool? NOT! They didn’t even look around. NH requires a Fire inspection. Not for us!

Generally, agencies will require the social worker to view all areas of the house or apartment, including where the children will sleep, the basement, and the backyard. He or she will be looking for how you plan to accommodate a new family member (or members, if you are planning to adopt a sibling group). Social workers are not typically inspecting your housekeeping standards. A certain level of order is necessary, but some family clutter is expected. A comfortable, child-friendly environment is what is being sought. As I said above, they never looked around our home!

If you are planning to adopt a child from another country (intercountry adoption), you will need to know whether the country from which you plan to adopt is a party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. If it is, your home study will be subject to Hague Convention requirements. These requirements mandate which agencies or service providers may conduct your home study, what statements must be included about your parent training and eligibility, and how the home study must be submitted to the Central Authority for adoption in the country from which you plan to adopt.

Find a list of countries that are parties to the Hague Convention on the U.S. Department of State website
Read Information Gateway’s factsheet Intercountry Adoption From Hague Convention and Non-Hague Convention Countries

Health Statements
Most agencies require prospective adoptive parents to have a recent physical exam and a statement from a physician confirming that they are essentially healthy, have a normal life expectancy, and are physically and mentally able to handle the care of a child. We were not required to produce a Health certificate. Was never even mentioned!

If you have a medical condition that is under control (for instance, high blood pressure or diabetes that is controlled by diet and medication), you may still be approved as an adoptive family. A serious health problem that affects life expectancy may prevent approval. If your family has sought counseling or treatment for a mental health condition in the past, you may be asked to provide information or reports from those visits. Many agencies view seeking help as a sign of strength; the fact that your family obtained such help should not, in and of itself, preclude you from adopting. However, each family’s situation is unique, so check with the agencies or social workers you are considering if you have concerns.

Income Statements
You do not have to be rich to adopt. You do have to show you can manage your finances responsibly and adequately. Some countries may have specific income requirements for intercountry adoption. Usually, prospective parents are asked to verify their income by providing copies of paycheck stubs, W-4 forms, or income tax forms. Many agencies also ask about savings, insurance policies (including health coverage for the adopted child)1, investments, and debts. We were told by one caseworker she didn’t think we make enough money to adopt our grandson, yet we were never required to verify income, taxes or anything else!

Background Checks
All States require criminal and child abuse record checks for adoptive and foster parent applicants. In many States, local, State, and Federal clearances are required. Fingerprints may be taken as well. No criminal background check’s,no fingerprint’s, NOTHING!

Public and private agencies must comply with State and Federal laws and policies regarding licensing requirements and how the findings of background checks affect eligibility for adoptive parents. However, do not hesitate to talk to social workers and agencies you are considering about specific situations that might disqualify you from adopting. Agencies will consider your past experiences as well as how you dealt with them, what you’ve learned from them, and how you would use that knowledge in parenting a child. Some agencies may be able to work with your family, depending on the specific incident and its resolution. If the social worker finds you to be deceptive or dishonest, however, or if the documents collected during the home study process expose inconsistencies, the agency may not approve your home study.

Autobiographical Statement
Many adoption agencies ask prospective adoptive parents to write an autobiographical statement or story. This is, essentially, the story of your life. It helps the social worker understand your family better and assists him or her in writing the home study report (see below). If you are working with an agency that practices openness in adoption, you also may be asked to write a letter or create an album or scrapbook about your family to be shared with expectant parents who are considering placing their child for adoption, to help them choose an adoptive family. You may also be asked to prepare a similar album for children, if you are considering adopting children older than infants.

While writing about yourself may seem difficult, the exercise is intended to provide information about you to the agency, as well as to help you explore issues related to parenting and adoption. Some agencies have workers available to assist you with the writing. Most have a set of questions to guide you through writing your autobiography.

References
The agency will probably ask you for names, addresses, and telephone numbers of three or four people who will serve as references for you. References help the social worker form a more complete picture of your family and support network. NH DCYF received Five letter’s of reference, all in favor of us adopting our grandson. They were probably thrown in the trash, just like our Home study. I heard they do this all the time.

