Early Education Newsletter
January 2021
THE CASY OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED:
Monday, January 18th, 2021 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)
GRANT OPPORTUNITY
As an early child care and education provider in Indiana, you may be eligible to apply for a grant through the Indiana CARES About Child Care fund to help with pandemic-related safety expenses or emergency needs.
Indiana CARES About Child Care grants are designed to reimburse Indiana providers for COVID-19 related needs, such as purchasing health- and safety-related materials and supplies, additional staffing costs directly related to COVID responses, cleaning services, additional furniture to support social distancing and more (see the FAQs at brighterfuturesindiana.org/indianacares/for more information about allowable expenses). Grants are also available for providers dealing with temporary closures due to a positive COVID-19 case. An emergency grant will help cover expenses deemed necessary to reopen.
Providers who have closed and need assistance with loss of income should click here.
Grant amounts up to $12,500 based on a provider’s enrollment.
Learn more about the grant fund, eligibility guidelines and allowable expenses, and find the link to start your application at brighterfuturesindiana.org/indianacares/.
Indiana CARES About Child Care Office Hours: Tips for Grant Writing
Whether you are writing the Indiana CARES About Child Care grant or working on other available grants, this opportunity is for you! Join the Child Care Resource & Referral Network during Zoom office hours, January 7th from 1:30-2:30 EST to learn tips for writing successful grant applications.
Early Learning Indiana Will Provide Another Boost to Child Care Programs With Second Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
Beginning in January, Early Learning Indiana will provide nearly $12 million in grants to child care programs statewide. The effort is made possible through the combination of a new $10.4 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to Early Learning Indiana and funds remaining from a previous Lilly Endowment grant made in May. Learn more about this grant and eligibility here.
Updated Guidance from the Office of Early Childhood and Out of School Learning
Tips for Successfully Completing Courses in Indiana Learning Paths
- In order to obtain your completion certificate, you must complete all tasks in the course. Tasks include viewing all available resources, interacting with each slide where indicated, completing all assessments and surveys and obtaining a minimum required score on included assessments.
- Trainings require your full attention. Avoid opening or viewing other browser windows while completing trainings. If you must step away or “pause” the training, close the tab and/or exit the course to save your progress. Then, go back into the course and continue where you left.
- If you stepped away or opened another browser while completing the training, go back into the course and pick up where you left off. Click "Yes" to make sure you’ve opened all the links (including the ones in the upper right-hand corner).
- Restart your training from the beginning, as you could have missed one required interactive component, section or resource.
- If you receive the message, “Congratulations, you have completed this training”, this does not necessary mean you’ve completed all the course steps. Follow the tips above or in this article to make sure you’ve done so.
My SPARK Learning Lab is Now Available!
The Office of Early Childhood and Out of School Learning (OECOSL) and SPARK Learning Lab have launched My SPARK Learning Lab, a new online portal that will provide early education and care programs the ability to complete the Indiana Self-Assessment Tool (I-SAT), access SPARK’s Knowledge Center, and engage with the SPARK Learning Lab Support Team.
How will this benefit you and your program?
● More options to receive assistance from our support team- In addition to calling the SPARK Help Desk My Spark Learning Lab will allow users to submit a support ticket or chat live with one of our helpful representatives.
● Easily search and find resources when you need them-
Search for resources in our SPARK Knowledge or explore featured topics and trending articles.
● Receive customized support by taking the I-SAT-
Select ‘Take the I-SAT’ from the Home page or My Profile page to get started with the Indiana Self-Assessment Tool (I-SAT), SPARK’S program-level assessment to help leaders identify areas of growth and receive the support they need.
Access My SPARK Learning Lab through your ILEAD account.
Do Your Goals for the New Year Include Working on a CDA? Do you plan to wrap up a CDA by the end of this year? Did You Know There is a Scholarship Available?
- If you live and work in early childhood in Indiana, make $20 or less per hour, and work 30 hours or more (part-time scholarship is available), you will want to be aware of the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® INDIANA Scholarship Program.
- If you qualify, a T.E.A.C.H. scholarship can cover up to 80 percent of your tuition and book costs for the classes you need to complete your degree.
- Plus, you are eligible for a $50 per semester stipend and a $200-300 per year bonus when T.E.A.C.H. receives your qualifying grades.
- Scholarships are available to complete CDA training, obtain an associate of early childhood education, or bachelors in early childhood education!
Contact T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® INDIANA at teach@inaeyc.org
or call at 855-484-2392 Ext.3511
to find out if you are eligible.
Contact T.E.A.C.H. Now!
Applications are approved on a regular basis!
Professional Development Opportunities
Rebuilding Your Child Care Business: Technology Makes it Possible, by Louise Stoney, Sharon Easterling and Monique Reynolds
January 7, 2021
2:00 PM Eastern Time
How Educators Can Respond to Students Experiencing Trauma
Tuesday, January 12, 2021
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EST
The word “trauma” used to apply to a relatively small sector of students. Not so anymore. All students faced multiple traumas in 2020 and will continue to face them in 2021. In this edWebinar, school counselor Stephanie Filio, M.Ed. gives an overview of how students experience trauma at four levels: self/home, school, community, and country/world.
Educators can play a powerful role in providing coping mechanisms for students to help them process and endure our often-chaotic world. Attendees will learn about activities and resources that can assist them in responding to today’s traumas and help them to prepare for the next crisis.
