December 2016
It's almost Christmas! The time for shopping and wrapping gifts, cooking and baking those once-a-year delectable foods that smell and taste so good, the anticipation of seeing family and friends, the wonder of little ones looking at the lights and presents under the tree, Christmas programs where the children depict nativity scenes with shepherds and wise men and adorable little sheep . . .
Yes, it's a most wonderful time of the year!!
All of us at Delaware Child Development wish you and all the children in your care a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!!
Build a Felt Christmas Tree!
Make this felt Christmas tree that your toddler can decorate over and over and leave the real one alone! Children can play for hours with them! Click here for free patterns.
Christmas Tree Cupcakes!
Gingerbread houses, meet your match! These festive Christmas
Tree Cupcakes will be fun for your children to assemble and decorate! They can serve a similar function as part dessert, part decoration for your holiday table. Moist chocolate cupcakes become the base of spruced up sugar cones adorned with bright green frosting, edible sprinkle ornaments, and a light dusting of powdered sugar snow.
Click here to see more.
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CECPD Training Opportunities
More than 16 online training classes are available to all those in the Early Care and Education field http://cecpdonline.org. The online classes include a variety of current topics, such as preventing obesity in young children, literacy in action, challenging behaviors, creating positive social/emotional climate, and many others.
Additional professional learning opportunities include the Leadership Academy (for directors and administrators), specialized training, Child Care Careers, Entry Level Child Care Training, Directors' Entry Level Training, Family Child Care Home Entry Level Training, Quest for Quality: Early Learning Guidelines Infants, Toddlers, and Twos, Quest for Quality: Early Learning Guidelines for Preschoolers, and a Video Lending Library.
Professional development assists teachers and directors as they work toward success in the Reaching for the Stars tiered reimbursement program. The tiered reimbursement program enables programs that seek two-star or three-star status to receive a higher reimbursement rate for children whose families receive child care assistance through the State of Oklahoma Department of Human Services.
North Central Child Care Association
The North Central Child Care Association was created to support providers in north central Oklahoma. Meetings are every 2nd Tuesday of the month at Pioneer Technology Center in Ponca City. The cost to attend is $5, and this covers your meal for the night. At our meetings, we discuss issues of relevance to providing quality child care in our area. We bring speakers to give us information to help us do our jobs better. There are door prizes and helpful information about ways to make our jobs as providers easier, and resource information is shared. Some meetings are make and takes and others have more speakers. Delaware Resource and Referral has made themselves available so providers can check out resource kits and have laminating done. This group is open to all childcare providers as well as those workers that support our industry.
Accreditation Scholarships for Family Child Care Homes and Centers
There are two programs available for scholarships for Family Child Care Homes and Centers.
The first will reimburse up to $500 of application fees paid by an Oklahoma family childcare home provider for accreditation or $250 for re-accreditation by the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC). The recipient must be a Family Child Care Home provider currently licensed in the state of Oklahoma.
After the Accreditation Application has been submitted to NAFCC, eligible providers may request reimbursement of up to $500 new or $250 renewal from OCCRRA by providing documentation that show Application Fees have been paid to NAFCC.
Please contact your local R&R Specialists for copies of the scholarship form. Attach copies of proof of application fee payment along with the form and mail or email it to:
Paula K. Koos, Executive Director, OCCRRA
4100 Perimeter Center Drive, Suite 235
Oklahoma City, OK 73112, pkoos@oklahomachildcare.org
ECAO administers a similar grant that helps centers with NAEYC Accreditation. This award not only helps to defray the cost of NAEYC Accreditation fees, but an Accreditation Specialist will work with the program to answer questions that may arise concerning NAEYC Accreditation.
To apply, you must be an ECAO member, be in good standing with state licensing, and have a minimum of a two star status.
Click here for the guidelines and application.
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