2013 Training a Success!!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2013 Hays Co. Child Care Providers Training on April 6th in Kyle!!  We had a great crowd of 145 registered participants who care for 1,500 children in Hays and surrounding counties.  Special thanks to all of our presenters and exhibitors!    Click here to see the printed program from the training.

A huge pat on the back goes to our planning committee:  Stephanie Bonnet-Kramer and Marie Jones (Hays CISD), Rebecca Eichen and Maria Matts (Rocking Horse Academy), and Laura Petty (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in  Hays County).  Over the last year, our committee and planned and hosted 2 trainings which provided participants with a total of 10 training hours.  Our fall training on Sept. 29 involved 138 registered participants.

We will soon be working on plans for the fall training, so stay tuned to this site for all the details.

Also, if  you are interested in serving on the planning committee and/or presenting at future trainings, please feel free to contact Laura Petty at 512-393-2120 or ljpetty@tamu.edu.

Free Online Training on "Cognitive Skills"

The brain training experts at LearningRx of San Antonio Northeast has partnered with Professional Learning Board to offer a free online continuing education course to area teachers.  The class is named ”Cognitive Skills – Understanding Learning Challenges” and is designed to help teachers understand, identify and combat weak cognitive skills, which for some students can sabotage learning, even when excellent teachers use the best methods, materials and curriculum. By completing the course, teachers will earn 5 to 10 clock hours.  Click here to find out more details and enroll. 

Emergency Preparedness Resources

One of our sessions at the September 29th training was Emergency Preparedness Plans.  Special thanks to Rebecca Eichen with Rocking Horse Academy for sharing their Emergency Preparedness Plan with the participants.  It is quite detailed and would be a great resource for anyone working on their plan.

One resource that Dr. Connie Sheppard (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Bexar County) shared with me is the "Family Child Care Emergency Preparedness Guide"  that was developed in partnership by the NH Child Development Bureau, Child Care Licensing Unit, Child Care Resource and Referral Network, NH Emergency Management of Department of Safety and Easter Seals NH. Click here to view and/or download the guide.

Links to other resources can be found on the Texas Department of Family & Protective Services by clicking here.

Click here to access on-line Emergency Prep courses, among many others, available from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

Also, for general emergency preparation and aftermath tools, visit the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) by clicking here.

Child Safety Seat Checks

Encourage your families to have their child's car seat at one of the Austin area inspections provided by Texans in Motion.  They provide 4-5 free trainings monthly, so you can contact Sherrianne Truex-Cabrera at STRUEXCABRERA@sw.org for other dates. 

Also, on the NHTSA website, families can also have car seats inspected at: 

Hays County Sheriff's Office
1307 Uhland Road
San Marcos, TX 78666
Hours: M-F 8am - 12pm; by appointment only
Contact: Deputy Manuel de La Rosa, 512-393-7373

Child Care Wellness Grant Program

While the deadline has passed for 2012, perhaps this is something to consider for next year, assuming the grant opportunity will continue.  Texas CACFP (Child & Adult Care Food Program) Child Care Wellness Grant Program funds Farm to Child Care (FTC) and Breastfeeding Supportive Child Care Practices (BSP) projects in CACFP child care centers and day care homes across the state. These grants are based on a competitive process where each application is reviewed and scored by a panel of experts.  This year, there was $650,000 available for child care facilities.  Click here to find out more.