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Tuesday, November 12, 2024
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Virginia Child Care Provider Survey – we want to hear from you!
If you lead a child care center or family day home that serves children ages 0-5, you may be eligible to take a confidential survey that will help us understand how to better support providers.
All eligible respondents will receive a $30 gift card and be entered into a $100 raffle!
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Child Care Centers and Family Day Homes
Potable Water Lead Testing Grant Application Closed Until Further Notice
The potable water lead testing grant program sponsored by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has reached capacity for November enrollment. VDH will begin accepting enrollments again at a later date (to be announced). Child day programs required to comply with the potable water lead testing law, § 22.1-289.057, are reminded that VDOE will begin determining compliance with this new requirement January 1. Find information about this requirement on the VDOE child care website.
Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Update
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has reported an increase in pertussis (whooping cough) cases within the last year. Pertussis is a 24 hour rapidly reportable condition in the Commonwealth, which means that any case of pertussis is considered a public health priority and requires immediate reporting to VDH. Pertussis can lead to severe consequences in infants and young children who are not fully vaccinated. Child care providers are reminded to refer to the VDH Communicable Disease Reference Chart for School and Child Care Facility Personnel for reporting and notification requirements related to pertussis and other communicable diseases.
National Injury Prevention Day is November 18
The VDOE recognizes National Injury Prevention Day on November 18 to raise awareness about injury prevention and safety practices to better protect children in child care settings. Injuries are often preventable through safe practices including hazard free environments; seat belt and child restraint laws; infant safe sleep practices; head injury prevention; and secure medication, hazardous substances, and firearm storage. Please check your child care areas, outdoor play areas, vehicles, aquatic areas, kitchens, and sleeping areas for hazards.
Goochland County Family Day Home Information Session
Interested in opening a family day home in Goochland County? Join Goochland Social Services, the VDOE, and ChildSavers for an informative session. No registration required.
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Virtual Session: Wednesday, November 13, 5:30–7:30 p.m. Click this link to join.
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In-Person Session: Saturday, November 16, 9:30–11:30 a.m., Central High Complex, 2748 Dogtown Rd., Goochland, VA 23063 (Light refreshments provided).
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Questions? Call Goochland Social Services at 804-556-5880.
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Virginia Preschool Initiative
Early Childhood Provisional Licensure Grant – Application Now Open
The VDOE is pleased to announce the Early Childhood Provisionally Licensed Teacher Incentive Program. This program provides funding of no more than $30,000 for each school division, to provide financial incentives to provisionally licensed teachers in preschool programs operated by the school division. Applications are due on November 22. For details see the October 24 issue of Virgnia Education Update
Early Childhood Special Education
Virginia Guidelines for Early Childhood Inclusion of Children with IEPs Webinar
The VDOE will offer a webinar to address system and program related factors that impact the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) and appropriate service provision for preschool aged children with IEPs. The webinar will advance participants’ knowledge of the benefits and legal requirements of early childhood inclusion, contexts and models of inclusion, and identify resources for programs to support and improve inclusion.
Resource Recharge Indicator 6: Preschool Least Restrictive Environment
Indicator 6: Preschool Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) is reported on the December 1 Special Education Child Count. These resources are intended to support teams in understanding and accurately reporting Indicator 6 data.
Addressing Behaviors Confidently: Presented by the Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center (PEATC)
Families and caregivers of young children with disabilities are invited to participate in this virtual event, presented by PEATC. Attendees will learn about essential social and emotional skills, including coping with feelings and making decisions. The session will provide examples of how to respond to challenging behaviors and intense emotions, along with insights into school behavior support options such as Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs).
See information on the Early Childhood Provisional Licensure Grant – Application Now Open, in the VPI section.
Head Start
Reporting Child and Safety Incidents for Head Start
To ensure a commitment to continuous quality improvement, the Office of Head Start (OHS) has released Information Memorandum ACF-OHS-IM-24-06. This memorandum details expectations for grant recipients when reporting child and safety incidents to OHS. Additionally, it clarifies reporting requirements regarding to whom grant recipients must submit reports, specified reporting timeframes, consequences for failure to report, and examples of significant health and safety incidents for alignment with the updated Head Start Program Performance standard 45 CFR §1302.102(d)(1)(ii).
VQB5 - Virginia's Unified Measurement and Improvement System
Fall CLASS Observation Window: August 15 - December 22
VQB5 sites are required to complete two types of CLASS observations: local and external observations. This fall all VQB5 classrooms must complete a local CLASS observation coordinated by their Ready Regions, with scores entered in LinkB5 by December 22. Additional external CLASS observations will also be completed in some classrooms.
Early Learning Support
Early Learning and Development Standards Implementation Webinar 2024 Now Available
This pre-recorded webinar is intended for Virginia early childhood providers, families, and stakeholders interested in deepening their understanding and implementing the Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS). Viewers will learn strategies for effectively using the ELDS to support children's learning and development in VQB5.
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STREAMin3 Office Hours every Tuesday! Join Coaches from STREAMin3 on Tuesdays for optional office hours for support with STREAMin3 implementation. Spanish-speaking coach available.
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Ready B5 Recap Fall Edition is HERE!
Click to view the fall edition of Ready B5 Recap, the Quarterly Newsletter for Early Childhood Care and Education in Virginia.
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