If possible, references should be people who have known you for years, who have seen you in many situations, and who have visited your home and know of your interest in and involvement with children. Most agencies require that references be people who are not related to you. Good choices might include close friends, an employer, a former teacher, a coworker, a neighbor, or your pastor, minister, rabbi, or leader of your faith community (if applicable). Yes, the references were old friends and neighbor’s. Who else would know and see us on a daily basis with our grandchildren?

Approval would rarely be denied on the grounds of a single negative reference. However, if it were one of several negative factors, or if several references were negative, the agency might be unable to approve the adoption. There were NO negative references. Oop’s, the only negative anything was by Nashua Supervisor Tracey Gubbins. She doesn’t like parent’s and grandparents who fight for their children and grandchildren!

The Home Study Report

Typically, the above steps conclude with the writing of a home study report that reflects the social worker’s findings. Home study reports often are used to introduce your family to other agencies or adoption exchanges (services that list children waiting for families) to assist in matching your family with a waiting child. This also included ALL the lies added in by Tracey Gubbins!

In addition to the above-mentioned health and income statements, background checks, and references, home study reports also include the following types of information:

Family background: descriptions of the applicants’ childhoods, how they were parented, past and current relationships with parents and siblings, key events and losses and what was learned from them
Education/employment: applicants’ current educational levels, satisfaction with their educational achievements, any plans to further their education, as well as their employment status, history, plans, and satisfaction with their current jobs
Relationships: If applicants are a couple, the report may cover their history together as well as their current relationship (for example, how they make decisions, solve problems, communicate, and show affection). Single applicants will be asked about their social life and how they anticipate integrating a child into it, as well as about their network of relatives and friends.
Daily life: routines, such as a typical weekday or weekend, plans for child care (if applicants work outside the home), hobbies, and interests
Parenting: applicants’ past experiences with children (for example, their own, relatives’ children, neighbors, volunteer work, babysitting, teaching, or coaching), in addition to their plans regarding discipline and other parenting issues
Neighborhood: descriptions of the applicants’ neighborhood, including safety and proximity to community resources
Religion/belief system: information about the applicants’ religion, level of religious practice (if applicable), and the kind of religious upbringing, if any, they plan to provide for the child
Feelings about/readiness for adoption: There may be a section on specific adoption issues, including why the applicants want to adopt, feelings about infertility (if this is an issue), what kind of child they might best parent and why, and how they plan to talk to their children about adoption issues. There will likely be questions about how the applicants feel about birth families and the level of openness with the birth family that would work best, depending on the type of adoption. (Note: It is very typical for families’ feelings about openness to change throughout the home study process, as they learn more and become more comfortable with the issues involved.) For more information, read Information Gateway’s Openness in Adoption: A Factsheet for Families.
Approval/recommendation: The home study report will conclude with a summary and the social worker’s recommendation. This often includes the age range and number of children for which the family is recommended.
Applicants also will be asked to provide copies of birth certificates, marriage licenses or certificates, and divorce decrees, if applicable. Some agencies share the home study with prospective parents; others do not. You may want to ask the agency about the confidentiality of the home study report and how extensively your information will be shared. Agency policies vary greatly, depending on the type of agency and type of adoption. In many cases, the information will be shared with other agencies to help unite your family with the child you are best able to parent. In some cases, the information may be shared with birth parents or others. No copies of birth certificates, marriage license, nothing required!

Technology is changing how some agencies conduct home studies. Many records are now kept electronically. Families may choose to create an electronic album or Facebook page to share with potential birth parents in an infant adoption or to introduce their family to children or youth waiting for families in the foster care system.

Common Concerns About the Home Study

How Long Will the Home Study Take?
The time it takes to conduct the home study will vary from agency to agency, depending on factors such as how many social workers are assigned to conduct home studies, what other duties they have, how many other people applied to the agency at the same time, and when any required trainings are offered. On average, a home study process takes 3 to 6 months to complete. The time will depend on you as well. You can help speed the process by filling out your paperwork, scheduling your medical appointments, and gathering the required documents without delay. In NH the Home Study can take up to six months. But we’re not special. We waited almost eleven month’s and were NOT notified that we were getting screwed over. No surprise and NO Administrative appeal allowed for us either!

