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Our weekly e-newsletter to providers combines grantee resources, stories of interest, exclusive educational opportunities, and grant information. In this issue:
 April is Child Abuse Prevention Month (CAPM), and we want your help to empower communities with resources to support Texas children, youth, and families where they live, work, and play!
For the month of April, we encourage you to promote child abuse prevention awareness with your networks. Our goal for this month is to reach as many individuals as possible to equip families with knowledge and resources to support child abuse prevention practices in Texas.
Date to Remember: Friday, April 8 Wear Blue for #GoBlueDay
Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) is committed to ensuring our grantees have the training and professional development they need to navigate Texas families’ needs.
In order to ensure that PEI is offering the support you need to create opportunities for partnerships with families, we are asking you to complete the survey below to determine what topics require additional focus and support.
You can complete the survey on behalf of your overall organization’s input or share the link with your staff and sub awardees to fill out on their own.
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Get Parenting Tips Posters are now available for order. This set of twelve posters features positive parenting stories, children's art, and tips endorsed by The Texas Pediatric Society. Posters can be ordered in English and Spanish. Order a set for your office space today! |
Our Activity Books feature artwork, puzzles, and language learning activities, and each box comes with crayons for children.
Quality Incentive Project: Data Dive into the FY22 Scorecard
Join us to learn about the data behind the Quality Incentive Project (QIP) scorecards. We will review the data behind all of the QIP measures, including the FY2022 updates.
Date: April 13th
Time: 10:00 A.M. – 11:00 A.M.
Register
In Case You Missed It
Maximization: What Is It? How Do We Do It?
Funds Maximization is vital and essential to serve Texas families well and for the success of our partnership. Join PEI’s Contracting and Program Teams to gain a better understanding of PEI’s overall Funds Maximization efforts. As a PEI grantee, managing your program’s budget is a priority in our ongoing efforts to maximize PEI dollars in each community. This webinar will provide practical tips, tools, and ideas grantees can use when considering funds maximization work. Also, this webinar will help you understand the process PEI uses to review and evaluate budgeted line items and transfer requests. Together we can achieve more!
**Please note that registration is required to view the recording**
Early Childhood (MIECHV)
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/5368126250959082255
Early Childhood (NO MIECHV)
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/8614915918062082824
FAYS/SYSN Grantees
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/6281105731105002511
Youth & Family Grantees (NOT FAYS/SYSN)
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/930805184534431760
 To take these courses: Type or paste the course names below into the search bar on the PEI Learning Hub:
- Click on the course and select “request”
- On your transcript select “launch” to begin
- When the video is complete, go to "completed" courses in your transcript
- Select "evaluate" to provide feedback
For questions, contact PEITraining@dfps.state.tx.us.
Challenges in Home Visiting: Substance Abuse
Substance abuse and addiction are prevalent, often reoccurring issues in home visiting. Addiction can interrupt a parent's personal growth and interfere with their ability to fully engage with their child. This course will strengthen both new and experienced home visitors’ knowledge and ability to recognize signs of substance use and explore ways to address concerns with a parent in the context of their role as home visitor. Topics include the impact of substance use on family systems, parenting, child development and safety issues encountered in home visiting.
This Achieve OnDemand learning experience qualifies for .3 IACET Continuing Education Units (CEUs). Full completion and/or attendance of the learning experience, a passing score on any post-test(s), and completion of the end of course evaluation are required to be awarded IACET CEUs.
Quality Incentive Project Phase II
Join us to learn about the next phase for PEI’s Quality Incentive Project. This session is particularly relevant for Texas Home Visiting, HOPES, and FAYS programs. This webinar was recorded on September 21, 2021.
 Access the Essentials of Home Visiting live webinars through the Essentials of Home Visiting Portal free of cost.
Use this link to register for any webinars from Start EarlyTM
Understanding Substance Abuse through the Family Lens
Date: April 5th
Time: 12:00 P.M. - 1:00 P.M. CDT
Register By: Monday, April 4th, 12:00 PM CDT
As a home visitor, how do you intentionally respond to situations where substance abuse is present in the families you support? This webinar discusses ways to recognize a family's values and strengths which can help guide you approach when working with a family impacted by substance abuse. We will also explore how substance abuse affects family dynamics.
This webinar complements Challenges in Home Visiting: Substance Abuse self-paced course.
Being Present with Families
Date: April 13th
Time: 12:00 P.M. - 1:00 P.M. CDT
Register by: Tuesday, April 12th, 12:00 PM CDT
How do our personal values and experiences impact the work we do? The qualities of being nonjudgmental, present and an active listener will be covered as well as some potential barriers to active listening.
This webinar complements the Basics of Home Visiting self-paced course.
Hunt Institute Webinar Series
Collaboration Across the Continuum: The Role of Higher Education in Preparing the Early Childhood Education Workforce
Date: March 29th
Time: 2:00 P.M.
