Tag Archives: Early Childhood

Are You an Early Childhood Special Educator? Invitation to join dissertation study on staff health and wellness

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Study Purpose: The purpose of this study is to enhance our understanding of wellbeing of early childhood special education teachers and their experiences in the field as well as your profile on certain positive psychology variables (e.g., wellbeing, mental health, and workplace satisfaction). 

Who can participate?
If you: 

  • Are an early childhood special education teacher serving children 3 years to 8 years old 
  • Hold a special education and early childhood licensure from one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia
  • Teach in early childhood special education in preschool settings (push in our pull out/ public and non-public setting

You can participate! 

Why should I participate?
By participating, you have the opportunity to share your experience. You will help people better understand early childhood special education teacher’s wellbeing. 

What can I expect if I participate?
There are two parts to this study: 

  1. Survey: A 20-minute survey will ask about (1) demographic information (2) individual profile on teacher and general well-being scales and then a career wellbeing scale and (3) profile of mental health symptoms (depression and anxiety inventories) 
  2. Interview: If chosen a one-hour interview will be conducted at a place of your choice.

 The consent form will provide you with more information about what to expect. 

Consent & Confidentiality:
Participation is voluntary, and you will complete a consent form. Consent can be withdrawn at any time without penalty. All information obtained is strictly confidential. Please see the consent form for additional information about risks to confidentiality. 

About the researcher:
Heather Walter is a doctoral student in special education at George Washington University in Washington, DC. She is interested in learning about early childhood special education teacher’s wellbeing. The dissertation is titled: Exploring early childhood education teacher’s wellbeing through a multidimensional framework: A Mixed Methods Study.

For additional information contact: Heather Walter: hwalter@gwu.edu or (585) 451-6043 

National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day

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Thursday, May 10, 2018

National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day is Thursday, May 10, 2018! This annual event raises awareness about the importance of children’s mental health and its impact on their healthy development.

Mental Health and Head Start

Early childhood mental health is a child’s growing capacity to experience, regulate, and express emotions. For children birth to 5 years of age, early childhood mental health is the same as social and emotional development. Head Start and Early Head Start have a long-standing partnership with mental health consultants and community professionals to promote the well-being of children, families, and staff in the program.

Awareness Day 2018

The national theme for Awareness Day 2018 is Partnering for Health and Hope Following Trauma. It will focus on the importance of an integrated approach to caring for the mental health needs of children and families who have experienced trauma. The Office of Head Start and the Office of Child Care will highlight best practices that support resilience for this year’s Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day. Look for more details about opportunities to participate in the coming weeks.

More than 1,100 communities and 160 national collaborating organizations and federal programs will organize local Awareness Day activities and events around the country. Learn more about Awareness Day 2018 and how you and your community can get involved at https://www.samhsa.gov/children/awareness-day/2018.

Interested in planning an awareness day event at your program? Read about activities that communities across the country held for National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day 2017 at https://www.samhsa.gov/children/awareness-day/2017/activities.

Picturing the Project Approach: Seeing How It Works for Teachers and Children in Practice

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Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at 2 p.m. EST
Presented by: Dr. Sylvia Chard, Carmen A. Castillo and Yvonne Kogan

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. The authors of Picturing the Project Approach: Creative Explorations in Early Learning agree! In this unique webinar, you will have a rare opportunity to peek inside the life of The Project Approach in practice in real classrooms with real children and teachers featured in the book. The authors will share the power of projects through photographs of children from toddler to upper elementary ages in a school committed to high quality project work for more than a decade.

In this webinar, you will learn:

  • The basics of the Project Approach
  • How the book can be used as a manual for teachers learning to engage their students in in-depth project work
  • How to lead teachers through the steps of incorporating the Project Approach in toddler, preschool or elementary classrooms

 

All sessions are 1.5 hour long, and include a brief announcement from our sponsor.

2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Eastern Time.

To ensure you receive confirmation and reminder emails, add customercare@gotowebinar.com to your contacts list. If you do not receive your email confirmation, check your Spam or Junk mail folders in your email system.

Can’t participate in our webinars at the appointed time? Never fear! All of the webinars are recorded. To view the recording, simply register now and you will receive an email with a link to the recording when it is ready to be viewed. You can still download the certificate by watching the recording to the end when the certificate link is announced and displayed on the screen.

Only 1,000 people at one time can attend our webinars, but registration often tops 4,000. Only the first 1,000 people to click the link to attend the webinar will be able to get in. We start the webinars 30 minutes in advance of the start time. Arrive early to make sure you get in.

Please be advised that you will only be eligible for the great door prizes if you participate in the live session.

