We made it through 2020! It has been a challenging year in so many ways. There is much to look forward to in the upcoming year. We hope the best for our local child care and early education community.

Please take a moment to read through our winter newsletter. We have scheduled some great online classes, networks, and cohorts to meet your professional development needs. Be sure to check out our Set 3 Infant Toddler training as well as the FREE Cooking Matters series with OSU Extension Service. Additionally, enrollment is open for our Infant and Toddler Focused Network as well as the NAP SACC Nutrition and Physical Activity Program. Lastly, enjoy articles and information from two of our local partners: Early Childhood CARES and the School Garden Project.

Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or need information about child care and early education. Due to the pandemic, our office is closed to visitors. However, we are continuing to work from home, and can take calls and respond to emails Monday through Friday, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. If we are not able to respond right away, we will get back to you within 24 hours on most business days. Our phone number is 541-463-3300. Thank you and Happy New Year!

To help our Lane providers and early educators get to know our QCC staff, we will spotlight different staff members each term. This quarter, we are highlighting three staff! Danielle Cunningham and Gabrielle Morse are returning to QCC and Belia Navarro has recently joined our team as a new specialist. Please join us in welcoming these wonderful professionals to our team!

Danielle holds a degree in Early Childhood Education, has an Oregon Registry Director Credential, and is an Oregon Registry Community Trainer. She has experience as a head teacher and as an owner and director of a family child care company. At QCC, Danielle will focus on family child care providers and will facilitate coaching, mentoring, and training opportunities for family child care businesses. Danielle strives to build strong relationships with providers to ensure they feel supported, respected, and valued.

Belia holds a degree in early childhood education and a degree on Business Administration and Acquisition and is an Oregon Registry Trainer. She has years of experience as a director, head teacher, and certified/registered child care provider and currently directs multiple child care program sites. Belia also works in a non-profit organization where she focuses on children who have experienced extreme abuse, provides parenting classes, and helps others with their professional development. At QCC, Belia will focus on multi-cultural providers, helping them achieve their goals in their family child care business. Belia is passionate about helping the Hispanic community and creating spaces for children and professionals to grow and learn.

Gabrielle is originally from Tucson, Arizona but has called Eugene home since 2015. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from Arizona State University and also studied Early Childhood Education here at LCC. She is a former preschool teacher and loves watching children grow and develop. Currently, she volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate in Lane County. When she isn’t working or volunteering, she is probably in rehearsal as she is also an actress and dancer in the Eugene community.

For registration support, please call 541-463-3300 or email us at qualitycareconnections@lanecc.edu

For full class descriptions or to register for our classes, please click the links below.

Have you learned all you can from major child development theorists? Join us to analyze child development theory and transform your understanding of early childhood education. This in-depth training balances active learning, reflective discussion, and out of classroom work to help you make meaningful connections between your work and major theories of development. We will cover the theories of Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget, and Vygotsky. Class attendees should expect to spend 15 hours in three separate online webinars plus 10 hours in self-study. 25 hours of Set Three in HGD

OSU Extension Service’s Nutrition Education program is offering free nutrition education webinars designed for child care professionals serving primarily low-income families. Taught by nutrition educators, the seven-class series will teach you how to prepare healthy meals and create a healthy food environment for the kids in your care.

Three classes will be offered this winter, and four classes will be offered in spring. Register for individual winter term classes or for all seven classes now. (Registration for individual spring term courses will begin March 29.) Participants that register for the full series and attend all seven classes will earn a special incentive following the last class. Click here for a flyer.

Online-only CPR/First Aid training will be accepted through July 2021 for both new and renewing providers. Quality Care Connections can arrange for your online CPR/First Aid class through Medic First Aid. The cost of this class is now $15.

Part One Required Online Course

Register and attend training here: http://campus.educadium.com/OCCD/

Part Two Required Webinar

Saturday, January 23, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. -or-

Thursday, March 4, 6:00-9:00 p.m.

