What Is Happening at CCAoNH?
Hello Providers,

Happy fall! The temperatures are dropping and the days are getting a bit shorter, but the sights and sounds of autumn really are something spectacular. How lucky are we to live in a place where we get to experience fall foliage and all of its magic? Child Care Aware of NH, a program of Southern NH Services, is excited to be sharing our very own magic in this month's edition of Monthly Minutes.

The Child Care Resource and Referral Outreach Specialists are continuing to get out and about across the state! They have been busy sharing our services with local businesses and non-profits, as well as attending community events. The Outreach Specialists have also been busy revamping their, "Searching for the Right Child Care" information sessions to better support the families of NH. Keep reading to learn more about how you can help us improve this conversation.

The Training and TA Specialists are so excited to be preparing to welcome Luis Hernandez at our upcoming Fall 2022 Leadership Summit! Make sure you keep reading to find out how you can attend for FREE. The Training and TA Specialists are also looking forward to another year of Revive and Thrive Wednesdays. Take a little time for yourself and join CCAoNH the fourth (4th) Wednesday of the month.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for everything you do for families and children. We hope that you enjoy this month's edition of Monthly Minutes.
CCAoNH Updates
Trainings, Contests, and Giveaways: Oh My!
Child Care Aware of NH, a program of Southern NH Services, is delighted to be offering another exciting year of professional development opportunities. This year, to make things even more fun, we will be giving away FREE (yes, FREE!) professional development opportunities throughout the training calendar year. Be on the lookout in our newsletters and our Facebook page for more details and how you can participate.
🎃 Can You Find the Pumpkins? 🎃
Want to attend the Early Childhood Leadership Summit for FREE? There are pumpkins hidden throughout this edition of Monthly Minutes. Find all five (5) and tell us where you found them. We will put your name into a drawing to be held on October 7th at 3:00 PM. The first ten (10) names chosen will win!

Did you already register and pay to attend? Feel free to participate anyway and if you win, we will refund your registration fee.

To enter, please take a screenshot of all five (5) places you find a pumpkin and email them to [email protected] with the subject line: "Fall Leadership Summit-Pumpkin Hunt".

*Note: the pumpkins in this section and in the email subject line are NOT part of the contest.

Not sure how to take a screenshot? No worries! You are welcome to email a description of where you found the pumpkin (i.e. title of the section, whether it was located in a sentence, a picture, etc.).

Happy pumpkin hunting!
Closed for Columbus Day
Child Care Aware of NH, a program of Southern NH Services, will be closed Monday, October 10th in observance of Columbus Day. Due to the closure, our LiveChat services will be closed and phones will be going to the voicemail messaging system. We will resume normal business hours on Tuesday, October 11th.
What Do You Wish Parents Knew About Finding Child Care?
For the past year, the Child Care Resource and Referral Outreach Specialists (CCRROS) have been offering a monthly information session geared towards families looking for child care. The purpose of this session is to provide information and resources to support families in making an informed decision when choosing a child care program.

After careful consideration, it was decided that a bit of a refresh was in order. To better meet families' needs and to help support child care providers, we want to hear from you! What are some things you wish families knew about child care? Some questions to consider might be:

  • What should families know about finding a program that fits their needs?
  • What should families know about enrolling their child in a child care program?
  • How can families partner with programs to best meet the needs of their child/children?
  • What questions do families have when they're calling or visiting programs? What questions do you wish they would ask?

We hope to use this feedback to help steer the conversation in a more beneficial way and support meaningful and productive partnerships between families and child care providers.

If you would like to learn more about this information and offer insights, please feel free to email the CCRROS at [email protected] with the subject line, "Searching for the Right Child Care". You are also welcome to give them a call at 855-393-1731 ext. 2531, or 603-578-1386 ext. 2531. We appreciate your support and look forward to hearing from you!
Starting The Conversation
Literacy in the Outdoors
We all know the benefits of outside time for children, but have you ever considered how you can incorporate literacy into outdoor time? The Children's Museum of NH has this short video with tips and suggestions on how to include literacy in outdoor time. Learn about the 6 essential pre-reading skills that can be encouraged through outdoor games and activities.

To learn more, click the video to the left.
CCAoNH Professional Development Opportunities
October Happenings
We can't wait to see you at October's training and professional development opportunities! We have Revive and Thrive Wednesdays, loads of exciting collaboratives, and two (2) specials coming up this month!

On Thursday, October 13th, Luis Hernandez will be joining us for the 2022 Fall Leadership Summit (a don't miss opportunity!) and Saturday, October 29th will be a full day of exciting training opportunities at our Keys to Quality Conference.
For more information about all of CCA🎃NH's offerings in October, click the button below. To learn more about the Fall Leadership Summit and the Keys to Quality conference, click the flyers above.
Early Childhood Focused Collaboratives
Child Care Aware of NH, a program of Southern NH Services, is excited to once again be hosting online Early Childhood Focused Collaboratives! These meetings are group-driven and are planned to reflect the needs and interests of the participants.
There are currently nine (9) collaborative topics offered. These meetings are held once per month from September through June. To learn more, click the flyer below. Registration for Early Childhood Collaboratives is through NHCIS.
Early Childhood Collaborative Highlight of the Month:
Preschool Programming and Curriculum

Are you a preschool teacher looking to collaborate with other preschool teachers? In need of a little curriculum inspiration?

Then the Early Childhood Collaborative: Preschool Programming and Curriculum is just for you! Join Kris Tabor-Hall, ECMPWT, and Donna Lake, ECMPWT, the second (2nd) Wednesday of the month as they explore all things preschool-related. Connect with fellow preschool educators and share resources and ideas.