You can earn .2 CEUs for each webinar. The cost is $15 paid to University of Oklahoma online when you apply. Learn more here: Continuing Education Units (CEUs) from University of Oklahoma

See the schedule of upcoming webinars.

Register now

Implications for PreK-12 Education in Trump’s New Budget

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By Aaron Loewenberg, Abbie Lieberman, Roxanne Garza, Abigail Swisher and Elena Silva
FEB. 12, 2018

On Monday afternoon, the Trump administration released its FY 2019 budget. While the budget proposal was quickly dismissed by some as “dead on arrival,” it is still an important indicator of the administration’s priorities for the upcoming year.

The proposal includes a 5.6 percent decrease in funding to the Department of Education. If enacted, this would amount to a total funding cut of $3.8 billion compared to what was enacted in the 2017 fiscal year. The administration originally sought a far larger cut of $7.1 billion to the department, but $3.3 billion were restored in an addendum that reflects the increased spending levels reached in last week’s congressional spending deal.

The proposal also includes a 21 percent decrease in funding to the Department of Health and Human Services, requesting a total of $68.4 billion for HHS. HHS is where many early care and education programs are housed, such as Head Start and grants to subsidize child care.

This post provides an overview of what the proposed budget means for public education.

Source: New America

Available at: https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/edcentral/implications-prek-12-education-trumps-new-budget/

UCLA Head Start Management Fellows Program

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June 18–29, 2018
Los Angeles, CA

Apply Online Now!

Applications are now available for the 2018 UCLA Head Start Management Fellows Program. This 12-day intensive leadership and management development training session is for Head Start and Early Head Start directors and managers. Designed from a strategic planning perspective, the curriculum focuses on applying current management concepts to Head Start needs and interests. More than 80 hours of classroom instruction include lectures, group discussions, case studies, and workshops. The program is June 18-29, 2018.

Graduates of the Fellows Program are awarded a certificate from UCLA. They are also given the option to receive academic-level credits at an additional cost. The program has enhanced the management and leadership capabilities of more than 1,500 Head Start directors and managers nationwide.

Target Audience

This program is open to Head Start and Early Head Start directors and managers who have been in their current position for a minimum of two years, and have experience in a leadership role at a local, state, or regional community organization. Participation in a community organization does not need to be current.

In addition, participants must identify a “co-participant” who will attend the final two and a half days of the program. The co-participant is identified as the participant’s supervisor or board chair. Two-person teams from the same program also are eligible to apply (limited number selected).

Cost for Participants

The National Center on Program Management and Fiscal Operations (PMFO) will defray the majority of program costs for both the participant and co-participant. This will include tuition, training materials, lodging, and most meals. Participants are responsible for a registration fee of $3,100. Participants and co-participants are also responsible for their travel expenses to and from Los Angeles.

How to Apply

Selected participants will be notified by May 4, 2018.

Questions?

If you have questions, please contact Jeanette Boom at jeanette.boom@anderson.ucla.edu or 310-825-6306.

The UCLA Head Start Management Fellows Program is offered by PMFO, in partnership with UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.

Harnessing Opportunity for Positive, Equitable Early Childhood Development (HOPE)

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February 1, 2018
The Nemours Children’s Health System is proud to launch The Project HOPE Consortium, a new partnership with The BUILD Initiative and BMC Vital Village Network supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Project HOPE is designed to generate real progress toward equitable outcomes for young children (prenatal to age five) and their families by building the capacity of local communities, state leaders, cross-sector state teams, and local coalitions to prevent social adversities in early childhood and promote child well-being.

Grant Opportunity
States and communities are invited to build collaborative teams to participate in this work. Up to eight community teams and seven state teams will be selected to receive grants that will support in-depth technical assistance for capacity-building through targeted funding, tailored provision of technical assistance, focused strategies and approaches, tools and materials, webinars, and support for in-person convening. Complete your Expression of Interest Survey before March 8, 2018.

Through this survey, cross-sector teams or leaders can express interest in the HOPE project. Selected community coalitions/teams will be invited to apply for grants of up to $80,000 over 18 months. Selected state teams and individual leader survey respondents will be invited to apply for seven state grants of up to $200,000 over 24 months.

Learn More
Join Nemours, BUILD Initiative, and BMC Vital Village for an informational webinar on Thursday, February 8 at 2:00 PM ET. Any questions can be submitted toprojecthope2018202@gmail.com. Questions received before February 5 will be addressed on the webinar. Register here.

What is Systems Building?

By working collectively on state systems and community approaches, The Project HOPE Consortium will help early childhood leaders from early learning, health, and other child- and family-serving systems develop health equity as a shared value. Learn more about systems building here

 

Registration Opens for the National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute

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The National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute is one of the premier educational opportunities for anyone involved in the care and education of young children with special needs in inclusive settings.

