Early Education Newsletter
August 2022
IT'S SURVEY TIME
*** Would you recommend us to others? ***
Hello Child Care Owners & Directors,
Each year Chances And Services for Youth (CASY), Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R), works to provide support for emerging programs while working with current programs to keep your information up to date for families, connect you with partners when needed and provide resources both within our newsletter and upon request. While we strive to provide quality services within the role of CCR&R, we are always looking for ways to improve our services. I have emailed you a very brief but important survey through survey monkey (please keep an eye on your junk email). We hope that you will take a moment to tell us how we're doing!
~Trisha Guinn
(812) 231-8919
additional Surveys
- IAN Professional Development Survey - Do you work with youth outside of the school day? Do you need high quality training and professional development? The Indiana Afterschool Network wants to provide resources to empower you and your organization! We are seeking feedback from ALL staff at your out of school time program, from administration to front-line, that will help guide the development of professional development resources. The survey should take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete.
- SPARK Survey (COMING SOON)
Indiana is launching a new opportunity for child care providers to help increase access, equity and quality in the state's early childhood education system. Providers can apply to be part of the new licensing workgroup now.
The Indiana General Assembly has directed the Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School
Learning to create a workgroup to evaluate Indiana’s current child care regulatory system and recommend changes that will support increased access to quality child care and equity for Hoosier families. OECOSL is eager to have the participation of providers from each of the major provider types in the state (Head Start organizations, centers, homes, school-based programs and ministries).
Apply by August 19. Spaces are limited and providers will be selected to represent diversity in provider race/ethnicity, type, geography and perspective. Participants will be selected by September, with the workgroup’s first meeting planned for October. Selected providers will be compensated for their involvement.
Workgroup Details and Responsibilities
The workgroup will kick off in early fall and last for approximately 10 months. Selected providers will participate in a series of meetings, representing both themselves and their program’s needs and perspective, as well as the needs and perspectives of those like them across the state. As a result, the state will occasionally ask participants to provide updates to their peer programs and solicit additional input from them to ensure broad input into this process. Selected participants will be compensated for their time in the amount of $5,000. View the Roles and Responsibilities document for more information.
Learn more here or for questions, please contact OECOSLproviderinquiry@fssa.IN.gov.
The Indiana AEYC Non-Formal CDA Project will host Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential™ courses starting as early as next month. This is an opportunity to earn the CDA Credential in a noncredit-based setting.
To be eligible for this course, participants must:
- Be a resident of Indiana who is at least 18 years old
- Be employed in a licensed, registered, or certified family childcare program or early care and education setting working 25+ hours per week
- Have a current Criminal History/Background check on file with the FSSA, Office of Early Childhood and Out of School Learning
- Earn $25/hour or less as a teacher, teacher assistant, family childcare educator, or director/administrator
- FCC Owners must be able to verify income by providing tax documentation and Schedule C tax forms
- Have a High School diploma or High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma
For more information or to answer any questions: reach out to pd@inaeyc.org and include your name, email, phone number, place of employment, and county. Someone from INAEYC will contact you and assist in the application process.
loan forgiveness waiver ends this fall
Early care and education (ECE) workers with public service loans have a chance to access loan forgiveness through a limited waiver that expires this fall. Following the financial hardship created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is partnering with the U.S. Department of Education to help ECE staff access loan forgiveness by raising awareness about a limited waiver to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program that expires on October 31, 2022.
Borrowers who work for a qualified employer — including many Head Start, preschool, and child care programs — may now be eligible for federal student loan forgiveness for their important public service, even if they were not eligible before. Some borrowers will need to consolidate their federal loans and submit a PSLF form by October 31 to take advantage of this opportunity.
New Laws that Affect Child Care Programming
Indiana General Assembly passed two new laws that affect child care programing.
These law changes took effect on July 1, 2022.
- Home Rules Updates - This update law for IC 12-7-2-33.7 Sec. 33.7. is in reference to a child care home that serves any combination of full-time and part-time children, not to exceed at anyone (1) time twelve (12) children plus three (3) children who are enrolled in at least full-day kindergarten. This new legislation eliminated the language “during the school year only” and only allowing for additional three (3) children “during breaks that exceed four (4) weeks”.
- Center Rules Updates - There has been an update to law IC 12-17.2-4-15.5. The updated language states that Montessori programs may be able to have licensed child care preschool programs if they confirm that they are validated as a Montessori program by the United Montessori Schools of Indiana and meet the other stated child staff ratio, group size requirements and all health and safety requirements.
- New Exemption and Updated Guidance for School Corporations - Updated guidelines for public and private school settings to allow for child care programing on the school premises for children of students or employees of schools in the school corporation in which the public or private school is located if it meets the appropriate criteria as a public or private school and division-specific health and safety guidelines.
Start your Early Learning Marketplace profile today
Early Learning Marketplace has officially launched to modernize the way families find child care. Historically, families have relied on word of mouth and internet searches to locate
programs, and then spend hours making phone calls to understand each program’s
offerings, hours, tuition and availability.