On October 12th, Kerry Belknap-Morris will be there to share how nursery rhymes and folktales can be used to promote literacy in the preschool classroom. You don't want to miss out!

To register, click the button below!
Looking for some other groups to connect and collaborate with? Click the flyer to the left to learn more about our other Collaborative offerings, or click below to see what topics are being discussed in our other Collaboratives.
Progressive Training and TA Program
Apply to be a Progressive Training and Technical Assistance (TA) Program when it works for your program! You will find the application on the Technical Assistance page or by clicking the button below.
We have several Progressive Training and TA topics programs can choose from this year:
  • Business Management Practices
  • Infant & Toddler Team Initiative
  • NH Early Learning Standards
  • Program Emergency Preparedness and Response
  • Environment Rating Scales
  • Strengthening Families, Strengthening Care
  • Staff Qualifications Initiative
CCAoNH has open enrollment for the Progressive Training and TA Program!

The Progressive Training and Technical Assistance Program is an opportunity for your program to participate in focused and facilitated teambuilding that promotes professionalism and program quality.
Want to know more?

Contact us at
(603) 578-1386, ext. 2526 and ext. 2532
or on LiveChat.
Take a Deeper Dive into the Environment Rating Scales (ERS)🎃
A Community of Practice (CoP) is a unique opportunity for participants to build knowledge, share ideas, collaborate together, and develop a common understanding around a particular topic.

Child Care Aware of NH (CCAoNH) is excited to be offering the Community of Practice: Beyond the Intro and Overview for Environment Rating Scales. Each session will focus on specific questions that the group will derive together. This opportunity will allow participants to come together to connect with fellow providers, ask questions, and grow their understanding of the tools. Professional Development hours will be awarded.

To learn more, click the flyer to the right. To register, click the button below.
Monthly Health And Safety Resources
The resources found in this section can help support providers and families in planning for emergencies. You can find additional resources on the NH Connections Emergency Planning Page.
October is National Bullying Prevention Month
Bullying has been a hot-button issue in recent years, and with good reason. We see it occurring more frequently amongst youth in places like school and online. We also better understand the negative affects bullying has on individuals who experience it. But is this something that we need to really be concerned about in our youngest children? Well, it's a little bit more complicated than a simple yes or no answer.

Research on bullying and early childhood development is still rather limited. There is debate over how bullying is defined, as well as concern that the tools typically used for assessment may not be appropriate to use with young children. Despite these limitations, child care providers play an important role in bullying prevention efforts.

Early educators know the importance of those 0-5 years and how much they influence a child's development. For example, children who are exposed to violence, are more likely to exhibit violent or aggressive behaviors. Intervening early can help to reduce the likelihood of a child becoming a bully or being a victim of bullying. Doing things such as valuing kindness and modeling positive behaviors can go a long way in bullying prevention.

To learn more about bullying in the early years, or read more about how child care providers can be part of the solution, click the buttons below.
Other Early Childhood News And Updates
Important Information From the Bureau of Child
Development and Head Start Collaboration
New Hampshire’s voluntary quality recognition system for licensed child care providers, known as Granite Steps for Quality focuses on improving the overall quality of Early Care and Education and Out-of-School Time (OST) programs in the state. Programs participating in GSQ will promote a culture of continuous quality improvement thereby improving outcomes for children and families to thrive and succeed in school and beyond.
Not sure how to get started? We invite you to contact Child Care Aware of New Hampshire and a TA Specialist will help answer questions, provide detail surrounding the rubrics and help you to become Q-Ready!
Updated Licensing Territories List
On September 27th, the Child Care Licensing Unit put out their updated list of territories, including contact information. You can access that information by clicking here: CCLU Licensing Territories
Are you looking to find that information on NH Connections? Check out the images below to see where you can find this, and other important licensing information, on the website.
Learn More About the Employee Retention Credit (ERC)
Did you have a mandated closure, reduced operations, or reduced revenue in 2020 or 2021? You may qualify for The Employee Retention Credit (ERC). Find out if you’re eligible to receive these federal funds and how to claim them.

Early Learning NH, the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, and the State Early Learning Alliance (SELA) are partnering to inform New Hampshire child care programs about why and how to apply for the ERC. We want to help ensure that these federal dollars go out to every eligible program in the Granite State.

In partnership with Civitas Strategies Early Start, supported by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, a recorded meeting and guide to assist child care programs in understanding the ERC has been posted at: https://earlylearningnh.org/meetings/meeting-archive/ (see Aug 25 mtg. date)
The ERC is…
  • Easier than PPP
  • Payroll based
  • A refund with no constraints or forgiveness needed
  • Simply a reimbursement for eligible wages
Additionally, we are also hoping to offer free help to any New Hampshire child care program that needs assistance determining eligibility. In order to determine the level of support required, should it become available, we need to first hear from you!
Please take 2 minutes online to let us know if you would be interested in the free help: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9D9DP5X

The time period considered for eligibility is from March 13, 2020 through September 30, 2021 and funds can be accessed by using an amended FORM 941-X (instructions are available on irs.gov).
Child Care Aware of New Hampshire is a Child Care Resource and Referral Program powered by Southern New Hampshire Services. The preparation of this document was financed under a Contract with the State of New Hampshire, Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Economic and Housing Stability, Bureau of Child Development and Head Start Collaboration with funds provided in part by the State of New Hampshire and the US Department of Health and Human Services.