ECE-INSIDER A DIVISION OF CHILD CARE NEWSLETTER FOR KENTUCKY S EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION CHILD CARE PROVIDERS JULY 2015

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1 Page 1 ECE-INSIDER A DIVISION OF CHILD CARE NEWSLETTER FOR KENTUCKY S EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION CHILD CARE PROVIDERS JULY 2015 According to the National Center on Quality Teaching, preschool teachers can help students develop positive relationships with other children and develop the social and emotional skills needed to succeed in kindergarten. Teachers can guide children toward goals associated with managing their emotions, behaving appropriately, and following classroom rules. The best way for children to grow socially and academically is by having a clean space, nutritious meals and time for learning through play. Preschoolers need time and space to practice solitary play, parallel play and dramatic play (also called role-playing) in addition to caring adults to help them develop necessary skills. Teachers are key in helping children develop self-confidence and identity that positively relates to their families and cultures. High quality child care centers focus on staff training and mentoring to ensure staff can meet the needs of children and improve school readiness for all children. Provider Requirements in Child Care: (14) In accordance with KRS (15) and (16), a staff person with supervisory authority over a child shall complete the following: (a) Six (6) hours of cabinet-approved orientation within the first three (3) months of employment; (b) Nine (9) hours of cabinet-approved early care and education training within the first year of employment, including one and one-half (1 1/2) hours of pediatric abusive head trauma training; and (c) Fifteen (15) hours of cabinet-approved early care and education training during each subsequent year of employment, including one and one-half (1 1/2) hours of pediatric abusive head trauma training completed once every five (5) years. (15) A staff person s compliance with the requirement for pediatric abusive head trauma training specified in subsection (14) or other training requirements of this section may be verified through the cabinet-designated database maintained pursuant to 922 KAR 2:240. EDUCATION AND TRAINING RECORDS FOR ALL CHILD CARE STAFF (e) A current personnel file for each child-care center staff person to include: 1. Name, address, date of birth, and date of employment; 2. Proof of educational qualifications; 3. Record of annual performance evaluation; 4. Written record of training participation to include: a. The training source; b. Location; c. Date; and d. Number of clock hours completed. Pediatric abusive head trauma training is available for free at: Our Mission: To provide leadership in building high quality, community based access to child care and early learning that enhances health, safety, permanency, well-being and self-sufficiency for Kentucky's children and families. INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Provider requirements Employee Records Training Approvals Child Care Scholarship Funds ECE Clock hour training What is the CCHC Changes to Booster Seat Law STARS Interim reports Additional questions regarding Kentucky Administrative Regulations for Child Care can be ed to: Childcare.regulation@ky.gov CCAP program requirements Free Training and useful links

2 Directors are responsible for ensuring that every employee on staff has met all the training requirements specified in Kentucky s Administrative Regulations for Child Care. Directors should maintain a file for each person which include: 1. Name, address, date of birth, and date of employment; 2. Proof of educational qualifications; 3. Record of annual performance evaluation; 4. Written record of training participation to include: a. The training source; b. Location; c. Date; and d. Number of clock hours completed. Page 2 Complete set of Child Care regulations can be found at: Information Regarding Training Approvals and Training Records The Division of Child Care s Professional Development Registry known as ECE-TRIS is the official training record for all child care staff across the state. College coursework, training approvals, and requests for clock hour credits should be summited Professional Development staff via or by using the online approval process. The ECE-TRIS Training Manager is intended for those who wish to seek approval from the Division of Child Care (DCC) to offer Early Care and Education clock hours for events that are not conducted by a credentialed trainer. Per regulation 922 KAR 2:240, all early care and education conferences, seminars and institutes using individuals not holding a current Kentucky Early Care and Education Trainer's Credential must be registered with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services' Division of Child Care. Only training hours obtained at registered training events, or from a Kentucky Early Care and Education Credential Trainer, will meet training requirements for Licensed, Registered, or Certified providers, STARS for KIDS Now programs, the Commonwealth Child Care Credential, and the required training of the Kentucky Early Care and Education Trainer s Credential. For questions regarding the process, please contact the DCC Professional Development Staff at (502) SCHOLARSHIPS KIDS NOW Early Childhood Development College and Non-college Scholarships are available for early care and education professionals who are employed at least twenty hours a week in a licensed or certified early childhood facility and have no other available education funding source. College and University KIDS NOW scholarships offer the opportunity for Early Care and Education Professionals to obtain their Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, Kentucky Director s Credential, an Early Childhood Associate and/or Bachelor degree, and an Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (IECE) certification. KIDS NOW Non-College scholarships offer an opportunity for ECE professionals to obtain the Commonwealth Child Care Credential and/or the CDA by attending sixty (60) to one hundred twenty (120) hours of a planned program of instruction offered at one of the Approved Training Organizations located across the state. In addition to Early Care and Education Scholarships, as long as funding is available, ECE KIDS NOW scholars may also receive monetary grants and educational achievement awards as they move along Kentucky s Early Childhood Professional Development pathway. Information and assistance with accessing the Early Childhood Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) scholarship or the Non-college college scholarship is available through your local Professional Development Counselor. The link below will provide you with contact information for the Professional Development Counselor in your area:

