Early Childhood Center Directors

Networking Meeting

July 12th    -   10:00 AM - noon 

Think Small, West Office - 2021 E. Hennepin Ave., Mpls

Presentation:  Addressing Social Media Concerns in you Child Care program:

Speaker: Kat Kempke, Senior Policy Advocate for Think Small will guide directors through the world of social media for child care.

Issues highlighted will be focused on specific needs addressed by directors.  If you have specific questions/concerns to be addressed please email them to nschelitzche@thinsmall.org by July 6^th.

What Resources are available in your community?

Do you know about the wealth of free resources available to your child care center?   Think Small is home to the Debra S. Fish Early Childhood Library. Join us for a brief overview from our librarian Cathy Clair to find out more about this great resource.

Introducing the Minnesota Child Care Credential and CDA scholarships.

Learn more about opportunities for your staff to apply for The Minnesota Child Care Credential and CDA scholarships.  Application process will begin for the September Cohort.

State legislative update –

Follow up Discussion: Risk Reduction Plan.  Updates from Chris Breva Erikson from Child Care Works and Cisa Keller from MCCA

Updates and Networking

Directors’ dialogue on what’s working in your program and your questions for other directors. Come share with colleagues your examples, ideas and challenges on orienting staff, building mutual respect, sharing decision-making, ensuring staff know and comply with Rule 3 and program standards, and nurturing a learning community for adults as well as children.

All center directors and assistant directors are invited to attend the EC Directors Group. We meet on the second Thursday of the month from 10 AM – Noon at Think Small offices at 2021 Hennepin Ave. E., Mpls.

Come join us!

July 12th Meeting Agenda

1.   Welcome

2.   Presentation:    Addressing Social Media Concerns in you Child Care program with Kat Kempke, Senior Policy Advocate for Think Small

3.   Information Share:  What resources are available in your community?

·       Cathy Clair: Debra S. Fish Library 

·       Professional Development: MNCCC and CDA applications

4.   State legislative update: Follow up Discussion: Risk Reduction Plan.  Updates from CCW and MCCA

5.    Updates, and networking

PARENT AWARE INFO SESSION

Immediately following the EC Directors meeting, from Noon – 1:00 PM, a Parent Aware Information Session will provide center directors with everything you need to know to apply for the Parent Aware quality rating group.  This will be an information session only.  If you are a currently rated program and want to learn about the changes in Parent Aware since the pilot, please direct questions to the contact below.  Parent Aware ratings for programs in the Parent Aware pilot will expire by December 31, 2012. The July cohort is the last opportunity to ensure that your program will not have a lapse in your rating. Please call Brandi baker at 651-233-2264 to RSVP.  Questions?  Contact Carol Stromme 651-641-6664 or cstromme@thinksmall.org

June 14th Networking Meeting

Early Childhood Center Directors

June 14^th    -   10:00 AM - noon 

Think Small, West Office
2021 E. Hennepin Ave., Mpls

Discussion Topics: 

Rule 3: What Do Your Teachers Know?

Examples of Risk Reduction Plans

Are you using social media to attract qualified teachers and assistants for your center?

Join us for a directors’ dialogue on what works in your center to ensure that staff know and comply with Rule 3, examples of Risk Reduction Plans that pass muster with licensing, and how to tap into social media for staff recruitment. What questions do you have for other directors?  Share your examples, ideas and challenges with colleagues.

Come join us!

All center directors and assistant directors are invited to attend the Early Childhood Directors Group. We meet on the second Thursday of the month from 10 AM – Noon at Think Small offices at 2021 Hennepin Ave. E., Mpls.

           June 14^th Parent Aware Information Session

Is your program considering joining the next Parent Aware cohort?

Applications for the July – December cohort of Parent Aware are available at the Information Sessions and are due JUNE 20^th.

Immediately following the June 14th Early Childhood Directors meeting,  a Parent Aware Information Session  from noon – 1:00 PM for center directors only will cover everything you need to know to apply for the July – December  Parent Aware quality rating group.

Dates/times/places for more Information Sessions are available on the Parent Aware website at:   http://www.parentawareratings.org/en/content/information-sessions

There have been changes in Parent Aware since the pilot and currently rated centers as well as centers new to Parent Aware are encouraged to attend an Information Session.  Ratings for programs in the Parent Aware pilot will expire by December 31, 2012. The July cohort is the last opportunity to ensure that your program will not have a lapse in your rating.

Please call Brandi Baker at 651-233-2264 to RSVP.  Questions?  Contact Nancy Johnson at 651-233-2260 or njohnson@thinksmall.org

NEW Resource for Caring for Our Children

Health Policies and Issues - FREE Resource from the AAP 

The American Academy of Pediatrics has published national health and safety recommendations and guidelines for children in family- and center-based child care programs in Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards; Guidelines for Early Care and Education Programs, 3rd Edition and Preventing Childhood Obesity in Early Care and Education Programs along with the American Public Health Association and National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care.

