The Work of Early Childhood.

The professionals at the Early Childhood Council of La Plata County share a common purpose: a passion for giving every child the best possible start in life. The field of early childhood draws from many different disciplines and areas of expertise, reflecting the broad range of needs of children under the age of eight. The ECC encourages professional development in these diverse areas, including mental health, early childhood education, health and family support. We believe all of these disciplines contribute to a comprehensive approach to early childhood, a holistic systems approach that can truly make a difference in a child’s life. 

Below is a list of training resources available to early childhood professionals.

Community-Based Training

For a schedule of these trainings, go to our Calendar of Events. All trainings listed utilize approved trainers.

Expanding Quality in Infant /Toddler Care Training: a 48-hour course in early childhood practices with a focus on infant/toddler care. This training meets the education requirements for Infant Toddler Nursery Supervisor certification through the Colorado Department of Human Services. For our local training schedule, go to Calendar of Events or contact Lindsay Sherman at lindsays@ecclaplata.org

First Aid/CPR are no longer being offered through the Early Childhood Council, two local agencies that do provide classes are listed below:

Heart Safe La Plata 970-769-7473

American Red Cross 970-259-5383

Medication Administration is a state-approved, 4-hour required training on how to administer medication to children in a childcare setting. This training is taught by a Registered Nurse. For more information, contact Shannon Bassett at shannonb@ecclaplata.org

Pre-Licensing is a state-required 15-hour pre-licensing training to become a licensed family child care provider in the State of Colorado. For more information, contact Shannon Bassett at shannonb@ecclaplata.org

Pyramid Plus Model for Promoting Social and Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children: 18 training sessions which embeds evidence-based inclusion practices into the evidence-based Teaching Pyramid Model framework for promoting social emotional competence and addressing challenging behavior; content based on the birth to five developmental continuum. For more information visit the Colorado Center for Social Emotional Competence and Inclusion

http://www.pyramidplus.org/

Touchpoints Individual Level Training: A three-day seminar designed for healthcare, childcare, early education and social service providers who want to incorporate elements of the Touchpoints Approach into their practice. Contact Tamara Volz at tamarav@ecclaplata.org

Universal Precautions is a required 1½ hour training on standard precautions and blood borne diseases. This training is taught by a Registered Nurse. For more information, contact Shannon Bassett at shannonb@ecclaplata.org

Support For College Courses and Scholarships

• Early Childhood Professional Training Project: For more information, contact Barbara Dodds at    

  bdodds@durangoaec.org or Visit Website.
• Colorado Office of Professional Development: Visit Website

• Southwest Community College: Visit Website

• Trainer and Training Approval Process

Child Care Provider Quality Assessments

• Qualistar Ratings: for more information, visit www.qualistar.org.
• Environmental Rating Scale Assessments
• Incentives for Quality in La Plata County

For more information on Child Care Provider Quality Assessments, contact:
Lindsay Sherman, Quality Initiatives Coordinator, Early Childhood Council of La Plata County
970-247-5960 x20, lindsays@ecclaplata.org

Statewide Professional Development Resources

• www.qualistar.org/professionals/calendar.php
• Colorado Association for the Education of Young Children
• Department of Human Services Website
• Childcare Licensing Rules and Regulations
• www.cde.state.co.us/early/ECC.htm
• Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
• Results Matter Video Series on Early Childhood Assessment

• Early Intervention Colorado

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