3 Page 3 Early Care and Education Clock Hours Currently, there are four ways in place to obtain approved clock hour training to meet licensing, certified, and registered provider training requirements, STARS and credential renewal hours. 1. Training is conducted by a Kentucky Early Care and Education Credentialed Trainer 2. Training event/conference/ or on-line training has been pre-approved by the Division of Child Care 3. College credit received in early care and education courses and/or education school age courses 4. Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) approved EILA hours (In-Service Early Care and Education trainings) may be used to meet training requirements for licensing, certification and registered providers, CCCC renewal and STARS. (KDE hours cannot be used for renewal of the Kentucky Early Care and Education Trainer s Credential). *Note: The Division of Child Care has developed criteria to approve In state and Out-of-state training as well as online training. DCC considers for approval all training that addresses ECE Core Content for staff working with ages 0-12 years of age and administrative staff training (s). Approval for trainings must be submitted online 30 days prior to the training event start date. Online Training Approvals Process: 1) Thirty (30) days before the training begins submit application online 2) DCC professional development staff will review the application 3) If the training is approved an will be sent to the requestor DCC Approved Trainings: CPR/FIRST AID, ECOOL Online Orientation Training, and/or Conferences on the approved list found online are approved for clock hour training. DCC approved training programs include: Trainers Credential Program, Director s Credential, CDA, CCCC, Kentucky Early Childhood Development Scholarship funded programs. For additional information visit the professional development page at: College course work from an accredited institution may be accepted if the Professional Development staff deem the course acceptable for Early Care and Education Clock hour credit. Typically courses that can be applied in child care setting or designed to provide quality programming and services will be approved. In order to receive clock hour credit for completed course work individual staff shall request approval for clock-hours by submitting a transcript and a course description through to the professional development staff. Professional development staff may be reached by telephone at (502) ECE-TRIS is an Early Care and Education database created to store and maintain individual training records for all Early Care and Education professionals in Kentucky. Directors should update staff records whenever new staff are hired or when staff leave your employment. The ECE-TRIS record contains a list of all clock hours which count towards training requirements found in licensing regulations and STARS for Kids, Now regulations. Need help with TRIS? Additional information on setting up an ECE-TRIS account for your facility or for and individual can be provided by contacting ECE-TRIS at (859) or the Technical Assistance Coordinator for your area at Child Care Aware listed at: care aware/regionalstaff.aspx.

4 Page 4 Free Training from CCHC Kentucky Child Care Health Consultation, for a Healthy Start in Child Care, is part of the KIDS NOW Initiative. The program provides consultation and technical assistance on health, safety and nutrition for children ages 0-5 to child care providers. Trained Child Care Health Consultants from local health departments participate in joint activities with Child Care Aware and the STARS for KIDS NOW program in their areas to ensure collaboration and coordination on issues impacting the quality of child care. The Child Care Health Consultants, which include Registered Nurses and Health Educators, consult with child care providers and their families via telephone, or on-site to promote healthy, safe and nurturing environments for optimal child development. The Kentucky Department for Public Health launched this website and a toll-free Child Care Health Consultation Helpline, staffed by Child Care Health Consultant Technical Assistants at the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department. The Helpline (877) was established to assist child care providers and other child care consultants across the state and provides free technical assistance to child care centers, including answering questions and providing information about health, safety and nutrition for children. Contact information for Child Care Aware Technical Assistance staff: Transportation: Ensuring Regulatory Compliance Governor Steve Beshear has signed a new law to keep children in booster seats longer. The "Booster Seat Law" was signed on June 15, 2015 at Kentucky Children's Hospital in Lexington. It raises the requirement for the use of booster seats from 50 to 57 inches. State highway officials say seat belts don't fit correctly on children under 4'9" inches tall. The age restriction for riding in booster seats was also raised from seven to eight years old. The new requirements for booster seat usage begin on July 1, Child care providers that transport children will need to be in compliance with all Kentucky Department of Transportation requirements for children and licensing regulations. If you need technical assistance related to your child care license please contact Child Care Aware staff in your region. A complete map of Child Care Aware regions is available on the next page of this publication.

