IEL’s NEW PODCAST ABOUT PROMOTING FRIENDSHIPS
IEL, Illinois Early Learning, has launced a new podcast. Parents and teachers can support young children by encouraging them to develop friendships with their peers. Learn more in our latest podcast, Making and Keeping Friends for Young Children with and without Disabilities, featuring Dr. Seon Yeong Yu, an associate professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Dr. Yu shares tips for teachers and parents about friendship development for all young children. Our tip sheet, Making and Keeping Friends, is a wonderful complement to this podcast.
PREVENT CHILD ABUSE SURVEY
Prevent Child Abuse Illinois is conducting a statewide survey on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and we need your help! Please take 10 minutes to complete the survey. The information you provide will help guide our future education and public awareness campaigns. But wait… there’s more!! We also need your help to reach as many people as possible. Please forward this email or the survey link to your family, friends, clients, coworkers, dentist, plumber, dog walker, basically everyone! Help us reach people and sectors we can’t reach on our own. PCA Illinois’ goal is to reach at least 5,000 people from across the state. We can only attain that goal with your help!
CLICK HERE TO START THE SURVEY
Thank you for your support and partnership and for believing that all children deserve great childhoods.
For questions about the survey or for more information contact Kelsey Greene, ACEs Project Director at kgreene@pcaillinois.org
Prevent Child Abuse Illinois is working in partnership with the Illinois Department of Public Health-Division of Maternal, Child and Family Health Services and the Health and Medicine Policy Research Group (HMPRG) on the Adverse Childhood Experiences Project.
RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY FOR PARENTS ON WIC
The Body Composition and Nutritional Neuroscience Lab is a research laboratory within the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The BCNN Lab is launching a study called ELIAS (Early Life Influences on Attention Study) and it is focused on the cognitive and nutritional development of infants over time beginning at 12-18 months.
If you choose to participate, you will be asked to come to six in-person visits throughout 12 months time with two visits at the start, two visits six months later, and a final two visits 6 months after that.
More information, eligibility, and scheduling can be done by directly contacting our study at elias.uiuc@gmail.com. You will be asked to come to 6 visits (1.5 hours each) over the course of 12 months and will receive $420 in Amazon e-gift cards. Additional compensation will be provided for those traveling over 30 miles. Contact elias.uiuc@gmail.com if interested.
CHILDCARE WORKFORCE BONUS – DEADLINE EXTENDED
The Child Care Workforce Bonus application deadline has been extended to Friday, April 29, 2022.
The CCWB application is available online at the Registry Director Portal. The first step to a successful application is to check and revise your staff listing with the Gateways Registry Director Portal. If this is not completed first, it will affect your bonus amount and will slow down the processing of your application.
Don’t miss this grant opportunity! Apply today!
SPRING IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER
Spring will be here soon, and its arrival provides many opportunities for children to be outside and learn about nature in Illinois. Check out some of the tip sheets in our Natural Illinois series and learn more about living creatures in the environment:
Article orginally appeared at: Tip Sheets | Illinois Early Learning Project
DO YOU NEED HELP PAYING FOR CHILDCARE?
You can now receive financial assistance for child care costs through the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) for 3 months while you look for a job or enroll in school! Income eligible working families can also receive CCAP! Contact a Child Care Resource & Referral Agency to apply today!
Use this chart to see if your family might be eligible.
Family Size Maximum Monthly Income (Gross before taxes) 2 $2,903 3 $3,660 4 $4,417 5 $5,173 6 $5,930 7 $6,687 8 $7,443
*Income guidelines as of July 1, 2021
Contact Child Care Resource Service today to see if you qualify or to start an application!
217 333 3252 | 800 325 5516 | ccrs.illinois.edu
ILLINOIS CARES FOR KIDS INVITING ALL FAMILIES TO JOIN READY4K
What is Ready 4K
Ready4K is a FREE service for parents with children ages 0-11. Each week, Ready4K offers easy, relatable, fun facts and tips delivered via text messages to help kids thrive in school and life.
Ready 4K helps parents:
• Communicate better with their child• Make learning part of every day• Promote their children’s development by building on existing family routines• Feel supported and encouraged• Get connected to local services and resources
Messages delivered in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamesse, Arabic, or Russian.