Caring for Our Children can be an overwhelming publication. Where do you start and how can you implement the standards?


To help child care providers and child care health consultants successfully implement the Caring for Our Children standards, we will be focusing on one standard each month. With a team of experienced pediatricians, child care health consultants, child care directors, and family child care providers, we collected stories, ideas, and strategies that support "The Standard of the Month".


To subscribe to our listserv to receive "The Standard of the Month", click here.

As a subscriber to this list you will receive brief quarterly newsletters focusing on important health and safety topics in child care, with a link to available resources. This is an activity of the AAP Child Care and Health Partnership program. If you would like to learn more about the program, please visit our Web site at http://www.healthychildcare.org . You may also contact us at childcare@aap.org or call 888/227-5409.

For additional materials to help you implement health and safety standards, visit the Resource Library.

MAY 10th Meeting Notes

Notes from Early Childhood Center Directors Meeting
May 10th    -   10:00 AM - noon
Think Small, West Office - 2021 E. Hennepin Ave., Mpls

Meeting Notes

1. Presentation:   Preventing Legal Flare-Ups in Early Childhood Programs    

Speaker:   Tom Copeland, J.D.,  licensed attorney specializing in legal and business issues for early childhood programs. A national trainer, advocate and author of nine books published by Redleaf Press, Tom worked at Resources for Child Caring (now Think Small) for 28 years and served on the board of directors of First Children's Finance. Tom’s forthcoming book, Preventing Legal Flare-Ups in Early Childhood Programs for child care centers with co-author Holly Elissa Bruno will be available Fall 2012.

Tom provided scenarios highlighting legal dilemmas that arise in child care centers:

• Reducing Conflicts with Parents: Using Contracts and Policies Effectively
• Building Partnerships with Families: Preventing Sticky Situations and Promoting Clear Expectations
• Balancing Minority and Majority Needs in Our Programs
• Privacy and Confidentiality in the Age of the Internet

Notes from discussion of Legal Dilemmas:
1) Prospective parent asks center not to celebrate Christmas or children’s birthdays because they are Jehovah’s Witnesses. What do you do?

Federal law prohibits discrimination based on religion. You can’t say “No” to enrolling their child but you can still enforce your program’s rules.

Suggestion to consult NAEYC’s Code of Ethics for welcoming and seeking to accommodate all children and families.

2) You turn to the center director sitting next to you and ask, “Will you be raising your rates this year?” Have you broken the law? If so, how can you collect rate information?

It is illegal to discuss rates or any component of your rates with another competitor. It is legal to check other programs’ website or even to call a program and ask what their rates are as long as you don’t identify that you are from “X” center.

The Child Care Resource and Referral Network and local CCR&Rs, including Think Small, publish annual rate survey results on their websites.


3) Your contract says that parent’s must pay the last two weeks of tuition at the time of enrollment. A prospective parent, who is a Muslim, asks if you will accept one week’s tuition instead. She also says her son has certain food requirements. What do you do?

There are no federal or state restrictions on the fees you charge. However, if you are flexible with one family, you need to be flexible with other families.

If the child’s food requirement is allergen related or if the child has a disability, you must do whatever you can to meet their needs unless it would require an “undue burden” such as  significant expense.

4) One of the parents in your program doesn’t want the father to pick up their child because: a) the father lost his drivers license, b) she’s afraid the father will kidnap the child as they are in the middle of divorce proceedings, c) she doesn’t feel that the father is a safe driver. What do you do?

In your policies, you can require that parents who are picking up a child have a valid drivers license. You can not restrict the rights of a biological parent. The mother must have a court order showing that she has sole physical and legal custody to bar the father from picking up the child.


5) Father shows up to pick up his child and the teacher smells alcohol on his breath. When the teacher mentions that she thinks he has been drinking, he replies, “Are you accusing me of being drunk? I’m not. Don’t argue with me about taking my child or I will sue you for slander.” What do you do?

The teacher has a duty as a mandated reporter to protect the child’s safety. The teacher can say to the father: You can wait for a cab, take the bus, or I will call 911. 

6) A parent wants the addresses of the other parents in your program so she can invite them to a church sale. What do you do?

You can not share personal information of parents or children. You can suggest that she invite them personally.

7) A teacher tells you that another staff member has taken a picture on her cell phone of a child and sent it to the child’s parent. What do you do?

You must have prior written permission from parents to take pictures of children. Develop a media policy and educate staff and  parents on how to protect children’s privacy in the age of  social media. List the family events where you will encourage picture taking and get prior permission from parents.  If you want to put children’s drawings up in hallways where the public can see them, don’t put children’s names on them. The safest policy is to bar personal cell phones from the classroom and only allow photos for name tags, assessment documentation, etc., using a camera owned by the program so that you can control who can see the pictures.