How Much Does a Home Study Cost?
The cost of the home study depends on the kind of adoption you are pursuing. Agencies conducting domestic adoptions of children from foster care (such as your local department of social services) may not charge a fee for the home study. If these agencies do charge a fee, they often are modest ($300 to $500), and once you adopt a child from foster care the fee is usually reimbursed.Through DCYF, it doesn’t cost anything. But don’t forget, You only get what you pay for!

A private agency or certified social worker in private practice might charge from $1,000 to $3,000 for the home study. Other services (such as an application fee and preplacement services) may be included in this fee. Be sure to discuss any fees thoroughly and ask for this information in writing to avoid any misunderstandings.

For more information about costs of adoption and resources to help defray those costs, see the Adoption Expenses section of the Information Gateway website.

What Might Disqualify Our Family From Adopting?
Aside from a criminal record or overriding safety concerns that would preclude agencies from approving your home study, the decision to qualify or disqualify a family is made on a case-by-case basis. Remember, agencies are not looking for perfect families. The home study process is a way for a social worker to learn more about your real family, as a potential home for real children. It is also an opportunity for you to explore adoption issues and what types of children you can best parent, with the social worker’s help. Another disqualification is being against drug’s. Because they drugged my grandson after he tried to hang himself, they believe I would take him off the drug’s. He’s now worth much more to them, being considered special need’s. If we were allowed to adopt him or his cousin Isabella, they would lose money seeing as we’re relatives!

Who may adopt varies from agency to agency, State to State, and by the child’s country of origin. Adoptions in the United States are governed by Federal, State, and local laws, regulations, and policies. Child Welfare Information Gateway has compiled States’ laws regarding who may adopt in Who May Adopt, Be Adopted, or Place a Child for Adoption?

Within State guidelines, many agencies are looking for ways to rule families in rather than rule them out, in order to meet the needs of children in the U.S. foster care system waiting for adoptive families. Many States also have their policies posted online. Information Gateway’s State Child Welfare Agency Websites has links to each State’s online adoption information. NH has a problem with relatives. They don’t like them, period. It’s ALL about the MONEY!

How Will the Children in Our Family Be Involved in the Home Study?
Your children (whether they joined your family through birth, foster care, adoption, or marriage) will be included in the home study in some way. Older children may be invited to participate in age-appropriate groups during one or more of the educational sessions. They also might be asked to write a statement describing their feelings and preferences about having a new brother or sister. No involvement by other family member’s!

The social worker will likely want to know how the children do in school, what their interests and hobbies are, what their friends are like, and how their behavior is rewarded or disciplined. However, the emphasis will more likely be on how the children see a new sibling (or siblings) fitting into the family and whether they are prepared to share your time and attention. Children’s input is usually quite important in the overall assessment of a family’s readiness to adopt a child. The social worker will want to be sure that an adopted child or children will be welcomed and loved by all family members.

Conclusion

Although the adoption home study process may seem invasive or lengthy, it is conducted to help you decide whether adoption is right for your family, to prepare your family for adoption, and to help your family determine the type of child you could best parent. The process also serves to ensure that children are matched with families who can meet their needs in loving, caring, healthy, and safe environments so that there is a good match between the child’s needs and the family’s capacity. As stated by NH DCYF Administrator Lorraine Bartlett, the Home study (Half assed home study)was allowed to show us why we we’rent suitable to raise our grandson. That’s funny, because NH Director Maggie Bishop stated in an e-mail we were being allowed the Home study for placement of my grandson. That was a crock of BS also!

Flexibility and a sense of humor are vital characteristics when raising children, and they can be useful during the home study process as well. With perseverance and a positive outlook, you will be able to team with the social worker to make this a valuable learning experience?one that will help you do the best possible job in parenting the child who will eventually join your family.

