Join Your Colleagues at the Early Childhood

Directors Group

Thursday, December 11^th  -  10:00 am – noon

Think Small - 2021 Hennepin Ave. E., Mpls  55413

Holiday refreshments and

cultural celebrations sharing

Discussion Topics:

• Big changes - What’s ahead for the 2015 Legislative Session?
• Hot button center issues
• EC Directors Book Club: Doing the Right Thing for Children: Eight Qualities of Leadership  by Maurice Sykes, introduced by Kyra Ostendorf, Redleaf Press

Early Childhood Directors Group meetings are free

and open to all. 

RSVP to Nancy Johnson – njohnson@thinksmall.org

Visit our blog at: www.ecdirectorsgroup.blogspot.com

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Do you know how to raise your voice for children through social media?

With the legislative session starting early in the new year, MinneMinds will be hosting  a FREE advocacy training on December 10th from 10-11:30 a.m. at Think Small in Minneapolis. The training will cover how to engage directly with legislators on behalf of MinneMinds as well as show members how to leverage social media to amplify the coalition's voice. The training will also be available via webinar. Contact Kat Kempe at Think Small: kkempe@thinksmall.org

 

Federal CCDBG bill is signed in to law

Good news from Washington, DC! In its first action since the November 4 election, the U.S. Senate has reauthorized the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) by a vote of 88-1. This is the first time in 18 years that the CCDBG has been re-authorized! President Obama signed the bill into law on November 19.

 

The next step will be to ensure that it is fully funded during the appropriation process.

 

The bill has a number of positive changes related to supporting parents ability to pay for quality child care, improving the quality of care and increasing safety and accountability.

 

In a divided Congress, early childhood has clearly emerged as a bipartisan issue. Researchers, policymakers and the broader public overwhelmingly agree that investment in early childhood results in better education and improved family and economic outcomes.... and they have demonstrated broad and bipartisan support for policies like this one.

 

A special 'Thank you!' to Minnesota's U.S. Senators: both Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken voted in favor of the CCDBG reauthorization. Senator Franken was very involved during the process, including writing sections of the bill. We also applaud Representative John Kline who was a strong champion in the House. As advocates for Minnesota's children, the Think Small team greatly appreciates your leadership in ensuring a strong start for all children in our state.

Worthy Work, STILL Unlivable Wages

On November 18^th, the research study  “Worthy Work, STILL Unlivable Wages: The Early Childhood Workforce 25 Years after the National Child Care Staffing Study,” by Marcy Whitebook, Deborah Phillips, and Carollee Howes was released. Despite the significant increase in expectations for the early childhood workforce and the wealth of research on early development that has emerged since the release of The National Child Care Staffing Study, early childhood teachers remain undervalued and underpaid today as they were in 1989.

According to the new findings, “despite a nearly two-fold increase in costs to parents for early childhood services since 1997, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, childcare workers have experienced no increase in real earnings since this time.  Those who work as preschool teachers have fared somewhat better; their wages have increased by 15 percent in constant dollars since 1997.  And, as was true in 1989, childcare workers still earn less than adults who take care of animals, and barely more than fast food cooks.”

 

Many in the early childhood workforce worry about being able to feed their families and rely heavily on public supports even though they may have attained postsecondary degrees and certificates.  At every level of worker education, participation in public support programs was higher for childcare worker families than for the families of all other U.S. workers with comparable education.

The four overarching elements of the new paper:
1. Trends in Wages, Education, and Turnover among Early Education Teachers
2. Economic Insecurity among Early Childhood Teachers
3. The Public Costs of Inadequate Compensation
4. Policy Efforts to Improve Early Childhood Teaching Jobs

 

