October 23rd, 2023

Congratulations Juanita!

The Colorado Department of Early Childhood invites ECC SLV's own, Juanita Maestas, to become an official member of the Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) Advisory Council in Colorado!

"I am not only honored, but excited to be a part of this groundbreaking opportunity to be a voice for our FFN community. I look forward to being a participant in the FFN Advisory Council. Together we are going to bring amazing opportunities to a well-deserved population of caregivers. Thank you for this amazing opportunity!"

-Juanita Maestas

Juanita Maestas is the FFN Coordinator with the Early Childhood Council of SLV. She has been selected to serve on the Family, Friend and Neighbor (FFN) Advisory Council in Colorado. Juanita’s role as a council member will involve working collaboratively with other council members to provide advice to the department on the needs of Family, Friend and Neighbor (FFN) childcare teachers and make recommendations for potential changes to regulations, policies, funding and procedures that would benefit the FFN community. This is a great honor to have someone from the San Luis Valley represent the FFN community!

This is a significant opportunity for all of us, as Colorado is the first state in the country to set up an advisory council for FFN teachers! This step signifies the importance of recognizing and valuing childcare across all settings as an essential service.

Halloween Fun and Events

The Early Childhood Council of the San Luis Valley is preparing for our annual Trunk or Treat event!

We had a great turnout last year and would like to invite those who are interested in participating as vendors back! We will begin setting up in the Early Childhood Council's parking lot at 4:30 PM on Friday, October 27th.

The Trunk or Treat event will be from 6:00 PM-8:00 PM. See flyer below for more details.

We hope to see you all there!

More fun for your Halloween Weekend!

Welcome to the PLAYbook:

Babies: Children Ages 0–4 Months Old

Growth & Learning - In the first months after birth, babies change and grow quickly. Newborns learn about the world by seeing,

listening, tasting, smelling and touching. Even when babies are born early or with medical concerns, they quickly begin to show the desire to learn and interact. Even as newborns,

babies are communicating their needs and preferences. In addition to helping them learn, this lays the foundation for their sense of attachment and security with their caregivers.

Continue reading by clicking on the link below to access helpful tips and informational ways to support children in the 0-4 month age range

Early Head Start -

Now Accepting Applications!

Now accepting applications for Early Head Start! Click the link below to complete the interest form.

Click Here for interest form.

CO UPK Updates

The LCO is happy to report that family child care home providers still have slots available to utilize the UPK program for this school year! If you have an eligible 4-year-old, and your provider is a UPK participant, please contact 719-214-6202 for more information.

School Districts, the historical attestation emails have been sent out, if you have not received any communication on this please reach out to your LCO as soon as possible. The deadline has been moved to Oct. 31^st. Please remember to check the prepopulated data from the state if you have early cut-off kids who may not have been included. Please contact Bryan or Lindsey for any needed support.

Reminder to providers that all children need to be enrolled status by the 15^th of every month, as this is what your payments will be based upon.

As always, if you have questions, comments or need any assistance please contact 719-214-6202 or [email protected]

Parents as Teachers - Brain Builders

Farm to Child Month-Week 3

Nutrition and agricultural education go hand in hand and work to increase knowledge on how food is grown and how those same foods nourish our bodies. Farm to Child activities are designed to easily incorporate into the daily efforts already occurring in child care classrooms. In Colorado, Farm to Child activities have natural alignment with educational standards.

Full Article Here

Coaching

What is Serve and Return? - Part 1 - Second Video

Serve and return interactions shape brain architecture. When an infant or young child babbles, gestures or cries, and an adult responds appropriately with eye contact, words or a hug, neural connections are built and strengthened in the child’s brain that support the development of communication and social skills. Much like a lively game of tennis, volleyball or Ping-Pong, this back-and-forth is both fun and capacity-building.

When caregivers are sensitive and responsive to a young child’s signals and needs, they provide an environment rich in serve and return experiences.

Learn morn about how Serve and Return Shapes Brain circuitry by watching this short video:

Video:

Vídeo en español:

Professional Development

View Upcoming Live Virtual and In-Person Training Events to learn about professional development opportunities happening within the coming months. All certificates are issued through your PDIS account so there is no need to upload a document into PDIS. Any applicable social-emotional hours are also automatically counted. Several free sessions, including an introduction to the Ages & Stages Questionnaires and a comprehensive series on Trauma Responsive Care, are being offered. Register today as seats are limited!

Program Directors and Professional Development Coordinators: Visit Colorado Shines PDIS Instructor-Led Training Events Recognized by TAP to view a list of trainings you may arrange for your program. Training opportunities are categorized by competency domain. Not seeing what you need? Many of the training organizations listed are willing to create a session to meet your specific needs.

Circle of Security Classroom Opportunity: Are you interested in having your program staff increase their abilities to form secure relationships with the children in their care? Contact Jennifer Sommer Sheppard ([email protected]) to arrange for a free 12-hour in-person or virtual training that includes relationship-based strategies to respond to children's social-emotional needs for safe, secure, relationships in the classroom. Individuals may reach out to learn about upcoming sessions they may join. Available in English or Spanish. Hours awarded support the Social-Emotional Health and Development competency domain.

ESPAÑOL: Vea los próximos eventos de capacitación virtuales y presenciales en vivo para aprender las oportunidades de desarrollo profesional que se presentarán en los próximos meses. Todos los certificados se emiten a través de su cuenta PDIS, por lo que no es necesario cargar un documento en PDIS. Cualquier hora socioemocional aplicable también se cuenta automáticamente. Se ofrecen varias sesiones gratuitas, incluida una introducción a los Ages & Stages Questionnaires y una serie completa sobre atención sensible al trauma. ¡Regístrese hoy ya que los asientos son limitados!

Directores de programas y coordinadores de desarrollo profesional: visite Colorado Shines PDIS Eventos de capacitación dirigidos por instructores reconocidos por TAP para ver una lista de capacitaciones que puede organizar para su programa. Las oportunidades de capacitación se clasifican por dominio de competencia. ¿No ves lo que necesitas? Muchas de las organizaciones de capacitación enumeradas están dispuestas a crear una sesión para satisfacer sus necesidades específicas.

Oportunidad en el aula del Círculo de Seguridad: ¿Está interesado en que el personal de su programa aumente sus capacidades para formar relaciones seguras con los niños bajo su cuidado? Comuníquese con Jennifer Sommer Sheppard ([email protected]) para programar una capacitación gratuita en persona o virtual de 12 horas que incluya estrategias basadas en relaciones para responder a las necesidades socioemocionales de los niños para tener relaciones seguras en el aula. Las personas pueden comunicarse para conocer las próximas sesiones a las que pueden unirse. Disponible en inglés o español. Las horas otorgadas respaldan el dominio de competencia de Desarrollo y Salud Socioemocional.

Please reach out if you have any questions about the Training Alignment Process (TAP).

Resource and Referral-Open Enrollment

With open enrollment around the corner, are you covered?

Here are a couple websites to help you get started.

· Colorado Marketplace- https://connectforhealthco.com/

· If you are a provider and are a member or want to become a member of the Early Childhood Education Association of Colorado you can enroll in their family health insurance program. ColoradoECEA.org

CDEC Proposed Rules and Updates

The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC/Department) has developed draft rules for the Administrative Appeals process for actions involving the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP), Child Care Licensing, and Colorado Universal Preschool Program (UPK).

Click here for full details.

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