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Core Considerations to Inform Decision Making

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Developmentally appropriate practice requires early childhood educators to seek out and gain knowledge and understanding using three core considerations: commonality, individuality, and experiences.

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We have more courses that feature interaction with other learners and longer courses that combine the best of classroom and distance learning methods. We even have some new synchronous courses that have specific begin and end dates. Don't worry, shorter, self-paced courses are still available, too!

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Child care providers have one of the most important jobs - the care and education of children during the most crucial early learning years. ChildCareTraining.org provides courses that cover critical early childhood issues and contain relevant information. Through course activities, students gain practical application and knowledge of the material, which we hope will inspire improvement in overall practice.

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Our Mission is to help kids grow into successful adults by enriching the learning environment of their crucial early years.

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Download or view Montana Early Learning Standards or Knowledge Base

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Download or view Montana Early Learning Standards or Knowledge Base

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The role of the Child Care Licensing (CCL) program is to monitor, inspect, and support licensed and registered childcare facilities, as well as those working to become licensed or registered. Additionally, CCL establishes regulations for the health, safety, and well-being of the children in these facilities. All licensed or registered programs receive a pre-inspection prior to providing care, ongoing monitoring and an annual inspection, and complaints are followed up on.

Do I need to be licensed or registered?

There are different types of licensed/registered childcare programs in Montana:

Family, Friend, Neighbor Provider: is a Registered provider which may provide care in a child's home or in the provider's residence for a sibling group of any size or no more than 4 unrelated children

Family Home: is a private residence in which care is provided for 3-8 children on a regular basis and is considered Registered

Group Home: is a private residence or other structure in which care is provided for 9 to 15 children on a regular basis and is considered Registered

Center: is an out-of-home place in which care is provided to 16 or more children on a regular or irregular basis and is considered Licensed

Relative Care Exempt Provider: is a provider that may care for either a sibling group of any size or no more than 2 children from separate households. "Relative care" means the child is the brother, sister, first cousin, nephew, niece, grandchild, or great grandchild of the person providing childcare and includes a child in a step, foster, or adoptive relationship. This provider type is considered 'License Exempt' and is for Best Beginnings Childcare Scholarship payment purposes only.

For more information and support on becoming licensed or registered, contact your local Child Care Resource & Referral Agency or Child Care Licensing Contacts.
New Facility Flowchart
Quick Information for Staff
New Director Orientation Flowchart New Teacher Orientation Flowchart FBI Background Check Requirements

Effective 6/1/2021 FBI FINGERPRINTS are FREE of charge at CCR&R agencies! If you send in your fingerprints, there is no need to send payment with them. This is subject to change, and notifications will be sent when that happens.
Fingerprinting locations outside the CCR&R Agency by County
Contact Information

Child Care Licensing

Phone: (406)444-2012

Fax: (406)444-2750

Email: childcarelicensing@mt.gov

Mail: PO Box 4210

Helena, MT 59620-4210

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The role of the Child Care Licensing (CCL) program is to monitor, inspect, and support licensed and registered childcare facilities, as well as those working to become licensed or registered. Additionally, CCL establishes regulations for the health, safety, and well-being of the children in these facilities.

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raisemt.org:  Provider resources, Shared Service Alliance, Jobs board & more

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raisemt.org:  Provider resources, Shared Service Alliance, Jobs board & more

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Elevating Child Care in Montana. Raise Montana provides services and assistance for child care providers in Montana. Raise Montana assists families in finding child care.

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Request a copy of Montana Early Learning Standards or Knowledge Base

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Request a copy of Montana Early Learning Standards or Knowledge Base

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Children's Special Health Services (CSHS) is charged by the Federal Maternal Child Health Bureau to: "Support development and implementation of comprehensive, culturally competent, coordinated systems of care for children and youth who have or are at risk for chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional conditions and who also require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally."

Children's Special Health Services focuses on building, measuring, and monitoring a complex system of care for Children and Youth Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) with the following goals:

Goal: Assure Family Participation & Satisfaction
Family members, including those representative of the culturally diverse communities served, must have a meaningful, enduring, and leading role in the development of systems at all levels.

Goal: Access to Medical Home
CYSHCN have an identified source of ongoing routine health care in their community.

Goal: Support Early and Continuous Screening
Infants and children with high-risk health conditions must be identified early.

Goal: Adequate Insurance
CSHCN families have a way to pay for services. The state CHIP program can help address this need, but resources and partnerships with other programs to address under insurance and provide "wrap-around services" are needed.

Goal: Access to Community-based Systems of Care
A system of care must be organized in such a way that needs can be identified, and services provided, and that there are mechanisms to pay for them.

Goal: Facilitate Transition to Adulthood
Youth with special health care need, as adults, must be able to expect good health care, employment with benefits, and independence.

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Children's Special Health Services (CSHS) is charged by the Federal Maternal Child Health Bureau to: "Support development and implementation of comprehensive, culturally competent, coordinated systems of care for children and youth who have or are at risk for chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional conditions and who also require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally."

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Cost of Care Calculator

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The Nation's Leading Expert on the Business of Family Child Care

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First Children's Finance:  Business resources

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First Children's Finance:  Business resources

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You must sign up for these (free) resources.

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Disclaimer: Materials and links provided by First Children's Finance on this website do not constitute legal, accounting, tax or finance advice or professional services. Readers seeking professional advice about specific aspects of their business should consult a member of our staff or other qualified professional.

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State specific resource with average monthly cost per child.

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Child care can cost more than rent or college tuition, but early childhood teachers are some of the lowest-paid professionals. So, where does all that money go? Build your own child care program with this new interactive and find out the true cost of high-quality child care: https://costofchildcare.org/

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Child Care Aware: Opening & Running a Child Care Center

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Child Care Aware: Opening & Running a Child Care Center

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Are you interested in opening a child care center? Start here to learn about the steps you’ll need to take to be successful.

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Child Care Aware: Opening & Running a Family Child Care

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Child Care Aware: Opening & Running a Family Child Care

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Are you interested in opening a family child care home? Are you already running a family child care home and looking for additional resources? The pages below will help you learn about the steps you'll need to take to be successful and will provide resources to ensure your program is providing a high-quality learning experience for the children in your care.

Before you begin your new career path, find out if child care is the right choice for you to help you evaluate why you want to start a child care business. It will help you think through some important considerations before you open your family child care home.

There are different resources for you to complete to help you build your business plan throughout these sections. These resources are meant to help you think through important questions. Your local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency and your local licensing agency can help you understand the specific rules and regulations you need to follow to operate a quality program. They will be important resources for you as you begin your child care business.

Also, consider and plan for ways to strengthen and enrich your program. Your local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency can also help enhance the quality of your program through training, coaching, and connecting you to additional resources and supports that can assist your family child care home.

In this section you will find:

Do Your Research: This page will guide you through the topics you'll need to learn about before you open your family child care home. Learn about conducting a needs assessment, licensing and background check requirements, and legal, tax, and insurance considerations.

Action Steps: This page will help you begin to take concrete steps towards opening your business. Find information on preparing a budget, finding a location, developing policies and procedures, hiring staff, and marketing your program.

Program Structure: This information will provide the foundation for your family child care home to be successful. Learn about programs and practices that can strengthen the overall structure of your child care program, such as QRIS and national accreditation, health and nutrition practices, child care policies and procedures, and more.

Program Practices: This page will address topics that can help you to strengthen your program practices, including the curriculum, materials, resources, and daily interactions you and your staff have with the children and families in your care.

About our resources:

The resources in this section can be used individually to help you on the path to opening your family child care home. Click on the blue buttons on each page to access the resource listed. If you prefer to access all resources in one place, download the complete family child care providers resource booklet below.
Download Booklet
Need help printing? Download the Brochure Printing Guide.

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Are you interested in opening a family child care home? Are you already running a family child care home and looking for additional resources? The pages below will help you learn about the steps you'll need to take to be successful and will provide resources to ensure your program is providing a high-quality learning experience for the children in your care.

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Three keys for boosting revenue in your child care business. 

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Three keys for boosting revenue in your child care business. 

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Three part series on the Iron Triangle

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Running a financially sustainable child care business isn't easy. But if you ask any successful manager, they'll tell you that if you've got control of your cash flow, you've got a lot of your problems taken care of.

How do you make sure you've got a steady flow of revenue, the funds needed to meet payroll each week, you're complying with tax withholding requirements, and covering all other operating costs? It's a juggling act. And to do it well, you've got to be able to accurately project and track revenue.

The Iron Triangle of Early Care and Education Finance is a simple formula to help you stay on track.

It focuses on the three most important elements in child care business sustainability:

Achieving full enrollment. Why you should aim to keep every slot filled, every day.
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Collecting all your fees. In full and on time.
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Making sure your tuition covers your costs. Plus, making sure you have third party funding to fill any gaps.

In this article, we'll get an overview of each of the three core aspects of the iron triangle. Then, in the following articles, we'll take a deep dive into how each element works.

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Why full enrollment is essential to your child care business

Almost all your revenue in an early care and education (ECE) program is tuition and fees collected on behalf of an enrolled child.

While government grants and philanthropy sometimes help finance ECE, in the United States, child care funding is rarely provided as general operating support. Typically, the child care funding provided by the government (and often philanthropy as well) comes in the form of a portable voucher that is linked to enrollment of a specific child, or a contract to pay for a specific number of eligible children.

If children aren't enrolled, the funding doesn't flow. This makes full enrollment a cornerstone of ECE finance, regardless of whether your program relies mainly on public funds, or on parent fees, or a combination.

Generally speaking, it's not possible to operate at 100% enrollment. Some experts suggest that a well-run center can operate at 95% enrollment; others suggest framing your budget around a more achievable rate, such as 85% enrollment.

Regardless of the target, any time enrollment drops below the budgeted target, your ECE program is losing money.

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Staying on top of your enrollment

Monitoring enrollment and acting quickly to address any shortfalls is key to fiscal stability.

This means program administrators must carefully track attendance, in each classroom, on a regular basis. You should plan in advance when children will be 'aging out' of your program, or moving to a different classroom. Without careful monitoring and active outreach to fill upcoming vacant slots, it's easy for these natural transitions to cause funding gaps. Tuition, especially if it's reimbursed by the government, may also be dependent on actual attendance, so staying on top of this is crucial.

It's easy for non-attendance to turn into non-enrollment. And especially in small programs, every day a slot remains open can make a big difference. These little daily losses can start to add up, and can lead to serious financial shortfalls. Predicting enrollment in the current environment is tricky business - and yet it is essential to the bottom line.

Automated Child Care Management Systems (CCMS) like Famly make tracking enrollment easy. In future blogs, we will explore ways to view CCMS dashboards to better understand enrollment trends and respond to fluctuations.

Full fee collection

Tuition and fees only become revenue when you can collect them.

All too often, an early childhood program will have a budget that balances on paper, but the cash just doesn't come in the door. How can we fix that?