Directors Credential Registration Open Congratulations to 13 early childhood directors, assistant directors and administrators who recently completed their Minnesota Directors Credential: Marie Baker, Lori Coyle, Melanie Eggers, Rebecca Garber, Megan Gates, Kristin Jaquith, Katie Kaszubski, Sadi Laidlaw, Sara Luedke, Tami Mielke, Missy Peterson, Mary Rotter, and Kathryn Wieman. The Minnesota Directors Credential, launched in 1999, has run successfully each year since, with a second 2014 cohort beginning last April, due to growing demand.  Registration is now underway for the ninth cohort to begin in January 2015. Directors Credential information is available on the Eager-to-Learn website, www.eagertolearn.org, or by contacting Karen Foster-Jorgensen at karenfj@optimire.com   What's new in Parent Aware? The new website, parentaware.org, connects parents to an expanded database of more than 12,000 child care and early education programs. Search results feature programs with Parent Aware Ratings. How much does a Parent Aware Rating cost? There is no cost to sign up for Parent Aware. In fact there are many benefits: Ø  Improvement-support dollars Ø  FREE coaching and assistance Ø  Increased access to scholarships Ø  Marketing support Ø  Higher Child Care Assistance Program rates. As of March 3, 2014, programs with a 3-Star Parent Aware Rating can receive up to 15 percent higher CCAP  rates. Programs with a 4-Star Rating can receive up to 20 percent higher rates. Parent Aware Applications now available online  Centers and Family Child Care Providers can now apply for Parent Aware online. Programs that wish to use the online option can get ready by registering their organization at www.developtoolmn.org. This same online data system now houses the Minnesota Professional Development Registry. Parent Aware Rating Renewal Process Ø  Parent Aware Ratings are valid for two years. Twin Cities Metro area programs with a Star Rating expiring this year should contact Carol Stromme at Think Small, cstromme@thinksmall.org Ø  Accredited child care programs should contact Valerie Peterson at Child Care Aware of Minnesota at valeriep@childcareawaremn.org or (651) 290-9704 *107

Join Your Colleagues at the

Early Childhood Directors Group

Thursday, November 13^th  -  10:00 am – noon

Think Small - 2021 Hennepin Ave. E., Mpls  55413

Discussion Topics:

• How you can make the most of the new DEVELOP Tools

         Tabitha Isner, DHS, Child Care Strategic Planning Specialist
         for Data-Informed Decision-Making

• Do you train your staff? Can your trainings be MNCPD approved? What are your next steps?

          Cory Woosley, professional development director for
          Child Care Aware MN

• NEW resources for centers at the Rhoda Redleaf Library at Think Small

         Cathy Clair, librarian, Think Small

Early Childhood Directors Group meetings are free and open to all. 

RSVP to Nancy Johnson – njohnson@thinksmall.org

Visit our blog at: www.ecdirectors.blogspot.com

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Forum on Toxic Stress Effects on Young Children

Wednesday, November 19^th at 7:00 p.m. Children's Hospitals and Clinics and MPR will host an event on Toxic Stress in early childhood at MPR's UBS Forum in St. Paul. The event is free but registration is required. Click here to register now!

New scientific research is discovering that children who experience high levels of environmental stress in infancy and early childhood may suffer enduring problems in learning, physical wellbeing, and social development. The research into “toxic stress” is helping us understand when stressors like poverty, abuse, and unstable home environments seriously undermine children’s long-term health. It’s also helping communities develop tools for addressing toxic stress and create interventions that put children on a better path to wellbeing.

The event will feature presentations from Dr. Megan Gunnar of the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development, a national leader in this field of study, Sondra Samuels, President and CEO of Northside Achievement Zone, MayKao Y. Hang, President and CEO of the Wilder Foundation, and Dr. Michael Troy, Medical Director of Behavioral Health Services at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.

The event is free but registration is required. Click here to register now!

MinneMinds advocacy training - December 10th,           10-11:30 a.m. 

With the legislative session starting early in the new year, MinneMinds will be hosting an advocacy training on December 10th from 10-11:30 a.m. at Think Small in Minneapolis. The training will cover how to engage directly with legislators on behalf of MinneMinds as well as show members how to leverage social media to amplify the coalition's voice. The training will also be available via webinar. Contact Kat Kempe at Think Small: kkempe@thinksmall.org

How is Parent Aware doing?

