Spring 2020

Child Care Resource & Referral Serving Douglas, Klamath & Lake Counties Douglas: 541.440.7705 Klamath & Lake: 541.882.2308

Updated Spring 2020 Training Bulletin:

TRAINING BULLETIN

COVID-19 A Message from the Oregon Early Learning Division:

The Early Learning Division (ELD), in partnership with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), created new tools for addressing concerns in child care around the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. An updated Frequently Asked Questions document and a letter template for child care providers are now posted on  ELD’s website . You can also continue to stay up to date at the  Oregon Health Authority’s COVID-19 webpage , where you will find the latest information on COVID-19 in Oregon.    Thank you for your continued work to serve children and families.

Care Connections will keep you informed with weekly special bulletins to announce any updates/changes to schedules and important notices as we learn about them.

What's Happening?

Early Learning Division Extends Deadline to Access Early Learning Funding en espanol (Salem, Ore) – The Early Learning Division (ELD) is extending the deadline to apply for Student Success Act grants to  Monday,   May 4, 2020 . The extension includes the four programs within the Early Learning Account: Preschool Promise, Early Childhood Equity Fund, Preschool Promise Fiscal Agent and Oregon Pre-kindergarten.   The extension will allow providers to focus their time and resources on supporting families and staff during the coronavirus outbreak. The ELD will continue to update the Frequently Asked Questions  posted online  throughout the open Request for Application period. Additionally, assistance will continue through the helpline and email:  Preschool Promise and Fiscal Agent Helpline: 503-856-2895  psprfa@state.or.us Early Childhood Equity Fund Helpline: 503-930-1297 ECEFRFA@state.or.us Oregon Pre-kindergarten Helpline: 503-207-3067 OPKRFA@state.or.us Market Rate Study Underway Throughout Oregon Have you received a phone call or email asking for program updates and the rates that you charge? The information obtained from this rate study (which is conducted every 2 years) is a key component to determining how much DHS will pay for subsidized child care. If you haven't already talked with us, we will be reaching out to you soon and would really value your input! Back to School Cohort in Douglas County Have you thought about going back to school to earn a degree or certificate in Early Childhood Education? Are you not sure where to start? We are here to help you! We can help you navigate the UCC systems and access various grant and scholarship opportunities. There has never been a better time to earn a degree in Early Childhood Education with all the financial support available to make this possible. If you are interested, call 541.440.7705 for more information.

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10th Annual Spring Fling Registration is open for our 10th Annual Spring Fling Event on Saturday, May 16 at UCC. Lunch, door prizes, and an awesome lineup await! Some of our great door prizes this year include:         Instructional Center       Preschool Library       Infant Center 

Meet your Care Connections Team:

Heather Freilinger Director Heather oversees the CCRR grant and work plan, supports trained staff, manages CCRR resources and partners with community leaders across three counties to develop systems that support early learning in her communities. ‌

Melinda Collier Provider Consultant/Quality Improvement Specialist Melinda supports providers as they navigate early learning systems, provides training and support for Spark and connects with Klamath and Lake Community partners to enrich and develop early learning systems in her communities.

Michelle Bassett Administrative Program Specialist Michelle coordinates our trainings, registers providers for training, collects fees, supports grant management and provides administrative supports for the CCRR.

Theresa Songer-Tuckey Quality Improvement Specialist Infant/Toddler Specialist Theresa will be starting an infant/toddler network in late spring for Douglas County providers. Theresa will serve as our lead Spark coordinator to assist people with developing their Spark portfolio and she will teach our licensing and DHS listing classes.

Brandi Myers Brandi will continue to work for the CCRR through the end of March. We celebrate her pursuit of her education and important work with families.

Barbara Lynch Provider Consultant Barbara will support providers with quarterly updates and annual system updates. In addition, she will be helping providers with professional development planning using the Oregon registry and supporting new childcare providers who would like to become listed with DHS and or licensed.

Jill Ramirez Jill contracts with the CCRR to support the Focus Child Care Network in Klamath Falls.

Are You Passionate about Early Childhood Education? Join Our Team!

Quality Improvement Specialist Douglas

Quality Improvement Specialist Klamath & Lake

Statewide Opportunities

Click on the icons below to learn more about each of these opportunities:

Resources

Parent Resource Corner Check out this helpful flyer on self regulation that can be a great resource to hand out to parents! Self Regulation Flyer Food Hero Spotlight: Cherries! Get recipes, find the best varieties, tips to save money and how best to preserve these antioxidant rich treats! Learn more .

Social/Emotional Development Did you know that you can help build a child’s brain – starting even before babies can talk? Simple serve and return interactions between adults and young children help make strong connections in developing brains. And, it’s easy and fun to do! This how-to video breaks down serve and return into 5 simple steps (from Filming Interactions to Nurture Development) and features adults and young children doing each step together. en espanol Watch Video

Everyday Fun with Science: Let’s Talk About STEM Video en espanol An early understanding of science can be seen when children experiment with: Making observations and noticing similarities and differences Asking questions Describing objects, animals, and plants, and natural processes like rainstorms; Predicting what will happen next in a process Providing explanations for processes they observe such as why there is thunder Using tools to further exploration, such as binoculars, a shovel, or a pulley Children also build science skills through an understanding of concepts and ideas that cut across many areas of learning—these include: Patterns Cause and effect Scale, proportion, and quantity Energy and matter Structure and function Stability and change Watch Video

Coming Soon!

Infant Toddler Cohort Starting in June for Douglas County Providers Get free infant/toddler training & coaching; learn best practices and increase the quality of your program. Stay tuned for more info coming soon! Please call Theresa for more information at 541.440.7718 

How Can We Help?

Care Connections & Education provides early learning resources and technical assistance to providers just like YOU! Here are just some of the ways we can help:

Connect to Oregon's Early Learning Systems Technical Assistance and Referrals to Extra Supports for Children with Challenging Behavior Navigate Licensing and/or DHS

Program Quality Improvement Cohort and Coaching Opportunities Connect to Professional Development and Higher Education Opportunities

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Contact Us: Douglas County 541.440.7705 Klamath & Lake Counties 541.882.2308 Visit our website