Kids Corner

Earth Day is just around the corner, coming up on April 22nd! Staple holidays like these provide a great opportunity to initiate a whole new world of conversations for Early Childhood Programs. From talking about the plant life cycle to learning about how to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, there is a whole range of topics we can cover. You can even start up a vegetable garden!

Check out some great tips about starting a vegetable garden from NAEYC: https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/7-tips-vegetable-gardening

The Local Hotspot

Family Child Care Network Conference: A Star-Studded Success!

Last month, we rolled out the red carpet for our amazing family child care providers at the 2025 Family Child Care Network Conference in Bowling Green.

The Holiday Inn University Plaza was transformed into a celebration of early childhood education excellence, where providers engaged in valuable training sessions, networking opportunities, and inspirational moments.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all who attended and made this year's conference a memorable experience. The magic created during those two days continues to inspire quality care across our network.

Provider of the Year

We're thrilled to announce that Patricia Porter was crowned our 2025 Provider of the Year!

Patricia's innovative approach to creating imaginative learning environments and her tireless dedication to children in her community made her shine among an impressive group of nominees.

Her commitment to professional development exemplifies the very best of family child care. Join us in congratulating Patricia on this well-deserved recognition!

Congratulations to all our regional providers who attended the conference and continue to bring excellence to family child care every day!

Your dedication to creating nurturing, imaginative learning environments for children in your communities makes a profound difference in countless young lives, and we're honored to have celebrated your commitment to quality care during our red-carpet event.

Jessica Sizemore

EC LEARN

Northern Bluegrass

Quest for Quality

Angela Shaw

CCC

Southern Bluegrass

The lifetime luminary award: Red carpet of excellence in Early Childhood

Tonya Daniels

AECN

Cumberland

The Rising Star

Christine Evans

AECN

Eastern Mountain

The Lifetime Achievement Award

Yuna Diaz Rojas

Jefferson

The Professional Growth Award

Tia Brumley

EC LEARN/ WKU

Salt River Trail

Excellence Beyond Expectations

Karla Brimer

WKU

Lakes

Fixer to Fabulous

Mary Rosario

WKU

Two Rivers

Child Care Warrior

Regulation Reminder

Spring is here and that means the training hour deadline is just around the corner. Licensed Type II Child Care Providers need to have 15 hours of ECE-TRIS Approved Training Hours and Certified Child Care Providers need to have 9 hours of ECE-TRIS Approved Training Hours all by June 30th of this year! The only providers exempt from this due date are those providers who have only just entered into the Early Childhood field in Kentucky this year.

If you have questions about training hours or where to find them, contact your local Family Child Care Specialist!

Professional Development Training

View the WKU FCCN Training Calendar for more information and to register.

Personalized training based on YOUR needs!

The WKU FCCN offers customized and affordable training on a variety of topics.

Training Request Form

Each month the WKU FCCN provides independent studies. Independent studies are online and work at your own pace. They are available for registration until the 15th of each month. Independent studies must be completed within two weeks.

Topics include:

Being Prepared for Emergencies
Caring For Infants In a Mixed-age Setting
Curriculum-based Assessment
Developmental Screening
Evaluating Your Services
Family Engagement
Family Engagement: Literacy Bags
Health, Safety, and Nutrition
Infant and Toddler Development
Early Childhood Environments: Learning through Routines and Rituals
Language and Communication for Infant and Toddlers
Let’s Get Appy
Parent Handbooks
Preventing Burnout
Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse Neglect and Safe Sleep
Science in an Early Learning Classroom
Social Studies in an Early Learning Classroom
The Stressed Child
The Value of Play

Training Calendar

A publication of the WKU Family Child Care Network

Funded through Family Childcare Support Award SC 7362100001482

www.wku.edu/fccn