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News Related to ECE
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| Update Regarding Child Care Subsidy Program and Child Care Resource & Referral Services in Southern Nevada - Posted 7/1/10 |
As of July 1, 2010 the Child Care Subsidy program is now administered by the Las Vegas Urban League and Child Care Resource & Referral Services are being provided by the Children’s Cabinet.
The Child Care Subsidy Program is under new management at the Las Vegas Urban League. Michael Maxwell is the new Program Director and Ericka Smith is the new Subsidy Program Manager. Many of the current program staff have transitioned to the new agency, and Urban League is also in the process of hiring and training new staff to fill vacancies created during the transition.
Child Care staff will continue to be housed at the following welfare district offices: Nellis, Flamingo, Henderson, and Belrose. The Owens staff will be moved to 1058 W Owens, a few suites down from their current location; this change will be effective July 9th. This location will also house Children’s Cabinet staff who will provide child care resource and referral information to families. All office locations will continue to provide full services, and there are no anticipated changes in hours of operation at this time.
In the near future, Urban League will be opening a new office located at 2470 North Decatur, suite 150, which will serve as the main office for the Child Care Subsidy Program. In addition to the management staff, this office will house the Provider Payment Service and Quality Control units. Once Provider Payment Services has moved, this is the location where providers will bring or mail the timesheets and a drop box will be set-up for use after hours. Children’s Cabinet will also have staff located here and there is space for two large training rooms.
The vouchers issued by the child care program through UNLV will still be honored through the end of the current certification period. Families and providers will begin receiving new forms and notices with Urban League logos and names as families are made eligible or services are renewed.
Thank you for your continued support during this transition and for the work you do in this community to make child care services affordable and accessible for low-income families.
Should you have any concerns, please feel free to contact the following staff:
Michael Maxwell, Program Director, 702-636-3949 mmaxwell@lvul.org
Ericka Smith, Subsidy Program Manager, 702-636-3949 esmith@lvul.org
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| Upcoming Changes in Southern Nevada to Child Care Subsidy & Child Care Resource and Referral Programs |
| Posted April 22, 2010 |
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| Updates Regarding the Novel Influenza A/Swine Flu (H1N1) |
| Posted July 9, 2009 |
Novel H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) and Feeding your Baby: What Parents Should Know (CDC)
This document updates previously posted information for parents about infant feeding and novel H1N1 flu (swine flu). It now more clearly addresses parents who are formula feeding as well as breastfeeding, suggests that parents sick with novel H1N1 flu (swine flu) find someone who is not sick to feed the baby, and provides more detailed strategies for breastfeeding mothers to maintain breastfeeding throughout the course of infection. This document is based on current knowledge of the novel H1N1 flu outbreak in the United States, and may be revised as more information becomes available. |
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| Posted May 6, 2009 |
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Nevada Guidance on School and Childcare Facility Closure
In Response to Human Infections with 2009 Influenza A (H1N1) Virus (previously known as Swine Flu) |
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State of Nevada starts 24-hour, bilingual swine flu hotline: http://www.rgj.com/article/20090502/NEWS/90502014/-1/news1802 |
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CDC recommendations regarding risks, symptoms and practical avoidance of novel influenza A (H1N1). |
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The Office of Early Care and Education’s Professional Development Plan: Nevada’s Professional Recognition Opportunities for Individual Teachers’ Success (PROFITS)
Posted July 26, 2008 |
Comprehensive professional development systems for Early Care and Education and school-age care personnel are accessible and based on a clearly articulated framework; include a continuum of training and ongoing supports; define pathways that are tied to licensure, leading to qualifications and credentials; and address the needs of individual, adult learners. Enhancing a spirit of life-long learning is one goal of any professional development system; similar to this goal, a professional development system itself is never a finished product and should continually evolve and be refined to meet the needs of the population it serves.
The documentation of the professional development system guides the work of the Office of Early Care and Education. The development of this plan was a collaboration of many early childhood professionals and was implemented in October 2006. Nevada’s professional development system follows the framework set by the National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC). The framework consists of five elements: 1) Funding, 2) Core Professional Core Knowledge Area, 3) Qualifications and Credentials, 4) Quality Assurances, and 5) Access and Outreach.
Mission: Nevada’s PROFITS works to ensure all young children receive an equal opportunity to become well-educated, emotionally stable, contributing members of society, thus leading to the success of Nevada. This is achieved by supporting the educational and professional growth of early childhood educators.
For more information about Nevada’s professional development plan, contact Patti Oya at 702-486-1432 or poya@dwss.nv.gov
Download a copy of Nevada’s PROFITS plan |
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Early Childhood Advisory Council
Updated June 2010 |
Efforts to develop an Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC) in Nevada were funded in part by a grant from the National Governor’s Association submitted last spring by Governor Gibbons’ D.C. office. Nevada was one of twelve states that were awarded the planning grant. Nevada proposed to convene stakeholders of four councils or boards currently overseeing projects serving young children and their families to determine the feasibility of merging the four councils into one Early Childhood Advisory Council: Interagency Coordinating Council; Head Start State Collaboration Partnership Committee; Maternal Child Health Advisory Board, and the Child Care Council. Four planning meetings were funded through the NGA planning grant, two in Las Vegas and two in Reno. Travel and per diem were funded for stakeholders to attend. At the end of the four planning meetings, the four councils recommended that in order to maintain their integrity and original intent, they did not wish to merge into one council, but did wish to have representation on Nevada’s Early Childhood Advisory Council. Final consensus was to form a new council that would meet the requirements established in the Head Start Act and oversee the development of local early childhood advisory councils funded through the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems project. In September 2009, Governor Gibbons signed an executive order establishing Nevada’s Early Childhood Advisory Council and empowering the DHHS Director’s Office as the appointing authority.