Note:

You must attend the online Part One online class before registering for the Part Two webinar.

The required online safety set classes are offered free by the Oregon Center for Career Development and the Early Learning Division. Click here for a Safety Set Flier from the Office of Child Care and here to access and register for these classes.

-Recognizing/Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect

-Introduction to Child Care Health and Safety

-Prevention is Better Than Treatment

-Safe Sleep

-Food Handler Certification

DHS Orientation Webinar (3 class options!)

Wednesday, January 20, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, February 9, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 13, 9:00 -11:00 a.m.

This class helps you understand the Department of Human Services listing and billing process and how to become eligible for the Enhanced Rate.

On the first Thursday of each month, from 12-1 p.m., the Oregon Registry will offer a FREE one-hour webinar training for Early Learning Professionals for an entire year! Join one or all of the sessions for one-hour of PPLD training.

Click here to RSVP. For a flyer, click here.

January 7: Child Care Employer Essentials

February 4: Oregon Registry Training Calendar

March 4: Oregon's Core Knowledge Categories

April 1: Designing a Professional Development Statement

May 6th: Oregon's Statewide Scholarship

June 3rd: Professional Development Advising

To see the training requirements for staff that work in licensed Certified or Registered Family Child Care or in a Certified Child Care Center, visit the Oregon Learning Division website here.

To see the training requirements for license-exempt DHS subsidy providers, visit the Department of Human Services website here.

For information about Oregon Registry, such as how to enroll, submit certificates, or apply for a step increase, click here to visit the Oregon Center for Career Development in Childhood Care and Education.

To view your Professional Development Statement and training certificates that have been submitted to ORO, visit My Oregon Registry here.

For Oregon Registry Step requirements, click here.

To see a list of of the Core Knowledge Categories and their abbreviations, click here.

Focused Child Care Networks and Cohorts bring together groups providers that are interested in receiving special training, coaching, support, and technical assistance around a particular topic. Your participation helps you increase your knowledge, improve the quality of your child care program, and meet other child care professionals who share the same interests, philosophies, and goals as you.

Networks and cohorts are guided by a QCC specialist and typically include group meetings and discussions, professional development trainings, coaching, peer support, self-study, goal setting, and change implementation. The time commitment can vary from 2-10 hours per month. In addition to new skills and friendships, participants often earn various incentives and training hours along the way! Check out some of our current and upcoming networks and cohorts, and let us know if you are interested!

You can help improve the quality of infant and toddler care, One Baby Step at a Time by joining the Infant/Toddler Focused Network! We have limited spots open in our Network for child care providers who are passionate about their work with infants and toddlers, 0 – 24 months. Our group “meets” virtually every other month, and each member “meets” virtually every month with the Network Specialist for coaching and support.

To join, you will commit to active participation in all activities for the duration of the Network. To find out if the Infant Toddler Network is right for you, contact Alex Curtis at curtisa@lanecc.edu. Click hereor an application and informational flyer.

Since 2013, hundreds of Lane County child care providers have participated in NAP SACC, a national program designed to build healthy eating and physical activity habits in children. By joining NAP SACC, you will develop a deeper understanding of children’s nutrition and physical activity needs and how to help them grow up healthy and strong. NAP SACC consists of five virtual trainings, three brief assessments, one-on-one coaching, and development of an action plan to help guide the improvements you want to make in your program's physical activity and nutrition practices. Click here for a program flyer.

Module 1: Thursday, January 14, 6:30-8:00 p.m.

Module 2, Thursday, January 28, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Module 3: Wednesday, February 3, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Modules 4/5: Wednesday, February 17, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Module 1: Saturday, March 6, 9:00-10:30 a.m.

Module 2: Saturday, March 6, 11:00 a.m-1:00 p.m.

Module 3: Saturday, March 13, 8:30-10:30 a.m.

