October 2020 Bits & Bytes
DCAEYC Celebrates
Emotional Wellness Month
October is Emotional Wellness Month. According to the National Institutes of Health, emotional wellness “is the ability to successfully handle life’s stresses and adapt to change and difficult times.” This skill is important because it can affect our ability to cope with everyday life, which in turn can dictate our actions and how we respond to others. Another way to think of it is like muscle memory; the more you respond to a stressor in a certain way, the more it becomes a habit.

Looking for ways to improve your emotional health? Start here:
  • Brighten your outlook
  • Reduce stress
  • Get quality sleep
  • Cope with loss
  • Strengthen social connections
  • Be mindful

For more tips, visit our blog post on emotional wellness here.
Bulletin Board:
DC Child Care Relief Fund - Please note that the deadline to submit information for the grant has been extended. The new deadline is Oct. 16, 2020. All eligible child care providers licensed through OSSE (as of Sept. 8, 2020) should have received an email notification from DCBizGrant@dc.gov around 3:25 p.m. on Sept. 16, 2020, listing next steps to receiving their disbursement. The subject line is “DC Child Care Provider Relief Fund – Conditional Award Notification.” If you meet this requirement and did not receive an email notification, please check your junk/spam folder. For additional information email DCBizGrant@dc.gov.
Share your Story - DCAEYC wants to hear from you about your experience as an early childhood educator through a short survey. By completing this survey, you are helping create - with other members and allies - DCAEYC's advocacy priorities. Together, we'll advocate for change with ECE in DC.
Join or Renew Your Membership Today - Have you been following DCAEYC, but have been holding off on getting a membership with us? Perhaps you are a member with us, but your membership is about to lapse. A lot of exciting things are coming up which require a DCAEYC/NAEYC membership, such as the NAEYC Annual Conference and elections for DCAEYC's Board of Directors, and we don't want you to miss out. Become a member or renew your membership today and stay part of the movement supporting early childhood education in Washington, DC.

For a limited time only, all new or renewed memberships will receive a free DCAEYC gift. All gifts will be mailed within 4 to 6 weeks via USPS to the address on your NAEYC profile.
2020 Census Extended Until October 31st - The census happens only once every ten years, yet census data helps local governments determine where $800 billion a year in federal funding goes. Complete the census today! Responding to the census is easier than ever and only takes about 10 minutes to complete.
Upcoming Events
Todo lo que usted siempre quiso saber sobre la credencial de Asociado en Desarrollo Infantil® (CDA®)
Miércoles 14 de octubre
6:00 pm to 7:30 pm

Venga y aprenda cómo obtener la credencial CDA®.
 
Esta sesión le mostrará paso a paso el proceso de evaluación de la credencial CDA® y cómo se traduce a su crecimiento profesional como educador infantil. Le brindará información pormenorizada y clarificación sobre el desarrollo del portafolio profesional, al igual que cómo prepararse para la visita de verificación, el examen, la renovación y la amnistía. Esta es una sesión ideal para las personas interesadas en saber qué se necesita hacer para obtener esta credencial nacional y también para aquellos instructores/mentores/asesores que ayudan a los candidatos a prepararse para la evaluación CDA®. Habrá muchas oportunidades para hacer preguntas.
 
ESTA SESION SE OFRECERA EN EL IDIOMA ESPANOL (sólamente)
"Everything you ever wanted to know about the Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential"
 
Come and learn how to earn the CDA Credential. This session will take you step by step through the CDA Assessment process and its applicability to your professional growth as an early childhood educator. It will provide detailed information and clarification on the development of the Professional Portfolio, and how to prepare for the Verification Visit, the Exam, the renewal and amnesty. This is a great session for individuals interested in how to obtain this national credential and for instructors/mentors/coaches who are guiding Candidates in their preparation for CDA assessment. There will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions.

THIS SESSION WILL BE PRESENTED IN SPANISH LANGUAGE (ONLY)

Member
Spotlight On...

Jolleen Tran
DCAEYC Treasurer 2017-2020
Kindergarten Teacher, Charles Barrett Elementary
"I nurture, support, and teach my students to advocate for themselves and become independent. My role as a kindergarten teacher is to help my students love learning and to stay curious and excited about the world around them."
*If you or someone you know would like to be featured in a future member spotlight, please let us know by emailing dcaeycmail@gmail.com.
Principle of Practice:
Prioritize Your Mental Health
While it's paramount to support young children as they cope through the pandemic, its just as important to prioritze your own mental health as well.
It's no secret that 2020 has been challenging. With having to adapt to virtual teaching and learning new ways to support their students, this has been especially true for teachers. While it's paramount to make sure the children we work with have the tools they need to process the stresses of adapting to a pandemic, it's just as important for teachers to prioritze their mental health as well.

Our friends at Everfi have a list of "10 Mental Health Tips for Teachers During the COVID-19 Pandemic" that we encourage all educators to check out. For additional resources, check out Resilient Educator's article "4 Ways for Frazzled Teachers to Fend Off Stress and Burn Out."
Policy Beat:
Child Care Subsidy Payments: Our Asks to Deputy Mayor Paul Kihn and OSSE
On Wednesday, September 23rd, DCAEYC and other organizations in the DC child care provider community met with Deputy Mayor for Education Paul Kihn to discuss our concerns about the timeline for the child care subsidy payment guideline changes, as well as the lack of opportunities for input from the early learning community. Following this meeting we sent a letter to Deputy Mayor Kihn on October 5th. In this letter we reiterated our concerns and asked that he direct OSSE do the following to make it possible for early learning programs in DC to continue to provide quality care:

  • Delay start of new payment guidance to December 31, 2020
  • Consult with providers in the development and implementation of guidance
  • Implement an emergency payment rate to account for losses due to COVID-19
  • Pay providers for virtual learning for all programs
  • Compensate COVID-19 absences
  • Issue waivers from licensing regulations to allow providers to use every available inch of physical space
  • Exercise transparency about the subsidy program's budget and expenditures

Click here to read the letter in full.
Job Opportunity:
Assistant Director, Infants, with The Office of the Chief Administrative Officers (CAO), U.S. House of Representatives, Washington
Organization: The Office of the Chief Administrative Officers (CAO), U.S. House of Representatives, Washington
Position: Assistant Director, Infants

The Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) provides operations support services and business solutions to the community of 10,000 House Members, Officers and staff. The CAO organization comprises more than 650 technical and administrative staff working in a variety of areas, including information technology, finance, budget management, human resources, payroll, child care, food and vending, procurement, logistics and administrative counsel.
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The Assistant Director, Infants, is responsible for the direct management of teaching staff and overseeing the day-to-day delivery of exemplary child care services to the House Community, particularly the planning, implementing and evaluating of a daily and long-term curriculum. Responsible for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of young children and assisting in identifying and addressing behavioral and developmental concerns.
A Message from One of Our Partners:
Celebrating 45 Years of the Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential™
It's been 45 years since the Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential™ was created. In recognition of the CDA's 45th anniversary, Craig Melvin of the TODAY Show and MSNBC gave the CDA a birthday shout out and spoke about the importance of early childhood education during the Coronavirus pandemic. Click the video link to watch.
NAEYC Annual Conference:
November 8th–10th
Registration is now open! Register now to experience the innovative new ways you can connect with peers, presenters, exhibitors and NAEYC representatives to build your own unique learning experience. Pricing through October 16th starts at $220 for members, and $275 for nonmembers.