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The Child Care Options - Resource Development Center is a program of Southern Kennebec Child Development Corporation and is funded by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, to help families find child care and understand their options, support child care providers by offering ongoing professional development opportunities, and to inform businesses and communities on the importance of child care.

Child Care Options Launches New Online Training

In August Child Care Options was awarded a grant from the Frances Hollis Brain Foundation. With the funding from the Foundation, Child Care Options developed a customized web-based elective training for providers. Dana F. Oltchick Lundy of DFOL Consulting worked with Child Care Options staff and other content experts to create the material. The resulting web-based training on Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) is now accessible to providers at all times. The training is assessment-based and providers will receive two credit hours toward their annual training requirements.

You can now register for this new web-based training by clicking HERE.

 

Maine Eco-Healthy Child Care

Eco-Healthy Child Care logoHelp has arrived for parents and child care programs who want to choose/create environments that are safe, healthy, and free of chemicals of concern.  The Eco-Healthy Child Care program ensures that child care settings are as environmentally healthy as possible.

Child care settings qualify as "Eco-Healthy" by completing and implementing a checklist that highlights 25 simple steps that ensure a sefe place for children.  Eco-Healthy Child Care settings commit to reducing a child's exposure to tosins and other environmental healthy hazards.  Settings that qualify receive an endorsement certificate and a poster that let parents and others know of their efforts, anf demonstrates their commitments to being Eco-healthy.  Endorsed programs are also listed on the website.  For more information, check out the website www.oeconline.org/ehcc.

 

Strengthening Maine Families

Strengthening Maine Families supports child care providers to help parents become stronger parents.
Child care providers learn to approach parents as the experts on their own children, to listen openly to their concerns and ideas, and to work together with parents to find answers to questions and concerns about child development. Rather than giving advice, this approach fosters trusting relationships between providers and parents, and families are more likely to invite and welcome their child care provider’s support. Getting started with Strengthening Maine Families is easy: fill out the online self assessment, pick one area to work on, choose one strategy found on the website and try it for a month.

To learn more, visit www.strengthinme.org or contact SMF Coordinator
Amanda Lonsdale at amanda@strengthinme.org or 207-720-0316

CCO Training Information