LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE (LIHEAP) NOW OPEN
The Regional Planning Commission will be opening in stages. Starting October 2, LIHEAP opened appointments for people who are seniors, disabled, and/or have children under the age of six.
On Wednesday, November 1, LIHEAP appointments will open for households that are disconnected from their utilities, have a disconnection notice, or have less than 25% in their propane tank.
All other income eligible households will be able to start making appointments on Friday, December 1, 2023.
Appointments made for October can be scheduled in-person only at the RPC’s office inside the Brookens Administrative Center (1776 E. Washington Street, Urbana), at 2009 Round Barn Road in Champaign, and at the Rantoul Business Center (601 S. Century Boulevard, Suite 1314), or by phone at 217-384-1226.
Please bring the following with you to fully participate in your appointment:
- Social Security card for all members of the household
- Proof of income covering the past 30 days
- A recent gas/electric bill or rental agreement if utilities are included in rent
- A disconnect notice if you’re within seven days of disconnection
- If you have a pending disability case you must provide a letter from the Social Security Office stating that your disability case is pending.
For more information, please visit the Regional Planning Commission’s website at Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) – Champaign County Regional Planning Commission (ccrpc.org) or email info@ccrpc.org with questions.
PROTECTING EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS FROM INFECTION
Keeping early childhood settings clean reduces the risk of infection for children and educators. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov) has resources on hand hygiene (Hand Hygiene in School and Early Care and Education | CDC) and cleaning and disinfecting (How To Clean and Disinfect Early Care and Education Settings | CDC). A free online clean hands and spaces training is available in English and Spanish at Clean Hands and Spaces: Web-Based Training | CDC. Additional resources are available on CDC’s early care and education portal at Protecting Your Early Care and Education Program from COVID-19 and Other Infections | CDC.
NOW AVAILABLE ON I-LEARNING AT ILGATEWAYS.COM
Trauma-Informed Practice for Childcare Providers
Trauma-Informed Practice for Childcare Providers explores concepts in a variety of areas including infant/early childhood mental health, social emotional development of young children, and trauma and adverse childhood experiences. Participants will look at indicators, benchmarks, and ways to foster social emotional learning in culturally responsive ways. This training meets the DCFS requirement for trauma-informed care. Enroll at: Gateways i-learning System: Log in to the site (inccrra.org)
GATEWAYS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
The Gateways Scholarship Program pays up to 100% OF TUITION FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION and Child Development (ECE/CD) coursework and degrees at participating colleges. “While most of my successes have come from hard work and a genuine drive to make a difference, it would not have been possible without my Gateways Scholarship.” – J. Smith For more information, visit www.ilgateways.com or email scholarship@ilgateways.com.
EI CLEARINGHOUSE SHARES IDEAS TO BUILD SKILLS WITH OUTDOOR FUN
Families can use outdoor play to work on early intervention outcomes. Resources on the Early Intervention Clearinghouse’s website illustrate how a popular activity such as blowing bubbles can be a way to work on many different skills often covered in early intervention. The clearinghouse’s most recent newsletter focuses on outdoor fun and provides great ideas to encourage families to move more and learn in the great outdoors. Explore one of these great resources:
NEW RESOURCES ON GEOGRAPHY AND WEATHER
Young children love learning about interesting places, which could be as close as their local neighborhood or as far away as a country across the world. Teachers can support this curiosity with help from our new resource list, Teaching Geography | Illinois Early Learning Project. An exploration of places can also lead to an interesting discussion of climate and weather. For example, a teacher might ask her students, “I wonder how much snow there is each year in Alaska” or “What types of clothes do we wear in the snow?” Check out the Weather Ready resource list at Weather Ready | Illinois Early Learning Project, which gives educators and caregivers resources about how to keep young children safe, healthy, and comfortable in all types of weather.