Modules 4/5, Saturday, March 13,11:00 a.m-1:00 p.m.

This new network is in development and is expected to begin in the next few months. Participants accepted into this network will engage in a variety of training, coaching, and group collaboration sessions that focus on Professional Business Practices. Topics will include business branding, marketing, policy development, financial management, and sustainability. Network participants will also have the opportunity to engage in an individual consultation from the Small Business Development Center and DNA Tax and Business Services. For more information or to add your name to an "interested" list, please contact Danielle Cunningham at 541-463-3300 or cunninghamd@lanecc.edu

The Positive Leadership Focused Network is also currently in development and is slated to get underway in March. This Network will engage providers and directors in building a relationship-based culture within their program that supports all staff, parents, and children. The Network will offer trainings, coaching, hands-on tools, and peer support to help guide participants in understanding how to build and sustain a successful business through positive leadership practices. There will be intensive learning on how to lead with vision and purpose, emphasize positive relationships and collaborative partnerships, and create a sense of community within your program. For more information or to add your name to an "interested" list, please contact Kristen Helton at 541-463-3308 or heltonk@lanecc.edu

Since our last newsletter in September, the Early Learning Division (ELD) has only released a few new updates in regards to Covid-19 and its impacts on child care. To stay abreast of any changes all providers are encouraged to carefully review all correspondence from the ELD and visit the ELD website regularly. See below for a list of resources, forms, and documents available to support providers and help them stay in compliance throughout the pandemic. Click the button below to access and view these resources on the ELD website. For specific questions regarding Covid-19 Health and Safety Guidelines, email providercontact@state.or.us

During this uncertain time, DHS wants to ensure that families continue to have the access they need to childcare. The Department has made the following changes to childcare assistance to help support families and childcare providers during the state of emergency related to the virus that causes COVID-19. F

For more information on temporary Covid-19 related changes, visit Employment Related Day Care page on the DHS website here. To contact the DHS Direct Pay Unit call 1-800-699-9074 or send an email to customerservice.dpu@dhsoha.state.or.us

Early Childhood CARES continues to provide remote individual and group services to all families. We continue to consult with preschool staff and child care providers about children in their care. This is done either remotely or in person depending on the needs of the site and the child and if it can be done within the health and safety guidelines from the Oregon Health Authority (EHA) and the Early Learning Division (ELD). We are deeply committed to serving and supporting the children in our program and their families. We plan to open in person services as soon as the Lane County metrics allow us to do so safely. We will assess this when we return from winter break during the week of January 4, 2021

The graphic “Help us Have a Good Day” provides useful tips for parents as well as child care providers and preschool teachers. You can print it out and hang it up where you can see it and share it with the parents of the children you serve. Click here to access this document.

The Devereux Center has been sharing a recorded Tuesday Tip - I especially loved this one on Silliness (and Initiative)- take a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSPCpUFOR-U

This winter we are offering the following zoom classes for parents which will be recorded and available to view. If you are interested in attending any of the classes call the front desk to register at 541-346-2578.

Early Childhood CARES provides free early Intervention and early childhood special education services for Lane County children from birth to kindergarten. To make a referral call 541-346-2578 or visit our website at: https://earlychildhoodcares.uoregon.edu/referrals-services/

School Garden Project is regarded as the primary resource in Lane County for educators seeking to establish garden learning programs. Through our support services, we help schools and other organizations build new educational gardens and sustain existing gardens with supplies, training and consultation. We provide seeds, starts, garden education and design consultation annually to over 40 schools and nonprofits in Lane County and beyond.

School Garden Project staff are available to support your efforts in the garden or any outdoor classroom space. We are putting together resources to share including tips for outdoor education, worksheets and lessons, and seasonal gardening information. If you would like access to these materials, or would like to connect with any questions you may have, please email sarah@schoolgardenproject.org.

Here are two examples of what materials coming your way might look like! We are also available for one-on-one (virtual) consultation and support.