Our Offices are Now Open to the Public
Child Care Resource Service is now to the public. Walk-in hours are as follows:
- Mon, Wed, Thur, Fri, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Tues 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
We ask that all visitors wear a mask when entering the CCRS offices. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home and call us rather than coming in. Phone hours will remain the same.
Walk-in staff will be available to take and print forms and to answer basic case information such as payment entry dates, case approval and information needed. For all other questions, you should continue to call the public phone line (217-333-3252, Option #2) to talk to a resource specialist. Walk-in staff does not have access to all case information.
If you are only dropping off information, paperwork, billings, etc., we suggest you continue to use the drop box located at the front doors of Bevier Hall.
Welcome back in the office!
The Science of Reading
Have you heard of the science of reading? It is the body of research focused on how we learn to read. Check out our newest Q&A, The Science of Reading in Preschool, and learn more about the importance of the science of reading for preschoolers, how the science of reading relates to curriculum, and how parents and teachers can use the science of reading to support early literacy in young children.
(217) 333-3252 | ccrs-navigator@illinois.edu
This craft is a particular favorite – mostly because it’s so straightforward and requires very little instruction. Seriously, just look at the illustration and the steps become clear. The only real limitation is imagination!
Live Provider Training Classes are Back!
We are, once again, offering in-person trainings this fall! Listed below are the trainings being offered for September and October.
Emergency Preparedness (In-Person)
Thursday, September 22, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Rantoul Public Library, 106 W. Flessner Ave., Rantoul, 2.0 Training Hours FREE
Presenter: Justin Bouse, Administrative Lieutenant, Rantoul Police Department
Child Development, Health & Safety Basics (In-Person)
Saturday, September 24, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Bevier Hall, Room 108, 905 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, 4.0 Training Hours FREE
Presenter: Newcomb Mowrer, CCRS, ITN Trainer
This training will provide participants an overview of child development, health, and safety issues for children birth through early school-age. Emphasis will be on understanding patterns of development, developmental domains, and the role of nutrition in development. In addition, health and safety issues will address supporting the growth of healthy children – from the basics such as handwashing to more in-depth practices surrounding healthy procedures and disease prevention. Participants will learn more about emergency planning/preparedness and first aid as well as identify tips for maintaining safe indoor/outdoor environments.
Trash to Treasure (In-Person)
Tuesday, October 4, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm,
Carle Conference West B, 810 W. University Ave., Urbana, 2.0 Training Hours FREE
Presenter: Rhonda Costa, Director, The Caring Place
Turning items headed to the trash into classroom activities, art materials, and objects to keep the children engaged in learning.
Thinking Outside the Book (In-Person)
Thursday, October 27, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Rantoul Public Library, 106 W. Flessner Ave., Rantoul, 2.0 Training Hours FREE
Presenter: Kari Britton, Director, Happi Time
Reading is FUN-damental, but so is expanding on a story to encourage active participation and creative thinking! We will look at many ways to enhance your story time, and we will also learn different ways to bring a story out of group time and incorporate it into other areas. Participants will participate in a small make-and-take activity to create something they can use right away in their classroom.
To register for any of these in-person offerings, contact Jenny Garinger at (217) 333-7816 or by email at garinger@illinois.edu.
Zoom Training Opportunities for Child Care Providers
Building the Road to Resilience (Zoom training)
Thursday, September 29, 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 concept of resiliency and how to build resiliency in the youth and families they are working with. This training challenges attendees to assess their own resiliency traits and begin exploring how their own traits impact their ability to build resiliency in youth and families. This training will define resiliency, and explore domains, characteristics, and traits that are needed in order to build and strengthen resiliency. This training will also identify strategies to build resiliency in outside supports and inner strengths in youth and families.
Facilitating Play (Zoom training)
Thursday, October 6, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
2.0 Training Hours, FREE
Presenter: Kari Britton, Director, Happi Time
Using video and photo examples of staff facilitating play in the classroom, we will discuss and compare different ideas on what teachers can add to play centers and how to extend communication during free play. We will learn why different play centers are important to a child’s development and how a teacher can expand the materials in centers in order to provide for greater cognitive and social-emotional growth in children.
No More “No Thank You Bite” – Using Responsive Feeding in Childcare (Zoom training)
Thursday, October 13, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, 2.0 Training Hours FREE
Presenter: Alexandra Lundquist, Doctor of Nutrition
Honoring children’s hunger and fullness signals, encouraging children to eat, and not using pressure to force children to finish food are all recommended practices for teachers feeding children. These practices refer to the “how” of feeding children – often called responsive feeding. Responsive feeding supports children to become independent eaters with healthy dietary behaviors. Unfortunately, a lot of what we may have been taught about eating such as finishing our plates or taking ‘no thank you’ bites are not responsive feeding practices and may discourage young eaters. In this training, we learn about responsive feeding practices, why they matter, why they might look different in the childcare setting, and how to implement them.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS/SUID/AAP Safe Sleep) (Zoom training)
Tuesday, October 25, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm, 1.5 Training Hours FREE
Presenter: Kathy Martin, Infant Toddler Specialist, CCRS
This training discusses Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS/SUID/AAP Safe Sleep), including behaviors that increase the risk of SIDS, safe sleep habits, licensing standards, and resources for further information.
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To register for any of these new Zoom offerings, contact Jenny Garinger at (217) 333-7816 or by email at garinger@illinois.edu.
If you prefer to do trainings on your own schedule, remember the Gateways i-learning website is always available at 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.
Register here: https://illinoisaeyc.org/conference/. We can’t wait to see you there!
Strengthen and Grow Child Care Grants
SGCC Round 4 opened on Monday August 29, 2022 for new applications and for eligible programs to submit a budget. The application will close on September 16, 2022. Programs with an eligible application MUST submit a budget by September 16th. Programs that are applying for the first time (or that were found ineligible before) must apply and submit a budget by September 16th. If a budget is not submitted by September 16th the program will not be reviewed for a grant. We encourage programs not to wait until the last day; if they run into issues, they often times can’t resolve them in a day.
Here Are A Couple of Helpful Resources
Steps to submit a budget tip sheet https://www.ilgateways.com/docman-docs/financial-opportunities/covid-19-relief/sgcc-grant/2297-sgcc-steps-to-submit-budget/file
Applying for SGCC webinar slides https://www.ilgateways.com/docman-docs/financial-opportunities/covid-19-relief/sgcc-grant/2224-sgcc-ta-webinar-slides/file
Applying for SGCC webinar recording https://register.gotowebinar.com/recording/1677021734396892431
We also added grant timelines and application available dates for Rounds 5 and 6 to the SGCC webpage.
- SGCC Round 5 February – April 2023 (Applications available in December)
- SGCC Round 6 May – July 2023 (Applications available in March)