Childcare University is a workshop series designed to meet the needs of childcare providers in Northwestern Illinois. The registration fee of $25 includes workshops, continental breakfast, lunch and a keynote speaker. For more information please call University of Illinois Extension at 815/772-4075.

Agenda

7:30-8:30 am

Registration in East Mall & Continental Breakfast in Cafeteria

8:30-10:15 am--Keynote Speaker

Keynote Speaker

Betty Barsley-Marra, Family Life Educator

University of Illinois Extension

Share, Care and Pull Up Your Own Underwear: SEL Success in Early Childhood

It's often been said that true success in life is all about relationships. The expectation of the Illinois State Board of Education that all children need to master the recently developed Social Emotional Learning Standards for preschool through 12th grade indicates that traditional education agrees. What are the implications for early childhood education and how do we educate parents about this welcome new direction for education? Finally others know what we've always known, prepare children for life and they will be prepared for school.

10:20-11:35am--Session 1

A. Helping Babies Play—Presenter: Dr. Ancilla Parducci, Youth Development Educator, U of I Extension

Research has proven that engaging in creative play with babies increases their capacity to learn, plus it's a lot of fun for all involved! Play improves the babies cognitive ability and coordination too. This workshop will introduce infant play research, explain brain development with play and introduce play.

B. Color Me Healthy—Presenter: Illinois Nutrition Education & Training Program

Provides fun, innovative, interactive learning opportunities on physical activity and healthy eating. Learn how to teach toddlers, ages 4 and 5 years old, that healthy food and physical activity are fun by stimulating all of their senses, and by using color and music.

C. School's Out, Summer's In: Effective & Fun Summer Programs for School-Agers—Presenter: Dee Lahey, Program Director, Open Sesame Child Care Center

What do you do all summer long with school-agers? How do you help them grow, develop, and engage in activities in the summer time? Come learn from a seasoned veteran in school age care with a very strong summer program. Learn about the importance of planning activities, incorporating physical activity, safety concerns and establishing appropriate environments.

D. A Snapshot in Time—Presenter: Kathleen Maxfield, Copy Center Consultant, SBM

Are your parents always asking what their child does all day? This training will cover capturing snapshots of a child's day using digital photography and a computer and incorporating it into a weekly parent letter. For this workshop, Word 2007 will be used.

E. Sign Language Basics—Presenter: Rose Slaght, STARnet, Family Resource Specialist

Sign language may make communication with young children a little easier for you. Learn some sign language basics to use with young children and a song or two to teach children.

F. Autism: Strategies on Inclusion—Presenter: Laura Watters, Autism Program and Training Manager, Kreider Services

Including children with autism can be overwhelming, but with knowledge comes the ability to overcome these obstacles. This training will provide an introduction to Autism Spectrum disorders. Participants will gain a better understanding of the specific challenges individuals on the Autism Spectrum disorder face, along with practical tips and ideas on working with autistic children. In addition, free tip sheets, articles and visual aids will be available.

G. My Pyramid for Preschoolers—Presenter: Sarah Todd, MS, RD, Nutrition and Wellness Educator, U of I Extension

Child care providers are a critical influence in helping children develop healthy eating habits for life. The My Pyramid guide for eating now includes a brand new section on feeding preschoolers ages 2-5. This new material contains several exciting features including menu planning ideas, growth charts, picky eater strategies and more. Join us in this workshop to explore this helpful resource.

11:35 am-12:35 pm--

Buffet Lunch in Cafeteria

12:35-1:50 pm--Session 2

H. What Will We Eat Today—Presenter: Dr. Ancilla Parducci, Youth Development Educator, U of I Extension

We will focus on issues of concern that occur when a young child refuses to eat certain foods that are needed for good health or will only eat the same foods over and over. This workshop offers research based information and strategies to strengthen the understanding of a child's choosy eating behaviors.

I. Got Dirt?—Growing Healthy Kids—Presenter: Illinois Nutrition Education & Training Program

(Science, Language Arts, Social Science, History, Health, Math, Art and Music)—Learn how to bring core subjects alive and encourage healthy eating and increased physical activity for children and adolescents with a garden project. Got Dirt? - a garden toolkit for the Midwest - will help you plan and implement a successful garden to support community and school wellness initiatives, PreK-Grade 3.