The most successful ECE administrators stay on top of fee collection because they plan for it. They have clear policies, they're firm and consistent with families, thorough and prompt with billing, and on top of the paperwork required by third party funders.

Fee collection can be very time-consuming - unless systems are put in place to streamline and automate the process. Electronic funds transfer (automatic electronic transfer of funds from a bank account, debit or credit card) is the best way to ensure prompt and consistent payment from families. Today, it should be the norm for all tuition and fee collection in ECE.

When it comes to tuition, the electronic check-in systems in child care management software like Famly make it possible to create a daily touch point for families. You can confirm that tuition funds have transferred, or send gentle reminders when fees are due, or a problem with the electronic transfer has occurred.

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Receiving your reimbursement on time

If part of your income relies on vouchers, reimbursements or scholarships from the government or a philanthropy, it's still essential you get those funds when you need them.

While many US governmental agencies have 'swipe card' systems for payment, these systems cannot replace good record keeping by ECE providers. It's essential that child care centers and family child care home providers have systems in place to generate an invoice for every child enrolled, regardless of who pays their tuition. This is a great safety net for your own bookkeeping, but especially so if your setting relies on outside funding.

Errors do happen, especially when payment is based on the child's attendance (which is current policy in many states), and if you need additional paperwork signatures provided by parents. Most states have a narrow window of time when errors can be identified and corrected, and after this window has closed it is not possible to recoup funds even if errors are found.

In short, systems to track and reconcile fee collection are essential to your financial sustainability.

Automated Child Care Management Systems (CCMS) like Famly not only help monitor collection of tuition and fees, but depending on your funding type, can also generate the documentation needed to reconcile payments from government and philanthropy on behalf of children eligible for financial assistance.

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Fees + third party funding = per-child cost

Determining your tuition and fees involves many factors - and some of them are beyond the control of your ECE program.

What parents can afford to pay is based on what they earn, and the cost of living in your area. What government agencies or other funding sources will contribute is typically based on the year's budget.

That said, determining the actual cost per child, comparing this cost to the price charged, and when fees cannot cover the full cost, identifying third party funding to fill the gap, is essential to sound fiscal management.

The bottom line is that parent fees and outside funding must add up to equal your per-child cost. If the math does not add up, your program is losing money.

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What does your program cost you, per child?

Calculating per child costs isn't easy in the child care business.

Infants require a lower child-to-staff ratio, along with special equipment and supplies designed to meet the needs of babies. Simply put, it costs more to care for infants. The cost of serving school-age children is typically much lower, on the other hand, since these children can be in larger groups and may not attend for the full day. But the word 'typical' is key here - things aren't exactly typical right now.

The cost of serving all children may be much higher at the moment, due to the additional operating expenses of pandemic precautions - and because we can't always rely on our usual sources of income. The pandemic offers a host of new cost calculation challenges, including costs related to front-door screening and check-in, PPE, temporarily lower group sizes, and more. Unfortunately, the right answer is not simple or obvious, and it may vary from center to center based on the services offered and the families served.

Full enrollment and the Iron Triangle

Enrollment and fee collection also impact actual per-child costs. If a program is not fully enrolled, the per-child cost increases. If bad debts go up (fees are not being collected), the per-child cost increases. In some cases, a budget gap can be addressed by boosting enrollment and/or lowering bad debt rather than raising fees. The three factors are interrelated. In tough fiscal times, when government and/or philanthropy are cutting budgets and parents are squeezed financially, ECE programs often face a difficult choice: keep fees high and risk increased vacancy rates and higher bad debt, or lower fees to boost cash flow.

In future blogs, we will delve deeper into each of the three elements of the Iron Triangle. We'll explore how to calculate per child cost, as well as how technology tools like CCMS can help centers and homes benchmark progress, flag concerns, right-size programs and more.

Balancing the Iron Triangle of ECE Finance has always been a challenging task. Now, in the midst of a pandemic that makes enrollment unpredictable and families less able to pay full fees, it's even more challenging. Yet it remains as essential as ever - so you deserve all the tools and knowledge to make it easier for you.
Louise Stoney is an independent consultant with over 30 years' experience in early care and education finance and policy. In 2009, Louise co-founded Opportunities Exchange, a non-profit organization focused on transforming the business of early care and education to improve outcomes for children. You can learn more and get in touch with Louise at www.stoneyassociates.com or www.opportunities-exchange.org

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Boosting revenue in your child care business | Famly

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Running a financially sustainable child care business isn't easy. But if you ask any successful manager, they'll tell you that if you've got control of your cash flow, you've got a lot of your problems taken care of.

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Links to sign up for STARS and the STARS kits

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Providers and Programs

Apply to STARS

Programs may apply for Best Beginnings STARS to Quality at any time on the Early Childhood Projectwebsite. To apply, you must log in as an organization, go to the STARS tab, and click "Apply for STARS". If your application is accepted, you will be notified and sent a STARS to Quality agreement and W-9 which must be returned in order to be accepted into STARS to Quality. Click the link below to apply. If you need assistance, contact your Local Child Care Resource & Referral Agency.

Workforce Support and Incentives, Professional Development

More information is available through ECSB, or the Early Childhood Project.
Contact Us:
Shandi Hayes, Best Beginnings Program Specialist

Jill Christensen, Early Education and Coaching Specialist

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Programs may apply for Best Beginnings STARS to Quality at any time on the Early Childhood Projectwebsite. To apply, you must log in as an organization, go to the STARS tab, and click "Apply for STARS".

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Implementing Active Supervision for directors 

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Implementing Active Supervision for directors 

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Leading by Example: Implementing Active Supervision

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Emergency Evacuation and Relocation Plan

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Indirect and Direct Transmissions: The Culprit of Disease

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CSEFEL website: Social Emotional resources 

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CSEFEL website: Social Emotional resources 

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The Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children. We have developed extensive, user-friendly training materials, videos, and print resources which are available directly from this website to help early care, health and education providers implement this model.

State Partnerships

Visit our states page to find more information about any of our state partners or new resources and information for all states.

State Partners: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, North Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

Stay Connected to CSEFEL: sign up for our electronic updates

Pyramid Model

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CSEFEL: Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning

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The National Center for Effective Mental Health Consultation (CEMHC) addresses the needs of Early Head Start/Head Start (E/HS) staff and families for practical guidance on effective ways to promote young childrenís social and emotional development and reduce challenging behaviors.

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6 Skills Every Preschool Teacher Needs. 

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6 Skills Every Preschool Teacher Needs. 

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Why Every Preschool Teacher Needs These Six Skills in Childcare - LifeCubby

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At LifeCubby, our team knows firsthand what it takes to be a successful early childhood pro and we’re sharing the six key skills in childcare every preschool teacher needs to succeed.

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Recruitment & Retention Strategies that Work: TED

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Recruitment & Retention Strategies that Work: TED

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This post is part of TED's "How to Be a Better Human" series, each of which contains a piece of helpful advice from people in the TED community; browse through all the posts here.
The Great Resignation - a tidal wave of people quitting their jobs in search of better opportunities - continues to march on through many organizations and may very well strike yours. However, the hope is you can use this as an opportunity to recruit fabulous new people while at the same time retaining your top talent.

This means you need to focus on the recruitment and retention strategies that actually work. In terms of order, I suggest that you f ocus first on retention and then on recruitment. If you can retain your employees, that will reduce the work you have to do to recruit new ones. But remember, too, that good recruitment also means fewer problems with retention. Getting the right people into the right jobs means they'll stay with you longer.
Here are five ideas that work:
1. Hire for potential, not experience

"You must have a college degree and five years of experience in X." These types of requirements are standard in job postings, but researchers found that for many jobs, employees will still need to learn 10 additional skills within the next 18 months .

In other words, even if your new hire meets all the job requirements today, that means 10 new skills will be needed as they settle into their new role.

If you are insistent that every candidate has every single one of those skills, you may end up with a very short list of candidates - and you'll be hiring someone whose skills may be obsolete in a month anyway. Instead, you should look for people who have a solid and versatile foundation and the ability and desire to learn new things.

Keep this in mind for a recruitment and retention strategy as well. Too often, companies don't want to promote from within because they want someone in the position that can "hit the ground running." This strategy denies reality because the position will change anyway. Retain your best employees by promoting them into stretch roles.

2. Ask your employees questions

Do you know what makes your current employees happy? Do you know what makes them miserable? If you can't, you may find yourself struggling to hold onto good people.

Margaret Rogers, vice president at Pariveda Solutions, says that while companies invest in training and development, they often do so without consulting the employees .

You need to know what your employees want and need before you develop your programs. Here are a few questions she recommends when conducting employee surveys are:

What parts of your job are most interesting and rewarding?

What areas are you finding most challenging right now?

What are you doing to reach short- and long-term career goals?

Are there any other projects, committees or additional responsibilities you would like to be a part of?

Is there anything else you're curious about that you haven't been able to explore yet?

Knowing the answers to these questions helps you to tailor your training and development programs to not only what will benefit your company but what will benefit your employees. You won't retain people if they don't see growth potential at your organization, so make sure you know what they want and figure out how you can help them get it.

3. Keep an eye on your competitors

You may think that your salaries are at the proper market rate because they were last year and you could hire just fine. But it's 2021, and there's a labor shortage all around.

Remember: Your hiring and retention competitors are not just the people who make and sell similar products and services; they are also anyone who hires people similar to your employees. For example, every business needs an accountant and a customer service person. Don't fool yourself into thinking you don't need to pay attention.

In addition to salary, people are looking for flexibility. Whether it's working from home, a hybrid situation or shifts that fit their lives, other companies offer those. If you want to keep your employees and hire new ones, you need to keep up.

4. Study your results - and act on them

While this may not seem like a recruiting or retention technique, it will lead you to correct your processes. Peter Capelli, a professor of management at the Wharton School of Business in Pennsylvania, points out that very few companies do detailed tracking on recruiting and retention.

"Imagine," he says, "if the CEO asked how an advertising campaign had gone, and the response was 'We have a good idea how long it took to roll out and what it cost, but we haven't looked to see whether we're selling more.'"

You won't improve your retention or recruiting if you don't know what works and what fails. That's why you need to keep data on them .

And if you aren't thinking about recruiting and retention strategies now, you need to be. Otherwise, the great resignation will hit your company, and others will snatch up your best people. Don't let that happen to you.
This post was originally published on the Workable site. Go there to read other great business content. You can also go to Suzanne Lucas's website, Evil HR Lady, to find more of her other writing. Watch her TEDxBasel Talk here:

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Want to hire great people and keep them from quitting? 4 strategies that work

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This post is part of TED's "How to Be a Better Human" series, each of which contains a piece of helpful advice from people in the TED community; browse through all the posts here. The Great Resignation - a tidal wave of people quitting their jobs in search of better opportunities - continues to march on through many organizations and may very well strike yours.