Parent Aware by the numbers 

As of July 15, 2014, 1,638 early learning programs in Minnesota have Parent Aware Ratings, which is 16 percent of eligible programs. We are growing! The number of rated non-accredited child care programs increased by 85 percent from December 31, 2013 to July 15, 2014. In addition, we can celebrate the fact that these high-quality early learning services are reaching children with high needs. At the end of 2013,  28 percent of Minnesota children (age 0 to 5) served by the Child Care Assistance Program attended a 3- or 4-Star Parent Aware Rated program.

What's new in Parent Aware? Parent Aware Applications Now Available Online  Centers and Family Child Care Providers can now apply for Parent Aware online. Programs that wish to use the online option can get ready by registering their organization at www.developtoolmn.org. This same online data system now houses the Minnesota Professional Development Registry. ParentAware.org Helps Parents Searching for Child Care and Early Education Programs The new website, parentaware.org, connects parents to an expanded database of more than 12,000 child care and early education programs. Search results feature programs with Parent Aware Ratings. How much does a Parent Aware Rating cost? There is no cost to sign up for Parent Aware. In fact there are many benefits:  Improvement-support dollars  FREE coaching and assistance  Increased access to scholarships  Marketing support  Higher Child Care Assistance Program rates As of March 3, 2014, programs with a 3-Star Parent Aware Rating can receive up to 15 percent higher CCAP  rates. Programs with a 4-Star Rating can receive up to 20 percent higher rates. Programs might choose to make investments to increase quality prior to or after receiving a Parent Aware Rating with improvement-support dollars designed to defray some of these costs. Costs incurred might include 1) training, 2) staff time to meet with coach and/or prepare documentation or 3) purchase of curriculum and assessment tools. Each program is unique and will choose investments that build on its own strengths. Therefore, the cost of building quality varies by program. Parent Aware Rating Renewal Process Ø  Parent Aware Ratings are valid for two years. Twin Cities Metro area programs with a Star Rating expiring this year should contact Carol Stromme at Think Small, cstromme@thinksmall.org Ø  Accredited child care programs should contact Valerie Peterson at Child Care Aware of Minnesota at valeriep@childcareawaremn.org or (651) 290-9704 *107

WEDNESDAY, October 8th is the

Last Day to Register For The

 

4th Annual Tour of Quality Centers

 

Thursday, October 9th    8:45 am – 12:30 pm

 

The Tour is free.  To join the Tour,  RSVP to:  

Nancy Johnson  njohnson@thinksmall.org  -  651-233-2260

 

We’re excited to feature the following exemplary programs on this year’s tour

• New Horizons Academy, Woodbury , participating in Farm to Child Care
• Miniapple Montessori, Oakdale
• Joyce Preschool - Spanish/English Immersion, Minneapolis

This is your opportunity to visit three very different, high quality 4 Star Parent Aware rated programs. 

Tour Schedule

8:45 am – 9:00 am  -  Gather at New Horizons Academy, Woodbury

9:00 am – 9:50 am  -  Introduction and tour of Woodbury New Horizons Academy, a participating center in the NHA Farm to Child Care Project.

10:00 – 10:50 am  -  Introduction and tour of Miniapple International Montessori, Oakdale, an inspiring Montessori exploration and learning environment.

11:20 – Noon  -  Introduction and tour of Joyce Preschool, Minneapolis, an English/Spanish immersion child care and education and family engagement program.  

Noon – 12:30  -  Networking and refreshments

To join the Tour and receive maps and other details you must register with Nancy Johnson: njohnson@thinksmall.org    –   651-233-2260.

The Tour of Quality will take the place of our regular monthly Early Childhood Directors Group meeting in October. The Directors group will meet again on November 13^th from 10 – Noon at Think Small, 2021 E. Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, 55413.

More about the featured centers on the Tour of Quality:

New Horizon Academy - Woodbury

Director: Susan Zachary         Phone:  651-731-5222

Email: 35@nhacademy.net

Address:  8050 Afton Road, Woodbury  55125   
http://www.newhorizonacademy.net/locations/detail/maplewood#sthash.rR9mioeq.dpuf

 

New Horizon Academy has grown to become the nation’s largest family-operated early childhood company, and we are now the 9th largest private child care organization in the nation. We have 59 centers in Minnesota and Idaho.

