Family Child Care
NAFCC offers free webinars!
They offer CEU credits for webinars – learn more.
Register for webinars – click here.
Webinar Recording: Improving Safe Sleep Conversations: Strategies for Helping Families Adopt Safe Sleep Habits
Home Network Happenings
We support Family Child Care (FCC) Providers by offering:
- Technical Assistance and Coaching
- Professional Development Opportunities
- Materials Lending Library
- Business Efficiencies
- Assistance with Enrollment
- Partnerships to provide Early Head Start and Head Start Services
We have worked with FCC Providers for 19 years!
All of our coaches have Colorado Coaching Credentials and have been FCC Providers themselves!
Come join us!
For more information: Josie Watters
(719) 632-1754 ext. 1014
The CCCAP Attendance Tracking System is LIVE!
Providers can log into ATS from HERE.
To support your work with families and providers, the Office of Early Childhood is sharing a parent/caregiver handout and a provider handout with the latest information. You may also:
· Visit the Office of Early Childhood website
· Call the ATS Help Desk for technical assistance at 844.447.4441 or
· Email cdhs_ats_helpdesk@state.co.us
Learn more about Colorado Shines!
Quality Rating and Improvement System | QRIS
Professional Development Information System | PDIS
The PDIS is a website to host all of your personal professional development information, and provides free online professional development opportunities. This website is for staff, including teachers and assistant teachers, directors, and family child care providers and staff. The information on your PDIS account will be linked with the Colorado Shines account of the center or home where you currently work. To access PDIS you simply need an email address.
For FREE FCCERS-3 Summer 2021 training, download the ERS Flyer.
Applications for the Colorado Shines Quality Improvement grant are now CLOSED.
There are TWO STEPS to the application process:
First, login to Colorado Shines QRIS.
Click on Application.
Click on each tab of the QRIS Quality Application.
Update your site’s information and click Save.
As you complete each tab, scroll to the top to click the “profile complete and ready to submit” box.
Click the Submit Application button.
Second, while still logged in to QRIS, click on Quality Improvement, then click on the QI Incentives tab.
Click on the blue renew or apply button to complete the Grant Application.
Questions?
Tina Fennell, Early Childhood Outreach Specialist
719.291.8112
Coaching
Are you looking to add another level of support for your teachers to help transfer knowledge into practice in the classroom and provide a relationship in which they can set and attain professional goals?
Are you interested in providing reflective settings for teachers to think through their practice and have opportunities to discuss their ideas about the ways that they teach?
Coaching opportunities have been shown to increase transfer of learning to 95% and also provides teachers with psychological supports they need to persist in learning. Alliance for Kids is proud to offer coaching hours through Quality Improvement Initiatives and is also working to build the community of credentialed coaches in El Paso County.
For complete coaching information, visit our Coaching page.
Background Checks
These rules align background check requirements with Federal Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Regulations.
REVIEW THE RULES HERE or visit the Office of Early Childhood website for more information.
Start Preparing Now!
- Review notable changes (below) as well as the full rule document (linked above).
- Ensure all current employees are aware of the potential changes.
- Inform all current employees who have not had a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) background check in the last five (5) years they will likely need to have a new background check completed.
- Inform all staff eighteen (18) years of age and over they will likely need to complete all background checks.
- Be prepared to ensure new staff who start on or after September 30, 2018 have all required background checks on file before caring for children.
- Be prepared to ensure all volunteers have required background checks on file by September 30, 2018.
Notable changes include:
- Requirements for current employees:
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) background checks required every five (5) years.
- All background checks required for staff under the age of 18.
- Requirements for staff employed starting on September 30, 2018:
- Individuals who care or supervise children or who have unsupervised access to children must successfully complete all required background checks before caring for, or being allowed unsupervised access to children.
- Individuals with cleared CBI or FBI record checks may care for children while supervised for a period no longer than 90 days.
- Requirements for Family Child Care Homes and Qualified Exempt Child Care Homes:
- Residents of child care homes, ages 18 years and older, must complete all required background checks.
- New residents of child care homes, ages 18 years and older, must submit all required background checks within five (5) calendar days. Unsupervised access to children in care is not to be allowed until all required background checks have been successfully completed.
- Residents of the home turning 18 must submit a CBI and FBI background check within fourteen (14) days of turning 18.
- Requirements for volunteers:
- Volunteers who care or supervise children or who have unsupervised access to children must complete all required background checks.
- Volunteers who provide infrequent and irregular supervised care or supervised parent volunteers do not need to comply with background checks.
Results of the CBI, FBI and Abuse and Neglect checks must be kept on file and be available for review upon request.
Specific questions regarding the new rules may be directed to the Office of Early Childhood’s Background Investigation Unit at cdhs_oec_backgroundinvestigation@state.co.us.
For additional information, contact Geanina Brown, Quality Initiatives Coach Supervisor.
Qualifications and Guidelines for Substitutes
- Substitutes for Infant/Toddler Family Child Care Homes and Large Family Child Care homes must be equally qualified (same qualifications as the primary provider).
Per the 7.707.31 B clarification, – only Infant Toddler Home Substitutes are required to have taken EQIT: Equally qualified means that the provider, employee, or substitute provide has the same required training and qualifications as the primary provider as specified in Family Child Care rules. Each provider must have completed Expanding Quality for Infants & Toddlers training (EQIT).
Additional Resources:
Our newsletters are monthly and provide early childhood information, professional development opportunities, and information for families.