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Can be used as family engagement

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Family Engagement - National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations

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At every tier of the Pyramid Model, practitioners and programs should consider what strategies might be used to welcome and support diverse families; how to create opportunities to learn from families; strategies for partnering with families to promote child outcomes; and providing the supports and services that families might need to promote their child's skill [...]

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Brainy Spaces: Building thoughtful environments

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Brainy Spaces: Building thoughtful environments

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National Association for the Education of Young Children

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National Association for the Education of Young Children

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We use cookies to analyse how visitors use our website and to help us provide the best possible experience for users.

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Ages zero to three are the most important for lifelong mental health and well-being.

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Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

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Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

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Our mission is to drive science-based innovation that achieves breakthrough outcomes for children facing adversity.

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Making routines manageable for infants & toddlers: respect

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Making routines manageable for infants & toddlers: respect

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving "bye bye" are called developmental milestones. Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act, and move.

Click on the age of your child to see the milestones:

"Learn the Signs. Act Early." materials are not a substitute for standardized, validated developmental screening tools.

Special acknowledgments to the subject matter experts and others who contributed to the review of data and selection of developmental milestones, especially Paul H. Lipkin, MD, Michelle M. Macias, MD, Julie F. Pajek, PhD, Judith S. Shaw, EdD, MPH, RN, Karnesha Slaughter, MPH, Jane K. Squires, PhD, Toni M. Whitaker, MD, Lisa D. Wiggins, PhD, and Jennifer M. Zubler, MD.
Sincere gratitude to Natalia Benza, MD and José O. Rodríguez, MD, MBA for their thoughtful review of the Spanish-language translation of these milestones.

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“learn the signs. act early.” milestones

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Developmental milestones are things most children can do by a certain age. Track your child's milestones and talk with your child's doctor at every visit about the milestones your child has reached

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Searchable

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Remember to Take Care of Yourself: Six Ideas for Family Child Care Providers

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During a recent online discussion on HELLO, we came up with six self-care tips for family child care providers!

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Chances are, it didn't take place at work. Self-care time has traditionally been reserved for outside of work hours-something like a morning jog or an evening bubble bath.

But self-care is changing. It's becoming clear that weaving moments of self-care throughout your day is more beneficial than grinding through a hard day and leaving the "you" time for later.

In other words- ), and help you it's more effective to consider self-care as a regular part of your routine than as a complete departure from it. This sort of integration can help ensure ongoing good health (both mental and physical better manage your stress and build resilience.

Because, here's the thing: work is invariably intertwined with our life routines. We spend roughly a third of our lives at work, so shelving self-care for "later" just won't cut it anymore. And we're already seeing the result of this; burnout has become a growing problem . Self-care alone won't solve burnout, but having it recognized as a priority within your organization can make a huge difference when it comes to building happier, more sustainable workday routines for you or your employees.

So, here are some of our top tips for introducing a culture of self-care into your organization and your own work life-whether you're an employee, a manager, or an HR professional.

Foster good habits

Have walking meetings. Encourage people to get out and about for meetings and calls. Scientifically, it's been proven to promote outside-of-the-box thinking, but it also helps in terms of health-both mental and physical.

Encourage people to log off and shut down. You want people to know that they're not just able to but expected to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Discourage eating lunch at the computer. Lunch is the perfect opportunity for people to get a bit of a mental break, whether by actually getting up and going for a walk, or by simply focusing on something non-work related.

Practice what you preach. You can set a good example for others on your team and in the organization by living by your own self-care rules! Manage your time, take breaks, go for walks, and let people know it's okay to prioritize their own needs sometimes.

Respect people's time

Build pauses into the workday. Calendars that are overfilled with meetings don't give people the time they need to think or process at optimum levels. By working these little breathing spaces into the work week, you can encourage better work habits and allow yourself and others to reach their full potential. (How about 50-minute meetings as the default instead of a full hour?).

Set communication time boundaries. Encourage employees to set boundaries around their time. While large, multinational companies will naturally have employees in different time zones, you don't want anyone to be trying to work across zones in a manner that extends their workday to a breaking point. Similarly, while some people will need to send the occasional after-hours email or message, it should be generally accepted-and explicitly noted-that people shouldn't be expected to answer immediately.

Allow for flexibility around and during the workday. People are far less likely to succumb to stress if they know they have the freedom to step out, tend to children, walk the dog, or do other important personal things they need to, without worry.

Practice mindfulness

Practice gratitude in your words and actions. And be sure to encourage the habit throughout your team and the wider organization. You want to build a supportive culture where people openly celebrate each other's wins and support each other through hard times.

Support employees in their mindfulness journeys. Provide them with helpful tools or sessions that encourage them to slow down and breathe (Calm is great for this!). You could have group yoga sessions, or even just introduce brief (but regular) five-minute meditations.

Introduce wellness 'check-ins.' Actively encourage employees to self-assess their mental well-being on a weekly basis, and have a system for them to report any concerns they have to line managers-either through dedicated meetings, or by expanding existing work check-ins to include this topic. Sometimes people need a reason to allow themselves to slow down and consider how they're actually doing.

But most importantly...

Help others by helping yourself first

It's easy to understand the need for self-care, but it's a fact that those who look after others tend to overlook themselves in the process-like HR professionals.

To be at your best, you need to make sure you're taking care of yourself too. Which is why we created a Self-Care Guide for HR Professionals to help you create your own personal self-care plan.
Basically, what we're trying to say is...
Self-care is incredibly important. But it can be hard to know where to start when encouraging it to your employees, as it's such a personal thing.

That's where tools like Calm for Business come into their own. With a diverse library of content, there's something for everyone-from guided meditations, to relaxing music to listen to at work or when unwinding at home, to sleep aids such as Soundscapes and Sleep Stories.

Sign up for our demo and see for yourself why Calm is the mental wellness tool of choice for HR professionals.

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Creating a Culture of Self-Care in the Workplace

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Chances are, it didn't take place at work. Self-care time has traditionally been reserved for outside of work hours-something like a morning jog or an evening bubble bath. But self-care is changing. It's becoming clear that weaving moments of self-care throughout your day is more beneficial than grinding through a hard day and leaving the "you" time for later.

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Financial Management Assessment Tool: Centers

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Financial Management Assessment Tool: Centers

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Active supervision reflection tool and implementation plan 

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Active supervision reflection tool and implementation plan 

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This is focused on Covid but good for controlling any infectious disease.

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COVID-19 and Child Care - Safer Ventilation Guide.pdf

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Disclaimer: Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies, The Montana Coalition, Inc. (HMHB) does not recommend or endorse any specific provider or event listed in the Linking Infants and Families To Supports (LIFTS) resource guide. While HMHB does our best to keep information updated, changes may have occurred since the information was posted on LIFTS.

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Play & Inquiry based learning- free Play Summit annually

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By: Christine DeSanti of LifeCubby

It's no secret that COVID-19 has had drastic effects on the early childhood industry.

When the pandemic hit and centers began to shut their doors, it was reported that 1 in 4 teachers were contemplating quitting their jobs. And, though most centers have moved back to in-person learning, the shortage of qualified early childhood professionals has made it hard for many programs to continue operating at the same capacity they were prior to the pandemic.

With that in mind, it's more important than ever for program directors to make a concerted effort to keep the employees they do have happy and motivated.

Before joining LifeCubby over 10 years ago, I spent my time teaching at and leading childcare centers. As a result, I know firsthand what it takes to make educators feel valued and excited to show up to work each morning.

That's why I'm sharing my top four tips for improving retention rates at your childcare center:

It sounds obvious, but the best place to start when it comes to making your staff feel appreciated is doing just that - appreciating them. Schedule regular check-ins with your employees so you have a set time to talk through the things they're doing well (along with any areas they can improve on). Take notes throughout the week of anything that deserves recognition and be sure to speak to them during your meeting. Finally, keep track of birthdays, personal milestones and work anniversaries, and celebrate each accordingly.

Provide professional development opportunities.

Investing in your staff is a great way to show them how much you value them. Help cover the cost of your staff's required training hours by purchasing a center-wide subscription (or offering to cover the cost of an individual subscription) to an online professional development provider like ChildCare Education Institute. If your employees are interested in earning a professional certification (such as their CDA), consider offering a stipend to help with costs - or extra time off for studying and exam prep. Finally, if you have enough employees, look into starting a mentoring program where senior staff can help talk junior staff through any professional and personal goals they may have.

Plan regular team building sessions.

Getting your team together outside of work hours (and center walls) can be the perfect answer to boosting team morale. Plus, it can help your staff build relationships with each other and give them more of a reason to stick around your program. Team building sessions can be as involved or low-key as you'd like them to be, and should be planned around the interests of your staff. Some of my favorite team building activities include escape rooms, happy hours, potluck dinners and community service outings.

Give them the tools they need to succeed.

One of the easiest ways to help prevent teacher burnout and turnover at your center is to invest in tools that actively make their jobs easier. LifeCubby's award-winning childcare management software helps eliminate tedious tasks (like filling out daily sheets and incident logs) and frees up time for your teachers to focus on what they love the most: the students. Plus, our suite of communication tools will make it a breeze for your teachers to keep in touch with you and parents throughout the day.

Want to learn more about how LifeCubby can help make center life a breeze for your staff? Click here to schedule a free demo today!
Christine DeSanti is the chief customer officer of . Throughout her career, she has held a number of positions in the early childhood education space and has served on several organization's boards. DeSanti was instrumental in launching the Central Ohio Christian Directors group and served on several committees for education licensing in the state. DeSanti holds a Bachelor of Science degree in early childhood development from The Ohio State University.

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Four Tips to Improve Teacher Retention at Your Program - Association for Early Learning Leaders

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By: Christine DeSanti of LifeCubby It's no secret that COVID-19 has had drastic effects on the early childhood industry. When the pandemic hit and centers began to shut their doors, it was reported that 1 in 4 teachers were contemplating quitting their jobs. And, though most centers have moved back to in-person learning, the shortage [...]

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Early education faces an acute staffing challenge. And while recruitment is difficult, retention is even more so. There's urgency in holding on to good staff members, and we need them to function well.

I've heard from a lot of early education leaders describing difficulties with new hires. They say their new starters seem hesitant to engage with children, or unsure about their roles at a new child care center.

At the same time, stressed child care directors aren't always proactive in their approach to onboarding and nurturing their new teaching staff, who are critical to the smooth running of their day to day operations.

Often, the new hire is ushered into their child care classroom with a quick intro: "Hey Kris, here's your new assistant Maddie. She will be great. You two have a good day!" Kris is dealing with a toddler dispute over a pink stuffed pig. She tells Maddie to do diaper checks, and the 'good day' is underway. It's likely to end not so well. The cortisol level rises for the toddlers, Maddie gets frustrated with her uncertain role, and Kris runs out of patience with her new assistant.

If this situation seems familiar, it's time for a better alternative. So in this article, I want to offer you some simple ideas to make the entry of new workers into your daily operations less rushed and more welcoming.

