Riders must request the TLC stop at least 1/2 hour before the scheduled arrival.

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1 Great News! SunTran will now be stopping at The Learning Center for Families St. George Center. Starting January 24, SunTran is introducing a new route, # 6 Dixie Drive South. The bus starts at Sunset Corners (where the Stadium 8 Theatres are located,) and continues to the Bloomington Walmart. The stop at TLC is by request only. Therefore... Riders must request the TLC stop at least 1/2 hour before the scheduled arrival. Call to request the stop. Stops are every hour and twenty minutes. Arrival times at TLC will be: 6:30 am 7:50 am 9:10 am 10:30 am 11:50 am 1:10 pm 2:30 pm 3:50 pm 5:10 pm 6:30 pm 7:50 pm The bus runs Monday through Saturday. We have adjusted our Play Group Schedule so that you can use the bus. We are also an authorized vendor of the bus pass. You can purchase one at our St. George Center. Individuals who are ADA eligible, and are unable to get to and from the bus stops, may apply for Paratransit services. This service provides special origin to destination service by calling 24 hours in advance. This special service costs $2.00 per person, per one-way trip. We will reimburse your bus fare every time you take the bus to TLC. Just bring us your receipts SunTran website:

2 You could be eligible to get more money back from the IRS as much as $6,143. If you earned less than $43,756* ($49,186 married filing jointly) with two qualifying children, from wages, self-employment or farming last year, you may qualify for a refundable tax credit called the Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC. But you must file a federal income tax return claiming the credit to get it. * Amount varies by family size. See chart below. EITC can be a big financial boost for working low-wage earners. Unlike other tax credits, both EITC eligibility and the amount of the credit is based on several factors such as the source and amount of your income, or combined incomes if married, whether you have qualifying children and how many. Workers without children may also qualify. The amount of the credit peaks then phases out at certain income limitations depending on filing status and other factors. You may qualify for EITC even if you had no federal tax withheld or are not otherwise required to file. The online EITC Assistant at can help determine your eligibility and estimate the amount of your credit. Free help preparing your return and claiming EITC is available at volunteer income tax assistance sites and IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers. To locate a volunteer site, call 211 or call the IRS at Remember: if you are eligible, you must file a federal income tax return, even if you are not otherwise required to file, and you must specifically claim the credit to get it. Find more information about EITC at or in your tax software package Tax Year Earned Income and adjusted gross income (AGI) must each be less than: $46,997 ($52,427 married filing jointly) with three or more qualifying children $43,756 ($49,186 married filing jointly) with two qualifying children $38,511 ($43,941 married filing jointly) with one qualifying child Income tax deadline is April 15th $14,590 ($20,020 married filing jointly) with no qualifying children. Your child must have a valid Social Security Number and must pass all of the following tests to be your qualifying child for EITC: Relationship Your son, daughter, adopted child, stepchild, foster child or Continued next page

3 EITC Continued a descendant of any of them such as your grandchild Brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister or a descendant of any of them such as a niece or nephew Age. At the end of the filing year, your child was: Residency Younger than you (or your spouse if married filing jointly) and Younger than 19, or Younger than 24 and a full-time student Any age if permanently and totally disabled Child must live with you in the United States for more than half of the year. Joint Return The child cannot file a joint return for the year, unless the child and the child's spouse did not have a filing requirement and filed only to claim a refund. Clear as mud? No problem, just call 211 a toll free call from both Arizona and Utah and you will be directed to free tax help in your community. TLC s Early Head Start (EHS) program, funded by ACF and First Things First, is currently working with over 170 families combining weekly home visits with our play groups at 5 sites in Washington County and on the Arizona Strip. In addition to supporting each child s development and health, EHS also works on Parent Leadership skills. Each center has a Parent Committee that elects representatives to our EHS Policy Council (PC). The PC meets monthly and is responsible for all aspects of our EHS programming including selection of personnel, approval of budgets and all of our policies. The Parent Committees held their elections in December. We welcome our new parent leaders! Beaver Dam President- Maggie Lopez Martinez Aaron Wilbanks Alt. Rep. Joey Bolden Community Rep- Vacant Hildale Secretary- Heidi Barlow Mae Barlow Alt. Rep.-Maxene Jessop Community Rep- Carole Jeffs Hurricane Valley Heather Holcomb Rep- Vacant Alt. Rep - Vacant Community Rep- Vacant Colorado City Alyne Dockstader Amanda Hammon Alt. Rep.- La Ree Barlow Community Rep- Helen Barlow St George Vice President- Jesus Hernandez Karina Marquez Fusi Martinez Alt. Rep. - Kayci Hiett Community Rep- Vacant As you can see, we still have some openings for Policy Council from the Parent Committees. If you would like to become a decision maker, be sure and attend your next Parent Committee meeting! For more information, contact Rosie (435) x123.

4 ZERO TO THREE is a national nonprofit organization that provides parents, professionals and policymakers the knowledge and the know-how to nurture early development. It is one of our go-to resources for the latest in best-practice methods for helping us help your children. This recent information about tots and technology can help you navigate the waters on just what is best for your child. Parental cell phone use Doesn t affect kids behavior A recent study that involved observing families at fast-food restaurants found that 40 out of 55 parents used a mobile device during the meal. The longer that parents interacted with their mobile devices, the more likely their children were to act out. Studies have shown that viewing TV within 2 hours of bedtime can make it harder for children to fall asleep The more interactive a screen experience is, the better for kids. One study involving e-books showed that more interactive features actually interfered with children s ability to focus on the storyline. Although e-books can still be useful tools for children, it is important for parents to help children focus on the story and not allow the technology to drive the experience. For more information on screen time and tots, go to :

5 FEBRUARY 2015 Su Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat :30- noon Hurricane Valley Play Group 9:15-10:45 10:30 noon Beaver Dam Play Group 1:00-2:30 pm CC Play Group 5:15-6: Hearing 3:00-5: President s Day TLC Closed 10:30- noon Hurricane Valley Play Group 9:15-10:45 Play Strategies 10:00 11: Play Strategies 10:00 11:30 10:30 noon Beaver Dam Play Group 1:00-2:30 pm CC Play Group 5:15-6:45 *Please make & Hearing Screening appointments with your Learning Consultant

6 2044 S Mesa Palms Dr St George, UT Generously supported by All National Park Service sites across the nation are waiving entrance fees on nine days in 2015 as a way to encourage people to get outdoors and enjoy the remarkable landscapes and historical and cultural sites national parks have to offer: Feb for the President s Day Weekend April 18 and 19 for the opening weekend of National Park Week Aug. 25 for the National Park Service s 99th Birthday Sept. 26 for National Public Lands Day Nov. 11 in honor of Veterans Day Also, if you, your child- or any other member of your family- has a permanent disability, you could be eligible for a free lifetime National Parks Access Pass. The Access Pass is a lifetime pass that allows the disabled person and their caregivers to enter any of our national parks for free. The pass is also good for discounts for camping fees and other amenities within the national parks system. You must obtain your pass in person at a national park and provide proof of a permanent disability. See you in Zion!