Thousands of children in the U.S. foster care system are waiting for families. The AdoptUsKids website provides a national photolisting of children in foster care (En Espa?ol). Information Gateway offers a complete listing of State Child Welfare Agency Websites.

1The booklet Protections for Newborns, Adopted Children, and New Parents from the Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, notes that parents should enroll their child in their insurance policy within 30 days of their placement or adoption to ensure coverage. The Employee Benefits Security Administration has oversight over employer-offered insurance benefits and may be able to answer families’ questions. (back)

Source: http://unhappygrammy-grandparentsblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/adoption-home-study-process.html

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Interview | Dusty Heuston: Waterford, Reading and the Third Source …

Dr. Dustin Heuston founded the nonprofit Waterford Institute in 1976 to create educational software that would help manifest his passion and vision?to provide excellence and equity in education?for all children?via the power of interactive, personalized technology. While running the Spence School in NYC where students were receiving the highest quality education available, Dr. Heuston (?Dusty?) realized he wanted to find a way to provide high quality, effective instruction for all students anywhere. He saw that interactive, personalized technology was key in transforming the way we teach children early learning skills and that getting an early start in education is critical. In Dr. Heuston?s recently published book about the power of interactive technology in furthering early childhood education, The Third Source: A Message of Hope for Education, one can read how he came to understand and create curricula to leverage the exponential potential of technology. The book is available at thethirdsource.org.

Victor: What does the name Waterford Institute mean?

Dusty: I spend summers with my family in Waterford, Vermont. While there in 1976, I came up with the non-profit idea. I then named Waterford Institute after the town. Waterford Institute is based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Victor: What is it? Who created it?

Dusty: Waterford Institute is a premier research facility and software pioneer located in Salt Lake City, Utah, with offices worldwide. As founding chairman, I created the non-profit Board of Trustees in New York City. The board was composed of business leaders, educators, entrepreneurs, civic leaders, investment bankers, and attorneys. Waterford Institute studies the research in the field, and then uses its resources to modify the potential of technology to serve children. It has been funded by private donations, foundations, government grants, and royalties from its products. Waterford Institute develops all of its own materials including text, books, music, graphics and animation, and programming software (at one point Waterford Institute even had to develop its own hardware). It is staffed with scholars from various disciplines, PhDs, research scientists, graphic artists, musicians, and programmers. The Institute also works with consultants who are leaders in their respective fields.

Victor: What does it do and what are some of the benefits?

Dusty: Waterford Institute is the world leader in developing adaptive curricula for children age 3 through 8. Whether for in-school learning or use in the comfort of one?s home, Waterford Institute has developed a suite of products to prepare and support children for early academic success. The Website www.waterford.org details all products and benefits, including the following five research-proven pioneers:

  • School (Pre-K ? Grade 2) - Waterford Early Learning (Reading, Math, and Science): Waterford Early Reading Program? provides a complete language arts program for preschool through second-grade students, covering crucial skills like phonemic awareness, phonics, text comprehension, vocabulary, print concepts, readiness skills, writing, and oral fluency. Waterford Early Math and Science? provides preschool through second-grade students? comprehensive instruction in the five major areas of early math: numbers and operation, geometry, algebra, measurement, and data analysis. The integrated science curriculum emphasizes exploration and the scientific method while teaching earth, life, and physical science.
  • Home (K ? Grade 2) ? Rusty and Rosy ReadingSM: Previously available only in schools Rusty and Rosy Reading is now available via DVD for the home. It provides an adaptive, sequenced core curriculum that teaches early reading skills utilizing cutting-edge technology. Components include more than 180 hours of instruction; over 4,000 activities; more than 185 digital books; over 185 animated songs; child and parent modules; the ability for parents to track progress online via progress evaluations; newsletters, worksheets, checklists, puppets, flashcards, and games. ?Each child requires his or her own subscription for personalized learning.
  • Home (Pre-K) ? UPSTART: A pioneering in-home pre-school instructional program for 4-year-olds that is funded by the Utah legislature. UPSTART has been extremely successful in teaching pre-literacy skills via three educational software programs, including delivery in the home, connectivity, and a proactive user support team. In its third year, UPSTART has provided its curricula 5 days a week to 1,300 families with 4-year-olds, with 96% of parents declaring their child is more ready to enter kindergarten after UPSTART.
  • Home & School (K ? Grade 3) ? Camp Consonant?: The world?s first multi-sensory tutoring program, Camp Consonant is designed to help children build basic literacy skills. Based on rigorous research in reading instruction, Camp Consonant is also fun and engaging, making it an effective tool for building strong, confident readers. One in five children will require remedial tutoring, and Camp Consonant meets the needs of these children, recognizing their achievements and keeping them involved and engaged. The curriculum is delivered through a Web-based learning system that not only enables remediation in school but extends it into the home.

