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January, 2016
                                                                       


The THSSCO would like to express Happy New Year wishes to you and your family! We hope that 2016 will be a great year for you, and the work that you do in your programs. Thank you for your continued support of the work of our office, your partnerships and collaborations that you have engaged in with us.

The THSSCO will continue to work within the specified framework and scope of work that Head Start Collaboration Offices have been assigned to do by the Office of Head Start, with the many wonderful partners across the state of Texas.

Scope of Work - HSSNCO's facilitate collaboration among Head Start agencies and State and local entities as charged by the Office of Head Start in the Regional Office:

Priority 1. Partner with State child care systems, emphasizing EHS-CC Partnerships 
Priority 2. Work with state efforts to collect data regarding ECE programs and child outcomes 
Priority 3. Support the expansion and access of high quality, workforce and career development opportunities for staff 
Priority 4. Collaborate with Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) 
Priority 5. Work with the state school systems to ensure continuity between Head Start and Kindergarten Entrance Assessment (KEA) 
Priority 6. Regional/State Priorities (Regional Office Priorities previously) 

The THSSCO has completed the newly revised Annual Report, which reflects the activities of the THSSCO during the 2015 calendar year. The THSSCO Self-Assessment Survey, which assessed the work of our office from 2010-2015, will be analyzed and completed by the end of January. The results of the survey will be included in one of our future newsletters. I extend a special thank you to those of you who took time from your busy schedules to assess the work that we have done and provide supportive information to assist us with future planning. 

The THSSCO is always busy at work for YOU! Until we connect again...stay informed! Stay alert! Let your voices be heard, and continue to work to meet the needs of the children and families in our great state! Have a great year!!!!

In Service,

Alferma Giles, Ph.D.
Director, Texas Head Start State Collaboration Office


Texas Early Childhood Professional Development System (TECPDS) Updates


The TECPDS office would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year!  Hopefully you took some time for rest, relaxation and some fun.

2016 has started, and our office is already in full swing. The TECPDS Advisory Council will be having its first meeting of the year on February 17th.  This meeting will help to determine priority areas that the TECPDS office will focus on over the next year. The council consists of about 15 community partners from different agencies, associations, education institutions and programs across the state of Texas.

Watch your email boxes in the coming weeks for updates from the council and professional development resources. 

Upcoming Events
Annual R.T. Garcia Early Childhood Winter Conference 2016
January 30, 2015
Kingdom Builders' Center
Houston, Texas
30th Annual Conference on the Prevention of Child Abuse
February 25-26, 2015
The Westin Park Central
Dallas, Texas

...and more!
Click here  for a complete list of upcoming events in in 2016

Are you Having Trouble Accessing your Trainer or Workforce Account?
If you are having difficulties logging in to your account please send an email to tecpds@uth.tmc.edu and Program Coordinator, Dr. Tracy Jones will assist you.  Please do not sign up, or pay for another account.

Free Infant and Toddler Training and Resources
Did you know that Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service of the Texas A&M University System in cooperation with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Child Care Licensing Division have free online training course and resources? These materials are in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.  They include:
  • Infant-Toddler Best Practices Courses
  • Infant-Toddler Inclusion Courses
  • Inclusive Child Care Get Started Kits
  • Health and Safety Courses
  • Technical Assistance Materials
To access materials, 
Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

Children's Learning Institute to study targeted parent and teacher behaviors

In order to learn more about how to best prepare young children for school success, the Administration of Children and Families, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has awarded a $2.5 million research grant to the Children's Learning Institute at UTHealth.

The grant-funded research project will adapt two research-based parent and teacher interventions developed at the Children's Learning Institute, Play and Learning Strategies (PALS) and Beginning Education: Early Childcare at Home (BEECH), to examine the benefit to low-income infants' and toddlers' language, cognitive and social-emotional development as well as self-regulation skills.