‍

Who are the new workers in child care?

New hires in early childhood education tend to be young people who sign on with good intentions, and a love of children.

Often, they'll answer a common job description:

Assistant Child Care Workers are responsible for the well-being of the children under their care. They monitor the children to ensure that they play and interact with one another in a safe and appropriate manner.

Never mind that below this paragraph, there is a long list of tasks in ECE jargon. To this new hire, the job duties seem simple enough: play with children and make sure they're safe.

Many of these new workers in early childhood education are part of Gen Z. Taken as a demographic, the Pew Research Center describes Gen Z'ers as wanting to make a difference, socially-minded, and caring toward others. They are focused on their work and are tech-savvy.

Due to their youth, they are likely to have limited technical experience in early childhood education, and with lots to learn in their knowledge of child development. While there will be individual differences, child care directors and managers should keep this profile in mind, as they look to attract and retain new educators.

The main objective is to keep new staff members engaged, so they feel valued and productive in our child care programs. We need them.

Let's look at how we can keep our new hires' characteristics in mind, as we shape our programs and daily operations to support them.

What makes new workers feel able to make a difference in child care?

Welcome them with care. Ask them what they want to contribute to your program, what their strengths are, and about some areas where they would like some help.

Get to know your teaching staff with a simple 'welcome form,' and remember to share about yourself too. Here is a brief example from my own book, Evaluating and Supporting Early Childhood Teachers.
Welcome to our center. We are very happy to have you on our staff. Please answer these few questions to help us get to know better:

My strengths are:

I want to know more about:

I prefer communication by (Check top two): Email, text, written notes, bulletin board, or in person

Two things very important to me in the workplace are:

When I am not at work, I enjoy:

‍

Setting up for success: emphasizing new workers' caring traits

Early childhood education is a "people's business." It's about being sensitive and caring, and requires good interpersonal skills with both children and other adults.

But this can also be draining without positive feedback.

Your new worker needs reassurance and motivation to do the job. So even though you're busy with many responsibilities as a center director, you should take the time to observe them on the job each day.

If you like what you see, make a positive comment when you get a chance: "I noticed you were reading to Pao, Lia, and Matt together this morning. They were so interested in the story when you made the animal sounds. Great teaching moment!"

Or send them an affirming text message: "Thanks for comforting Lia when her mom left today. She recovered quickly!"

If you do have a concern, arrange a private meeting at nap time or at the end of the day, to offer resources for the situation. It may be a short video, or an article on a developmentally appropriate way to read to toddlers. That all depends on where you think they could build their strengths. Reassure your new team member that you want to support their teaching skills and professional development, so they advance in their career in early childhood education.

What if your new teacher has limited experience in child care?

Have a short, up to date staff handbook that matches the job description directly, clearly listing the tasks required.

Let's take an example. If the job description says: "Ensure healthy practices," the direct task is "to do diaper checks every hour, and change diapers as needed."

Making things concrete removes room for misunderstandings, and takes the guesswork out of a new hire's first days.

They might not read the thirty-eight-page document that you have for your permanent lead teachers. But they can read the two page list of expectations with optional and non-negotiable tasks.

Explain the tasks and expectations in terms of child development principles, and the quality of education you deliver to children and families. In other words, give a 'why' behind your policies.

For example, you might not allow cell phones in the classrooms, because adults checking their phones distracts them from the primary function of supervising the physical safety of children - not because you want to deny workers their rights. Then, be specific about when staff can use their phones during scheduled breaks away from children.
‍

3 tips to help new hires get engaged in their work

Any new staff wants to know the details of the work they are expected to do, not figure it out on their own. Your job as a child care director is to plan ahead, to answer common "first-day" questions before they pop up.

Here's what that might look like:

Prepare the lead teacher to receive the new assistant. Review the lesson plan with the lead teacher for the first week, and discuss with the teacher where the assistant would be most helpful in your learning environment.

Provide fifteen minutes for colleagues to meet before they start to work together. That way, everyone can plan their responsibilities before springing into action. Give a list of specific tasks: set food, help children eat, clean tables, change diapers, play in the classroom, play in the playground, and read.

Encourage contributions. Your new hire may have a favorite book, activity, or song that they can add to the lesson plan. This can be a rewarding and encouraging experience, especially when just starting out.

Your new teachers are tech savvy - make the most of it

Not every new hire comes into your program with early childhood education experience. However, most of them are digital natives, with excellent communication skills on social media. You can use this to everybody's benefit.

Given their tech-native background, the interface of child care management software will be second nature for young people just starting out in early education. If you give them ownership of this, it's a natural way to draw out their strengths, while entrusting them with utility and responsibility right from the start.

In addition to the direct work with children, you might consider giving your new worker the official responsibility to assist with communication with families, like sending pictures of children and documenting via the "News Feed" of your software application.

To retain new workers, child care directors need to plan proactively

If we're going to address the retention issue in early education, we've got to think of these positions from the perspective of the new employee, just as we think about children's experiences when they enter our child care center.

We want them to find their place, so they feel respected and valued. We can view the opportunity to welcome this individual to the profession of early childhood education as a privilege.

On the immediate practical side, it's about having enough adults to meet ratio and introducing them to the basics of health and safety. But more importantly, it's about giving them the professional foundation of caring for and teaching young children.

In the short term, our sensitivity to their needs and aspirations will make them stick with the job, and retention will stabilize. In the long term, mentoring and growing the skills of young early childhood educators is a priceless contribution to the future of our field.

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Come and stay: Welcoming new child care workers | Famly

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Early education faces an acute staffing challenge. And while recruitment is difficult, retention is even more so. There's urgency in holding on to good staff members, and we need them to function well. I've heard from a lot of early education leaders describing difficulties with new hires.

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Low or no-cost strategies to reward staff

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Low or no-cost strategies to reward staff

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HiMama Blog - Resources for Daycare Centers

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In a recent webinar, we welcomed Jane Ann Benson, early childhood coach and founder of Early Childhood Ally. Jane Ann spoke to us about the importance of consistent appreciation and acknowledgment of the meaningful and challenging work our educators do each day. Jane Ann shared actionable strategies on how we can help our staff find their inner motivation again and decrease burnout and turnover.
Click here to watch a recording of the webinar that inspired this blog post!
Ensuring educators feel recognized will increase their positivity at work and support staff retention. Forbes recently reported that 67% of employees say they would work harder if their efforts were appreciated more. Take an audit of your day/week and think about how you are showing your team that you appreciate them. Traditionally, it is often thought that employee appreciation does not come cheap. However, there are many inexpensive or free options. It can start with words and go such a long way!

Low to no-cost employee appreciation ideas:

Positive genuine feedback

Genuine is the tipping point here, it needs to hit home with the person receiving it

Examples are voice memos (save time and are very easy once you get used to them!), sticky notes (carry them with you and put them in the staff room or on people's planners), or shoutouts in the newsletter that parents receive (could be a staff feature portion)

Appreciation notes
Sent to their home address a few times a year. You could potentially enlist staff members to write each other notes!

Pictures of staff in action documentation

An appreciation board for families to post their shoutouts

Cover them for an afternoon off

Daily/weekly motivation notes posted in the program

Jar of positivity (people can reach in for notes of encouragement!)

Parking spot for the day (it could even be decorated!)

Staff shoutout board

Sidewalk chalk messages (the children can help with this!)

Find opportunities to laugh together (e.g. having a joke of the day!)

Trivia Thursday (people post what they think the answer is and the winner gets a small prize)

Tried and true recognition options:

Food (try a dinner to-go option!)
Smoothie bar, coffee/tea bar, bagels, fruit cups/yogurt (could attempt to get parents to support with this if possible)

Order in a meal for your team

Build community through volunteering together

Cookie day (everyone brings in a cookie and you vote on your favorite one!)

Flowers/plant succulents

Gift cards

Group experience (e.g. escape room, a haunted walk, campfire, manicure party. Remember these can be optional for attendance!)

New ideas for staff acknowledgment:

Pinwheel fun
Buy pinwheels from the dollar store and put each staff member's name on them. The team then writes something about each person on each pedal and hangs them in the walkway!

Whose plate is this?
Everyone brings in a plate from their home, the director sets them out, and everyone guesses whose plate belongs to who over a meal together!

Kindness challenge

Put together activities with different point values and tally them up for the winner

Activities can be things such as saying hello to two people, complimenting a stranger, etc.!

Self-care challenge

Have a list of self-care activities people sign up for and whoever participates the most wins a prize!

Examples of activities are yoga, face masks, meditation, walking, etc.

Retreat (reminder to ensure the retreat is not work disguised as relaxation!)

Clipboards/binders (could be personalized as a group activity)

Umbrellas

Walk and talks

Team event that prompts more powerful conversations

Employees sign up for a time to walk with a teammate

Tailgate with sports team shirts (employees' families can join in and you can bring activities outside!)

Journals with reflection prompts

Acknowledging and appreciating your team for all of the hard work they put in each day is so important to keep them motivated and happy to come to work each day. It can be hard to make time for it but it is integral to do so. Use the suggestions above to make it easier to fit into your days and your budget!
Click here to watch a recording of the webinar that inspired this blog post! Want to learn more about important topics in early education like loose parts play? Sign up for the next webinar below, it is FREE! Even if you can't join live, you will be emailed the recording and slides just for registering!

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Low or no-cost strategies to acknowledge and reward staff

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In a recent webinar, we welcomed Jane Ann Benson, early childhood coach and founder of Early Childhood Ally. Jane Ann spoke to us about the importance of consistent appreciation and acknowledgment of the meaningful and challenging work our educators do each day.

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10X: Using Technology to Engage Families

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10X: Using Technology to Engage Families

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10X: Using Technology to Engage Families

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Here are 10 tips on using technology to engage families that support their young children's early learning and strengthen home-school relationships.

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How to Add Digital Parent Communication...

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How to Add Digital Parent Communication...

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HiMama Blog - Resources for Daycare Centers

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2020 impacted childcare centers in numerous ways, and has forced the industry to modernize along with the rest of society. While your first thought may be to digitize your operations alone, adapting how you communicate with parents is just as important in 2021. And our research has shown that parents are increasingly choosing childcare centres based on whether they offer good digital communication!

Although it can seem overwhelming to add digital parent communications to your center, it doesn't have to be! In this article, we'll give you a step-by-step guide on how to make the transition, and the benefits of doing so.

Why Go Digital with Parent Communications

Due to new safety protocols, many parents no longer have the same access to their childcare center. They can't have face-to-face conversations with the teacher, visit the space or interact with other parents. That doesn't mean you should stop engaging with them - in fact, it's more important than ever to ensure you maintain parents' trust and happiness with the program!
Our COVID-19 Parent Survey indicates that 80% of parents would switch childcare providers if they found an alternative that shared pictures and/or videos of their children.
Get More Organized

Daily reports, newsletters, reminders, permission forms, health information, invoices, contact records...there's a lot of paper that centers use for parents. With digital communications, hundreds of documents spanning many categories of communication all fit within neatly organized folders that you can access in the palm of your hand. Take back your workspace!