That is, until now.
With a few clicks of a button, families will be able to search for programs within their target geography, filter based on their needs and claim available seats in real time. Early Learning Marketplace would like to encourage you to claim your child care program’s Marketplace profile to ensure families find you when they’re searching for care. Visit this page to claim your existing profile page and customize it with your program information.
Families will then be able to search for you, identify openings, schedule tours and start the enrollment process, all online.
Once you’re finished, spread the word to other providers and families.
Recognizing that the well-being of our early care and education professionals is critical to the quality of care they are able to provide children, the state is launching a new Build, Learn, Grow initiative that will give professionals and their employees access to critical wellness services at no cost.
The Build, Learn, Grow Building Wellness program offers free, short-term counseling, legal and financial consultation, work-life assistance and crisis intervention services. Individuals who are actively employed by a licensed, Indiana-based early childhood education or out-of-school care program, as well as their household family members and dependents, are all eligible for the services.
The program is strictly confidential. Information about an individual’s participation in the program will not be shared with the person’s employer or with the state of Indiana.
Services are available through September 2023.
Professional Development
Marketing Your Child Care Business
The pre-recorded webinar "Marketing Your Child Care Business" is available. Covered in this webinar are the benefits of marketing, learning about your business and community, developing your marketing plan, and high-level marketing strategies. The recording, presentation slides, and other valuable links are now available.
Feeding Babies and Toddlers Safely: Update on the Formula Shortage” webinar.
1,000 Days of FHI Solutions, National WIC Association and U.S. Breastfeeding Committee presented for this Webinar. They provided an update on the current accessibility of commercial milk formula and how early childhood leaders can help protect infant food security.
For those who were unable to attend, or webinar participants who would like to share with colleagues, a recording of the webinar, a copy of the presentation slides and additional resources are provided.
Remember to join the NCIT XChange to stay abreast of key updates from leaders engaged in PN-3 work, including additional communications resources. Sign up at NCITXchange.org to gain access to a special community and exchange best practices, share resources, and foster connections.
Early Childhood Education Blog
20 Reasons Why Early Childhood Educators Are Essential
by Vanessa Serrao
3 Ways To Connect With Your Inner Child To Support Children's Development
by Ron Shuali
How to Cultivate Honest Relationships and a Safe Space at Your Center
by Judy Jablon
Check out their podcasts and webinars too!
Creating Space In Your Day as an Insurance Policy for Retention (Podcast)
How to Provide High Quality Care for Parents and Children (Webinar)
Attend SPARK's Regional Advisory Committee (RAC)
Wednesday, September 21, 6-7PM EST.
These meetings are open to the public. RACs provide vital feedback to ensure the success of Spark's technical assistance approach by allowing members to provide insight on the successes and pain points of providers in their area of the state.
Councils provide feedback and recommendations to SPARK on:
- Format and methods of technical assistance support
- Areas where programs need support
- Soliciting feedback from other programs in their region
- Program and policy development
VISIT SPARK'S AUGUST TRAINING CALENDAR
- Spaces that Nurture: Learning Environments for Infants and Toddlers
- Creepy Critters: Head Lice, Ringworm, and Bedbugs, Oh My!
- School-Age Coping Skills and Self-Regulation
- Paths to QUALITY Introduction
- Being an Early Childhood Professional (1/2)
- Safe Sleep Practices: Reducing Sudden Unexpected Infant Death & Implementation in Child Care Settings
- Safe Sleep: The IN State Dept of Health
- Introduction to Inclusive Child Care
Resources
BUILD, LEARN, GROW SCHOLARSHIPS
Families enrolled in participating school-age programs with incomes at or below 85% of state median income are eligible to apply for the state's CCDF program. To avoid a gap in coverage, providers should work with eligible families to apply as soon as possible. Review this reference guide for support, and find answers to frequently asked questions.
Applications must be received by Friday, August 12.
Support for Job-seeking Parents
get children outside
The Importance of Outdoor Play for Young Children
by Amy Sussna Klein
Simple Stones Activity:
Stones can provide the basis for extraordinarily rich activities. Of particular note is an approach developed by Dr. Diana Suskind, which she calls “Stonework Play.” Her approach, in basic terms, is built around five steps:
- Gathering the stones, which allows each student to exercise his or her own judgement as the stones are selected.
- Constructing an artwork with the stones
- Drawing a picture of the artwork
- Telling others about your work
- Being respectful of the other students’ works
Family Engagement Webinars
Effective Positive Guidance
Thu, Aug 25, 2022 1 PM - 1:30 PM EDT
Join CASY's Family Engagement Specialists while we will focus on defining positive guidance, replacing misbehavior and helping children be more cooperative. We will look at understanding the difference between discipline and punishment to assist with changing the negative patterns in children’s behavior. By focusing on the positive, you will find more joy as a parent.
Stay Connected:
Email: admin@casyonline.org
Website: www.casyonline.org
Location: 1101 South 13th Street, Terre Haute, IN, USA
Phone: 800-886-3952
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CASY.Inc