Nevada’s Early Childhood Advisory Council consists of 13 members. Six of the 13 members will be term limited, allowing the agencies and organizations they represent the opportunity to change their representation on the Council over time. Length of the terms will be established by the ECAC. The remaining representatives are mandated by the federal requirements of the Head Start Act, which requires the development of ECACs. The following includes current members of Nevada’s ECAC. |
Representative from Agency |
Termed position
(yes or no) |
Specific Title |
| 1. State Childcare Representative |
No |
Jerry Allen, Chief Child Care and Development Program DWSS |
| 2. State Director for Head Start Collaboration |
No |
Margot Chappel, HSSCO Director |
3. Part 619 Coordinator
(Ages 3-5) Special Needs (NDE) | No |
Sherry Halley, Early Childhood Special Education Consultant |
| 4. State Education Agency Representative (NDE) |
No |
Anna Severens, Early Childhood Education Consultant |
| 5. Higher Education Representative |
Yes |
Catherine Lyons, UNLV Early Childhood Special Education (Rotation among No./So., rural, community colleges and universities) |
| 6. Local Education Agency (LEA) |
Yes |
Joanne Everts, Early Childhood Program Administrator, Washoe County School District |
| 7. Part C (ages 0-3) Special Needs |
No |
Wendy Whipple, State Coordinator |
| 8. Mental Health – Early Childhood |
No |
Ann Polakowski, Early Childhood Mental Health Clinical Manager, DCFS |
| 9. Public Health – Early Childhood |
No |
Rutu Ezhuthachan, Department Chief - Pediatrics, Southwest Medical Group |
| 10. Representative Head Start Association |
Yes |
Laura Harrison, President Nevada Head Start Association |
| 11. Child Care Provider Association Representative |
Yes |
TBD (to be determined) |
| 12. Parent Representative |
Yes |
TBD (No./So., rural) |
| 13. Business Representative |
Yes |
Larry Charlton, SVP/Nevada Regional Executive
(No./So., rural) |
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For more information, contact Margot Chappel, Head Start State Collaboration Office: (775) 684-4195 or via email: mchappel@dhhs.nv.gov |
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Child Care in the State of Nevada Demographics Report
Posted November 2, 2007 |
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The Children's Cabinet recently completed their 2006 Child Care in the State of Nevada Demographics Report. This is the first child care supply and demand report for the State of Nevada. The data in this report is intended to give a county by county look at the demand, availability, affordability, and quality of child care in Nevada. Providing this supply and demand report is part of their role as a nationally, quality assured child care resource and referral agency. To view the report in it's entirety, visit www.childrenscabinet.org and click on the "What's New" link. |
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Free Job-Posting Service
Posted March 1, 2007 |
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The Nevada Registry is excited to announce a brand new service - a statewide JOB BOARD for Early Care and Education. The new job board is available to the entire ECE community and allows employers to advertise available positions FREE OF CHARGE! Visit the job board to post positions and to view a listing of current job opportunities in the field. |
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Nevada's
Core Competencies for Early Care and Education
Professionals
Posted March 1, 2007 |
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A new resource is now available to the ECE community; Nevada's
Core Knowledge Areas and Core Competencies for Early Care and Education
Professionals! This
document is designed to be a practical self-assessment tool that may
be used in a variety of ways regardless of your role (caregiver, supervisor,
trainer, career counselor, Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE)
faculty, etc.) or the setting in which you work. Use of this document
is completely voluntary at the time of its approval in June 2006. |
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| Virtual Pre-K |
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Virtual Pre-K is an interactive, bilingual resource that brings teachers, parents and children together in the educational process. With short video lessons, an easy-to-use web site and hands on activities, the award-winning Virtual Pre-K program helps parents take part in their children’s education, and helps early childhood educators enhance their teaching skills. Additional resources include infant/toddler activities through the Born to Learn Program of United Way, online preschool teacher chats and a calendar of family events in your area. Parent and caregiver workshops can be scheduled at no cost for your center throughout Nevada. For more information or to schedule a workshop, please contact Rechelle Murillo at (775) 333-3523. |
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| Bachelor of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education |
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The University of Nevada, Reno offers an interdisciplinary 4-year program in Early Childhood Education, which is jointly administered by
the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, in the College of Health and Human Sciences, and the Department of Educational
Specialties, in the College of Education. This degree allows students to
apply for and obtain a teaching license for public school programs
serving children from birth through second grade. The program requires a
total of 128 credits, of which about half, if appropriately selected,
can be taken at one of the state's community colleges. For further
information, contact Dr. Melissa Burnham at (775) 784-7012 or mburnham@unr.edu. |
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| Nevada Child Care Workforce Study |
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The Nevada Child Care Work Force Study was conducted
between 2000 and 2002. All directors and teachers of licensed early childhood
programs in
the state and all licensed family home care providers were asked to provide
information through questionnaires. In addition, a group of non-licensed
home care providers, parents, and licensing personnel gave input, and
direct observations were conducted in over 100 early childhood classrooms
across
the state. This study provides the first comprehensive profile of Nevada's
child care work force, comparing Nevada's work force characteristics
to those of other states. Click here for the full report of the Nevada
Child Care Work Force
Study. |
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