Paperwork is Pricey

All that paper doesn't come cheap either! By switching over to digital, HiMama centers save an average of $1887 a year on printing. Plus, the planet will benefit from not having to manufacture and ship all of the paper that you would normally use. You save, and so does the planet!

More Accessibility

When a parent gets home after a busy day at the office with their hungry toddler, it is all too common to shove a paper they received from you into a drawer and then forget where it was placed later. With digital communications, parents will be able to access this important information whenever and wherever is most convenient for them.

More Accountability

How many times have you heard after the fourth notice you've sent, "you're doing what? Why is this the first time I'm hearing about it?!?" By going digital, you'll be able to quickly pull up copies of what you sent, when you sent them, and who they were sent to. This keeps parents accountable to actually read the information you share, as well as yourself to prove that you did, in fact, deliver this message to all parents. Particularly when it comes to health and safety measures, digital recordkeeping will come in handy in more ways than you might think!

Step 1: Decide What Information to Go Digital With

The information that you choose to begin sharing digitally will have an impact on the software you choose, the devices required and other areas of your operations.

For example, if you would like to send digital daily reports, then you will need an app that is capable of generating these, and this will also require teachers to make their observations through an app rather than on paper.

Some examples of information to move over to an app include:

Daily sheets

Monthly reports

Assessments

Activity planning

Attendance

Photos and videos (securely and with permission, instead of on Facebook!)

Newsletters

Reminders

Calendars

Menus

Invoices

Payments

Take a close look at your daily operations and decide which ones you would like assistance with in an app. This will make it easier to compare different solutions and decide which one is best for your center.

Step 2: Collect Parent Emails & Phone Numbers

Chances are that you have this already, but just in case, it is important to mention that in order to communicate with parents digitally, you will need their contact information. At minimum, you should have an email address and cell phone number (for text messaging) for each parent or guardian with a child enrolled at your center.

If you have all of this information already, use this opportunity to check in and verify that their information is still up to date. After all, you will only be able to successfully communicate digitally if parents receive your messages!

Step 3: Choose a Child Care App

Although you can technically just send individual emails and text messages to parents, this will be very time-consuming and difficult to keep track of, especially as your business grows or if you have many children enrolled. A child care app is designed for busy child care providers like you, allowing you to easily message many parents with important information all at once - sometimes even automatically.

As you search around, make sure you opt for a solution that meets all your requirements, is easy to use, and has a great support team to assist along the way (which is often overlooked during the selection process).

Naturally, we suggest HiMama for all your digital child care needs, whether it's for parent communications, activity planning, payments and more. We may be a tad biased, but thankfully, childcare centers agree - we're the #1 rated childcare app in North America! If you would like to learn why 95% of our customers agree that HiMama fosters better communication with parents, check out our Parent Engagement Features and Testimonials page.

Step 4: Tell Parents About the Upcoming Change

Your digital communications will only work if they are actually being accessed and read by parents and guardians, so make sure that they are fully on board and ready to go from Day 1!

Changes to an established routine can be concerning at first, so give parents plenty of advance notice. Be sure to explain what is happening and how it will benefit them and their children. Since you haven't switched over to digital yet for your communications, we'll let one more paper flyer slide this time. If you need inspiration, see this sample parent flyer for introducing HiMama to a child care center.

Step 5: Understand the Devices You'll Need

Depending on which solution you choose and what information you will be communicating, you may need to invest in some new hardware like a laptop, tablets or smartphones. For example, if teachers will be making observations digitally throughout the day to include in daily reports, they will need a tablet like an iPad and a case for when it is inevitably dropped during particularly busy moments.

Besides a device for communicating, the only other technology you'll need is a reliable internet connection. This will involve a modem and wifi router, which chances are you already have. If you are going to be using an app in the classrooms, make sure that each room has good connectivity. If you are having trouble staying connected, wifi extenders are an inexpensive way to extend the reach of your wifi signal to all rooms at your location.

Step 6: Get All Staff Trained on the New Program

In addition to getting parents on board, you'll need the support and enthusiasm of your staff to make digital communications a success. Given that HiMama saves centers 3 hours a day on paperwork on average, you can be quite confident they'll embrace the change once they start using the app! Ensure that your staff are fully trained on what your expectations are of them and that they fully understand what and how they should be communicating.

One way to facilitate training is by hosting a launch party for your staff. Here, you can get everyone excited about the difference that your software will make at your center, and go in-depth with how to use the software you have chosen. For extra fun, you can even roleplay common scenarios that they encounter every day, and how you will observe and communicate these moments moving forward.

Step 7: Stick to the Switch

Consistency works best, so once you've launched your digital communications, stick with it! If daily sheets are sent via email, invoices handed out in person and meal plans posted on the wall, it can become harder to track as parents become confused as to where to check for what. Again, this will rely on buy-in from your staff, so make sure everyone is trained and ready to go.

On launch day, send parents a download link if there's an app for them to use as well as their login information. If you've been following along, they will be expecting this email and already be excited to get started.

Step 8: Collect Feedback from Parents & Staff

After you have been up and running with digital communications for a little while, check in with your staff and parents to see how it is coming along. Make sure that the information you are sending is helpful for parents, and that your staff is managing well with these changes in addition to their many other responsibilities. Just be sure that you have let enough time pass so that everyone has had a fair chance to adjust to these new methods of communicating. With HiMama, teachers and parents can also lean on our world class support so it's not always on you!

Thinking of going digital and stepping up your parent engagement in 2021? We'd love to help you think through your options, and show you the best all-in-one childcare app for your center!

Click here for a FREE consultation on how to go digital.

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30-day free trial

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Engage families in children's development in your own private Storypark community
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Record and communicate learning as it happens by sharing photos, video, audio, observations and routines within a secure online environment. Receive instant feedback and plan new ways to extend children's unique interests and abilities.

Built under the guidance of international experts and leading academics, for educators focused on high quality practice.

Trusted by practitioners around the world.

Nurture life-long learning

Accessible ePortfolio records that travel with children from birth to school. Support a continuous, cohesive learning journey for each child.

Enhance quality practice

Encourage reflective intentional teaching, personalise learning, and work with mentors or specialists.

Communication made easy

Share notices, events, reminders, policies and messages. Have conversations with individuals and get immediate responses.

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Increase enrolment and gain competitive advantage. Streamline assessment and reporting with unique data insights. Do and understand more in less time.

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Storypark is a for-purpose organization dedicated to making a difference. Our unique heritage has helped us focus on what matters most to children, families and educators.

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Powerful professional development tools

Support continuous professional learning in your own teacher portfolio.

Have discussions and share resources in private communities of practice.

Show how observations support your plans as a team and with parents.

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We're here to help you on every step of the journey with dedicated technical setup and onboarding, advanced teacher training, and prioritised customer care.

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Document and support children's learning, together - Storypark

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Start your free trial Record and communicate learning as it happens by sharing photos, video, audio, observations and routines within a secure online environment. Receive instant feedback and plan new ways to extend children's unique interests and abilities. Built under the guidance of international experts and leading academics, for educators focused on high quality practice.

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This software does so much more than competitors. It has enough muscle with billing, organization and reporting features that you can really use it to keep the business side of your school organized and keep connected to your clients. The features such as parent email, parent texting, tagging, batch child actions, enhanced filtering and headache-free automated billing take so much work off my plate!

Donna D * Education Business Owner

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This software does so much more than competitors. It has enough muscle with billing, organization and reporting features that you can really use it to keep the business side of your school organized and keep connected to your clients.

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Brightwheel is the preferred solution in the U.S.

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See why brightwheel became the #1 childcare management platform above the rest. Test all the best features for free and judge for yourself.

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COR Advantage: The Future of Early Childhood Assessment

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The Kaymbu software is intuitive for users of all abilities. With just a few clicks, photos, videos, and anecdotal observations can be connected to student assessments, and repurposed for a multitude of classroom documentation needs, including family engagement. Kaymbu is fully cross-platform, available on the web and on Apple and Android mobile devices.

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HiMama - The Best Childcare App for Daycare Centers

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HiMama is the all-in-one daycare app with parent messaging, daily reports, check in and more. It's childcare management made easy! Book your demo now.

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Free trial

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Make Learning Visible

Educational outcomes improve when teachers and families work together.

Our learning story software helps teachers document and share each child's unique journey - families and teachers see the same learning, share ideas and collaborate.

Educa gives you room to fully express yourself in your stories - expansive or brief, with images, videos and fancy layouts, or not. This open format applies to planning as well, indeed each step of your program cycle. It's a complete educational solution - all documentation, collaboration and professional development.

Mentoring and collaboration tools help support teachers at all levels. Furthermore, each teacher has a private workspace for professional development. More here

"Educa has made our preschool more connected, more efficient and more in tune with parents. Everyone loves it."

"Fantastic way to communicate with families. Easy, effective and efficient. Saves precious time for teachers by providing a simple format."

"From a business owner's perspective the move to Educa has been an investment. It engages our families and educators more than ever. We'll never look back."

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Learning Story Software & Child ePortfolios - Educa

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Educational outcomes improve when teachers and families work together. Our learning story software helps teachers document and share each child's unique journey - families and teachers see the same learning, share ideas and collaborate. Educa gives you room to fully express yourself in your stories - expansive or brief, with images, videos and fancy layouts, or not.

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Free trial

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See how it all works

Each parent will see a secure, personalized news feed, curated by staff with photos, posts, and care updates.

Famly is designed to be familiar and simple, making for easy staff adoption and a great experience for parents.

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Famly | #1 Child Care Management Software

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See how it all works Each parent will see a secure, personalized news feed, curated by staff with photos, posts, and care updates. Famly is designed to be familiar and simple, making for easy staff adoption and a great experience for parents.

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A free option

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Adoption and usage

Simple, effective, and surprisingly easy to use

With nearly 30 million users in 80% of US schools, the numbers speak for themselves: students, families, and educators love using Remind.

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Remind | Communication Platform for Education

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Remind is a communication platform that reaches students and families where they are and supports learning wherever it happens. Millions of educators, students, and parents use Remind to connect with the people and resources that help them teach and learn.

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This can be used to communicate with text and photos/videos without sharing your cell number

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WhatsApp | Secure and Reliable Free Private Messaging and Calling

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Use WhatsApp Messenger to stay in touch with friends and family. WhatsApp is free and offers simple, secure, reliable messaging and calling, available on phones all over the world.

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Know

Family Engagement: What Is It?

What are your feelings about working with families? What do you enjoy about it? What seems difficult? While you may feel motivated to develop relationships with families and to support family engagement, it is common to feel more success in focusing on your teaching practices and your direct interactions with preschoolers. It may not seem simple to combine these practices.

