Core competencies mailed to licensed child care providers

Licensed child care providers should be receiving a copy of a new publication, Core Competencies for Early Care and Education Professionals, in the mail shortly.

 

In 2009, the Legislature asked DEL and the Professional Development Consortium (PDC) to create a set of core competencies for early learning and child care professionals. This set of guidelines defines what professionals need to know and be able to do to provide quality education and care. Spanish versions have not yet been developed.

 

The core competencies can be used in many ways. For example:

• Providers and teachers might use them to decide where they should seek more training or education.
• Trainers might use them to plan professional development.
• College staff might use them to design course content.

Accompanying school-age core competencies developed by School’s Out Washington were developed simultaneously with the early care core competencies. These competencies delve more deeply into specific core knowledge and skills needed of school-age professionals who specialize in the care and education of children in kindergarten through high school. DEL and the PDC have worked with School’s Out Washington to ensure that the school-age core competencies and these early care and education core competencies are aligned. These will be available shortly.

 

DEL used federal funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to create, print and distribute the Core Competencies for Early Care and Education Professionals.

 

For more information, visit: www.del.wa.gov/partnerships/development/core.aspx

 

 

 

School-age programs: Encouraging our state’s budding artists!



Recycled material masterpiece!

One of the best parts of working at the Department of Early Learning is getting to see children’s works of art when we’re out and about in child care facilities, preschools and other early learning settings.

A child care licensor in our Spokane DEL office recently noticed this beauty (see right) while visiting the licensed afterschool program at Discovery School Center. A sixth-grader named Brevin made this creative bird last month using only recycled materials.

Licensed school-age child care programs are a great way for children to have structured before- and afterschool time to learn, make friends and build important social skills. Learn more about what to look for when seeking school-age care for your child by visiting the school-age care section of our website.

DEL postpones filing proposed family home child care rules

DEL will not be filing family home child care rules today and making them available for public comment, as had been planned. We are postponing filing to allow for more discussion time for DEL and other members of the family home child care negotiated rulemaking team (NRMT).

It is DEL’s responsibility to ensure safe, healthy licensed child care settings. Our goal with updating the family home child care rules is to make sure they are child-focused, research-based, consensus-driven rules that promote safety, health, and quality in licensed family home child care settings.

Members of the NRMT met for nearly three years to discuss current rules, review research and make recommendations on the proposed rules. As the regulatory agency, DEL then reviewed the team’s recommendations and prepared the proposed rules for formal filing.

DEL believes the proposed rules would support healthy, safe, high-quality family home care. We also want to honor the process and the work of the NRMT and ensure that team members feel their voices are heard and opinions considered before filing the proposed rules.

Click here to learn more about the negotiated rule making process for family home child care.

Working Connections Child Care eligibility changes to take effect Oct. 1

Eligibility for the Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) subsidy program will be reduced to 175 percent of the Federal Poverty Level effective Oct. 1. This program helps low-income families pay for child care while adults work, look for work or attend training.

The new level (a monthly income of less than $2,670 for a family of three) is reduced from 200 percent of the poverty level and is expected to affect about 2,500 families using the program.

"These are real parents and kids who depend on this program to provide safe places for their children during the workday," DEL Director Bette Hyde said. "The Governor made a very tough decision in order to balance the budget and still protect the most vulnerable families."

The change is part of $51 million in cuts to the WorkFirst program for the rest of state fiscal year 2011. WorkFirst is our state’s “welfare to work” program, which helps low-income families become self-sufficient through training and support services. Gov. Chris Gregoire announced the cuts in August, as a result of increased WorkFirst demand and decreased state resources. Cuts to WCCC are expected to save about $16.8 million.

Families will not immediately lose benefits but will be reevaluated against the new level when the time comes to renew. Eligibility for the Seasonal Child Care (SCC) program also will be reduced to 175 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.

Click here for more information and for ways to give input on these changes.

Families who are looking for child care can contact their local Child Care Resource & Referral agency. There are also resources for children cared for by family, friends or neighbors.

Last “Learning for Life” segment features WaKIDS

For more than a year, our private nonprofit partner Thrive by Five Washington worked with KING 5 News to produce weekly segments about early learning topics here in our state. Today was the last in the series and featured our exciting kindergarten readiness pilot project.

Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS) began this year in 120 classrooms around the state. It involves people important in helping kids achieve school readiness: parents, kindergarten teachers, child care providers and other early learning professionals. They meet together throughout the year and share information about a child’s strengths and needs.

As the kindergarten teacher in the KING 5 clip explains, it’s important to learn about the family, such as what language is spoken in the home and if books are available.



These discussions are about more than just if a child knows her letters and numbers, but how she learns, plays with others and uses her body. This assessment process becomes a baseline to help show what kids know when they enter kindergarten and how to support them through their education.

DEL, Thrive and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction worked together to design this pilot to support school readiness in both schools and communities. For more information about WaKIDS, including which schools are participating, visit www.del.wa.gov/wakids

DEL signs agreement with federally recognized Tribes

DEL Director Bette Hyde recently joined leaders from several of Washington’s 29 federally recognized Tribes in Spokane to sign communication and consultation protocols. These agreements guide how DEL communicates with and seeks input from each of the tribes as sovereign governments.

Suquamish Tribe Chairman Leonard Forsman
and DEL Director Bette Hyde sign the agreement.



Tribes have long been leaders in early childhood development and education, and DEL has worked hard to build strong partnerships that support culturally relevant early learning opportunities for all children, including Tribal children.

Both protocols are aligned with the Centennial Accord and New Millenium Agreement—agreements between Tribes and the State of Washington to ensure productive government-to-government relationships.

Read the consultation and communication protocols—and learn more about the way DEL supports and collaborates with Tribes—by visiting our Tribal Nations page.

Benefits of pre-k-3rd grade continuum featured at House committee work session

State officials and local school districts are working hard to “bridge the gap” between early learning and K-12. That was the message Wednesday during a House Education Committee work session on the importance of building a strong learning continuum for children pre-k through third grade.

DEL Director Bette Hyde opened the session by making the case for eliminating—not just reducing—the education achievement gap.

When Washington kindergarten teachers say about half of children enter kindergarten not ready, that doesn’t bode well for further success in the K-12 education system, Hyde said.

“Get rid of an achievement gap by never letting it start,” she said.



Hyde also talked about reducing the “fade-out” effect, which occurs when benefits gained in high-quality early childhood programs weaken over time. We can mitigate “fade-out” by helping ensure children have high-quality early learning opportunities and smooth, intentional transitions into kindergarten through 3rd grade, she said.

Also at the hearing, Annie Pennucci from the Washington State Institute for Public Policy presented preliminary research on how preschool opportunities impact test scores, graduation rates and other factors for low-income students.

DEL Deputy Director Bob Hamilton and Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction WaKIDS Coordinator Dana Ziemba shared an update on the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS), being piloted this school year in 120 classrooms around the state.

A key component of the WaKIDS pilot is creating connections among the child care and preschool programs, parents, kindergarten teachers and school districts. Listen to Katherine Cove, preschool cooperative director, discuss what success can look like from the Toppenish School District.



To view the entire work session, click here.