Register now for the FCCN Conference!

The February 14th registration deadline is quicky approaching!

Step into the spotlight at the Holiday Inn University Plaza in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where Kentucky Family Child Care Providers will be treated like the stars they truly are. This dazzling two-day event kicks off Friday, March 14th at 4:30 PM CST and continues through Saturday, March 15th at 4:00 PM CST.

Conference Portfolio: https://bit.ly/2025fccnportfolio

Registration link: https://bit.ly/fccn2025

Kids Corner

Music and Movement to Express Emotions

How to Do It: Play music with varying tempos and ask the children to move in ways that match the music (e.g., slow and gentle for calm music, fast and energetic for upbeat music). Afterward, discuss how the music made them feel (happy, excited, relaxed) and ask them to show what they were feeling through their movements.

Benefits: Encourages self-expression and emotional awareness through physical activity and music.

These activities help toddlers in daycare develop essential social-emotional skills, such as recognizing and expressing emotions, sharing, showing empathy, and managing their feelings in social settings.

The Local Hotspot

Congratulations to Tiffeny Rose, who recently opened a Certified Family Child Care in Hardin County!

Tiffeny shares: “I am so excited to have this opportunity to provide a caring, fun, and safe learning environment for children. As a mom of five and grandmother of four, I understand how important it is for families to have a child care provider they can feel confident about and know their child is safe and happy while working to provide for their families.

Congratulations to Stephanie Petrie, a certified provider from Washington County, who recently earned her Family Child Care Child Development Associate (CDA)!

Family Child Care Network Staff from across the state attended a short retreat at Cumberland Falls this past fall. Many exciting updates were shared about new projects that are in the works behind the scenes. It is always a wonderful opportunity to get together with our state partners. The more we work together as a Network, the better services we can provide to our Family Child Care providers!

Regulation Reminder

One key activity to remember is to ensure you and your children have practiced your emergency drills!

Fire Drills have to be practiced every month while Earthquake, Tornado, Lockdown, and Shelter-In-Place have to be practiced quarterly. Lockdown and Shelter-In- Place drills have only recently been required by regulations, but they are just as important to remember to practice!

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