 

Mission and Philosophy
The entire mission, philosophy, and practices of New Horizon Academy are devoted to the development of a healthy sense of self in every child enrolled in our programs and a commitment to excellence.

How Children Learn
Powerful research on child development tells us that from birth, a child's brain is a burst of activity. Each and every experience creates an electrical impulse in a baby's brain, and an immediate connection is made. These early connections form the foundation for the acquisition of language, mathematical reasoning and logic, art and music appreciation, and the development of emotional intelligence.

We also know that family members and early childhood educators can have the greatest impact on each child's potential for learning. The early interactions, stimulating environment, and learning opportunities we provide at New Horizon Academy will help determine how young children will learn, think, feel, behave and interact for the rest of their lives!

Miniapple International Montessori Oakdale

Director: Deb Sack                              Phone:  651-739-6275

Email: oak@miniapplemontessori.com

Address:  780 Helmo Ave N.,  Oakdale, MN 55128

www.miniapplemontessori.com

Our Mission Is:

• To promote a culturally diverse, purposeful, fun, and peaceful environment that nurtures the development of children through compassion, respect, and imagination.
• To recognize the uniqueness of each child who will grow to be an independent, responsible and wholesome member of society.
• To inspire children to explore and learn through hands on experiences with caring, long standing, dedicated staff.
• To reach excellence in global learning and children realizing their full potential to live in a harmonious world.
  
  

The team of early childhood educators at Miniapple Montessori believe that individualized learning can begin at a very young age. The philosophy is based on the realization that a child’s developmental needs are met through freedom within limits in the prepared environment. Over a century ago, Dr. Maria Montessori discovered an approach to education that emphasizes the potential of young children by means of a sensory-rich “prepared environment,” specially trained adults, and carefully created scientific teaching materials.

The Montessori classroom is filled with attractive and interesting hands-on materials. These objects are progressively designed so that concrete tasks and simple activities lead to those that are more complex, abstract, and challenging. Children are helped to help themselves discover, learn, and reach their fullest potential as they make choices in selecting their own work and proceeding at their own pace. This freedom within limits is the key to the wonderful feelings of success and accomplishment Montessori children enjoy as they develop intellectually, socially, physically, and emotionally.

 

Joyce Preschool Spanish-English Immersion Program

Director:  Sarah Clyne                                  Phone: 612) 823-2447, ext. 101

Email: sarah.clyne@joycepreschool.org

Associate Director:  Laura Tompkins         Phone: 612) 823-2447, ext. 102

Email: laura.tompkins@joycepreschool.org

Address:  3400 Park Ave. S, Mpls, 55407

www.joycepreschool.org

Joyce Preschool’s mission is to provide children from diverse ethnic, linguistic, and economic backgrounds with developmentally and culturally appropriate preparation for success in school and lifelong learning.

The preschool implements its mission through an innovative, two-way (Spanish-English) immersion program that successfully prepares children for kindergarten and school achievement while actively involving and strengthening their families.

Joyce maintains a balance of children from Spanish and English speaking families, which is crucial to addressing disparities in student achievement and successful development of literacy skills; the school's vision is to become a recognized leader in offering two-way immersion and multicultural early childhood education, offering its model for replication to the local and regional community.

 

Ebola, Enterovirus D68 & Flu: Strategies for Child Care, Schools

There are numerous news reports about the epidemic of Enterovirus D68 affecting many children, and now Ebola virus.

To ensure the health of all children in child care and school settings, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends caregivers and teachers continue the current procedures already in place to manage infectious diseases (e.g. immunizations, infection control, and proper exclusion practices).

Children with Enterovirus D68, for example, may have symptoms that look similar to children with the common cold, the flu, or other respiratory viruses. Remember, it is not the job of caregivers and schools to diagnose children.