Victor: How is it unique from other similar products or services and what companies do you see as in the same market? ?

Dusty: The personalized learning path featured in each of Waterford Institute?s products is unique, allowing each child to have an individualized learning experience while using the software. Backed by 35 years of research and development, Waterford Institute products are engaging, child-friendly, easy-to-use, proven effective, aligned with Federal and State curricula, and used by millions of students around the world. We have spent over $145 million on our programs, and nobody else operates at this level. We have focused our efforts on developing enhanced software for the younger audience, to catch them early and to give them a strong start.

There really are no other companies in our category that specialize in starting children off properly. The world?s largest educational publication firm, Pearson, has chosen to distribute our product in the United States for their early education platform. Through 35 years of working with children, we have created the most comprehensive, effective, engaging, hands-on curricula available in the world today. It is scalable, individualized, fun, child-proven and cost-effective. If you read about our UPSTART program in Utah, you can see Waterford Institute will go to great lengths to ensure children have the power of education and technology at their fingertips?no matter how remote their home or circumstance. There really is no other educational software company with our depth and breadth of products nor history of award-winning success.

Victor: When was it developed? What is something interesting or relevant about its development history?

Dusty: Development on Waterford Early Learning program began in 1976. In total, we have reached millions of children around the world through 50,000 U.S. schools and in 9 countries?India, China, Israel, Romania, Rwanda, Senegal, Ghana, Kenya, and Taiwan. Here is the Waterford Institute timeline regarding its development history: http://www.thethirdsource.org/dustin-heuston/

In addition to software, Waterford Institute also produced the first education videodisc for McGraw-Hill, built the first Motorola 68,000-based computer, and spun off a for-profit corporation that used Waterford products (and raised $100 million in the process).

Victor: Where did it originate and where can you get it now?

Dusty: Information about the range of Waterford Institute products is available online at www.waterford.org including its new Waterford Assessments of Core Skills? tool that helps tutors, teachers, and specialists discern the child?s particular needs. And for the home, Rusty and Rosy Reading is now available on DVD at www.rustyandrosy.com or via 1-877-299-7997. For 15 minutes a day, children can learn to read in the comfort of their home and parents can track their children?s progress via a parent module.

Victor: How much does it cost? What are the options?

Dusty: For the school products, the pricing is dependent upon numerous factors including district size, number of students, implementation plan, etc. Our consumer product, Rusty and Rosy Reading, is available online at www.rustyandrosy.com and at 1-877-299-7997. A 12-month subscription is $240.???

Victor: What are some examples of it in action?

Dusty: Millions of students have benefited from Waterford Early Learning with its reading, math, and science curricula. In 50,000 classrooms in the U.S. and in 9 countries globally, including Senegal, Rwanda, China, India, Taiwan, Romania, Israel, Ghana, and Kenya, we have multitudes of success stories.

In the United States, we have a unique relationship with Pearson. From the field of available educational software developers, Pearson chose to build their company around Waterford Institute software. They started with us, and have sold half-a-billion dollars? worth of Waterford Institute software since then, in locations from the smallest U.S. districts to the largest cities. Waterford software is used by millions of children in nearly 50,000 classrooms across the nation every day.

