What's New in the ECE Community

If you are an Early Childhood Educator working with children ages birth through 5 in a DHS licensed center or family childcare setting, you may qualify to receive 12 college credits in Early Childhood Education for free with use of textbooks.

Applications are now being accepted for the Fall 2021 Cohort

Courses will be offered in the following sequence:

• HMNS-2100 Child Growth and Development Skills —– Fall Semester, 2021
• HMNS-2120 Curriculum for Young Children Spring —– Spring Semester, 2022
• HMNS-2150 Parent and Child Relations Summer 1 —– Summer 1 Semester, 2022
• HMNS-2140 Guiding Children’s Behavior —– Fall Semester, 2022

For more information, please contact:
Lori Ryan
Program Coordinator
Community College of Rhode Island
Department of Human Services
Program Coordinator
Lryan2@ccri.edu

Application available April 1, 2021 at: www.ccri.edu/hmns/RIECETP

Grant Requirements

• Applicant must be employed for a minimum of 20 hours in a licensed child care center or family childcare setting
• Applicant must be working with infant, toddler or preschool-age children
• Applicant must complete grant application
• Applicant must apply to CCRI and complete the Accuplacer test
• Your center must be in good standing with DHS licensing
• Your center must be approved with DHS-Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) and serving CCAP children
• Your center must be actively enrolled and rated by the RI Quality Rating and Improvement System known as BrightStars

APPLICATION DEADLINE is June 30, 2021

All RIECETP services are funded through the RI DHS Office of Child Care

Carol Patnaude
Program Director
cpatnaude@ccri.edu

Bradley Hospital and the Lifespan Community Health Institute will host a virtual educational event on Thursday, May 6^th from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm on Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, with Child Psychiatrist David Rettew, MD. Dr. Rettew has just published a new book Parenting Made Complicated: What Science Really Knows about the Greatest Debates of Early Childhood (Oxford) released this month. The book looks at many of the perennial controversies in parenting including screens, overpraising, sleep training, daycare, discipline, and describes in a conversational and non-technical way what the actual evidence is behind these debates. Other factors are also discussed that might make a parent want to adjust the “correct” answer based on things like the child’s temperament and other factors. The website for the book is https://www.parentingmadecomplicated.com/ Dr. Rettew’s twitter and Facebook handles are both @PediPsych. Click HERE to register!

Professional Development
for General EC Teachers & Coordinators

The training includes a focus on the role of the special educator as well, as the general early childhood teacher while introducing the research behind the model, the rationale for adoption, the key features, and the alignment with RI’s vision for supporting all young children within high quality early learning programs.

Monday June 7th & 14th
12:00 pm- 3:00 pm
All sessions will be held over Zoom;
participants will receive the link once registered.

Please register through the RIDE Workshop Registration System
http://www.eride.ri.gov/workshopreg

(Search for IECSE and then click on the
Intro to the RI-IECSE Service Delivery Model with the correct start date.)

Or contact ruth.gallucci@ride.ri.gov if having difficulty with registration.

Rhode Island College
Early Childhood Education Graduate Program Graduate Offering
Summer Session I 2021

ECED 503: Infants and Toddlers in Early Care and Education Programs

Thursday – TBA (Online)

Call number for registration purposes: 30376

Components of quality group care for infants and toddlers are analyzed. Topics include professional responsibilities, health and safety routines, appropriate materials and environments, and legal issues for childcare providers.

Register on-line at www.ric.edu For further information, please contact Dr. McGuire-Schwartz at Mmcguire@ric.edu.

Rhode Island College
Early Childhood Education Graduate Program Graduate Offerings
Fall 2021

ECED 502: Curriculum, Developmental Play, & Programs

Thursday, 4:00-6:50 PM, Hybrid/Online
Call number for registration purposes: 11150

Development and content of curriculum and trends in research for early care and education through primary grades are examined.