Family engagement has different meanings for different people. In many cases, it relates to an ongoing partnership between you and families. Early care and learning programs are committed to engaging and involving families in meaningful ways, and families are committed to actively supporting their child's learning and development. The literature around family engagement highlights the following characteristics:

Strong, trusting relationships between teachers, families, and community

Recognition, respect, and support for families' needs, as well as differences

Strength-based partnership where decisions and responsibility are shared

Activities, interactions, and support increase family involvement in their child's healthy development

Families take responsibility for their child's learning

Acknowledgment that family engagement is meaningful and beneficial to both families and the early care and learning program

It's important to realize that family engagement can look different and take on many forms. What family engagement means and looks like depends on the unique characteristics and the individual comfort levels and understanding of each family.

To help make sure that families are committed to their child's learning and engaged in the preschool program, families should be invited to participate at whatever level they feel most comfortable. Does participation mean monthly meetings or taking part in a parent advisory committee? (And are meeting minutes from the parent advisory committee shared with all parents?) Does participation mean donating cookies for a bake sale? Going on a field trip with the class? It is important for families to feel supported and recognized for the ways in which they are able and choose to participate and engage-from bringing their preschooler to the program each day to sharing their concerns or serving on committees. See the handouts attached in this section for additional ideas and considerations to support family engagement.

Importance of Family Engagement

Family engagement in early learning can benefit children, parents, families, teachers, and program quality in various ways. Can you remember what caring adults in your family, community or early care program did to help you grow and develop?

Families are their children's first teachers and they have a powerful effect on their young children's development. Family engagement during the first years of life can support a preschool child's readiness for school and ongoing academic and lifelong success. Research shows that when children have involved parents, the results are very positive, especially over the long term (A New Wave of Evidence, 2002).

When families are involved in the preschool program, they may also feel more vested in what happens there and more competent in their role as parents. Through these interactions and relationships, families may learn additional strategies from you to promote development and learning at home. Such strategies include expanding children's language, readings stories aloud, asking open-ended questions, encouraging children's efforts, identifying feelings and emotions, or responding calmly to behavior that challenges.

Including Families in Preschool

There are many reasons to include parents and families in the preschool program. Families usually have the largest impact on the development of young children. Family involvement is linked with positive outcomes for children, including better outcomes in child development, attitudes, and behavior. Furthermore, family involvement in school can help improve school programs, the school environment, and teachers (Hanson & Lynch, 2004; Turnbull, Turnbull, Erwin, & Soodak, 2006).

Children develop within family units, which are different for each child. Since a child's entire family can influence his/her development, it is important to think about ways to acknowledge and include diverse family types in your program. Throughout this series of lessons, we use the term family to refer to important people in children's lives. These people can be parents, siblings, guardians, extended family members such as aunts or cousins, and other individuals who are involved in children's lives.

Helping Families Feel Welcome: Entering Preschool

Families and preschool teachers ultimately have a common interest in children's development. It is crucial to establish and maintain collaborative relationships between home and school that will promote children's learning and growth. Considering that for many families preschool is the first encounter with group care, the beginning of the year may seem scary and stressful. As preschool teachers, you can do the following to support families during this sensitive time:

Invite families to visit your classroom before their child's start date.

Ask families about their child's interests, favorite toys, nap routines, likes and dislikes.

For children whose first language in not English, ask families to provide a list of words or phrases in the child's native language.

Ask the family to video or audio record a message to their child that you can share with their child during difficult times in the transition period.

Encourage families to bring a comfort item for their child from home, such as a favorite stuffed animal or blanket.

Ask families to share their hopes, goals, and priorities for their child.

Give families information about the different ways they can participate in your classroom.

When it comes to families of children with special learning needs who are transitioning to preschool from home-based early intervention services, provide information about the transition process, including a timeline of events.

Make sure you ask families about their preferred method of communication in case you need to reach them about their child.

Display photographs of children and their families in the classroom where children can easily see them.

Include books about families in your classroom library.

Invite families to participate in the assessment process.

Ask families of children with special learning needs to share input and preferences about their child's placement and education.

Encouraging Families to Be Involved

Within your program, there should be a specific plan as to how to engage families throughout the year. Though families' participation is voluntary, it is your job to make them feel welcome by actively encouraging involvement. Program activities should reflect families' interests and motivate them to participate. Additionally, your program may have a family involvement committee. This committee is composed of family members who encourage communication and involvement with the goal of strengthening and supporting the well-being of children and families. This committee is a resource and asset to your program as families may discuss issues or concerns and suggest changes to improve family satisfaction and involvement. Collaborate with a trainer, coach, or supervisor to promote family involvement.

Although you may provide several opportunities for family involvement, some families may still not participate, and you may sometimes feel discouraged by their lack of involvement. It is important to continue to invite all families. Lack of participation does not mean they do not care. There may be reasons why their participation is difficult, including inflexible work schedules or unique family demands and characteristics. As a caring and resourceful professional, be flexible and think of alternative ways to engage with all families in your classroom.

There are a number of ways to encourage and support family participation in your regular preschool routine, such as:

Inviting family members to share special talents (e.g., play an instrument, lead a cooking activity, sing, make a craft).

Giving family members jobs in the preschool routine (classroom helper, guest reader, party planner, activity-preparation helper).

Inviting family members to visit your classroom at any time.

Asking family members to contribute materials for activities (empty food containers for use in center activities, used clothing items for use in dramatic play area).

Inviting family members to join a classroom field trip.

Inviting family members to be guest speakers about certain topics (e.g., a firefighter talking to children about the job).

Inviting family members to share aspects of their culture.

Asking family members to help put together a class photo album.

Asking family members to help organize a family dinner night.

Asking family members to share input about classroom field trips.

Asking family members for extra helping hands with cleaning and rearranging your classroom.

Encouraging families to share suggestions or concerns with you.

See

Watch this video to learn about how teachers encourage family participation in their classrooms and programs.

Do

A great way to encourage family involvement in your classroom is by establishing personal connections with families of children in your care. Think about families as partners; sharing information about yourself and your work in preschool will help families to get to know you better and ultimately feel more comfortable being a part of the preschool experience.

Here are some ideas to help you continue to engage families, to increase their involvement in the program, and to build relationships:

Communicate with families and take time to observe their body language to help you measure their comfort level in the care setting. Find ways to ask them how they are feeling about the program, such as a family survey, and discuss any concerns they might have.

Smile and greet families by name.

Arrange the environment in a way that encourages families to spend time there. Keep the entrance area open and uncluttered with simple but attractive signs welcoming them. If possible, have a space for families' coats or belongings. Consider setting up a large board on a wall near the center of the room for parents to leave daily messages. Include some comfortable spots, such as pillows on the rug or a small sofa, so parents can read a picture book to their child or a small group of children.

Spend time observing families as they interact with their children to learn strategies for supporting them while in your care.

Show families where important supplies and other items are stored so they have access to things they might need for their children when in the care setting.

Include special materials or customs from a family's culture.

Establish regular times to meet with families face-to-face and help families design a plan or create activities to reach the dreams and goals they have for their children.

Share observations and other strength-based information about their children.

Ask families questions about their children.

Share something personal about yourself (e.g., "My mom tells me I struggled falling asleep for nap, just like Carlos. She said I never wanted to stop playing!" ).

Offer multiple ways to communicate daily with families (e.g., note home, share a photo of children playing, communication sheet with information about routines, phone call, newsletter).

Create rituals around hellos and goodbyes.

Invite families to share what they see and hear their children doing at home or in the community.

In addition to encouraging family involvement, it is also important to spend time acknowledging families in your preschool routine. Review the attached Strategies to Promote Family Involvement in Your Classroom document for ideas on how you can establish personal connections with families and how you can acknowledge families in your preschool routine. Then review the following two links. The first resource is for and about fathers from the National Center for Fathering (NCF). The second link provides suggestions for children's books about all kinds of families from the Children's Book Council (CBC).

http://www.fathers.com/

http://www.cbcbooks.org/cbc-book-lists/all-kinds-of-families/?sortby=young

Use the resources in this section to encourage family involvement and language and communication development at home.

In this video, listen to family members share their experiences participating in their child's program.

Watch this video to hear family members share their experiences participating in their child's program.

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Family Engagement: What Is It? What are your feelings about working with families? What do you enjoy about it? What seems difficult? While you may feel motivated to develop relationships with families and to support family engagement, it is common to feel more success in focusing on your teaching practices and your direct interactions with preschoolers.

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Unlimited classrooms. Unlimited staff.
Unlimited support and training.

Each month, you are charged only for children actively enrolled the previous month.

If you are closed in the summer, you pay nothing. If you have fewer children some months, you pay less.

Request a Demo

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Unlimited classrooms. Unlimited staff.Unlimited support and training. Each month, you are charged only for children actively enrolled the previous month. If you are closed in the summer, you pay nothing. If you have fewer children some months, you pay less. Request a Demo

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Our Mission is to help kids grow into successful adults by enriching the learning environment of their crucial early years.

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Elevating Child Care in Montana. Raise Montana provides services and assistance for child care providers in Montana. Raise Montana assists families in finding child care.

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Zero to Five Center based business courses/assistance

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Zero to Five Center based business courses/assistance

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Zero to Five Montana will help support new programs and initiatives through $5 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), granted through a Montana Department of Health and Human Services competitive process.

ARPA allocated supplemental funding to the existing Child Care and Development Block Grant to support child care business specialized training, professional development consultation, and technical support for child care business stabilization and expansion.

Understanding that each community in Montana is different, this grant will allow Zero to Five Montana to learn about a variety of child care models with promising outcomes. Working alongside community partners, employers, and child care business entrepreneurs, the organization will gather insight into how public/private partnerships can help meet the demand for child care across the state.

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Child Care Specialized Training & Technical Assistance - Zero to Five

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Zero to Five Montana will help support new programs and initiatives through $5 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), granted through a Montana Department of Health and Human Services competitive process.

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Are you interested in caring for young children or even running a childcare center? As you advance through this appealing career path, it helps to understand the landscape of potential education and credentials needed to thrive.

Pursuing an Early Childhood Education (ECE) degree program isn't feasible for everyone-and it's not always the right choice either. For some, the best option for boosting your ECE resume is to obtain a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential.

The CDA credential covers many of the components that research and subject-matter experts have deemed critical in both ECE curriculum and experience. Since 1975, this nationally-recognized credential has stood as the foundation of professional development in the ECE field. Preparing for and obtaining this credential can help you grow in your career and develop your ECE skills and knowledge.

Still not sure if a Child Development Associate credential is worth it? Keep reading to see what it takes to earn your CDA credential and how it can further benefit you and your career goals.

Important info about the Child Development Associate credentialing process

Before you commit to anything, you've got a few important questions. Let's dig into the details of what goes into earning a CDA credential.

CDA credential settings

Child Development Associate credential applicants have the option to choose between four ECE settings to become certified in. The CDA credential settings are as follows: ¹

Preschool: A state-approved, center-based preschool setting. Candidates work with a group of at least eight children between the ages of three to five years old.

