April 2018 Newsletter

Week of the Young Child

A fun-filled week celebrating young children and their families with hands-on, collaborative activities encouraging movement and healthy lifestyles through music, food, and art.

The Week of the Young Child™ is an annual celebration hosted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) celebrating early learning, young children, their teachers, and families.

This year’s event is April 16–20, 2018! Celebrate with Music Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Work Together Wednesday, Artsy Thursday and Family Friday!

Start planning your celebration with event ideas and activities linked below!

New Community Health Improvement Plan

New Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) Prioritizes Access to Child Care and Mental & Emotional Well-Being

Larimer County Department of Health and Environment has just announced the 2018-2023 CHIP priorities, based on input from over 180 community partners. The following priorities received final approval by the Larimer County Board of Health on March 15, 2018:

In an Equitable and Culturally Responsive Manner,

• Promoting Mental and Emotional Well-being across the Lifespan:
  • Address Gaps in Required Continuum of Care
  • Substance Use Disorder and Treatment
  • Primary Prevention
• Access to Quality Childcare:
  • Affordability
  • Recruitment and Retention of the Childcare Workforce
  • Infant and Toddler Care

Both priorities align with what we know young children need.  The Leap Coalition will continue to support the first priority by connecting and strengthening systems so that young children in Larimer County are supported in their social and emotional wellbeing in a culturally responsive manner.

The second priority, increasing access to quality child care, is a critical need in our community, and setting this as a priority is a recognition that lack of access is a health as well as an economic issue.  Research has shown that high quality early childhood education can be a protective factor against lifelong disorders and disabilities.  ECCLC is looking forward to partnering with CHIP to continue to address the critical shortage of care in Larimer County.

April & May Council Meetings will discuss Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

Please join us for our April 3^rd Council meeting, to be held at the Community Room of the Harmony Library, 4616 South Shields, Fort Collins, CO 80526.

Over the next two months, we will be continuing our cultural competency series with a focus on Gender Identity at the April 3^rd meeting, and a focus on Sexual Orientation at our Mary 1^st meeting.  We are excited to have Emily Ambrose from the Pride Resource Center at CSU lead both presentations and discussions.

At our April 3^rd meeting, we will have the opportunity to reflect on our own identity, explore how to best support people with different gender identities, and learn ways to apply our knowledge to the work we do with young children and their families.

In preparation for the meeting, please view our March meeting minutes and our April meeting agenda.

College Scholarship for ECE Professionals

Are you currently employed in the ECE field and taking college classes?  Or are you interested in pursuing college classes to meet licensing qualifications or your own professional growth? Our scholarship program has helped hundreds of students get the education they need and want. Summer semester applications are due April 15^th!  Download the scholarship application at www.ecclc.org or contact Lauren with any questions.

Working with Families (Touchpoints)

In this training, participants will develop skills and expertise to build powerful, positive relationships with families.
Starts 4/07/18; 8:30 am – 2:30 pm 
Learn more here

The Importance of Play: Play vs Play Based Curriculum

This interactive training will look at the importance of play and how play experiences support children’s development.
4/10/18; 6:00 – 9:00 pm 
Learn more here

Guidance: Challenges & Rewards

Learn more about what caregivers should know about guidance, the ABC Model, Erikson’s Theory of Psycho-social Development, and effective practices and discover the keys to success!
4/14/18; 9:00 am – 12:00 pm 
Learn more here

Using the ELDG for Observation & Lesson Planning

During this training, we will learn about effective observation, the essential domains of learning, discuss strategies of how to align these domains with lesson planning, and create a weekly plan that you can take with you and implement immediately into your classroom environment.
Pick one session
5/02/18 & 5/16/18; 9:00 am – 12:00 pm each night
OR
6/12/18 & 6/26/18; 9:00 am – 12:00 pm each night
Learn more here