Early Childhood Digest
The Latest Early Childhood Developments by Wayne RESA
April 19, 2024
Early Childhood Services Department at Wayne Regional Educational Service Agency (Wayne RESA)
Email: EarlyChildhood@resa.net
Website: https://www.resa.net/teaching-learning/early-childhood
Location: 33500 Van Born Road, Wayne, MI, USA
Phone: 734-334-1312
Notes From the Executive Director
Greetings Early Childhood Educators,
You will notice this edition of the Digest includes many opportunities to engage with the families you serve. As we plan the 24-25 School Year it is essential that programs include families. Family engagement helps schools and community agencies set children and families up for success. Please utilize the resources available in the Digest to create a communication plan with families to prepare for the year ahead and consider completing the Family and Community Engagement survey and participating in the Parent Recruitment surveys to guide this work as we build systems at the State level.
GSRP Advisory Meeting May 17, 2024
Please plan on attending the GSRP Advisory Meeting on May 17th, 2024. This meeting is in-person from 10a- 12p in the Wayne RESA Annex Auditorium. Together, the Wayne RESA Early Childhood leadership and support staff collaborated with the subrecipient planning team to bring you an information-packed and enriching session. Our time together will be interactive and focus on both the ending of the 23/24 School Year as well as setting the stage for the 24/25 SY.
National Association for the Education of Young Children
NAEYC is the leading professional organization for early childhood education professionals working with children and their families from birth through eight years old.
In their Spring 2024 Volume 17 No 3 Teaching Young Children publication they focused on Individuality: Supporting Each and Every Preschooler. In the article titled: Planning for Individuality in Preschool Spaces by Jessica Grimone-Hopkins and Christina Mirtes strategies are shared in putting the Developmentally Appropriate Practice of individualizing teaching strategies and curricula into practice. Two big takeaways from the article to share here are the importance of understanding preschool children's individuality and planning for individuality.
In supporting your teaching teams in providing high-quality early childhood education experiences in Great Start Readiness Program and Strong Beginnings classrooms you are encouraged to engage teaching teams around the topic.
GSRP Facts:
Michigan Public Schools Improve Kindergarten Readiness
Did you know? GSRP improves outcomes for children. Your work and the work of your teaching teams is closing the readiness gap as identified in the Michigan State University research. In the depth of the daily work of providing high quality early childhood education it can be a challenge to step back and consider the significant impact of the work. You are encouraged to share and celebrate the positive impact of the work with your entire GSRP team.
More findings from the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) are available here: https://cep.msu.edu/upload/documents/KRA_3rd%20version_FINAL.pdf
Program Self Evaluation Rubric
WCRESA released a Program Self-Evaluation Rubric for partner programs to complete on April 12th.
The rubric contains specific yes/no or multiple-choice questions to gather information on the program’s strengths and areas for growth. We hope that this process will help programs identify areas where their program can benefit from additional WCRESA support as well as areas where the program can utilize the strengths of their program to enhance program quality overall.
WCRESA staff will utilize the data collected from the Program Self-Evaluation Survey to assist us in working with our partner programs to create a Program Support Plan to help guide our work together in the upcoming year.
To ensure that the Self-Evaluation Rubric is helpful in guiding program growth and quality improvement, it is critical that the rubric is completed honestly and thoroughly. The Self-Evaluation Rubric will be released by email to partner program’s HUB contact with specific instructions on how to complete the form.
Programs need to complete and return the rubric by email to the Early Childhood Department email (earlychildhood@resa.net) not later than 4:00 PM on Friday, April 26th.
For questions, please contact your assigned Program ECC.
24-25SY Marketing Materials Poll
Fiscal Reminders
Mid-Year Review
The Mid-Year review process was due to be completed 4/15/2024. If your program has not yet completed the Mid-Year review section of your program’s budget document, please complete it as soon as possible. If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to Aaron Pressel, Julia Stanley, or your assigned Program ECC.
Program Budget Amendments
We are still working with the state on the final count for the county. However, we are nearing the end of the process. As we finalize counts, we will be updating program budgets to reflect new funding amounts and we will provide all programs with a written update on their count. If you have any questions or concerns about your count or your budget, please reach please reach out to Aaron Pressel, Julia Stanley, or your assigned Program ECC.
Update – WCRESA will pay GSRP Assessment Costs
Please note that WCRESA has decided not to seek reimbursement for the assessment costs for children’s licenses in TS GOLD/COR this school year, so programs will not be billed this month for assessment costs for GSRP. This only applies to licenses for GSRP students. Please note that if your program purchases NON-GSRP student licenses, including Strong Beginnings, those costs will be billed in April as well.
Topic: 6208 Office Hours : GSRP Fiscal Reporting
This is a series being held on the following dates:
5/8/2024, 6/12/2024, 7/10/2024
Join Zoom Meeting
https://resa-net.zoom.us/j/83173019577
Meeting ID: 831 7301 9577
PreK for All Office Hours
Please join Elizabeth Grace, Director, Wayne RESA Early Childhood Education Department, for virtual open office hours on the topic of PreK For All. The drop in sessions are available biweekly and are one of the ways Wayne RESA is supporting our partners as PreK For All is implemented in Michigan.
Social Emotional Support
If you are seeking support for an individual student with challenging behaviors, please contact your ECS or PCC to complete a referral. Dr. Anderson will continue to consult with programs all the way through the last day of school. If you would like support in writing transition plans for kindergarten, she is available to consult on that as well.
SEL To Go
Attention: Community Based Organizations (CBOs)
For Strong Beginnings and GSRP
Elaine Koons presented Talking in Teaching at the Wayne RESA Advisory Meeting, and many have expressed interest in hosting a Talking is Teaching session at their site. Click here to complete the Talking is Teaching Interest Survey
The program will be contacted by Ms. Koons regarding offering Talking is Teaching following the completion of the survey. The survey will be accessible in the Digest.