The Keynote Address
Janice Fialka (left)–parent, poet, a compelling storyteller, and an award-winning advocate for families and persons with disabilities–will present the 2017 Keynote address. She is a nationally-recognized speaker, author, and advocate on issues related to disability, parent-professional partnerships, inclusion, and raising a child with disabilities.

Her newest book, What Matters: Reflections on Disability, Community, and Love chronicles her son Micah’s journey of living a fully inclusive life. Special education pioneer Ann P. Turnbull said of it: “If I could recommend a single book about family life and disability to families and professionals alike, hands down, it is this one.”

The Popular Federal Plenary Session
Federal panelists return to share new information on early childhood policies and initiatives related to inclusion and to supporting children with disabilities and their families. Participants will have opportunities to ask questions and share their perspectives with the panelists.

A Movie-Maker and Her Brother
Two years ago, Jenna Kanell made the short award-winning romantic comedy Bumblebees about her younger brother, Vance, who has autism, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy. Using the film and Vance’s story, this year’s Family Plenary session will explore the role of early interventionists in supporting the entire family of a child with special needs, from the perspective of a sibling, parent, and the 20-year-old subject of the film himself. We will discuss the many ways that early interventionists provide hope to families when they need it the most, and how they prepare families for a future filled with amazing possibilities.

Dozens of world-class experts, dozens of groundbreaking sessions, free courses for CEUs—and an enduring impact.
For over 15 years, the Inclusion Institute has drawn people from across the country and around the globe to Chapel Hill to learn about the latest research findings, models, and resources to guide inclusive policy, professional development and practice; to develop collaborative relationships and cross-agency systems to support early childhood inclusion; and to have the opportunity to meet, learn from and problem solve with peers.

Read the 2016 Inclusion Institute Summary Report.

DEC Recommended Practices Monograph Series – Using DEC Family Practices with All Families: Call for Manuscripts

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The Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC) will be publishing its third monograph in the DEC Recommended Practices Monograph Series in 2017 concentrating on the Family topic area.

We are interested in manuscripts that highlight the Family Recommended Practices from multiple perspectives to support families with young children from birth – 5 years old who have or are at risk of developmental delays and disabilities.  We hope to publish manuscripts that represent the breadth and depth of each of the three themes of the DEC Family Recommended Practices (family-centered practices, family capacity-building practices, and family and professional collaboration), which include the 10 practices that can be downloaded from the DEC website.

We are especially interested in manuscripts that demonstrate innovative use of the DEC family recommended practices to (1) effectively address the complexities of partnering with families, (2) positively support families whose values and structures are different from the professionals supporting the families, (3) identify specific behaviors that encompass the active ingredients of the recommended practices, and (4) enhance families’ knowledge and skills to enrich their child’s development.

Suggested topics include applying the DEC Family Practices to strengthen:

  • Families who are supported by multiple formal systems
  • Reciprocity between caregivers in different EI/ECSE contexts (e.g., preschool teacher and family)
  • Families with limited access to needed supports, such as families who are undocumented and those lacking stable housing
  • Family outcomes
  • Families’ use of informal supports to help meet the needs of their family and children

We are seeking manuscripts well grounded in research that are written for practitioners as well as case studies that illustrate the nuances of partnering with individual families.  We are also seeking manuscripts that include families who are currently, or in the last year were, supported by Early Intervention or 619 programs as primary or equal contributors to manuscript development.  At least one Family Recommended Practice should be clearly targeted and woven into the manuscript.

Final inclusion of manuscripts will, in part, be determined to assure representation of different Family Recommended Practices.

Submission Deadline is December 15, 2016. Manuscripts should be 10-12 pages including references.

Please contact the co-editors Carol M. Trivette (trivettecm@etsu.edu) and Bonnie Keilty (bkeilty@hunter.cuny.edu) with any questions.

We look forward to receiving your submissions.

Housing and Early Childhood Programs on the January 2017 Point-In-Time Count

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12/8/2016

About the Point-In-Time Count

The Point-in-Time (PIT) count is an annual count of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in the last 10 days in January. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires its Continuum of Care (CoC) grantees[1] to conduct an annual count of sheltered homeless persons. CoCs also must conduct a count of unsheltered homeless persons every other year (odd numbered years).[2] Each count is planned, coordinated, and carried out locally by service providers and trained volunteers. While many CoCs complete their count of unsheltered persons on the night designated for the count, given the additional challenges associated with counting people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, some CoCs conduct their unsheltered count over the seven days following the night of the count.[3] This “post-night” approach may be particularly useful for counting unsheltered families and youth with young children.