And with our very exciting UPSTART program?funded by the state of Utah?we have seen fantastic success with pre-k children from low, mid, and high income families. The majority of participants in the UPSTART program finish at the Kindergarten-Advanced reading level, which means that they enter kindergarten reading at the same level as their peers who are entering first grade. The reason for this success is the individualized curriculum provided by the Waterford Institute software, and consistent phone and e-mail contact from the Waterford Institute support staff (providing the essential human element for young learners.)

UPSTART is currently available in Utah, but we would love to reach out to every state in the U.S. with this at-home, early education curriculum that really works in preparing kids for success in kindergarten and a lifetime of learning.

Victor: Who is it particularly tailored for?

Dusty: Waterford Institute products are tailored for the effective education of 3 through 8-year-old children, from pre-school through the 2nd grade.

Victor: What are some of your thoughts on education and technology??

Dusty: ?After centuries of thrashing about trying to improve our schools, educators are finally moving into position to introduce new technologies working at the speed of light that are capable of providing educational excellence and equity to all children on the globe almost overnight?? (from Dr. Heuston?s recent book, The Third Source, available on Amazon; also check out thethirdsource.org).

??-

Victor Rivero tells the story of 21st-century education transformation. He is the editor-in-chief of EdTech Digest, a magazine about education transformed through technology. He has written white papers, articles and features for schools, nonprofits and companies in the education marketplace. Write to: victor@VictorRivero.com

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Source: http://edtechdigest.wordpress.com/2011/08/31/interview-dusty-heuston-waterford-reading-and-the-third-source/

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Why pay for home improvement when you can do it yourself …

There has been a decline in consumer confidence in the building and construction industry. This may be the same reason why many are now doing home improvements by themselves.

Why not? A little knowledge of the technical aspects combined with the eye for creativity is enough to do the home improvement on your own.

Why are people turning to do-it-yourself home improvements?

Many construction workers who do not have a lot of experience or expertise in construction or home maintenance are out there right now trying to work on these homes across the country.

As a result, homeowners are finding that the jobs are not being completed to their satisfaction. Sometimes they are even prepaying for services that do not get done or are not part of the plan.

You do not have to rely and pay someone to improve your home. Why not try to do it yourself?

You can enhance your homes existing concrete surfaces using acid stains, acrylic stains, epoxy paints, and scoring techniques.

If you are tired of looking at dreary gray concrete, there are some easy projects for the serious home improvement do-it-yourselfer to give your patio, driveway, garage, etc. a refreshing new look.

Decorative concrete work costs double or even triple that of regular concrete. This is why many people cannot afford it.

There are inexpensive ways to decorate concrete after it has cured without having to pay skilled tradesmen.

Acid based concrete stains are becoming more and more popular for coloring concrete surfaces. They chemically react with the cementitious material to produce permanent color with variegated or mottled appearance like that of marble. This results in a natural, elegant looking surface.

Water based concrete stains are an alternative to acid stains and are much more user friendly because theyre much less toxic. These stains do not chemically react with the concrete; they are absorbed into the surface pores and act like a dye. The big advantage of water based stains is the wide array of colors available.

If you want to venture beyond the basic staining of concrete, consider using some scoring techniques to create patterns on the surface.

You can make your concrete look like a tile floor for example. It is up to your imagination. An angle grinder with a 4 inch grinding or cutting wheel is the ideal tool for this.

The important thing to remember when scoring is to draw the pattern on the concrete first and make sure you are satisfied with the way it looks because scoring is irreversible.

Epoxy paints make an excellent coating for garage floors and basement floors. Many commercial floors have epoxy coatings because of their durability and resistance to chemical spills as well as their appearance.

In recent years, however, it has become very popular for residential use with an increasing availability of different colors. This is not a difficult project, but the key to successful application is surface preparation.

Epoxy paints have also become available in a water based form making it safe for the do-it-yourselfer and ideal for indoor applications. They cost a little more than stains. For a 400 square foot garage, youll spend about $200 for the materials needed for this project.

See? You do not have to spend money to have your home improved. You have the capability to do it yourself. With some instructions and a little bit of work, anyone can turn boring concrete into their own masterpiece.

Source: http://www.mediaputz.com/why-pay-for-home-improvement-when-you-can-do-it-yourself/

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