Would you like to continue providing in-service training? If so, it is time to complete your state-approved trainer renewal. The renewal process has several steps:

1. Complete a survey before Dec. 31, 2020 (English version | Spanish version)
2. Update all of your personal information in MERIT
3. Review the Standards of Practice and Professionalism for State-Approved Training

DCYF will notify you if your survey submission was received; the confirmation email may be sent up to a week after your submission. Your trainer status will renew if you complete all of the action steps in this survey. If there are any issues with your renewal, we will notify you in the beginning of the next year when we input your data into MERIT.

Reminder: You do not need to complete the 15-hour in-service requirement for this renewal cycle. More information about changes coming to the renewal process after 2021 can be found in Part IV: State-Approved Trainer Renewal.

Did you know we have a webinar outlining the renewal process? 

Watch it Here

In the previous newsletter, we mentioned the feedback that we received from 130 respondents to the survey and webinar about the state-approved training program. This effort engaged trainers, training program administrators, some providers and relationship-based professionals. We also conducted focus groups with North Seattle College Arabic, Somali and Spanish-speaking cohorts and reached out directly to providers to:

• Learn what is important to them about training
• Understand how they decide what training to participate in
• Hear about the changes they want to see

This feedback will be incorporated into the findings report and will be used to create the roadmap for revision.

You can learn more about the challenges that were surfaced from the first part of our engagement efforts for each of the focus areas:

1. Anti-biased and anti-racist trainers and curricula
2. Easy-to-navigate trainer application and training processes
3. Trainer workforce is representative of the communities served
4. Stakeholders are engaged in informing program-level developments
5. State-approved trainers have access to support resources
6. Quality assurance process offers a fair, relevant, objective and reliable assessment

All trainers write up a training philosophy statement when they complete their application. This statement is visible to MERIT users and describes the trainer’s ideas, values and approach to adult learning.

As you grow in your role as a trainer, some of your positions may shift over time.

If you would like to revisit and refresh your training philosophy, go to the ‘My Record’ page in MERIT and click on the ‘Professional Record’ tab in MERIT. Scroll almost all the way to the bottom. You can make edits in the Training Philosophy text box. Remember to click save so that your work is not lost.

This newsletter is geared toward individuals who deliver professional learning supports to the early learning workforce.

If you would like to subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, email Marlene White.

Want to see previous newsletters?

A complete list can be found on our Newsletters and Webinars webpage.