What Is Happening at CCAoNH?
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"September is the other January."
-Gretchen Rubin
Hello Providers,
There's something about that quote that just...feels right. Some child care programs take brief breaks for the summer and some don't. But it seems no matter what calendar or schedule you follow, there is still something about September that signals a clean slate or a fresh start. Child Care Aware of NH, a program of Southern NH Services, is starting fresh with a brand new Annual Training Calendar! We're excited to be sharing another year of exciting professional development opportunities that hopefully reinvigorate and inspire you.
The Child Care Resource and Referral Outreach Specialists are very busy assisting families with finding child care! They have been fielding calls from families all across the state looking for infant care, to before and after care for school-age children. If you have not recently, please take a moment to log into your Child Care Profile on the NH Connections Information System to update your information. This helps the Outreach Specialists provide tailored lists of referrals- and helps to ensure that families or anyone utilizing the NH Child Care Search Portal to look for care are finding accurate information.
The Training and TA Specialists participate in annual trainings with the Environment Rating Scale Institute certified trainers in order to ensure the achieved reliability level is maintained in the various Environment Rating Scale tools. This past month our Family Child Care Support Specialist went out to Family Child Care programs for the annual reliability training on the Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale-Third Edition (FCCERS-3) tool. Thank you to those Family Child Care programs who volunteered to host these trainings! They have also assisted several Family Child Care Programs with their Credential applications and moving forward with applications for the new QRIS, Granite Steps for Quality.
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.
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First Quarter of the 2022-2023 Trainings At-a-Glance Calendar
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After months of planning and organizing, it's FINALLY here: the First Quarter of the 2022-2023 Annual Training Calendar! These are the professional development opportunities being offered during the months of September, October, November, and December. Some of the highlights include:
- 2022 Fall Leadership Summit
- Intro & Overview of the Environment Rating Scales
- 2022 Fall Keys to Quality Conference
- CCAoNH's Monthly Collaboratives
- ...and SO MUCH MORE!
To learn more about the professional development opportunities available, or how to register for them, please click on the image to the right, or the button below.
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Child Care Aware of NH at Choose Love
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Some of the Child Care Aware of NH staff had the opportunity to attend the Choose Love: Together We Teach Conference on Saturday, August 20.
The team was excited to participate in an inspiring and reinvigorating day of professional development. They took away concepts and ideas that they are excited to share with all of you- but things they can use in their own lives day-to-day. They left the day feeling lighter and ready to spread the message of the Choose Love Movement.
If you are interested in learning more about Choose Love and how you can utilize it in your program, click the button below.
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Searching for the Right Child Care Information Session
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The Child Care Resource and Referral Outreach Specialists (CCRROS) are excited to be offering their, "Searching for the Right Child Care" Information Session once again this year!
In this session, our experienced CCRROS explain the different types of child care available, discuss how parents can partner with programs and why that's important, talk about the importance of quality care, and offer tips and suggestions for finding a program that is the right fit. This is also a great time for participants to ask any questions they might have about finding quality care.
If you have long waitlists, or have families new to searching for care calling with lots of questions, this could be the perfect opportunity for them! For more information, click the flyer to the right.
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Child Care Aware of NH, a program of Southern NH Services, will be closed Monday, September 5 in observance of Labor 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, September 6.
We hope that you enjoy the holiday!
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Starting The Conversation
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When you think of your teaching philosophy or teaching strategy, would you say it is more child-directed or teacher-directed? Do you find yourself giving directions all day or giving children opportunities to make decisions for themselves?
Although it may seem a little intimidating and maybe even counter-productive, allowing children to make choices for themselves has so many benefits! It helps empower them, build confidence, and develop problem-solving skills. A key rule to remember is to only give choices that you can agree to. Offering choices that you are unable to honor or that really aren't a choice, can lead to conflict and maybe even behaviors.
If you are interested in learning more about how you can incorporate more child-directed choices in your classroom, click the button below.