ECED 662: Seminar in Early Childhood Education Research

Wednesday, 4:00-6:50 PM, Hybrid/Online
Call number for registration purposes: 10499

Students gain increased professional knowledge and competencies in finding, assessing, applying, and presenting data related to selected major topics in the field of early childhood education. The creation and defense of a major paper and a small-scale research study are required.

Register on-line at www.ric.edu For further information, please contact Dr. McGuire-Schwartz at Mmcguire@ric.edu.

Expert educators from the Audubon Society of Rhode Island and Roger Williams Park Zoo will facilitate a Growing up WILD workshop that focuses on children’s natural sense of wonder about nature. This workshop gives participants an opportunity to experience a wide range of FUN activities that are developmentally appropriate for children ages 3 to 7. Each participant will receive a copy of the Growing Up WILD guide, filled with activities and ready-made materials that help create positive impressions about nature while also building lifelong social and cognitive skills among young children.

View the Flyer!

2-part series
Part 1: Virtual Session – Thursday, April 29, 7:00-8:00 pm
Part 2: Outdoor Session
Choose the Outdoor Session from 2 options
Saturday, May 1, 9:30 – 11:30 am
OR
Thursday, May 6, 4:00 – 6:00 pm
Both outdoor sessions will be held at this address:
Audubon Society of Rhode Island, 12 Sanderson Road, Smithfield, RI 02917
$25/ person

Register!

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a resource for child care providers, Guidance for Operating Child Care Programs during COVID-19. CDC is also releasing new Toolkits for Child Care Programs. These resources provide information to help child care professionals protect children, their families, and staff members; slow the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; and keep children healthy. The Guidance for Operating Child Care Programs during COVID-19 resource includes the following information:

• Recommendations for the consistent implementation of a combination of strategies to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in child care programs, including staying home when sick, wearing a mask that covers the mouth and nose, practicing physical distancing, avoiding poorly ventilated indoor spaces, frequently washing your hands, cohorting, and regularly and consistently cleaning and disinfecting facilities
• Updated language regarding vaccinations for child care staff
• Additional guidance on recognizing the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 in children
• Updated considerations to support children with special health care needs and disabilities and people at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19
• Updated guidance on food service and the use of outdoor playgrounds and play spaces.

These CDC resources update the existing guidance and align with CDC’s Operational Strategy for K–12 Schools through Phased Mitigation. The guidance and toolkits are intended for all types of child care programs, including child care centers, family child care homes, and other child care programs.

The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) is offering a training for general early childhood teachers and coordinators, Intro to the RI-Itinerant Early Childhood Special Education Service Delivery Model (RI-IECSE). The training includes a focus on the role of the special educator as well as the general early childhood teacher while introducing the research behind the model, the rationale for adoption, the key features, and the alignment with RI’s vision for supporting all young children within high quality early learning programs.

April 1st & 8th
3:15pm – 6:15pm
All sessions will be held over Zoom; participants will receive the link once registered.

Please register through the RIDE Workshop Registration System http://www.eride.ri.gov/workshopreg.
(Search for IECSE and then click on the Intro to the RI-IECSE Service Delivery Model with the correct start date.)

Or contact ruth.gallucci@ride.ri.gov if having difficulty with registration.

The Rhode Island Department of Education is requesting applications from qualified vendors to expand the RI Pre-Kindergarten Program. Eligible partners include licensed child care programs, Head Start organizations, and public and non-public schools, able to operate a RI Pre-K classroom in any and all Rhode Island communities. This expansion aims to add over 300 high-quality RI Pre-K seats for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year.

Within this application, we are pleased to introduce new service delivery options for early learning providers seeking to open RI Pre-K classrooms in 2021. The goal of the new RI Pre-K service delivery models is to include partners that are currently offering high-quality Pre-K, while leveraging funds through other state or federal agencies, to ensure a wide variety of high-quality early learning options for RI families.

All relevant grant documents may be found on the RIDE Pre-K Page.  

Questions concerning this solicitation may be emailed to RIPre-K@ride.ri.gov by noon on Friday, February 26, 2021.

