Child care providers may now return to their licensed capacity
Programs are required to adhere to the health and safety guidance, COVID-19 GUIDANCE for Child Care Facilities, which can be found in both English and Spanish on the Division of Early Childhood website. A return to licensed capacities requires child staff ratios per COMAR regulations. If a classroom currently has a group size of 14 children with one staff based on the relaxation of regulations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a program may not add additional children to the classroom until an additional qualified staff person is assigned to the classroom. A group size of 14 children with one staff will be permitted only until October 30, 2020.
Read the full announcement on our website.
PROVIDERS: Child Care Scholarship Alert
Please go to Money4ChildCare.com and click on Online Survey Verification to
confirm that you have entered all scholarships listed on your Scholarship Specific rate.
Scholarships are listed from smallest to largest number. If you cannot find a scholarship ID number you must submit the scholarship by completing the Online Survey rate online. Faxing or mailing a copy of your Parent Policies and Procedures to CCS Central, prevents us from ending and reissuing a new scholarship to your parents. All scholarships must be entered or corrected by November 5, 2020.
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In partnership with MSDE's Title III Office, the Maryland State Advisory Council for English Learners has released A Guide to School for Families of English Learners for families new to the country and families of English learners. This guide, which provides resources for families beginning in early childhood, has been developed to help families understand the school system and offers suggestions for how to support children’s learning and family engagement. This Guide provides information about Maryland's early childhood system, including how to enroll a child in early childhood programs, support transition to school, and connect parents and families to additional supports.
Also available in Spanish.
Family Engagement Practices used in Early Care and Education Programs
DEC partnered with WIDA Early Years to conduct a qualitative research study, Young Multilingual Children in Maryland: Exploring Parent Perceptions of Children’s Language Development, Family Engagement Practices, and Decision-Making about Early Care and Education.
CDA funding has officially launched!
The Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Early Childhood will provide funding to support child care providers with obtaining their Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential™ from the Council for Professional Recognition. This initiative was funded through the PDG B-5 Grant and through the Governor’s Office to enhance the early childhood workforce in career advancement.
For more info, please visit:
https://earlychildhood.marylandpublicschools.org/CDA
Update Your LOCATE: Child Care Record
Every day, parents contact Maryland Family Network’s LOCATE: Child Care for comprehensive information to make informed decisions about child care. The more complete and current a child care provider’s record is, the better MFN can help find and choose the right child care program. This is particularly important with the disruption that has occurred with the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you are child care provider, please review and update your record today at https://www.marylandfamilynetwork.org/for-providers/update-your-record. Your information will be reviewed and made active in MFN’s database within just two business days. Everyone who updates their record will be entered into our sweepstakes for a $25 Amazon gift card. For more information, please call MFN’s LOCATE Provider Line at 866.752.1614.
Child Care Providers
All licensed child care programs are now able to reopen. Please fill out the NEW Child Care Reopening Verification form and send it to your licensing specialist or region manager for approval.
Contact your regional licensing office with questions.
Emergency Preparedness Training for Child Care Providers
Project Security Blanket is a six -hour course that assists child care providers in completing an emergency plan for their programs. Information for upcoming Project Security Blanket training can be found on
the Clearinghouse Calendar or on the Project Security Blanket website.
projectsecurityblanket.org
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Child Care during COVID-19 Survey Extended and Earn 5 PAUs for Helping
The COVID-19 Parent Survey About Child Care Needs is extended to November 6th and now every licensed child care provider in Maryland has the opportunity to earn a total of 5 PAUs to help the MSDE reach families across the state.
Tell your families about the survey and ask them to provide their email address to you for MSDE to provide a
direct link to the survey.
If you provide MSDE a list of every family in your program, the person identified as coordinating the effort will be awarded 2 PAUs.
The next step is to follow up with each family to ensure that at least 50% of your families have completed the survey.
When you receive at least 50% of your family's completion, you will be awarded 3 PAUs.
Get all of the requirements to earn PAUs for the survey at money4childcare.com.
The Family Child Care Provider Direct Grant Program
The Provider Direct Grant Fund Program reimburses up to $1000 in expenses that a provider
incurs to achieve or maintain compliance with family child care regulations. Reimbursement is
made in the form of a grant award.
Critical Competencies Training for Infant-Toddler Educators coming Fall 2020!
Trainers across the state who have been trained by Zero to Three experts, will begin offering the Critical Competencies training soon. Don't wait, sign up today!
Click the image to learn more.
Deadline Approaching
The enrollment for child care programs to complete the interest survey for the Fall window of the Early Learning Assessment (ELA) ends October 15.
Click the image to see the flyer.
