November 2016 February 2017
News & Notes
Our Vision: Quality Care and Education for Every Child
Bringing Up What Matters Most
untreated dental problems. Each year,
more than 5,000 children receive much
-needed dental care.
Making an Appointment: Find a dental
clinic in your area, and then call the
clinic to make an appointment. Please
note that services provided vary, so
discuss any specific dental concerns
your child may have. The dental
services described are not guaranteed
and may be limited by time and the
severity of any particular case. Please
keep in mind that professionals are
volunteering their time to serve your
child. Once you have made an
appointment for your child, make
every possible effort to keep that
commitment.
Each year, dental professionals from
across the state participate in Give
Kids a Smile, providing free dental
care to children in need. The event
takes place on the first Friday and
Saturday of February and is made
possible by the collaborative effort
of the Minnesota Dental Association,
volunteer dentists, and generous
sponsors.
The purpose of this charitable
outreach program is to provide free
care to low-income children in
need. Thousands of dental
professionals volunteer their time to
this program because they
understand the pain and
embarrassment many
children experience due to
Mark
Find a Clinic
Find them on Facebook
Your Calendars: February 3-4, 2017
TRAINING
What makes a professional stand apart
from others in his or her field?
Of course, they have the education and the
hands-on experience that make them wellrounded and widely respected in their field.
But true professionals don’t stop there. In
fact, they never stop – especially when it
comes to learning. After all, research is
always discovering new things, and trends
are always changing. Any good professional
will be on top of – and responding to – these
changes.
Resource: Early Childhood News
Professional Development Opportunities!
Ongoing professional development improves
your knowledge, competence, skills &
effectiveness in the field. Take advantage of
the many FREE training opportunities being
offered throughout our District.
Search & register for trainings at
www.developtoolmn.org. Click on the class
title to access the specific information for
each training. Registration is required for all
trainings. Check often as new trainings may
be added at any time.
***Want to see a specific training or training topic brought to your area?
We have the opportunity to offer additional free trainings for a limited time.
To request a particular training topic or for additional trainings to be offered in your area
please email [email protected] with your request.
Inside this issue:
Region 6E
2
Region 6W
2
Region 7W
2
Region 8
2
Knowledge and
Competency
Framework (KCF)
3
Benefits of Outdoor 4
Winter Play
DEVELOP?
You kept hearing
about it, but
maybe didn’t “tune
in” fully until the
recent changes
happened. Refer
back to your last
newsletter for
helpful information:
http://
www.childcareaware
wc.org/news/
This is your source
for finding
approved training
and tracking your
own professional
development. You
do not need to be
in Parent Aware to
use Develop. It is a
FREE service for ALL
licensed child care
programs, so get to
know what it offers
you.
Region 6E (Serving Kandiyohi, McLeod, Meeker, and Renville Counties)
Agency Name Change! Updated Contact Information
October 1st, 2016, Heartland Community Action Agency and Western Community
Action Inc. merged their agencies to become United Community Action
Partnership. Our Child Care Aware program will remain the same, serving the
counties listed above. Our regional office will remain in Cosmos. However, going
forward, correspondence received from Region 6E Child Care Aware will be from
United Action Partnership, Inc. - not Heartland. Our emails will also change.
United Community Action Partnership
Child Care Aware Region 6E
101 Vesta Street S, PO BOX 36
Cosmos, MN 56228
Phone 800-992-1710 or 320-235-0850
Sue: Coordinator & PA/CLASS Coach ext. 616
Melissa: Parent Aware Coach ext. 617
[email protected] or [email protected]
The Stars Continue to Shine in Region 6E
Parent Aware is Minnesota’s Quality Rating & Improvement System (QRIS).
Parent Aware assists programs in documenting and strengthening research
based quality early childhood practices that help children prepare for success
in school and life. In July, the following 12 programs submitted
documentation to receive a new or higher Parent Aware Star rating or
renewed an existing rating. Kandiyohi County: Nicole Franzwa, Nichole
Pilarski, Rachel Elwood, Stay N Play Child Care Minn West, Heather Kroes,
Lisa Butcher, and Nancy & Paula Stredde. McLeod County: Cynthia
Patnaude, Kidz Junction Inc., and Roberta Lilienthal. Meeker County: Stay ‘N
Play Child Care. Renville County: Amber Schottenbauer. 10 additional
programs are preparing documentation for their ratings on December 31st.
We are taking applications for the January cohort (deadline to apply is
December 15th). To learn more about the benefits for programs and families,
visit parentaware.org or contact Sue or Melissa.
Region 6W (Serving Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Swift, and Yellow Medicine Counties)
What is School Readiness?
 Self-Confidence: Comfortable working solo or in
groups, and open to new experiences.
Being ready for school means more than being
ready to learn about math, language, and science.  Social Skills: Engage in reciprocal interactions
both verbally and non-verbally.
Kids must possess certain emotional skills, and be
prepared to socialize and play with a broad range of  Self-Care: Able to take care of their daily rouchildren with different backgrounds and interests.
tines; dressing, brushing teeth, etc.