Early Childhood and Housing Working Together

Many children in the United States start life without a home: in 2013, over one million children under six were estimated to have experienced homelessness.[4]

Infants, toddlers and preschoolers who experience homelessness are at grave risk of developmental delays due to a variety of factors such as a lack of prenatal and early health care, crowded and unsanitary living conditions, poor nutrition, and the trauma caused by severe poverty and unstable living arrangements.[5]

Early childhood providers who are serving young children and families experiencing homelessness can support the CoC PIT count efforts, thereby ensuring that families with young children are more likely to be included in this important count.

Please see the new 2-page fact sheet entitled Housing and Early Childhood Programs on the January 2017 Point-In-Time Count, available at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ecd/pit_count_2017ecefinal.pdf?nocache=1481234077 . This fact sheet, geared towards an early childhood audience, provides information about HUD’s annual Point-it-Time (PIT) count, and suggests strategies for how early childhood programs can help ensure the most comprehensive and effective count of families experiencing homelessness.

ECE involvement in PIT count planning can provide valuable insights into and help with

• selecting child/family-friendly count sites and creating a welcoming environment there,
• selecting child/family-friendly incentives[6] for count participation,
• recruiting volunteers, and
• suggesting other local service providers to assist with the count.

See the fact sheet https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ecd/pit_count_2017ecefinal.pdf?nocache=1481234077.

In addition, on October 31, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Education (ED) issued a joint Policy Statement on Meeting the Needs of Families with Young Children Experiencing and At Risk of Homelessness. The policy statement provides research and recommendations on ways in which early childhood and housing providers at the local and, in some cases, State levels can intentionally collaborate to provide safe, stable, and nurturing environments for pregnant women and families with young children who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. See the  Policy Statement on Meeting the Needs of Families with Young Children Experiencing and At Risk of Homelessness.

See also the new infographic that shows, in the United States, infancy is the age at which individuals are most likely to enter shelter or transitional housing, followed by ages one to five, and homelessness during pregnancy and in the early years is harmful to children’s development.

Ending family and early childhood homelessness in America will require the concerted efforts of all of us.

For more information on Early Care and Education for Children Experiencing Homelessness, see here..
Read The Family Room Blog Supporting Young Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness.

[1] Continuums of Care are local or regional planning bodies that coordinate housing and services for homeless individuals, families, and youth. Visit https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/coc/ for more information.
2 While only required by HUD during odd years, many CoCs conduct an unsheltered count every year.
3 CoCs using this approach must ensure that the persons counted are limited to people who were unsheltered on the night chosen for the PIT count and that the CoCs can properly deduplicate their data.
4  Early Childhood Homelessness in the United States: 50-State Profile. January 2016. Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
5 Perlman, S. (2015). Access to Early Childhood Programs for Young Children Experiencing Homelessness: A Survey Report. http://naehcy.org/sites/default/files/pdf/naehcy-survey-report.pdf
6 Many CoCs provide incentives to homeless people who participate in the PIT count. Incentives may include transit passes, meal gift cards, toiletries, backpacks, blankets, and items of clothing.

Source: The Administration for Children and Families

Effects of early childhood education and care on child development

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10/21/2015

This report considers international research on the impact of early childhood education and care (ECEC) provision upon children’s development and, while not exhaustive, is an extremely comprehensive review, using studies reported from a wide range of sources including journals, books, government reports and diverse organisation reports.

Early research was primarily concerned with whether children attending non-parental care developed differently from those not receiving such care. Later work recognised that childcare is not unitary and that the quality or characteristics of experience matters. Further research drew attention to the importance of the interaction between home and out of home experience. High quality childcare has been associated with benefits for children’s development, with the strongest effects for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. There is also evidence that negative effects can sometimes occur. The results of studies partly depend upon the context and ECEC systems in place in different countries, but there is sufficient commonality of findings to indicate that many results are not culture-specific.

While the research on pre-school education (three+ years) is fairly consistent, the research evidence on the effects of childcare (birth to three years) has been equivocal with some negative effects, some null effects and some positive effects. Discrepant results may relate to age of starting and also differences in the quality of childcare. In addition childcare effects are moderated by family background with negative, neutral and positive effects occur depending on the relative balance of quality of care at home and in childcare. Recent largescale studies find effects related to both quantity and quality of childcare. The effect sizes for childcare factors are about half those for family factors. The analysis strategy of most studies attributes variance to childcare factors only after family factors has been considered, and, where the two covary, this will produce conservative estimates of childcare effects.

Source:  Child care Canada

Available at: http://childcarecanada.org/documents/research-policy-practice/15/10/effects-early-childhood-education-and-care-child-developmen