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CCAoNH Professional Development Opportunities
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Early Childhood Focused Collaboratives
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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. If you are interested in checking out the topics being offered this month, click the button below.
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Collaborative Highlight of the Month:
Family Engagement and Communication
1st Wednesday of the Month, 1:00 pm-2:30 pm
Facilitated by: Julie Choiniere, BS, ECMPWT & Karen Abbott, ECMPIM
Family engagement is a process Early Childhood Providers can use to create genuine partnerships with families that promote a child’s healthy development and a family’s overall well-being. Families are children’s first and most important caregivers. Establishing meaningful and enduring relationships between families and child care providers is paramount to ensuring a child’s success. Family engagement is also a strengths-based approach in which both provider and family have a mutual respect for the roles and strengths each has to offer.
This month, Courtney Porter, McKinney-Vento Liasion/DCYF Point of Contact from SAU 6 in Claremont will be joining us for a discussion on homelessness and the impact it has on children and families.
To register for the Family Engagement & Communication Collaborative, or any of our other offerings, click the button below.
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Progressive Training and TA Program
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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.
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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
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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.
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Want to know more?
Contact us at
ccrrta@snhs.org,
(603) 578-1386, ext. 2526 and ext. 2532
or on LiveChat.
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Monthly Health And Safety Resources
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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.
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Who doesn't love outside time? Getting some sunshine, doing some running and climbing, maybe even playing on the slide or swinging on the swings. Getting outdoors is essential for children and adults alike. Unfortunately, sometimes playgrounds can be high-risk places for injuries in young children. Injuries tend to result from falls from climbers, but can also result from clothing or body parts getting stuck in equipment, or even getting struck by moving objects.
The Head Start: Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center has a webinar on how you can promote safe and fun outdoor play spaces. For more information, click the buttons below.
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Other Early Childhood News And Updates
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Important Information From the Bureau of Child
Development and Head Start Collaboration
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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.
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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!
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Absent Due to COVID Extended
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Absent Due to COVID billing is being extended until December 2022. Please stay tuned for updated information and invoicing spreadsheets.
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Did you know there is a Telemedicine option on the SELA Platform?
Tele Docs! Tele Therapists! Tele Life Coaches! $8 to $14 a month includes your whole family – with no copays!
Get 24/7/365 access to board-certified doctors, psychotherapists, life coaches, AND get potentially discounted prescriptions. Need to talk with someone about a medical or personal issue? Want help achieving your life goals? Doctors, therapists, and coaches can help you with your health and mental health, change the life habits you want to change, and more!
This is for you, your staff, and their family members!
Go to www.selanhmembers.com and type, "doctors" into the search box to learn more about Docs by Phone/Telemedicine.
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Annual Strengthening Families Summit
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Grounded in the Strengthening Families Framework, the 10th Annual Summit: The Power of Stories, will extend its lens to an important vehicle for communicating family strength: storytelling. Stories have the power to move, heal, and expand our perspectives. One personal story can influence decision-makers more powerfully than legions of protesters.
Spend the day looking at how stories promote protective factors, explore the collection and dissemination of stories, and consider how the power of stories can be harnessed to strengthen families and build stronger communities.
This summit is being held September 22 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord, NH. The cost is $100 per person. You can find more details in the attached flyer. To register, click here, or the button below.
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Early Childhood Apprenticeship Update
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The Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program (ECAP) now has a CDA (Child Development Associate) Articulation Agreement with NHTI. Any teacher who completes the DOL/SNHS Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program and earns their CDA will be awarded nine (9) college credits when they enroll in NHTI's Early Childhood Education Certificate, Advanced Certificate, or Associate Degree Program. If any provider is interested in signing up, please contact the Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program & T.E.A.C.H. Support Coordinator, Amanda Enos at aenos@snhs.org.
To learn more about ECAP, click the flyer on the right.
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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.
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