December 19 Child Care Provider Updates ¿Quiere recibir esta información en español? Suscríbase a nuestra listserv en español. On behalf of DECE, we wish you a joyful and peaceful holiday season. There will be no listserv messages the weeks of 12/23 and 12/30/24. Our regular publishing schedule will resume on January 9. December Child Care Counts Closes Soon – Apply Today! Time is running out to apply/update your information for the December Child Care Counts program. The deadline is Sunday, December 22 at 11:59 p.m. Update/Application Week Reminders Once you are approved for payments, you must update your application each month. See the Updating Your Child Care Counts Information During Update Week video to learn how to make application modifications during Update Week. If you have not yet applied for Round 5, see the Round 5 Application Guide for information about submitting your initial application. If you need assistance, please email DCFDECECOVID19CCPayments@wisconsin.gov or call and speak with a Support Center Specialist at 608-535-3650, M-F 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. YoungStar Engagement Findings Thank you to everyone who shared your perspective on child care quality and YoungStar through listening sessions, surveys, and other engagement opportunities over the past year. We’re excited to share our summary of key findings from these informative engagements. You’ll see participants’ answers to these and other questions: What does child care quality mean to you? Providers: Have you ever participated in YoungStar? Why or why not? What aspects of YoungStar are challenging for providers? Parents and Caregivers: Have you ever used YoungStar when making child care decisions? What information about child care quality should be made available to families? How could YoungStar be improved? Download our 2024 Community Engagement Findings to learn more. We will continue to share periodic updates through our YoungStar Analysis and Update Project listserv. If you know someone who might be interested in learning about this project, tell them to sign up to receive the listserv. We also invite you to visit our webpage. Reminder: Complete Your Old Foundational Training Courses by December 31 If you are taking one of the old Child Care Foundational Training (CCFT) courses, including correspondence courses, you must complete them by December 31, 2024. These courses meet regulation requirements if completed by December 31. Learn more about the new, revised Child Care Foundational Trainings by visiting the Department of Children and Families website. See the Wisconsin Registry Statewide Training Calendar for the list of agencies currently offering these updated non-credit courses. Start the new year by investing in your future and sign up for training today! If you have further questions about the CCFTs, please email DCFDECECCTraining@wisconsin.gov. Teachers, Toddlers, and Tissues: Preventing and Addressing Burn Out and Moral Injury – Live Podcast Recordings Available Listen to the latest podcasts from the Early Childhood Health Consultation (ECHC) and take a deep dive into the sticky-icky world where early childhood education and illness meet. Episode 21 – Live at the WECA Conference: Preventing Burnout and Moral Injury Recorded in front of a live audience at the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association Conference, Rachel and Dipesh turn their lens to helping teachers and early childhood educators navigate a growing risk in the field: burnout and moral injury. Episode 22 – Live at the Parents as Teachers Conference: Addressing Burnout and Moral Injury Rachel and Dipesh continue their road show with another live record, this time in front of over 1,000 home visitors and childhood experts at the Parents as Teachers International Conference in San Diego, CA. Together with the audience, they discuss what we can do to address already-existing burnout and moral injury in early child care professions. Access previous ECHC podcasts. Upcoming Events and Education/Training Opportunities The below events are hosted by DCF, one of its partners, or is one that may be relevant to the early childhood field. Click/tap on the titles below to learn more about each event. Join the Raising Wisconsin’s Children Conference on January 28, 2025 Sign up for the Raising Wisconsin’s Children Conference! Get ready for an exciting, day-long event designed for everyone who raises and educates Wisconsin's children—dads, moms, grandparents, teachers, and caregivers. Free/Virtual conference earns up to 4 Wisconsin Registry hours for early childhood professionals. Discover cutting-edge, science-based ideas from today's leading experts. This year, dive into the transformative power of social and emotional skills in children and teens. Learn more and register for the conference. Free Special Needs Training for the 53206 Zip Code Join 4C for Children in a 15-hour training session built to learn about children with diverse needs. This training will identify needs, teach how to recognize child development and delays, gain valuable hands-on resources to guide the children, and learn how to use the Ages and Stages Questionnaire – Social and Emotional screening tool: ASQ: SE. Each center will receive one screening tool kit valued at $295 along with a resource kit valued at $300 and 1 hour of technical assistance for implementation of the ASQ: SE. In-Person Training dates: March 11, 18, 25, April 1 and 8, 2025, at the 4C For Children office from 6-9 p.m. | See the flyer for more details. | English only. Register for this valuable training. | Registration deadline is March 5, 2025.