Talking is Teaching questions may be sent to EarlyChildhood@resa.net (Subject line: Talking is Teaching) for monthly answers/updates from Elaine Koons and Elizabeth Grace.
Survey: Family and Community Engagement
and Family Recruitment
Family Access and System Support Staff Survey
Please share with staff who:
- Have direct contact with families for the purpose of program intake and/or referral
- Are responsible for facilitating coordination amongst programs and services in the community
Please complete the survey yourself and/or send the link to the survey link to individuals at your organization who fall into at least one of the categories above and ask that they complete the survey.
Recruitment: Family Story: Accessing the EC System
These activities are part of the PDG-B5 Needs Assessment being conducted by SRI International and Public Policy Associates on behalf of MiLEAP and is funded by grant number 90TP0117-01-00 from the Office of Child Care, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The survey asks questions about how staff at family access points (access points that families use to find and enroll in early childhood services) interact with families, how access points and structures that support the access points coordinate with one another, how well coordination works for families, and what suggestions staff have for improving the system for families. The survey takes about 20 minutes to complete. Participation is voluntary. 250 randomly selected eligible people who complete the survey will receive a $20 gift card as a thank-you for their time and participation.
In addition to having staff complete the survey, there is also an opportunity to assist with recruitment of families to tell their stories of accessing the EC system. If you are interested in supporting the recruitment of families, please reply to this email [wei-bing.chen@sri.com and mandy.reeve@sri.com]. In your response include a point of contact and mailing address.
SRI will send a packet of flyers with unique access codes (to prevent bots) to distribute to families.
Flyers are available in English, Spanish and Arabic. Families who submit a complete story and provide an email address will receive a $20 gift card for their time. The family story survey will close after the first 100 stories are submitted.
Market Rate Survey
CCDF helps to promote families’ economic self-sufficiency by making child care more affordable and fostering healthy child development and school success by improving the overall quality of early learning and afterschool programs. It also makes significant advancements by defining health and safety requirements for child care providers, outlining family-friendly eligibility policies, and ensuring parents and the general public have transparent information about the child care choices available to them.
Every three years, a State Plan must be completed for the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) dollars received to support low-income families with access to child care and improving the quality of child care. One requirement of receiving CCDF funding is to conduct a child care market rate survey. States use market rate surveys to establish the maximum child care payment rates high enough to increase access to high quality, affordable child care of all types for families using the scholarship/subsidy.
As part of meeting federal requirements, we are offering an opportunity to provide feedback and comments on the most recent draft Market Rate Survey. Webinars will be held on April 25, 2024 at 1:15pm and April 30, 2024 at 6:15pm.
How can I participate or comment?
- The draft Market Rate Survey is available to view. Michigan's Child Care Market Rate Survey (draft).
- Register for a webinar:
- Registration link for April 25 at 1:15 PM: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FWKcqziQTZq5xYPQ7mGFFg
- Registration link for April 30 at 6:15 PM: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CbucFZ6rTHaX0_y7enzi5Qter/WN_CbucFZ6rTHaX0_y7enzi5Q
To submit written feedback for the Market Rate Survey please click: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MRS_Report_Feedback
All feedback for the MRS should be submitted by close of business on May 10.
If you have questions about these opportunities, please contact Lisa Brewer Walraven at 517-241-9492 or at brewer-walravenl@michigan.gov. As always, your support and comments are appreciated.
1. Please complete and return the Program Self Evaluation Rubric no later than 4:00 PM on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. Email to earlychildhood@resa.net
2. Complete the Mid-Year Review in your 23-24 Budget Workbook. This is DUE TODAY, April 19, 2024.
3. Complete the 24-25 Marketing Materials Poll.
Let's Talk About: Preschool Inclusion
Wayne RESA's Early Childhood Preschool Inclusion Professional Learning Group has been working to identify best practices, key resources, and challenges related to inclusive classrooms. Wayne RESA is providing Preschool Inclusion Office Hours to support questions and or ideas related to preschool inclusion. All GSRP and Strong Beginnings administrators and or teaching teams are welcome to bring questions to the open office hours.
Professional Learning
ASQ Support
Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ®) provides reliable, accurate developmental and social-emotional screening for children.
ASQ Technical Assistance is available! If your program needs ASQ Online training, login or password info, or access to the Help Me Grow partner Google Drive please don’t hesitate to reach out to Amber Anderson at Help Me Grow. All GSRP programs should be a Help Me Grow partner to receive their ASQ Online Account.
Amber Anderson
Care Coordinator/Technical Assistance
Help Me Grow Michigan
Great Start Collaborative Detroit-Wayne
313-410-5235
Open office hours are available on Thursdays at 2:00 P.M.
Zoom link for our GSRP working hours: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/5969353317
Google form link: GSRP Partner Intake Form
Booking link: Everybody Ready (zohobookings.com)
Looking for updates on what is going on in your child care licensing region?
Please join the CCLB Regional Office Hours hosted by the CCLB area managers! This is an opportunity to stay informed, connected, and engaged within your child care licensing region. These sessions are a great opportunity for conversation and connection.
LARA Office Hours (see link below):
Wayne County with LaTanya Ellington
Great Start to Quality Job Board
Do you have openings in your program? Great Start to Quality can help you find qualified candidates!
Early Childhood Job Board - Great Start to Quality
Job postings are good for 60 days and can be renewed, if needed.
Send the jobs description(s), program location and submission contact information to jobs@ecic4kids.org
Once a candidate submits a resume or cover letter, Great Start to Quality sends them directly to the program.