There are steps that Child Care Providers, Facilities, and Schools can take to prevent the spread of infection and illness, including having policies that encourage:

·         Routine childhood and adult immunizations.

·         Handwashing and hand hygiene.

·         Infection control measures such as sanitation, disinfection, and maintenance.

·         Excluding (sending home) children if the illness prevents the child from participating comfortably from activities, results in a need for care that is greater than staff members can provide (without compromising the care of other children), or poses a risk of harmful diseases to others.

·         Preparing in advance for infectious disease outbreaks or epidemics.

 

By following these recommendations, you will be doing your part to maintain a healthy environment for all the children in your care, regardless of illness.

Additional resources for Child Care Providers & Schools:

·         Preventing the Spread of Illness in Child Care or School Preventing the Flu: Resources for Parents & Child Care Providers

·         Enterovirus: What Parents Need to Know

·         Ebola: What Parents Need to Know

·         Managing Infectious Diseases in Child Care and Schoo​ls, 3rd Edition (AAP Bookstore - shop.aap.org)

·         Caring for Our Children Manual (National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education)

·         Caring for Our Children: Standard 3.3 Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting (National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education)

·         Model Child Care Health Policies (A Publication of the AAP and the Pennsylvania Chapter of the AAP)

·         HealthyChildren.org

 

Policy Hour is back for 2014-2015

 

What is Policy Hour ? It’s a monthly opportunity for early childhood and school-age care professionals to connect with each other and learn about current policy issues in an informal setting.

 

Mark your calendars! Policy Hour is held the first Tuesday of each month, October 2014 - June 2015, from Noon-1:00 p.m. at Think Small (2021 East Hennepin Avenue, Suite 250; Minneapolis, MN 55413.) 

 

Our first event of the season, on October 7, will feature Melvin Carter, Director of the Office of Early Learning. He will provide us with an update on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Grant in each of the three key areas:

• Accountability and decision-making
• A great early childhood workforce
• Access to high-quality, accountable programs

Bring your lunch, invite your friends, co-workers, and colleagues and no RSVP is required.

 

Minnesota’s Early Learning Scholarships Are Going Fast

 

Child care programs participating in Parent Aware can help families struggling to afford quality care to apply for Minnesota Early Learning Scholarships. There is no deadline for applications and Think Small has already received over 500 applications. Please continue to encourage families to apply. You can find the updated application HERE and on Think Small's website. As you continue to connect with families and help them with the application process, please remind them to include supporting documents for income verification. An application without income verification is the most common cause for application denial or delay.

  

Only a small fraction of the families who need help paying for quality care will benefit due to limited scholarships available. Families on the wait list will be the first in line if additional scholarship dollars become available. The Early Learning Scholarships will be distributed on a priority-basis, including consideration of the date the application was received. Priorities also include whether the parent is under 21 and/or if the child would be finishing their second year of a scholarship.

 

Again, thank you for all your help spreading the word to families in your community. If you have any questions, please contact us at 651-641-6604 or 855-898-4465 or email scholarships@thinksmall.org.

 

GOOD NEWS (!) from Washington D.C.

From the Early Care and Education Consortium

On Monday, September 15^th, the US.S.House of Representatives voted to reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014.  This is the primary federal grant program that provides child care assistance to families, and funds quality initiatives for child care.  

Now it's on to the Senate. To watch the progress of this important legislation and to find out how you can advocate about it, go to the Early Care and Education Consortium website.

The legislation includes new changes to improve program access and quality.  Some of the key changes include:

• Stronger health and safety standards for all child care programs that receive federal funding, including required annual inspections of all licensed providers, and annual fire, health and safety inspections of license-exempt, non-family providers.
• Technical assistance given to providers on effective business practices.
• De-linking provider reimbursement from absence policies that destabilize the cost of care for both families and providers.
• Extended subsidy eligibility re-determination periods (12 months).
• A new emphasis on technical assistance to providers around effective business practices.
• Increased investment in program quality, with additional activities that include wage incentives, tiered reimbursement, Quality Rating and Improvement Systems, accreditation, and focus on school readiness.