J. Art Smart—Presenter: Christine Lantz, Dillon Elementary School

Van Gogh, Davinci, Monet...you don't need to be a classically trained artist to engage all the senses of children in art! Learn the importance of art activities and how they relate to children's development. This will be an action packed make-it-take-it session.

K. Avoiding Basic Budget Blunders—Presenter: Kathleen Maxfield, Copy Consultant, SBM

Can you remember all of the monthly expenses at the end of the year? Is tax time a nightmare for you and your accountant? In this training, providers will cover the basics of an excel spreadsheet, income, expenses and organizational skills for tax time. For this workshop, Excel 2007 will be used.

L. Relaxation: Lotions & Potions—Presenter: Rose Slaght, STARnet, Family Resource Specialist

Explore the benefits of using low cost, simple and readily available products to promote relaxation and stress reduction. Learn how to use acupressure points to reduce stress, practice breathing to lower blood pressure and experiment with different aromas to gain understanding of how the brain and nervous system respond to these stimuli.

M. The Autism Project (TAP) of Illinois—Presenter: Laura Watters, Autism Program and Training Manager, Kreider Services

The Autism Program of Illinois provides the strategy and framework for the State of Illinois to address the complex issues involved in diagnosis, treatment and research for the thousands of children in Illinois with ASDs. Join in this workshop and discover what TAP can offer the families and children in your programs. This will also be a chance for you to help identify needs for our local community planning efforts.

N. Sensory Integration Awareness—Presenter: Mary Kelley, LCSW, 4C Provider Support Consultant

Children that are easily over-stimulated, have difficulty with loud noises, cover their ears each time music is played or crash into things may be experiencing Sensory Integration Awareness. This training will discuss this issue and how to help children overcome it.

2-3:15 pm--Session 3

O. Dental Health with Mr. Big Mouth—Presenter: Stephanie Stichter, RN, CCNC, Healthy Child Care Illinois

This is a new program developed by the Child Care Nurse Consultant specifically to train child care staff on incorporating dental health education for children within the child care setting. Attendees will be given ideas, resources and fun activities to teach within the home or center. Join Stephanie for fun with teeth!

P. Outside Play: Make it Fun, Safe and Easy—Presenter: Jennifer Hunter, Youth Development, U of I Extension

This workshop will introduce participants to new games for outside or gym play with preschoolers and school-agers. We will especially focus on parachute games, active play games and games with little to no props needed! Participants should come ready to play and move!

Q. Quality Rating System: Looking at the Big Picture—Presenter: Stephanie Saville, 4C Quality Rating System Specialist

We are not alone anymore. Many other states offer different types of quality enhancement programs. Come explore the different models, myths/facts and tools used to discover aspects of quality child care. Take home a general understanding of how to get involved in the QRS and what it can do for you and the children you serve. This training does not meet the course requirements for the Quality Rating System.

R. Adventures in Advertising—Presenter: Kathleen Maxfield, Copy Consultant, SBM

From slots to tots…filling spaces in your child care. This training will cover low cost and creative ways to advertise your business. Catch phrases, key words, flyers, business cards and ads will be addressed to help you market your own business. For this workshop, Word 2007 will be used.

S. More than Just a Handshake: Contracts & Policies—Presenter: Kim Sciacero, 4C Professional Development Coordinator

Wondering where to start or where you went wrong? Join the discussion on important policies and contracts between parents and child care providers. Holidays, vacations, pickup and drop offs, drinking and driving and much more will be covered.

T. Family Violence and the Impact on Children—Presenter: Irene Lewis-Wimbley, Child Caseworker, YWCA of the Sauk Valley

What negative effects does domestic violence have on children? How can non-abusing parents intervene to lessen these effects? We will take a look at domestic violence statistics, explore what happens to children living with domestic violence, examine resiliency and discuss prevention and education.

U. Sensory Integration Interactions—Presenter: Kristie Solak, LCSW, 4C Provider Support Consultant

This training will be a hands on, sensory experience enabling providers to better understand the reactions of children that have sensory difficulties. This training will also provide visual strategies to use in the family child care or center program.