Early Educators

Quality child care matters, and the most important factor in quality is a child’s caregiver. Windham Child Care Association’s staff supports the work and professional development of nearly 300 early educators in Windham County.

We offer classes, on-site visits, telephone and email consulting, mentorship, professional advising,  and access for family child care providers to the Child Care Food Program.

Career Development and STARS Support

Windham Child Care Association offers support and resources for teachers, centers, and family child care providers. Contact us if you want to:

• Develop your Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP)

• Find additional or specialized training outside of our region

• Pursue a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential

• Get a Level I or Level II certificate

• Explore options for college courses, college degrees, or teacher licensure

• Find resources to pay for professional development training or college

• Apply for your STARS (STep Ahead Recognition System)

For assistance, call Windham Child Care Association at 254-5332 ext. 312 and speak with Nancy Witherill.

How Much Training Do I Need to Take?

The child care licensing regulations of the State of Vermont require a minimum of:

      Registered family child care providers: 6 hours per year

      Licensed Center-based teachers: 12 hours per year

      Specialized Care providers: 6 additional hours per year on topics that meet requirements for advanced specialized care

      Child and Adult Care Food Program participants: 2 additional hours per year on food/nutrition-related topics.

All of our training attendance is sent to the state's Bright Futures Information System each month. You can access your personal training records in BFIS at any time. You are responsible for keeping track of your training hours, and we recommend that you check your BFIS account every six months to be sure it is accurate and up-to-date. Windham Child Care Association can also print out a record of all training that you have taken through our agency. For further information about required professional development, or questions about your training record, you may contact Nancy Witherill at 802-254-5332 x 312.

 

Professional Development Pays!!

Did you know that you can get paid for achieving professional development milestones? The Child Development Division (CDD) offers bonuses for educators who document their achievement on the Northern Lights child care career ladder. You can find more information and applications for Level Certificates and CDD bonuses at: http://northernlights.vsc.edu/career_ladder.html and http://dcf.vermont.gov/cdd/grants/bonus