You don’t have to step foot out of your home or office to participate in one of these webinars. You won’t need to pay a large fee or drive a long distance either. In fact, these free webinars are available online.

“Early Childhood Investigations offers free webinars to early childhood educators. The series is produced by Engagement Strategies, LLC., and presented by leading authors, experts, and leaders. Our goal is to help allow you to participate in conference-quality training without leaving your home, classroom, or office.”

These webinars are facilitated by experts and leaders in the field that present on a wide variety of topics related to early childhood. Read more »

Read more »

What is a CSA and how to choose the right one for you

Believe it or not, the growing season is just around the corner.  Last year I had a hoop house up at about this time growing beets, carrots, lettuce, kale, and radishes.  For me the beginning of the gardening season is the most fun.  After being cooped up all winter, being able to dig in the dirt, with the sun on your back, and to taste the first fresh produce of the year is the best part of spring.  However, usually toward August it can start getting a little old.  The days get much (much) hotter, the weeds tend to take over, and watering becomes a daily chore instead of something you look forward to doing.  That’s why this year, I’m scaling back on the growing efforts and letting someone else do it for me by signing up for my first CSA or Community Supported Agriculture program. Read more »

The DEQO Early Learning Childcare Center in Apple Valley is currently seeking 6 qualified teachers for our center with a start date of March 18, 2013!!Interviewing immediately – contact Jennifer (director) for more information. jvote02@aol.com

Do you feel the urge to ‘bail’ your child out or ‘save’ them when they forget something, etc.? It’s sometimes instintive as parents, but we need to build competency at every age. Marti and Erin from Mom Enough address this topic in the article below:

Children need to develop a sense of being able to master a variety of daily living skills so they will feel competent to navigate tough situations when the time comes, she said. “Parents have a big responsibility during those early elementary years,” Marti said. “They have to work with their kids on things like time management and organizational skills. By the middle school years, kids should absolutely be responsible for what they need to do and accept the logical consequences if they don’t.” Read the entire article HERE.

I’m honored to introduce our second child life speaker this month, Ellen Hollon. Ellen has been influential in the development of the Child Life Council and the field itself.

Ellen, MS, CCLS, holds a Master’s Degree in Child Development & Family Studies from Purdue University. She has worked in five different health care settings during her 32+ year child life career and most recently served as Child Life Program Director at both Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, OH as well as Children’s Medical Dallas, TX.  She is a past President of the Child Life Council, as well as a past recipient of its Distinguished Service Award. Ellen can be reached at ellen.hollon@yahoo.com

Be sure to listen to this inspirational and encouraging message for those just beginning in the child life field and those that are looking to get more involved!
Click Here to tune in.

View a Press Release about Ellen’s prestigious child life award or read more Here (2006).

Bottled Up: A Candid Conversation about Breastfeeding with Author Suzanne Barston

“There is compelling evidence of the benefits associated with breastfeeding, from nutritional value to enhanced immunity to plain old convenience. But, for a variety of reasons, not all moms can or will breastfeed. And even those who do may stop short of the 12 months recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other health groups. So does that mean their children’s development will be compromised? Does it mean these mothers are not ‘mom enough’? Journalist and mom Suzanne Barston dared to ask those questions and more in her thoughtful book, Bottled Up: How the Way we Feed Babies Has Come to Define Motherhood and Why It Shouldn’t. Tune into this interesting and thought-provoking discussion!” Read more »

T.E.A.C.H. is now accepting applications for their April 1 deadline (for individuals taking classes this summer).

Click on THIS LINK to access the application.

• Need a refresher on what T.E.A.C.H. is? Click HERE.
• Have a question on eligibility? Click HERE.
• Want step by step instructions on how to apply? Click HERE.

The following info is from MnAEYC-MnSACA.

This is your call to action! You are personally invited to participate in the 2013 Youth Day at the Capitol, March 13, 2013. MnSACA is a collaborating partner of the Youth Policy Alliance, a collection of state-wide organizations intent on influencing legislator’s support of youth in Minnesota.

Investment in youth is an investment in a healthy Minnesota. Young people who participate in quality youth development programs are more likely to be:

• Active citizens
• Settled in stable personal relationships
• Employed and economically self-sufficient
• Happy with their lives as young adults Read more »

Praise The Children Childcare Center is hiring!

The person selected for this position must meet the minimum requirements set by the state. The person must possess the educational requirements of the program’s Rule 3. This person must have a warm and friendly personality, be sensitive to the feelings and needs of others, be able to relate well to children, and be willing to fulfill the responsibilities in accordance with the center’s philosophy. This person must display emotional maturity and stability, and must be willing to take training in the field of early childhood education. Read more »