This edWebinar will benefit teachers, school or district leaders, and school counselors. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation. To register click here.
Intentionality With Loose Parts: Provoking Children’s Inquiry, by Miriam Beloglovsky and Diane Spahn
January 27, 2021
2:00 PM Eastern Time
Join Miriam Beloglovsky, co-author of the Loose Parts: Inspiring Play award-winning books, and Diane Spahn, Director of Education with Kodo Kids, as they explore the 6 w’s that serve as a framework to select and set up loose parts that provoke children’s inquiry.
This webinar will guide you to apply educational and design knowledge when curating loose parts to maximize children’s learning. Participants will learn the value of loose parts, discover how to curate the loose parts utilizing different lenses to explore the affordances the loose parts offer children, and how to set provocations that promote inquiry.
Miriam and Diane will walk you through the specific steps they use when designing and curating loose parts to maximize children’s creative and innovative capacities. Click here to register.
Indiana Summit on Out-of-School Learning 2021
April 20-22, 2021
Mark your calendars! The date has been set for the 10th annual Indiana Summit on Out-of-School Learning, Indiana's premiere conference for out-of-school time providers. The Summit brings together youth programs, schools, and community partners to connect, explore new ideas, access valuable resources, and transform learning beyond the school day for Indiana’s youth. Register today!
Resources
In Defense of Active Learning
I once heard a workshop leader say, “We often set up environments for children that are contrary to what we know about who and what they are.”
That’s fascinating to contemplate, isn’t it? Why would we do that? Even more fascinating is that we also often teach children in ways that are contrary to what we know about who and what they are.
Why do we teach children in ways that are contrary to what we know about how children learn?
Granted, much of that is dictated by policymakers who don’t seem to understand children any more than they might understand fruit flies. But much of it also can be attributed to “the way it’s always been done.” Sitting to learn and testing both fall into the latter category. Read more.
Rocking and Rolling—It Takes Two: The Role of Co-Regulation in Building Self-Regulation Skills
Two-month-old Daryl cries softly as he wakes up from his nap. Jodi, his teacher, calls to him, saying, “I hear you, Daryl. Miss Jodi is coming as soon as she washes her hands.” Daryl quiets.
Four-month-old Charlotte rubs her eyes and begins to whimper. Her teacher, Jan, says, “You’re getting tired, aren’t you?” Jan sits in a rocker and begins to rock and hum to Charlotte. Charlotte calms, and Jan places her in her crib, gently patting her tummy before walking away. Charlotte fusses just for a minute before drifting off to sleep. Continue reading.
Conversations that Matter: Talking with Children About Big World Issues
Winter Car Seat Safety Tips from the AAP
Winter is a tricky time for car seats. As a general rule, bulky clothing, including winter coats and snowsuits, should not be worn underneath the harness of a car seat.
In a car crash, fluffy padding immediately flattens out from the force, leaving extra space under the harness. A child can then slip through the straps and be thrown from the seat.
Click here for tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) that strike the perfect balance between keeping little ones warm as well as safely buckled in their car seats.
COVID-19 Activity Resource
COVID-19 has impacted students and families throughout Indiana and has significantly altered our education systems, including out-of-school time programs.
The new Learning About COVID-19 Activity Guide has been developed for your OST programs - with leadership from the Alaska Afterschool Network - to engage and help support children and youth nationwide.
The activities and resources in the Learning About COVID-19 Activity Guide have been intentionally designed to support youth-serving programs in engaging students in learning about the science of COVID-19 and developing greater social awareness and empathy.
This guide provides you with student activities and challenges adapted for in-person and virtual instruction, or a hybrid of both, as well as take-home packets.
Child Care Business Continuity
Tom Copeland Answers Your Tax Questions
Family Resources
Family Webinar: Learning Through Everyday Activities: Meal Times
January 14th, 2021
2:00-2:30pm
Meal times are excellent opportunities for families to engage with one another and take advantage of organic learning opportunities for their young children. These important times are essential for a child's nourishment as well as overall development. Join CASY's Family Engagement Specialists as we discuss a variety of activities and interactions you can take to make the most of the experience and help your child learn during this type of daily routine.Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8772047114394424336
Family Resources from Indiana Afterschool Network
January 20th 2021
4pm-4:30pm
During this time, it is essential to support both the physical and mental wellness of children, families. Join Keith Monfreda - Training and Development Manager for the Indiana Afterschool Network - as he shares resources for family and parent wellbeing, keeping kids physically active and eating well while at home, best practices for self-care, and more!
Understanding and Responding to Children Who Bite
Biting is a typical behavior often seen in infants, toddlers, and 2-year olds. As children mature, gain self-control, and develop problem-solving skills, they usually outgrow this behavior. While not uncommon, biting can be an upsetting and potentially harmful behavior. It’s best to discourage it from the very first episode. This article will help you to understand the reasons young children bite and give you some ideas and strategies for responding appropriately. Continue Reading.
Uncharted Territory: 10 Technology Tips for Preschool Parents
Parents today are making decisions about technology that didn’t even exist when they were young. Parents make creative decisions daily using their best instincts.
Click here for 10 tips that might help when making technology decisions for your child.
Stay Connected:
Email: help@casyonline.org
Website: www.casyonline.org
Location: 1101 South 13th Street, Terre Haute, IN, USA
Phone: 800-886-3952
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CASY.Inc
Twitter: @CASYTerreHaute