Are Your Students and Families Looking for a Free Tax Preparation Site?

Are Your Students and Families Looking for a Free Tax Preparation Site?

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program Site Locator Friday, January 27, 2012 www.IRS.gov

It’s here! 

The new Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program Site Locator is scheduled to launch late evening on Friday, January 27, 2012. 

How can the VITA site locator be found?

Go to http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=107626,00.html

The locator will be accessible from the "Free Tax Return Preparation for You by Volunteers" page on IRS.gov.  Taxpayers can find this page by searching IRS.gov using keyword "VITA" or “Free Tax Preparation.”  All sites that are active and open to the public will appear in the VITA site locator, except AARP and FSA sites.

How does it work?

Here’s how it works: A taxpayer will enter their zip code and choose a search radius of 5 to 100 miles.  The available sites within the selected radius will appear, providing the following information:

•    Site Name
•    Address
•    Phone Number (if available)
•    Dates and Hours of Operation
•    Languages Supported
•    Appointment Requirements (Required or Not Required)

Taxpayers can then select a specific location and enter their full address to get a map providing directions from the address to the selected VITA site. 

A note about updates:

Please note that in this initial launch of the VITA Site Locator, only site information from early December 2011 is available.  The first update of this listing is planned for the week of January 30.  You will receive a notification once the first update is posted.  We will update the locator on a weekly basis thereafter.  I ask that you please be patient as we continue to refine and update the locator's data to include all of our active sites.

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Spanish Information Session

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Spanish Information Session
The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides reimbursement (money) for daycare centers to plan, purchase, prepare, and serve nutritious meals (including breakfast, lunch and/or snacks) to eligible children.
The Illinois State Board of Education Division of Nutrition Programs will hold an information session regarding participation in the CACFP.  In order to assist centers in the Latino communities, Spanish-speaking staff from the program will share information on eligibility and the application process.
The information session will be held:

March 5, 2012
1:00 p.m.

Arturo Velazquez Institute
2800 S. Western, Chicago, IL 60608
Participation is free but space is limited.  Please call to make reservations.
217-782-7250 or 815-545-7892
Ask for Naomi Velázquez Greene, between the hours of 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday

Informacion - Programa de Cuidados de Alimentación Para Niños y Adultos

El Programa de Cuidados de Alimentación Para Niños y Adultos (CACFP por sus siglas en Ingles) ofrece rembolsos a guarderías para planificar, comprar, preparar y para servir comidas nutritivas (incluyendo desayunos, almuerzos y/o entremeses) a niños que se identifiquen elegibles.
El departamento de alimentación bajo la Junta de Educación del estado de Illinois (Illinois State Board of Education) llevara acabo un programa de información sobre los requisitos para que participen guarderías en el CACFP.  Para poder ayudar a centros en la comunidad hispana, empleados bilingües compartirán información sobre el proceso de aplicación.

El programa de información tomara lugar:

5 de marzo de 2012
A la 1.00 de la tarde
Instituto Arturo Velázquez
2800 S. Western, Chicago, IL

Es un evento gratuito, aunque el número de asistentes está limitado.  Por favor llame para hacer su reservación al 217-782-7250 o 815-545-7892.  Por favor llame entre las horas de 8.00 a.m. hasta las 4.30 p.m. y pida por la Sra. Naomi Velázquez Greene.

Community Colleges Are Urged to Take Innovative Steps to Serve Immigrant Students

By Joanna Chau
Community colleges must develop innovative and customized approaches to serve a growing number of immigrant students, says a report released on Monday by the Community College Consortium for Immigrant Education.

Immigrants and their children are expected to account for all work-force growth over the next 20 years, the report says, and by 2030 nearly one in five workers in the United States will be an immigrant. "Ensuring educational access and success for the immigrant population is critical to increasing U.S. college completion, improving work-force readiness, and sustaining the nation's productivity in a highly competitive global economy, the report says. Educating immigrants is also key to accomplishing President Obama's goal of increasing the proportion of Americans with college credentials.

http://chronicle.com/article/Community-Colleges-Are-Urged/130364/