Register
Early childhood care and education in the United States is at both a crisis points and an inflection point. Combined with a steady demand for childcare and increased attention to the field, there is an urgent need for a well-prepared and professionally compensated early childhood workforce.
Join this discussion with state and higher education leaders in identifying ways institutions of higher education (IHEs) can strengthen support for the childcare and the early childhood education (ECE) workforce.
Early Efforts | Creating Robust Mixed Delivery Pre-K Systems
Date: April 5th
Time: 1:00 P.M.
Register
Join Drs. Steven Barnett and GG Weisenfeld of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University, Alabama Secretary of Early Childhood Dr. Barbara Cooper and Martha Strickland, State Director of 4K at South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness as they discuss mixed delivery systems for early childhood environments.
Public Student Loan Forgiveness for the ECE Workforce
Date: March 31st
Time: 2:00 P.M.
Register
Please join this webinar, hosted by the ACF Office of Early Childhood Development and the Department of Education, that will highlight flexibilities offered through the Limited Public Service Loan Forgiveness Waiver, and how the early care and education (ECE) workforce can take advantage of this time-limited opportunity. Speakers will discuss:
- An overview of the Limited Public Service Loan Forgiveness Waiver;
- How to qualify and apply for loan forgiveness;
- Access resources and technical assistance available; and
- Respond to frequently asked questions from the ECE field.
This webinar will benefit anyone in the ECE workforce with federal student loans and/or administrators who want to support their ECE staff, including those working in Head Start and Early Head Start programs, and other early care and education settings.
Public Health Region 9/10 Virtual Child Wellness Conference
Uniting Our Community is a free virtual event for parents and health care professionals that will share child-focused information on border resources, mental health, nutrition, dental services, and children with special health care needs specialized services.
The conference will be held every Thursday in April from 12:00 P.M.-2 P.M. CDT.
Register Now.
 2022 Texas WIC Nutrition and Breastfeeding Conference
Join Texas WIC from June 21st - 23rd, 2022 for their Nutrition & Breastfeeding Conference. This year’s theme is “Reaching New Heights.”
More than 500 local and state agency staff will collaborate to discover innovative ways to reach new heights when serving and educating WIC families and communities.
Staff will have opportunities to earn continuing education credits and learn about trending topics related to maternal, infant and child health, breastfeeding, nutrition, and social engagement strategies to support public health.
Keynote Speakers include: Indy Rishi Singh, Laurel Wilson, Malak Saddy, and Kini-Ana Tinkham.
Children's Mental Health Acceptance Day- Call for Exhibitors
The Texas System of Care, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, and community partners are working together to host the third digital Children’s Mental Health Acceptance Day (CMHAD), launching May 2nd.
Interested exhibitors should complete this Call for Exhibitors Form by March 30th. You will be asked to include a description of your organization, contact information, a logo, and links to any resources or information you would like to share.
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HRSA Discretionary Grant Opportunity: Catalyst Infant Health Equity
- Open to State/City governments, for-profit and non-profit organizations
- Goals are: reduce infant mortality (IM) and address racial/ethnic disparities
- Priority to counties/jurisdictions with larger numbers of excess infant deaths (deaths contributable to disparity) will be considered priority areas
- $500,000 per award (2.5 million appropriated).
Disproportionality Specialist
Serve as a subject matter expert for Disproportionality and provide technical assistance to increase the cultural competence of DFPS staff at all levels and improve the collaborative efforts to address systemic factors contributing to disproportionality and disparities within DFPS systems.
Work involves planning, developing, and implementing major agency disproportionality program(s) and providing consultative services and technical assistance to program staff, government agencies, community organizations, or the general public.
Learn more and apply here.
Evidence-Based Practices and Systems Specialist
Performs advanced (senior-level) consultative services and technical assistance work to develop and support programs within the Prevention and Early Intervention Division (PEI). This position is a telework position at this time and will be required to attend some meetings in office.
Work involves planning, developing, and implementing major agency program(s) related to child abuse prevention and providing consultative services and technical assistance to program staff, governmental agencies, community organizations, and the general public. This includes significant work with data, program evaluation, and ongoing collaboration with IT projects to support PEI's work.
Learn more and apply here.
You can now order four more free COVID tests! Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days.
How to Order
If you need a test now
- Locate providers in your area using Vaccines.gov or texting your zip code to 438829 (822862 in Spanish) to find a nearby clinic.
- Residents can also call 3-1-1 (512-974-2000) for more information regarding COVID-19 testing and vaccinations.
- Visit the Texas DSHS and HHSC websites for more updated statewide COVID-19 information and resources.
Thoughts, comments or suggestions to make PEI Grantee News work better for you? Send them to PEInews@dfps.texas.gov!
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