Please send questions in Microsoft Word format and reference the RI Pre-K Application and program name in the title. Any questions received, will be posted and answered on the RIDE website as an addendum to this solicitation by March 2, 2021.

RI Pre-K applications are due to RIPre-K@ride.ri.gov by 4:00 pm on Tuesday, March 23, 2021. 

The Rhode Island Department of Human Services (DHS) – Child Care Licensing Unit has announced a new orientation date for people interested in obtaining a state license to operate as a family child care home provider.

DHS, in collaboration with the Center for Early Learning Professionals, will offer the orientation sessions on Monday, March 8, 2021 from 9:00am – 11:00am (English) and 1:00pm – 3:00pm (Spanish). Orientation sessions will be held virtually through RingCentral. We will set up additional orientation opportunities in the summer of this year so stay tuned for more information on this page.

The orientation sessions explain the licensing process to participants and are the first step toward obtaining a state license. Participants need to attend just one orientation in order to start the process of becoming a Family Child Care provider. After the orientation, participants submit four pre-required documents and enroll into the First Steps, a complete a training series that provides information about health and safety in family child care homes, state licensing regulations, high-quality learning environments for young children, basic business practices on how to launch a family child care business, and current protocols related to COVID-19. After participants complete the training, Center staff will support them as they apply for licensure.

If you are interested in starting a family child care home, please reach out to the Child Care Licensing Unit at 401-462-3009 or DHS.Childcarelicensing@dhs.ri.gov. From there, we can add you to the list for the next virtual orientation and follow up training.

We look forward to working with you all!

Nicole Chiello
Child Care Administrator for Licensing and Regulations
Department of Human Services (DHS)
25 Howard Ave, Building 57
Cranston, RI 02920
C: 401-487-6603
Nicole.Chiello@dhs.ri.gov

La Unidad de Licencias de Cuidado Infantil del Departamento de Servicios Humanos de Rhode Island (DHS) – Unidad de Licencias anuncia una fecha de orientación para las personas interesadas en obtener una licencia estatal para operar como proveedor de cuidado infantil familiar.

El DHS en colaboración con the Center for Early Learning Professionals ofrecerá sesiones de orientación virtuales el día Lunes, 8 de Marzo, 9:00 am – 11:00 am (Inglés) y 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (Español). Estaremos ofreciendo sesiones de orientación adicionales en el verano del 2021, así que estén atentos a esta página.

Las sesiones de orientación explican el proceso de concesión de licencias a los participantes y son el primer paso para obtener una licencia estatal. Los participantes deben asistir a una sola orientación. Después de la orientación, los participantes someten cuatro documentos y luego se inscriben para asistir al entrenamiento de los Primeros Pasos con información sobre la salud y la seguridad en hogares de cuidado infantil familiar, regulaciones estatales para la licencia, medioambientes de aprendizaje de alta calidad para niños pequeños, prácticas comerciales básicas y cómo iniciar un negocio de cuidado infantil familiar y protocolos que debe seguir relacionados al COVID-19. Una vez que los participantes completen dicho entrenamiento, el personal del Centro los apoyará durante el periodo de aprobación de la solicitud de la licencia.

Si está interesado en comenzar un negocio de cuidado infantil familiar, comuníquese con la Unidad de Licencias de Cuidado Infantil al 401-462-3009 o envíe un correo electrónico a DHS.Childcarelicensing@dhs.ri.gov. Una vez nos haya contactado para asistir a la orientación nosotros agregaremos su nombre a la lista para la próxima orientación virtual y luego le conectaremos con el próximo entrenamiento que haya disponible.

¡Esperamos trabajar con todos ustedes!

Nicole Chiello
Child Care Administrator for Licensing and Regulations
Department of Human Services (DHS)
25 Howard Ave, Building 57
Cranston, RI 02920
C: 401-487-6603
Nicole.Chiello@dhs.ri.gov