Monday Must Know - 4th of July Edition

Indiana Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning sent this bulletin at 07/05/2022 02:00 PM EDT

View this as a webpage
Monday Must Know. Office of Early Childhood & Out-of-School Learning

Continued Support for Hard-Working Build, Learn, Grow Scholarship Families 

Woman on laptop

As Build, Learn, Grow scholarships come to an end, the state is providing continued support for hard-working families receiving 80% tuition assistance. Families enrolled in participating school-age programs with incomes at or below 85% of state median income are now eligible to apply for the state's CCDF program.

To avoid a gap in coverage, providers should work with eligible families to apply as soon as possible. The deadline to apply for those enrolled in school-age/summer learning programs is August 5.

LEARN HOW TO APPLY

Join Our July Health & Safety Webinars 

Be sure to mark your calendars for our interactive webinars focused on health- and safety-related topics for your program. 

  • July 13: SPARK hosts an Ask A Nurse (AAN) webinar on Nutrition & Health programs, 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET.
  • July 19: Indiana Learning Paths (ILP) webinar on Food Service Sanitation for Registered Ministries, 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET.
  • July 20: ILP webinar on Nutrition, 1:30-2:30 p.m. ET.

REGISTER NOW

New Child Care Laws are in Effect

gavel image

The Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL) would like to inform you that the Indiana General Assembly passed two new laws that affect child care programing. These law changes took effect on July 1, 2022.


Changes include updates to the following areas:

  • New Exemption and Updated Guidance for School Corporations
  • Center Rules Updates
  • Home Rules Updates

VIEW THE NEW RULES

Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccination Update

Smiling Child in Mask

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone aged 6 months and older get vaccinated against COVID-19.

As such, the CDC is excited to share resources for parents, caregivers, schools, and early care and education programs. Please share these resources with your network.

The COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens site helps parents and caregivers find information on various topics, including: 

In addition, a list of resources for schools and early care and education programs is available to help support conversations with families about vaccination.

Gain Support by Joining a SPARK Cohort

SPARK Learning Lab

Joining a SPARK Cohort is a great opportunity for any program leader interested in quality improvement. Cohorts provide opportunities to learn about the steps to certification, accreditation, and Paths to QUALITY®. 

SPARK Cohorts offer virtual coaching for programs to gain knowledge around various topics with the help of a coach and peers. Each cohort lasts three months and provides the opportunity to learn and ask questions from a coach and a small group of colleagues. Topics include:

  • Path to QUALITY® Level Advancement

  • Paths to QUALITY® Level Maintenance

  • Voluntary Certification Program (VCP)

  • Accreditation Cohort

JOIN A SPARK COHORT

Congratulations to Our Q3 Provider Recognition Winners 

Kids in a circle

OECOSL is pleased to announce the winners of our Provider Recognition Program for the third quarter. The Outstanding Educator Award celebrates the hard work, dedication, and passion of Indiana early education teachers and out-of-school time professionals. We received over 150 nominations this round! Please join us in congratulating these 11 winners on a job very well done. 

  • SDA 1: Olivia Olguín Sánchez, "Mi Escuelita" My Little School Preschool and Daycare, and Patricia Rivera, Manzanita Preschool.
  • SDA 2: Mandi Stout, Sunny Patch Friends, and Stephanie Hunter Mckinstry, My Caterpillar Clubhouse Childcare.
  • SDA 3: Christie Phelps, Christie's Love Bugs, Alethia Minzlaff, Giving Tree Early Learning, and Karen Crawford, IUPUI Center for Young Children.
  • SDA 4: Jenny Dittfach, Jenny's Place, and Angela Lopez, Hazelwood Christian Preschool.
  • SDA 5: Jamie Chastain, Where Futures Begin (B), and Penny Simmons, Kindergate Developmental Childcare, Inc.

 

Stay Connected To OECOSL

SUBSCRIBER SERVICES
Manage Subscriptions  |  Help