Infant-Toddler: A state-approved, center-based child care setting. Candidates work with a group of at least three children under three years old.

Family Child Care: A home-based child care setting. Candidates work with at least two children under the age of five years old who are not related to the candidate. Setting must meet the minimum state and/or local regulations.

Home Visitor: An established home visit program that supports parents in meeting the needs of their young children. Candidates for a Home Visitor CDA credential follow a slightly different assessment process (more information here.)

CDA subject areas

The Child Development Associate credential emphasizes training in eight key areas. This ensures that individuals are well-rounded professionals equipped to thrive in many ECE environments. The CDA subject areas are: ¹

Planning a safe and healthy learning environment

Advancing children's physical and intellectual development

Supporting children's social and emotional development

Building productive relationships with families

Managing an effective program operation

Maintaining a commitment of professionalism

Observing and recording children's behavior

Understanding principles of child development and learning

CDA applicant requirements

There are a few important criteria you'll need to meet in order to apply for a CDA credential. Here are the basic CDA requirements: ¹

You must have a high school diploma OR be a high school student in an early education career program.

You must have completed 120 total hours of formal ECE training, including at least 10 hours in each of the eight CDA subject areas (outlined above.)

Within three years before applying, you must obtain 480 hours of experience working with young children.

Within 6 months before you apply, you must prepare a CDA professional portfolio according to the requirements outlined in the CDA Competency Standards book.

CDA evaluation components

The Child Development Associate credentialing assessment process evaluates candidates based on multiple sources of evidence besides just the CDA exam. Applicants must also undergo an observation period, submit a professional portfolio, competency statements and other resources.

Professional portfolio

Every applicant must compile a portfolio to be reviewed as part of the CDA credentialing process. This is composed of: education documentation, family questionnaires, six reflective statements of competence, 10 resources and a professional philosophy statement.

Family questionnaires

Parental involvement is an important element of the CDA credentialing process, which is why family questionnaires are a required component of the professional portfolio. Candidates must issue questionnaires to the families they've served, allowing them to review and respond to their feedback to aid in their professional development.

Verification visit

This portion is based on the R.O.R. Model ®, which stands for Review-Observe-Reflect. During this process, a CDA Professional Development Specialist evaluates the candidate's competency. First they review the professional portfolio, training transcripts and family questionnaires. Then they observe the candidate working with children and reflect with them on areas of strength or growth.

CDA exam information

The Child Development Associate exam is administered at a testing center and is comprised of 65 multiple-choice questions (60 standard questions and five scenario questions). Candidates will be given one hour and 45 minutes to complete the exam. Applicants do not receive a pass/fail score. Instead, they are cumulatively evaluated on all areas of the exam along with their verification visit to reach a credentialing decision.

CDA credential cost

There are fees associated with applying for and renewing your Child Development Associate credential. The fees for online applicants are $425 for initial application and a $125 for renewal cost. Those submitting paper applications will be charged a $500 initial application fee and $150 renewal fee. ¹ All payments are due in full at the time of application.

Why earn a CDA?

Now that you have an in-depth look at the CDA requirements and evaluation process, you're probably wondering if it's really worth it for you to earn the credential.

In a nutshell - the answer is yes! So what makes a CDA credential worth pursuing? We enlisted Rasmussen University School of Education Department Chair Mary Muhs to weigh in on the significance of earning this credential. Read up on some of the benefits of acquiring a CDA credential.

Confidence

The CDA credential requires you to not only learn about ECE best practices, but also gain hundreds of hours of hands-on experience and valuable feedback from expert observers. After being armed with this knowledge and experience, imagine the confidence you'll have walking into a classroom full of young learners.

"The CDA credential shows that you already know so much about quality childcare and education before setting forth into a more formal higher education degree," Muhs explains. "It gives you encouragement and a step up."

Competence

There's no denying that early childhood education is important. As the research supporting the importance of ECE increases, so does the demand for accredited and competent individuals with both academic training and applicable experience. Having a CDA credential helps qualify you for more jobs by showing potential future employers that you have reached a professional level of skill and knowledge.

Muhs explains that while a CDA credential may not always be required by employers, it holds great value. The fact that the credential is recognized nationwide means that it can serve an individual well in the future. "It is highly respected and shows that you are committed to quality programs for children," Muhs adds.

Credits

Perhaps you're hoping that your childcare experience acts as a stepping stone toward a more advanced early childhood education career. Think of the Child Development Associate credential as a ticket into the ECE world. The hours of education and hands-on experience you gain with your CDA credential could help you solidify your career goals.

If you decide to advance your education further in the future, many degree programs will offer credits for individuals who have acquired the CDA credential.

"We know the importance of the CDA Credential as the foundation for future education," Muhs says.

Because of this, Rasmussen University allows up to 12 credits to be waived for verification of a current CDA credential-and for those who've completed the three-course, fully-online CDA Prep training through Rasmussen University the transition is seamless. ²

Take the first step toward earning your CDA credential

So is earning a CDA credential worth it? We can't give you an answer-only you can determine if this industry-trusted qualification aligns with your career goals. But its value and relevancy can help you begin your journey into the field of early childhood education, and that is just the beginning.

If you're ready to earn your Child Development Associate credential, the Rasmussen University CDA Prep training can help get you there. Visit the Rasmussen University CDA Prep training page to learn more.

¹Council for Professional Recognition; Child Development Associate (CDA) Council, cdacouncil.org, 2017
²See Rasmussen University course catalog for transfer policies.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was originally published in 2018. It has since been updated to include information relevant to 2020.

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Is Earning a Child Development Associate Credential Worth It?

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Are you interested in caring for young children or even running a childcare center? As you advance through this appealing career path, it helps to understand the landscape of potential education and credentials needed to thrive. Pursuing an Early Childhood Education (ECE) degree program isn't feasible for everyone-and it's not always the right choice either.

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Strategies for Providing Continuity of Care

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Strategies for Providing Continuity of Care

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Luis' mom, Karina, walks into his classroom. Luis (age 24 months) immediately drops his mother's hand and runs to his teacher, Molly, for a hug. She asks him about his birthday over the weekend. Luis, his mom, and his teacher have been together for almost 18 months and have an easy rapport. Karina hangs Luis' lunchbox on a hook, then finds his favorite puzzle and sets it up at the table, where Molly sits with several other children. Molly asks Karina how her new job is going, and Karina shares that she may be getting to pickup a little later than normal due to a change in the bus schedule. "Don't worry," Molly says. "Luis and I love hanging out together. Right, buddy?"

Building strong partnerships with families offers tangible benefits for everyone involved, especially the infants and toddlers at the center of our work. Often, our work to establish deeper relationships with children and families is included in a larger effort aimed at providing continuity of care, or "programming and policies that ensure children and families are consistently engaged in high-quality early learning experiences through stable relationships with [early childhood educators] who are sensitive and responsive to a young child's signals and needs" (Reidt-Parker & Chainski 2020). This practice most often entails keeping children and educators together for more than one year, and often for the first three years of the child's life (Theilheimer 2006).

As the field has come to understand the link between adult-child relationships and healthy development, there is a growing commitment among infant and toddler programs to provide greater stability and consistency for children and families. Understanding why and how to implement a continuity of care approach can inspire positive and responsive changes for all-early childhood educators, families, and children.

Benefits of Continuity for Children

Children can form secure attachments with more than one caregiver and, ideally, do. Attachment theory, first proposed by John Bowlby (1969) and further developed by Mary Ainsworth, provides compelling evidence that stronger relationships among all the adults in a child's life support children's healthy development. Ainsworth (1963) described attachment as a secure base from which to explore-meaning that children enjoy a safe, dependable, consistent relationship in their lives that offers both the encouragement to move out into the world and a safe "home base" to return to when needed. When all of the essential adults in a child's life are providing a consistent, nurturing relationship for them to grow within and explore from, young children are well positioned to learn and thrive.

Research has found that continuity of care enhances teachers' knowledge of individual children, which encourages more focused and individualized interactions. The approach has also been shown to support steady developmental progress for children (McMullen 2017; 2018). In addition, infants and toddlers in environments that intentionally promote continuity of care display fewer behavioral concerns than the children in more traditional settings (Ruprecht, Elicker, & Choi 2015).

Benefits of Continuity for Early Childhood Educators

Studies focused on continuity of care indicate that it may strengthen teachers' knowledge of child development and learning as they observe a consistent group of children over an extended period of time (up to three years) (McMullen 2017; 2018). Furthermore, continuity of care leads to fewer transitions and interruptions in teacher-child relationships. This contributes to decreased stress for both educators and families (McMullen 2018).

Because teachers and children spend more time together, continuity of care deepens the relationships between them. This can contribute to a teacher's sense that their job is "emotionally and ideologically rewarding" as they see firsthand how their care is directly and positively impacting children (Reidt-Parker & Chainski 2020, 6). This satisfaction is thought to contribute to increased teacher-retention rates, which are critically important for early childhood education more broadly and for continuity of care settings specifically (Reidt-Parker & Chainski 2020).

Benefits of Continuity for Families

McMullen (2017; 2018) notes that continuity of care contributes to a family-like program culture, with warm relationships unfolding between the adults that "[mirror] feelings they have for close friends and family members" (2018, 48). Settings like these also make it more likely that families feel comfortable advocating for their children, which research indicates they do.

Understanding why and how to implement a continuity of care approach can inspire positive and responsive changes for early childhood educators, families, and children.

Because of the community that arises in programs using this practice, families also tend to experience an increase in their social capital. Social capital describes "the collective value of social networks . . . and the inclinations that arise from these networks to do things for each other" (Reidt-Parker & Chainski 2020, 4). Essentially, stronger social networks mean that families have others to turn to for help and support when needed and that they reciprocate by giving such help to others when asked.

Strategies for Providing Continuity of Care

Ideally, continuity of care is achieved when children remain with the same early childhood educator and with the same group of children for up to three years. While many programs find this approach challenging to implement, some of the strategies below-gathered from growing research-can be tried as initial steps to support consistency, relationship security, and family partnerships.

Amplify efforts aimed at teacher retention. Wages are the strongest predictor of staff turnover in early childhood settings (Caven 2021), so paying the most competitive wages possible can assist with retention. Seeking innovative strategies to enhance compensation, such as bonuses for completion of specific milestones (e.g., a professional development certification), may also help.

Minimize disruptions to teachers' group or room assignments. Programs that avoid switching teacher assignments unless absolutely necessary promote continuity and reduce attachment interruptions for children and families. (Reidt-Parker & Chainski 2020).

Align schedules to promote educator-family connections. Children often stay later in a program than their teachers do. To maximize the likelihood that families and educators have an opportunity to connect each day, programs can explore using schedules that ensure one lead teacher is present at morning drop-off and one is present at pickup.