TEXT IL4KIDS to 70138 to register or visit illinoiscaresforkids.org
ZOOM TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILD CARE PROVIDERS
Below are the trainings that we are offering through Zoom in May and June*:
*The April trainings are already full. Please contact Jenny Garinger if you want to be added to the waiting list.
Understanding ACES: Why the Body Doesn’t Forget
Tuesday, May 3, from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm, 1.5 Training Hours FREE
Presenter: Jill Duden, Prevention Specialist, Prevent Child Abuse Illinois
This training introduces attendees to the Adverse Childhood Experiences study that was done in the late 1990’s. Attendees will learn about how two doctors came to the findings of the study, and what they were able to conclude due to the study. This training will explore a deeper understanding of brain development, and what types of stress impact healthy brain development. Attendees will learn how adverse childhood experiences impact lifelong physical and mental health. The conclusion of this training will focus on resilience, and how building resilience can negate the negative impacts of adverse childhood experiences.
ECE Credential Level 1 Module 8a: Preschool Social and Emotional Development
Thursday, May 12, from 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm, 3.0 Training Hours FREE
Presenter: Vicky Foster, ITN Trainer
As children approach preschool age, their needs begin to change. This is the first of four classes designed to better understand children as they approach school-age. You will identify characteristics of social and emotional development and learn techniques for promoting appropriate and effective discipline for preschool children.
ECE Credential Level 1 Module 8b: Preschool Physical Development
Thursday, May 26, from 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm, 3.0 Training Hours FREE
Presenter: Vicky Foster, ITN Trainer
As toddlers mature, their minds are not the only things growing at an incredible rate. You will understand the special areas of physical development in preschool-aged children. You also will learn about fine motor activities that will help preschoolers grow into their bodies while developing proper coordination and movement.
ECE Credential Level 1 Module 8c: Preschool Language Development
Thursday, June 9, from 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm, 3.0 Training Hours FREE
Presenter: Vicky Foster, ITN Trainer
Appropriate speech patterns and language skills are crucial to nurturing effective communications by preschoolers. In this third class on preschool development, you will explore how to use a picture and storybooks to lay the foundation for good reading and proper language use. This class comes complete with discussion on how to help children with special needs.
ECE Credential Level 1 Module 8d: Preschool Cognitive Development
Thursday, June 23, from 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm, 3.0 Training Hours FREE
Presenter: Vicky Foster, ITN Trainer
In this final session on preschool development, you will dive deeper into how preschoolers learn and identify tips for making learning fun. With suggestions for activities that encourage your preschoolers to explore numbers, shapes, colors, and science, this class gives all the information you need to grow and stretch the ability of children to think and understand.
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Please install the Zoom app on your device (cell phone, tablet, laptop, desktop) before the day of the training. Go to https://zoom.us/ to sign up. Prior to the meeting date, you will be emailed a link to join the meeting along with a Meeting ID and password. We do encourage you to join the meeting early so the facilitator can help you if you have any technical difficulties. You can also head to the Zoom website at support.zoom.us and watch video tutorials on how the app works.
Contact Jenny Garinger at garinger@illinois.edu or 217-333-7816 to register.
If you prefer to do trainings on your own schedule, remember the Gateways i-learning website is always available: https://courses.inccrra.org. These trainings are Gateways Registry-approved and cover a variety of child development and early childhood education topics. Trainings automatically appear on your Gateways Registry Professional Development Record (PDR), and they are FREE. Be sure to have your Gateways Registry online username and password to login.
OUR OFFICE IS STILL CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC
Please note, the CCRS OFFICE IS STILL CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. At this time, only University students and staff are permitted in the building. Please, do not attempt to enter the building with the expectation of being able to enter our office. This will not happen. We are trying to determine how to open within University guidelines while keeping our visitors and staff safe. We appreciate your continued patience.
To drop off forms, use the CCRS Drop Box located on the front door of Bevier Hall on Goodwin Avenue. The drop box inside Bevier Hall is closed; only staff and students are allowed inside buildings.
To contact staff, please call 217-333-3252 or 800-325-5516 or submit questions or forms through email at ccrs@illinois.edu or fax at 217-333-2147