5 Page 5 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM CHILD CARE AWARE Technical Assistance is a collaborative, relationship-based model of assistance and support designed to: Identify, select, or design evidence-based solutions to address problems, needs or goals, Adopt or adapt knowledge to practice, and Effectively implement solutions customized to meet the needs of clients The Kentucky Partnership for Early Childhood Services offers early childhood technical assistance through Child Care Aware. Child Care Aware staff deliver technical assistance to child care providers, both current and those seeking licensure. employers seeking information on how they can better meet the child care needs of their employees and community members seeking information on child care in general may Contact local Child Care Aware staff for

6 Page 6 PAGE 6 ECE-INSIDER Breast feeding and breast milk in the child care setting Breast milk provides the ideal nutrition for infants. It has a nearly perfect mix of vitamins, protein, and fat. Breast milk has everything a baby needs to grow and it's more easily digested than infant formula. Breast milk contains antibodies that help babies fight off viruses and bacteria. Breastfeeding lowers a baby's risk of having asthma or allergies. Plus, babies who are breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months, without any formula, have fewer ear infections, respiratory illnesses, and bouts of diarrhea. They also have fewer hospitalizations and trips to the doctor. If your program serves infants who are breast feeding consider providing a discreet place for mothers to breast feed their children before they leave for the day or at other times if possible. Note: Caregivers/teachers shall store breast milk: Immediately upon arrival in a refrigerator at 39 F or 4 C (for up to 5 days). Be sure to label milk to ensure that it s served to the child for which it was intended rather than other children in the child care center or certified child care home. Additional information about BEST PRACTICES in child care can be found on the CCHC website REQUIREMENTS FOR STARS: INTERIM REPORTS STARS-rated programs that are a STARS Level 2 or higher are required to complete an annual INTERIM REPORT except during renewal year. Directors must certify that staff have the appropriate education and ECE clock hours (hire date, to hire date) in accordance with Child care regulations 922 KAR 2:170 STARS for KIDS NOW Program for Type I licensed child-care centers or 922 KAR 2:210 STARS for KIDS NOW Program for Type II licensed and certified family child-care homes. Directors shall ensure they have documentation of sufficient training for themselves in order to ensure the center s STARS Rating is not lowered during the interim period. For technical assistance on how to improve program quality rating or for help completing your interim report contact your STARS Quality Coordinators by telephone at (859) or by contacting the STARS for KIDS, NOW program staff. CHILD CARE SUBSIDY PROGRAM 922 KAR 2:160 Changes to 922 KAR 2:160 the Kentucky Administrative Regulation which establishes requirements for eligibility and participation in the child care subsidy program (CCAP) have been finalized. Effective August 15, 2015 participation in the STARS for KIDS Now program is a mandatory for CCAP providers that have a Type I, Type II license or provide care in a Certified home. STARS Technical Assistance is available for free by contacting a STARS for KIDS Now Quality Coordinator. To contact a STARS Quality Coordinator (SQC) by telephone call (859)

7 Page 7 Professional Development Opportunities New Free Online Training Module Released! The Governor's Office of Early Childhood (KYGOEC), in partnership with Kentucky Educational Television (KET), has released a free online training course that aims to help early childhood professionals prepare children across the Commonwealth for success in school. The course, designed to strengthen the early childhood workforce, examines the Kentucky Early Childhood Standards and their essential components: standards, benchmarks, the developmental continuum, and example behaviors. The module features videos of real educators explaining and demonstrating the standards in the classroom. "A high-quality early childhood workforce is of tremendous importance not only to our children, but the future of Kentucky," KYGOEC Executive Director Terry Tolan said. "This module will bring convenient and economical training to professionals who have a daily impact on Kentucky's children." Click here to access the module on the KET website.

8 Page 8 For detailed information and specific updates about child care regulation changes, please visit: For Child Care Tools, Tips, Forms and Resources, please visit: Additional questions regarding Kentucky Administrative Regulations for Child Care can be ed to: Childcare.regulation@ky.gov Helpful Phone Numbers and Websites Phone Number Website Division of Child Care (502) Division of Regulated Child Care (502) Child Care Health Consultation (877) Child Care Aware (877) Quality Enhancement Initiative (859) ccsearch.aspx qei.aspx Training into Practice Project (TIPP) (859) tipp.aspx Kentucky Governor's Office of Early Childhood (502) ECE-TRIS Early Care and Education Training Records Information System (877) 312-TRIS (8747)

9 Page 9 Online Training Approval Process: 1. Complete online Application of Registration of Conference, Seminar, Institute, or Workshop at 2. Provide a description of the event, agenda, training topics, overall objectives, and statements describing how the training event relates to early care and education on your application. 3. Provide a list of all trainers 4. Upload a resume or vita for all trainers not holding a current Early Care and Education Trainer s Credential 5. Provide credential numbers for all trainers holding a current Early Care and Education Trainer s Credential (Each credentialed trainer must follow the normal process for utilization of his or her trainer s credential.) A trainer with a Kentucky Early Care and Education Trainer s Credential does not need pre-approval for conducting sessions but must submit their information to TRIS within 10 calendar days.

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