Thinking Skills: know basic cognitive concepts;
The following is a look at some school readiness
cause and effects, object permanence, etc.
skills that young children should have before
 Pre-Writing Skills: Able to write, hold a pencil,
heading off to kindergarten.
draw basic shapes and lines.
 Self-Control: Understand appropriate behaviors;
this skill is key to succeed in a classroom setting.
Kid’s First Conference
Friday March 3rd, 2017:
 Food Program Nutrition Training or
Mandated Licensing Training (TBD)
Saturday March 4th, 2017:
 Raelene Ostberg and Jim Gill
Location:
 Prairie’s Edge Casino and
Convention Center
Granite Falls, MN
Region 7W (Serving Benton, Sherburne, Stearns and Wright Counties)
Upcoming Professional Development Opportunity
Minnesota Department of Human Services contracts
with Child Care Aware to conduct a child care rate
survey each spring. This data impacts the county child
care reimbursement rates as well as provides
information to child care professionals and parents.
The 2016 child care rates are now available on the
Milestones website
SAVE THE DATE: March 25th, 2017
Caring for a Lifetime Learning Event
Sauk Rapids Middle School
Registration available soon!
Region 8 (Serving Cottonwood, Jackson, Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, and Rock Counties)
“The first five years will predict the next 80.”
~ Bill Gates
Families with young children in Southwest Minnesota depend
on a variety of full-time and part-time programs to support their
child’s early childhood development:
Family members, friends, and neighbors
Family Child Care
Child Care Centers
Preschool Programs (Head Start, Child Care Center
Preschool, School-based Preschool, Church/religiousbased Preschool, Community-based Preschool)
November 2016 - February 2017
All of these programs have a role in children’s development.
There are 2000 days between the time a baby is born and when
he or she begins kindergarten. Children don’t have 12 months
to “get ready for school” -- they have five years! Region 8
Child Care Aware is committed to supporting all children in
all types of care. We want every setting to be a place that
supports children’s healthy development. If you or someone
in your community could benefit from resources or
information, feel free to contact us. We’re here for you!
Karen DeBoer, Director
800-658-2444 Ext 231 [email protected]
Sandy Wilson, Quality Coach 800-658-2444 Ext 232 [email protected]
Page 2
Knowledge and Competency Framework
Minnesota’s Knowledge and Competency
Framework (KCF) outlines what early
childhood professionals need to know and
what they need to do when delivering
quality care. The Minnesota Department of
Education (MDE) created the KCF in 2015
to replace the Minnesota Core
Competencies and align with Board of
Teaching Standards. While the KCF was
designed to replace the Minnesota Core
Competencies, many of the new KCF
content areas align or overlap the
Minnesota Core Competencies.
There are three levels of progression
in each content area:
1. Explores: New to the field or content
area; Relies on observation
2. Implements: Understands
developmental stages; Focusing on needs
of individual children; Reflection leads to
improvement
3. Designs and Leads: Highly involved in
decision making; Constantly evaluating,
communicating, and collaborating to
improve
There are eight content areas
(*seven for Family Child Care):
1. Child Development and Learning
2. Developmentally Appropriate Learning
Experiences
3. Relationships with Families
4. Assessment, Evaluation and
5.
6.
7.
8.
Individualization
Historical and Contemporary Development
of Early Childhood Education
Professionalism
Health, Safety and Nutrition
Application through Clinical Experiences*
The KCF can be used to:
ECIPs are what
children know.
KCFs are what
providers know.
Parent Aware is what programs do.


Highlight skills providers need to help
children succeed
Give providers a clear path to plan
professional growth
There are several KCF resources available:






Download the KCF Overview
Download KCF versions on the MN Department of Education website
Search for training events by KCF content area on Develop
Questions? Email Cory Woosley at Child Care Aware of Minnesota
Now available! FREE KCF Anytime Learning module through Eager-to-Learn.
COMING SOON! More statewide KCF training opportunities.
November 2016 - February 2017
Page 3
P.O. Box 159
Montevideo, MN 56265
Phone: 800-292-5437
www.childcareawarewc.org
Region
6E
Region
6W
Prairie 5 C.A.C., Inc.
Region
7W
Southwestern Minnesota Opportunity Council
Region 8
Four Benefits of Outdoor Winter Play Winter is coming, but that does not mean you and the
children in your child care program have to stay stuck inside for months. While the idea of outdoor play during the
winter months may seem like a scary prospect, it’s actually incredibly beneficial for children when done safely.
1). Escape indoor germs and viruses: The belief that
keeping kids out of the cold means keeping them
healthy is not necessarily true. Children and adults
bring germs and viruses into child care settings which
hang around in the air. That contaminated air is then
constantly recycled through air vents. Heading outside
during the winter allows children the chance to escape
those germs and helps them to form a resistance
against allergies.
2). Opportunity to get better exercise: Getting
sufficient exercise is crucial for developing muscles,
regulating sleep patterns, and maintaining a healthy
weight. Outdoor winter play presents the opportunity
for children to work their bodies even more. Larger
muscles get more use when children have to walk
through snow, helping with gross-motor development.
Limiting outdoor exercise until the end of winter can
stunt growth of muscles which can lead to a variety of
health issues. Some fun physical activities for children
during the winter include going sledding, helping to
shovel snow, or building a snow fort or snowman.
3). Promote the use of problem-solving and imagination:
Winter presents a variety of new challenges for children
to overcome, both physically and cognitively. Toys and
equipment that were once readily available may now be
frozen or covered in snow. This forces children to use
their imaginations to find alternatives or figure out a way
to access their favorite toys. Learning how to pack snow
tightly to build things, to steer a sled, or to avoid slippery
surfaces are all important lessons that can be learned
outside in the winter.
4). Daily dose of Vitamin D: Vitamin D promotes calcium
absorption, prevents rickets, and prevents bones from
becoming too thin or brittle. Sun exposure is an important
source of Vitamin D, since very few foods contain it
naturally and the ones that do are unappealing to
children. The amount of sunlight kids are exposed to can
have a large impact on their mood by increasing serotonin
levels, the hormone that helps to regulate mood and fight
tiredness and other depression-like symptoms.
* dress in layers * limit time * watch for slippery spots *