Submission of Applications For Credentialing Branch
All Maryland Child Care Credentialing program applications should be submitted directly to Child Care Central:
PO Box 598 Baltimore, MD 21203
Email: cccredential@conduent.com
Fax: 410-229-0145
Applications for the following programs should not be mailed at this time. Applications should be sent electronically to credentialocc.msde@maryland.gov until further notice.
- Child Care Career and Professional Development Fund
- Quality Incentive and Family Provider Grant
- Training Voucher and Training Reimbursement Applications
Please do not mail applications in at this time.
Note: Training Voucher and Reimbursement applications can also be submitted using the following links:
Maryland Child Care Credential Program
Effective October 1, 2020, Credential Award Letter and Certificate will be sent directly to your email. Please make sure that you submit the correct email address on your Credential
application.
FREE VIRTUAL TRAINING
In an effort to support providers who are currently facing difficulties getting the training
they need to meet licensing, credentialing, and accreditation requirements during this pandemic, MSFCCA is now offering free Virtual Training to all of their members.
ENGAGING ALL FAMILIES
OCTOBER 12,2020
6:30PM to 9:30PM
For more info and training schedule, visit MSFCCA.ORG/TRAINING
Training for Child Care Providers during COVID-19
Face-to-Face training resumed on July 1, 2020. There will be a maximum of 15 allowed in a training, which includes the trainer. Trainers must follow all of the CDC guidelines which includes wearing a mask and social distancing.
Virtual
Approved Online Training Organizations
Basic Heath & Safety
The FREE October training will run October 1 at 9:00am through October 22 at 9:00am.
Registration for the November course will be open October 22-29.
Online / Virtual
Maryland’s Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Consultation Project is Open!
Help for child care programs and families cope with all the changes brought about by the COVID -19 Pandemic.
Learn more here.
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OCTOBER 6, 2020
Registration for the Child Care & COVID-19 Training is now open!
The training is designed to equip child care providers and caregivers with the knowledge they need to stop the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in their child care facilities.
Course information and registration is available on the Training page of our website.
Child Care Enrollment Survey
Thank you for providing care for the children of Maryland's families.
In an effort to better serve Maryland's families and child care providers, please take a few minutes to answer the questions about enrollment at your program by Friday, October 9, 2020. While this is optional, your continued partnership in helping to serve families and children is greatly appreciated.
surveymonkey.com/r/FallEnrollment
Updated Consolidated Health and Safety Guidance Posted (8/28/2020)
Guidance includes:
Guidance for Use of Cloth Face Coverings in Child Care Programs
Exclusion, Quarantine, and Closure Recommendations for COVID-19 or COVID19--like Illness in Child Care Programs
Guidance for Temperature and Symptom Screening in Child Care Programs
Frequently Asked Questions: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance for Child Care Settings
Get the Guidance here.
The 2020 Maryland Family Engagement Summit Webinar Series
Small Changes for Big Results: Understanding Equity and Implicit Bias when Engaging Families
October 8, 2020 (FULL)
Structural Inequality in America: Just the Facts
3 – 4:30 p.m.
SAVE THE DATES
- November 12, 2020 at 3pm - "No Small Matters" followed by Research Study
- December 10, 2020 at 3pm - Equity on the Ground
Registration info coming soon for November 12th!
Special Needs Training and Technical Assistance for Infants and Toddlers
If you provide care for children under 3 years old, your program may be eligible to receive professional development at over 75% off!
Participants will receive:
Training - 2 or 3 COK hours
Technical Assistance (2 sessions) - 2 COK hours
Professional development is available statewide, but spaces are limited.
Learn more here.
Now, more than ever, the interactions between teachers and students matter so much. Join Teachstone for a series of conversations with thought-leaders in the trauma-informed space.
View the series at Teachstone.com.
Engaging families during the pre-K to kindergarten transition
In a recent Early Learning Network study, with findings published in the Early Childhood Education Journal, researchers explored the impact of time and geographic context on family engagement through the pre-K to kindergarten transition.
A practice guide based on this paper is now available to help educators and families work together to successfully navigate this transition.
Download the guide at earlylearningnetwork.unl.edu
FDA Reiterates Warning About Dangerous Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers Containing Methanol
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to warn consumers and health care professionals not to use certain alcohol-based hand sanitizers due to the dangerous presence of methanol, or wood alcohol – a substance often used to create fuel and antifreeze that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin as well as life-threatening when ingested.
Check the updated list here.
MSDE has awarded The Family Child Care Alliance of Maryland (The Alliance) a Pre-Kindergarten Expansion Grant that will allow Family Child Care providers the opportunity to participate in Maryland’s Community-based pre-k initiative. The Alliance will develop two family child care cohorts with 10 to 20 family child care providers servicing up to 40 eligible children. The Alliance would like to thank MSDE for working with them to make this a reality and CHOICE for not only family child care providers, but also the most vulnerable children of families in care.
Learn more.
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