Goodbye to all my loyal readers.  This is my last blog I will write as the About.com Guide to Child Care.  I have had an incredible journey the past 5 1/2 years serving as your guide, and have become a much better parent because of it.  Finding quality and affordable child care has always been a topic very near and dear to my heart, and I hope I have helped others find childcare solutions along the way.  With three kids, I have utilized the services of an in-home provider, institutional daycare, a gamut of babysitters, and even a nanny.  Mostly, I have been quite pleased with the care my children have received.  But, now, my youngest is approaching the age of 10, and this parent is turning her interests to life beyond daycare.   I look forward to continuing to utilize About.com as a reference to my next stage in life:  tweens and teens!  At the same time, the childcare care site will continue to promote helpful information for parents, so keep childcare.about.com bookmarked!   Hug those kids, and God bless! 

U.S. military families now have a new resource to helpthem  locate quality child care.  Sittercity is offering a free membership, funded by the Department of Defense, to aid in searches for military caregivers.  Sittercity has more than 1 million in-depth caregiver profiles showcasing caregivers and includes reviews from families, background checks, references, and more.  It also serves as a natural resource for military families to find military subsidized daycare providers or providers who have authorized access to a military installation site. 

President Obama has proposed almost doubling the child care tax credit for middle-class families.  This is one of the latest administrative initiatives that are hoped to reassure Americans nervous about today's economy.  The proposal is one of five new recommendations from the president's Middle Class Task Force.  Obama is pushing to increase the Child and Development Care Tax Credit rate from 20 percent to 35 percent for familes who make less than $85,000 a year.  Families whose incomes are between $85,000 and $115,000 annually will see an increase in their tax credit as well, under the proposal.  Further, low-income families would receive a $1.6 billion increase in child care funding.  This is the largest annual uncrease in 20 years.  These task force recommendations, including others, will be included in President OBama's proposal 2011 fiscal year budget, which is set to be unveiled on Feb. 1.

I am so very proud of how children across America have teamed with teachers, caregivers, and families to help those in need in Haiti after the horrific earthquakes and toll on human lives.  My youngest child's school is having a coin drive, where kids bring in spare change, which will then be sent to the Red Cross.  Is your family or your child's school or daycare doing something to help out here or in another way?  If so, do you mind sharing the details?