September Newsletter

After School Zone Conference

The Early Childhood Council of Larimer County is very excited for the 15^th After School Zone (ASZ) Conference designed for child care providers who work directly with school-aged children during out of school time hours in child care centers, family child care homes, and on site- before and after school programs.
The conference will be held on September 29, 2018 at Group Publishing in Loveland. Registration ends September 22.

The conference will include:

2 keynote presentations
16 breakout sessions, designed to offer creative and useful suggestions for day to day programing
resource materials
door prizes
breakfast and lunch

Brochure

Registration

Recruiting Family Child Care Providers

Have you considered starting your own licensed home child care business or know someone that might be interested? The Early Childhood Council is supporting you in your journey to become a licensed child care provider. Attend a panel discussion on the licensing process and hear stories from family child care providers. Our next session is Tuesday October 23 from 6:30pm-8:30pm at 2850 McClelland Dr, Suite 3400, Fort Collins, CO 80525. If you are interested in attending for more information or a provider who wishes to speak at a panel discussion, please contact Vanessa Whitney at 970-377-3388 ext 200 or [email protected].

New ECCLC Staff

Please help us welcome Tori Stepp, ECCLC’s new Communication Specialist. Tori has previous experience working with nonprofits, agencies, and small businesses. Tori is here to help us with all our communication needs, whether that be posting on social media, writing press releases, or updating our website.
Tori is originally from Rapid City, SD and has spent a large chunk of her life in the Black Hills until she decided that Fort Collins was the place for her. She spends her free time drinking tons of coffee or exploring new places. She enjoys hiking, swimming, and reading in her hammock. Tori also loves to travel and hopes to visit all 50 states.

Be Ready

BE READY is important because we know that the basis for success starts at birth. The first five years of life are critical. 90% of our brain’s growth occurs by age five. Physical and mental health are key factors in that brain development. Research demonstrates that parents are the most important factor in ensuring young children get the stimulation and support they need to succeed. Children who enter school ready to learn are more apt to graduate from high school, have higher incomes as adults, and lower crime rates.

Be Ready is as busy as ever with the creation of a new website, the upcoming fair, and the Ready, Set, Kindergarten initiative.

The Be Ready Fair

The Be Ready Fair is a free event for families with children age 0-8 and will feature community resources, activities for young kids, emergency and community vehicles, preschool information and more. Breakfast available!

Ready, Set, Kindergarten

Have you checked out our Ready, Set, Kindergarten Guide? This guide will help you prepare your child for success in kindergarten. You will find fun activities for making friends; tips to get ready for reading, writing, and math; and a month by month guide to keep you on track with registration, vaccinations, and more.

Kindergarten Guide

ECCLC Receives State Approval for Waiver to Address ECE Workforce Challenges!

Colorado’s Early Childhood Leadership Commission just voted unanimously to approve ECCLC’s waiver request to create a Provisional Early Childhood Teacher position in Larimer County! The waiver will be in effect from September 1st 2018 through February 28th, 2020.

Want to learn more?

P-ECT Waiver Information Sessions

When: Friday, September 14 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. OR Monday, September 17, 4 – 5 p.m.

Where: ECCLC Office, 2850 McClelland Drive, Suite 3400, Fort Collins

Who: Any licensed child care center or preschool who wants to learn more

RSVP: Lauren Powers, [email protected] or 970-377-3388 ext 202

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Expanding Professional Possibilities in Early Childhood (EPPEC)

The Early Childhood Council of Larimer County is looking for programs, mentor teachers, and students to participate in an innovative new project to address our current workforce challenges of staff turnover, recruitment, and retention.

For Child Care / Preschool Programs
Struggling to find or keep qualified employees?
Applications are due by 10 a.m. September 10!
For programs who would like to participate in this exciting initiative, you must complete a program application and identify a teacher(s) in your program who is ready and interested in becoming a mentor teacher.
Have questions or want to learn more before you apply? Join us for an information session on Thursday, 9/6 at the ECCLC office.Or email Lisa at [email protected].
Learn about benefits and how to apply
Program Application
Mentor Application

For Cohort Students
Do you know someone who is interested in working in the field of early childhood education? Do you have an aide in your program who would like to be a lead teacher?
We are creating a cohort of students, through a partnership with Front Range Community College, who will be employed part-time in child care programs under the guidance of an experienced mentor teacher. Because of the education, high quality mentoring and positive work experience they receive, these employees/cohort students will be better prepared as future Early Childhood Teachers, and more likely to stay in the field.
Cohort applications available in mid-September! Contact Lauren to learn more at [email protected].
Information Sessions
Cohort Program Description

There’s still time to apply for Colorado Shines Quality Improvement Grants

Quality Improvement funds now available for the state fiscal year. Most child care and preschool programs, including part-day programs, who serve children under the age of 5 years can be eligible for one of these opportunities.There are two different opportunities to be eligible:

Programs with a Colorado Shines Level 2 or higher, and who have a CCAP fiscal agreement. Click here for more information about CCCAP.
Programs who have never sought a higher rating can access a one-time Hardship Grant to work towards becoming a Level 2 and who are interested in learning more about becoming a Level 3-5 rated program.

If you need help accessing these grants, please contact Lisa Sadar at [email protected] or (970) 377-3388 X224
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