"We will determine whether raising the quality of parent and teacher responsive behaviors across both the home and Early Head Start center-based classroom settings result in an added benefit to children's learning and development, compared to no intervention in either setting." Early Head Start is a federally funded program that serves low-income pregnant women and children from birth to age 3, a counterpart to the preschool Head Start program for 3- and 4-year-olds.
Head Start Updates




The House and Senate released a spending bill for Fiscal Year 2016. Once the House and Senate have voted and the President has signed the bill into law, Head Start and Early Head Start will receive a significant increase in funding - over half a billion dollars! In general, the funding will stabilize and grow the Head Start workforce, support Head Start programs as they expand the duration of their services, and expand access for infants and toddlers.

The specific highlights of the $570 million increase for Head Start and Early Head Start include:
  • $141 million for a Cost of Living increase,
  • $294 million as a "down payment" for Head Start programs that are ready to increase their duration of services, and
  • $135 million for the expansion of Early Head Start, of which $59 million is reserved for EHS-CC Partnerships.

Attention Past TSR Participants!

Did your child care program participate in TSR? Were you a TSR teacher? We have great news!
Starting in January 2016, former TSR participants (2003-2015) will be able to access FREE resources on the Children's Learning Institute's new online platform, known as CLI Engage. 
This includes FREE access for former TSR participant programs and TSR teachers to the TSR Online tools and resources:
  • CIRCLE Progress Monitoring System for tracking preschool children's progress in key school readiness domains
  • eCIRCLE online courses
  • BEECH online courses (for home-based and infant/toddler teachers)
  • Classroom observation tools for administrators and coaches
  • Access to the CIRCLE Activity Collection, the online version of the CIRCLE Manual
  • And many more resources coming soon for infant and toddler teachers, including online courses and activities!
Information about how to sign-up will be released soon via email. Join TSR's listserv to stay up-to-date with Texas School Ready, and be the first to sign-up!
Just a reminder: Texas public schools, charter schools, Head Start programs, and Texas Rising Star Certified Providers already have access to these great TSR Online resources! Learn more at www.texasschoolready.org/tsr-online 
THSSCO Tidbits

Children's Policy Conference 2016
February 24, 2016 - Austin  
 

 
The Children's Policy Conference brings together Texans involved in informing, crafting, and implementing state policies affecting the well-being of Texas children. The conference offers a unique opportunity for more than 200 policy experts, community leaders, practitioners, and researchers from around the state to attend interactive panel discussions featuring leading Texas voices and policy experts. Participants and speakers have expertise in child health, juvenile justice, early childhood, child protective services, and mental well-being. The 2016 conference will cover the latest challenges and opportunities for Texas kids, innovative local efforts, and state policy updates and emerging priorities.

THSSCO Tidbits

3 0th Annual Conference on the Prevention of Child Abuse
January 25-26, 2016 - Dallas


 
Prevent Child Abuse Texas (PCATX) is a statewide non-profit organization working to prevent child abuse and neglect in all its forms throughout Texas.

SOCIAL WORK, COUNSELOR, NURSES, AND TCLEOSE CEUS WILL BE AVAILABLE.
Upcoming Events

Save the Date!
Texas Head Start Association (THSA) Summer Training Conference
July 16-20, 2015  |   The Westin Austin at the Domain
Call for proposals will be released very soon!!
 
THSA Board Meeting
January 22  |  Houston
Gulf Coast Community Services Association

Project Launch Oversight Council
February 4  |  Austin

Region VI Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships
Training and Consultation  Sessions
February 23-26  |  Dallas
Contact Us

Texas Head Start State Collaboration Office
7000 Fannin St, Suite 1920
Houston, TX 77030

Phone: 713-500-3832 or 713-500-3835
Fax: 713-500-3820
Email: headstart@uth.tmc.edu
In This Issue
Oh, The Places THSSCO Will Go...

The THSSCO is busy traveling to various conferences, events, and centers with the purpose to get to know the Texas Head Start / Early Head Start community and the various groups that impact this community. Below is a list of conferences and events that our office will be attending. Make sure you say "hello!" if you are also there:

January 18 - Office Closed
Useful Web Links

Words to Live By
For Past Issues - Click Here

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