Keep group sizes as small as possible. In general, the total number of children in a group is a significant indicator of quality (Miranda 2017). Smaller group sizes promote more individualized, responsive care because teachers have the time, capacity, and emotional bandwidth to get to know each child.

Consider mixed-age groups. Grouping children of different ages-for example, combining infants, 1-, and 2-year-olds in the same room or grouping as licensing permits-prevents the unnecessary interruption that occurs when children are required to move from one age group to another. Instead, it allows children to transition based on their development and learning.

Acknowledge and support families through transitions. When transitions to new teachers or peer groups do occur, acknowledge the loss inherent in these changes. Partner with families to discuss what supports their children (and they) may want or need as they move to a new teacher and classroom. While this may look different for each child, include practices such as a transitional family-educator conference during which the current early childhood educator, the new one, and the family meet to discuss the child and the change. Supports could also include "playdates" in the new environment, a "lunch bunch" with new peers before the transition, and a gradual transition into the new setting.

Use multiple modes of communication to connect with families. Continuity invites the building of long-term relationships with families, and regular communication is an important part of those family connections. Depending on culture, access, and preference, families will differ in how they want to receive program communication. Many early educators now use apps, portals, or messaging services to share information, photos, and videos with families. Some continue to use take-home journals as a communication tool. Ask families if these approaches are working for them, what information they want about their children that they may not be receiving, and what formats they prefer.

Expand the enrollment activities. Convene a work group of teachers and families to explore what information teachers need (but don't have) about the children and families they're serving and what information families want to share but are unsure how. Develop an enrollment questionnaire for newly registered children that explains the purpose of the tool, which is to establish stronger relationships with families from the outset. This will elicit deeper, more meaningful information about children that teachers can immediately use. Consider how enrollment activities, such as welcoming events and other materials, can be used to introduce the continuity of care model and support emerging educator-family relationships.

Learning about and from children and families can only happen once a meaningful relationship is in place. Building a program culture that promotes continuity for all-professionals, families, and children-encourages transformative and nurturing relationships over time. It is partnerships like these that allow for learning, for courageous conversations, and for the kind of high-quality care that helps infants and toddlers grow and thrive.

Think About It

Were you ever close to a teacher? How did that person support you? What did that person do or say to make you feel special and important?

What is your experience with continuity of care? What have you heard or observed about this model?

What do you imagine are the benefits of continuity of care for children, for families, and for educators? What concerns do you have about this approach?

Reflect on the children you have worked with over time. What developmental changes have you witnessed? What milestones have you observed? How does it feel to know that you play a role in children's learning and development?

Consider a family whose child is enrolled in your classroom. What do you know about this child and family? What might you want to learn from and about this family in order to better understand their child's needs?

With your colleagues, draft a questionnaire for newly enrolled families so you can learn more about their strengths, interests, questions, and needs. Talk with your program leadership about asking currently enrolled families to provide feedback on the questionnaire to refine it. After families complete the questions, make a plan for using this information as you care for their children.

Consider how your program approaches the practice of transitioning children to a new teacher/room. What changes in practice or operations might promote greater continuity for both educators and children?

Reflect on your relationships with the children in your setting. Which children have you known the longest? Has a longer relationship helped you understand their interests, strengths, and needs more clearly and meet these more consistently? In what ways?

When a child/family you are very close to transitions to a new group or room, how do you feel? What might it feel like to know you could sustain these relationships over a period of years?

Partner with leadership to suggest ways for families' voices to be a bigger part of your program. Is your program assisted by a family council that gives guidance and feedback on program operations?

Consider new pathways to eliciting the knowledge families hold about themselves, their children, and community. As you work with families over a period of years, this information will help you deepen your relationship with them and better understand how their strengths and needs may change over time.

Rocking and Rolling is written by infant and toddler specialists and contributed by ZERO TO THREE, a nonprofit organization working to promote the health and development of infants and toddlers by translating research and knowledge into a range of practical tools and resources for use by the adults who influence the lives of young children.

Copyright © 2022 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. See Permissions and Reprints online at NAEYC.org/resources/permissions.

References

Ainsworth, M.D. 1963. "The Development of Infant-Mother Interaction Among the Ganda." In Determinants of Infant Behavior, ed. B.M. Foss, 67-112. New York: Wiley.

Bowlby, J. 1969. Attachment and Loss: Volume 1. Attachment. New York: Basic Books.

Caven, M. 2021. "Understanding Teacher Turnover in Early Childhood Education." Accessed July 15, 2022. https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/understanding-ece-teacher-turnover/.

McMullen, M. 2018. "The Many Benefits of Continuity of Care. Young Children 73 (3): 38-39.

McMullen, M. 2017. "Continuity of Care with Infants and Toddlers. Child Care Exchange 39 (1): 46-50.

Miranda, B. 2017. "Higher Child-to-Staff Ratios Threaten the Quality of Child Care." Child Trends. June 15, 2017. https://www.childtrends.org/blog/higher-child-staff-ratios-threaten-quality-child-care.

Reidt-Parker, J., & M.J. Chainski. 2020. "The Importance of Continuity of Care: Policies and Practices in Early Childhood Systems and Programs." Start Early: Champions for Early Learning. https://www.startearly.org/app/uploads/2020/09/PUBLICATION_NPT-Continuity-of-Care-Nov-2015.pdf.

Ruprecht, K., J. Elicker, & J.Y. Choi. 2015. "Continuity of Care, Caregiver-Child Interactions, and Toddler Social Competence and Problem Behaviors." Early Education and Development 27 (2): 221-239.

Theilheimer, R. 2006. "Molding to the Children: Primary Caregiving and Continuity of Care." Zero to Three 26 (3): 50-54.

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Rocking and Rolling. The More We Get Together: How Continuity Nurtures Relationships in the Infant-Toddler Setting

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Understanding why and how to implement a continuity of care approach can inspire positive and responsive changes for all-early childhood educators, families, and children.

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Active Supervision Implementation Plan from video. 

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Active Supervision Implementation Plan from video. 

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Active supervision implementation plan PME

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Updated 2022. Source: Missoula Food Bank

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Financial Management toolkit- included budget template, salary scale template and more

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Financial Management toolkit- included budget template, salary scale template and more

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For centers and in-home programs

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Financial Management Toolkits — Opportunities Exchange

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The process of starting a Shared Services Alliance can seem daunting. What should be done first? How long does it take? Who should get involved? How can one ensure long-term sustainability? The purpose of this guide is to provide general outline of the work required to develop an Alliance. Understan

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Early educators are engaged in incredibly difficult and complex work that has been recognized as essential to children's learning and development, supportive for families, and foundational to the economy. In the best of times, educators do this work in conditions that undermine their well-being, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only deepened the harm caused to this workforce, nearly all of whom are women. Adequate public investment and state policies that appropriately prepare, support, and compensate the early education workforce can remedy these dire conditions by establishing systems that benefit early educators and the children they care for and teach.

Occupation

Median wage

Child care worker

$10.84

Preschool teacher

$14.40

Center director

$20.18

Kindergarten teacher

$29.08

Elementary teacher

$28.70

All workers

$17.51

In 2019 the median wage for child care workers was $10.84, a 5% increase since 2017.

For preschool teachers the median wage was $14.40, a 1% decrease since 2017.

For preschool or child care center directors, the median wage was $20.18, a 5% increase since 2017.

*Total includes the following occupations as defined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics (OES): "child care workers," "preschool teachers, excluding special education," "preschool teachers, special education", "education administrators: preschool/child care center programs". These data do not include the self-employed, although home-base child care assistants, who are employees, are likely included in the "child care worker" category. Due to the limited data available across states in the OES, state-based surveys or registries may provide more comprehensive estimates of the ECE workforce.

Montana early educators with a bachelor's degree are paid 26.7 percent less than their colleagues in the K-8 system. The poverty rate for early educators in Montana is 24.7 percent, much higher than for Montana workers in general (12.7 percent) and 8 times as high as for K-8 teachers (3.1 percent).**

Qualifications & Educational Supports: Pre-K
BA minimum for lead teacher?

Yes

CDA/equivalent minimum for assistant teacher?

No

Licensed Centers
BA minimum for director?

No

BA minimum for lead teacher?

No

CDA/equivalent minimum for assistant teacher?

No

Licensed Homes
BA minimum for lead teacher?

No

CDA/equivalent minimum for assistant teacher?

No

Scholarships to Support Educational Pathways
BA?

Yes

AA?

Yes

CDA or equivalent?

Yes

Collects data on scholarship recipients?

Yes

Work Environments: Centers
Paid time in professional development?

No

Paid planning and/or preparation time?

No

Salary schedule/benefits?

No

Homes
Paid time in professional development?

No

Paid planning and/or preparation time?

No

Salary schedule/benefits?

No

Compensation standards required?

No

Compensation guidelines or plans to develop?

No

Earmarks for salaries in public funding?

Yes

Financial relief: Stipend or tax credit?

No

Financial relief: Bonus?

Yes

Workforce Data: Registry
Inclusive of all licensed settings?

Licensed only

Collects wage data?

Yes

Collects benefits data?

No

Collects race/ethnicity data?

Yes

Reports data publicly?

Yes

Survey
Inclusive of all licensed settings?

Not Applicable

Collects wage data?

Not Applicable

Collects benefits data?

Not Applicable

Collects race/ethnicity data?

Not Applicable

Reports data publicly?

Not Applicable

Ratio of per-child pre-K to K-12 spending over 50%?

Yes

Higher than federal minimum wage, indexed for inflation?

Yes

Refundable child care tax credit?

No

Paid family leave law?

No

Expanded Medicaid eligibility?

Yes

*Early educators work in public- and private-sector homes, centers, and schools. This estimate includes the following occupations as defined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Employment Statistics: "child care workers," "preschool teachers, excluding special education," "preschool teachers, special education," "education administrators: preschool/child care center programs." These data do not include the self-employed, although home-based child care assistants, who are employees, are likely included in the "child care worker" category. This estimate is from 2019 and does not reflect employment changes as a result of the pandemic. Demographic characteristics such as race/ethnicity and gender are not reported due to a lack of comparable data across states. State-based surveys or registries may provide more comprehensive estimates of the ECE workforce.

**Gould, E., Whitebook, M., Mokhiber, Z., & Austin, L. (2020). Financing Early Educator Quality: A Values-Based Budget for Every State. A series of state-by-state reports produced by the Economic Policy Institute and University of California Berkeley's Center for the Study of Child Care Employment. Retrieved from https://cscce.berkeley.edu/financing-early-educator-quality-a-values-based-budget-for-every-state/.

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Questions or Feedback

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Early educators are engaged in incredibly difficult and complex work that has been recognized as essential to children's learning and development, supportive for families, and foundational to the economy. In the best of times, educators do this work in conditions that undermine their well-being, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only deepened the harm caused to this workforce, nearly all of whom are women.

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Many resources on the benefits of ECE including the economic benefits to society.