Archive for October 2010

Core competencies mailed to licensed child care providers

Thursday, October 21, 2010 – 5:04 PM

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.
 
 
 
 

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

Tuesday, October 12, 2010 – 4:31 PM



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.

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DEL postpones filing proposed family home child care rules

Wednesday, October 6, 2010 – 1:18 PM

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.


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