2. Discussion Topic:    What Do Teachers Need From Their Director re: Orientation?

Directors’ shared suggestions with each other for orienting new staff and refreshing current staff’s knowledge of center values, policies and procedures:

• Takes 3-4 hours to orient new staff
• Checklists of Center Handbook and Rule 3 requirements, staff have to sign off on each item
• Short “pop” quizzes
• Scavenger hunt to learn where everything is kept
• Staff Retreat Day paid for by the program to revisit the vision and mission of the center and teachers to set individual goals 
• Show and discuss ECERS DVDs at staff meetings
• Relate what teachers do to your program’s Business Plan and the opportunities to contribute

3. Legislative Update

Mary Nienow, Child Care WORKS -  25 Absent Day Rule was only restored for teen moms receiving CCAP subsidies. 10 day maximum Absent Day Rule goes into effect January, 2013. CCW reports study that found private pay parents use 23 – 24 absences/year.
Next Early Childhood Directors group Meeting is June 14th, 2012

NEWS YOU CAN USE

          New Marketing Tools Available Online

http://www.tomcopelandblog.com/2012/05/new-marketing-tools-available-from-first-childrens-finance.html
          T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Applications Due July 1st

T.E.A.C.H. offers scholarships and support for child care providers and educators pursuing a higher education degree or National Child Development Associate Credential. Fall applications are due by July 1.
For eligibility information or to apply today, please call (866) 807-6021 or visit www.mnchildcare.org.


          Directors Webinars for In-service Hours

Eager-to- Learn offers live, interactive webinars that allow you the opportunity to learn from and engage with experts in the field. Our experts come to you with a wealth of relevant experience. Eager-to-Learn has selected topics that support the work of child care center directors, administrators and child care business owners.
To register visit Upcoming Courses and Registration or contact brianw@mnchildcare.org
~To view full course descriptions and register, visit http://eagertolearn.org
~For more information: Contact Cory Woosley at coryw@mnchildcare.org

Early Childhood Center Directors

Networking Meeting

May 10^th    -   10:00 AM - noon 

Think Small, West Office - 2021 E. Hennepin Ave., Mpls

Presentation:   Preventing Legal Flare-Ups in Early Childhood Programs

Speaker:    Tom Copeland, J.D. will guide directors through common scenarios that arise in child care centers and discuss the legal ramifications. Issues highlighted will include:

o   Reducing Conflicts with Parents: Using Contracts and Policies Effectively

o   Building Partnerships with Families: Preventing Sticky Situations and Promoting Clear Expectations

o   Balancing Minority and Majority Needs in Our Programs

o   Privacy and Confidentiality in the Age of the Internet

Tom Copeland is a licensed attorney specializing in legal and business issues for early childhood programs. A national trainer, advocate and author of nine books published by Redleaf Press, Tom worked at Resources for Child Caring (now Think Small) for 28 years and served on the board of directors of  First Children's Finance. Tom’s forthcoming book, Preventing Legal Flare-Ups in Early Childhood Programs  for child care centers with co-author Holly Elissa Bruno will be available Fall 2012.

What Do Teachers Need From Their Director?

Join us for a directors’ dialogue on what’s working in your program and your questions for other directors. Come share with colleagues your examples, ideas and challenges on orienting staff, building mutual respect, sharing decision-making, ensuring staff know and comply with Rule 3 and program standards, and nurturing a learning community for adults as well as children.

All center directors and assistant directors are invited to attend the EC Directors Group. We meet on the second Thursday of the month from 10 AM – Noon at Think Small offices at 2021 Hennepin Ave. E., Mpls.

Come join us!

May 10^th Meeting Agenda

1.  Welcome

2.  Presentation:    Preventing Legal Flare-Ups in Early Childhood

                             Programs

3.  Discussion Topic:    What Do Teachers Need From Their Director?

4.  State legislative update  -   Child Care WORKS

5.  Summer and fall ec directors group topics

6.   Licensing issues, updates, and networking

PARENT AWARE INFO SESSION

Immediately following the EC Directors meeting, from Noon – 1:00 PM, a Parent Aware Information Session will provide  center directors with everything you need to know to apply for the July – December  Parent Aware quality rating group. Currently rated programs are also encouraged to attend an Information Session to learn about the changes in Parent Aware since the pilot.  Parent Aware ratings for programs in the Parent Aware pilot will expire by December 31, 2012. The July cohort is the last opportunity to ensure that your program will not have a lapse in your rating. Please call Brandi baker at 651-233-2264 to RSVP.  Questions?  Contact Nancy Johnson at 651-233-2260 or njohnson@thinksmall.org