In this issue...
Happy December, COAEYC friends and members! We hope that your holiday season is filled with love, laughter, and family!
In this issue you will find information about our brand new Professional Development Book Club in PDIS, our recent Spotlight featuring the resource development director of a Northern Colorado nonprofit early learning program, upcoming events, a statement regarding the closures of four Colorado Springs home-based programs, and links for some early childhood news from around the web.
TOMORROW, Tuesday, December 10th is Colorado Gives Day!
This statewide movement celebrates and encourages philanthropy in Colorado. You can visit COAEYC's page to schedule your donation today. Thank you for your support! Your generous donations helps us continue advocacy efforts on behalf of young children, families, and early childhood educators in Colorado.
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Introducing the COAEYC Professional Development Book Club in PDIS
We are so proud to announce the launch of our professional development book club! In collaboration with the Colorado Shines Professional Development Information System (PDIS), we are now offering a book club based on NAEYC publications. Through this virtual face-to-face course (held on Google Meet or Zoom), you can earn 12 clock hours from the comfort of your own home.
Our first course will be Equity and Diversity Throughout Early Childhood Programs and is being offered in English and Spanish.
Start Date: 1/6/2020 (English) and 1/10/2020 (Spanish)
Fees: $20 for active COAEYC Members / $50 for non-members, plus cost of book
Materials: The required book, Spotlight on Young Children: Equity and Diversity, is available through naeyc.org and is discounted for NAEYC members and complimentary for NAEYC premium members. |
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Spotlight on You
 This month we sat down with Tara Streeb, the Resource Development Director for Teaching Tree Early Learning Center in Fort Collins and Loveland. An early childhood professional of 17 years (16 of them at Teaching Tree), Tara has experienced many roles in the field, including a cook, a teacher, and an administrative assistant. Now she manages fundraising, event planning, marketing, volunteer coordination, and community outreach for this expanding not-for-profit early learning program. You can also catch Tara instructing CPR/First Aid classes and performing tech support -- this lady does it all!
"I love that every day in early childhood is different," she says. "No day is the same. And I love the kids, especially the spicy kids." |
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How did you get into early childhood?
I started working in a childcare center when I was in college so that I could have childcare for my son when he was born. I loved it, so I stayed!
What would you change about the early childhood field?
The pay! There needs to be a liveable wage for workers in the childcare field.
What do you like about being the resource development director at Teaching Tree?
I like that I get to be out in the community and meet new people. I get to go out talk to people about a mission that I love. I think it's fun to be happy every day. They call it "the trade". [I ask myself] "You traded your time for what?" and I think it's a good trade.
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How do you impact children and families in Colorado?
Teaching Tree as a whole impacts families by providing affordable childcare, which is a huge need. Also, helping kids be ready for school before kindergarten. I impact by getting the mission out there and getting more people to support early childhood and the work we do. It's becoming more of a statewide issue rather than a community issue.
Do you think people are becoming more aware of the issues in early childhood?
Yes! Anne [Lance, Teaching Tree's Executive Director] and I have done so much outreach and we've found that it's an economic issue more-so than a social issue.
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You can visit www.teaching-tree.org to view Teaching Tree's wishlist or make a donation.
As a thank you to Tara for participating in this month's Spotlight, we have gifted her an entry membership to NAEYC and COAEYC! Do you know someone who works with children and families (teachers, therapists, administrators, cooks, bus drivers--anyone!) who deserves to be in the spotlight? Fill out this form or tweet your nomination to @coloradoaeyc using the hashtag #COAEYCspotlight.
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Don't forget to re-new your membership!
Being a member of NAEYC and COAEYC has its perks, such as complimentary or discounted NAEYC publications, access to member-only events (like NAEYC's upcoming Public Policy Forum) and discounts on professional development opportunities (like our Book Club in PDIS worth 12 clock hours per session). Don't miss out!
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UPCOMING EVENTS
COAEYC Listening Tour
 Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Colorado Springs stop of our 50th Anniversary Listening Tour!
We only have ONE more date left. Please join us and share your thoughts, concerns, and hopes for early childhood in your area. Your experience and perspective is so valuable to us! Refreshments will be served.
December 14th, 9:00AM at the Denver Public Library
REGISTER
2020 Public Policy Forum - February 2020
The NAEYC Public Policy Forum is a member-only function where early childhood professionals discuss the challenges in early childhood education, strengthen relationships with policymakers, learn and advance advocacy skills, and build networks. This event will be held February 23-25th in Arlington, VA.
We are so proud to be part of a team of Colorado-based early childhood organizations, including Clayton Early Learning and the Colorado Children's Campaign, attending the 2020 Public Policy Forum! Are you interested in sharpening your advocacy skills and being a part of the effort to advance policies that benefit children, families, and early education? We would love to see you there!
From the NAEYC Website:
As a Public Policy Forum participant, NAEYC members have the opportunity to:
- Be part of a powerful team working to advance federal and state early childhood policy
- Hear from and network with national and state policy leaders and fellow advocates
- Get the resources and experiences they need to be an informed and effective advocate
- Meet with members of Congress and build relationships with their staff and teams
If you are interested in attending or learning more about this advocacy event, click here. |
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Recent Closures in Colorado Springs
COAEYC would like to formally commend and stand by Alliance for Kids and the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) as they navigate a disturbing incident that impacts the Colorado Springs early education and care community. This November, CDHS discovered 26 toddlers behind a false wall in the basement of a home-based program only licensed for six children. Within days, three more facilities owned by the same provider were shut down by CDHS, displacing as many as 150 children. Proper group sizes, ratios, and staff qualifications were not followed which are mandated and essential for providing adequate social-emotional support, physical safety, and developmental support of each child. It is essential that our youngest citizens have access to licensed, high-quality care and education which includes proper teacher/child ratios, trained providers, and supportive learning environments.
We commend Alliance for Kids for offering support to the families impacted by this incident by meeting with them individually to help them find quality childcare options, and by connecting them with mental health supports. Additionally, we would like to acknowledge the Colorado Department of Human Services, which is offering emergency waivers to licensed providers in Colorado Springs to exceed capacity on a temporary basis in order to care for children who have been displaced by the recent closures.
This story has brought to light many issues within early childhood education including families having inequitable access to high-quality care. Childcare costs are high, wages are low, and slots are hard to come by. We must come together not only to support these families and professionals but to call for changes that ensure every child has affordable access to high-quality early education and care programs.
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ECE NEWS FROM AROUND THE WEB
Keeping up with the news can be hard when you're busy! Here are a few recent statewide and national articles about early childhood:
- One-third fewer Americans are training to become teachers, creating a critical teacher shortage (Business Insider)
- Burdensome student loan debt is contributing to the country's teacher shortage crisis (Forbes)
- In Colorado Springs, 26 toddlers were found behind a false wall in a home-based childcare facility only licensed for 6 children (KOAA) This news story also contains link to CDHS Inspection Report
- Mesa County schools re-open after shutting down all 46 schools due to a widespread illness (Fox 31)
- The norovirus-like illness that closed all 46 of Mesa County's schools seems to be spreading (CPR)
- NYC boosts salaries for 1,500 non-union Pre-K teachers in community-based programs (Chalkbeat)
- Michigan kindergartner invites entire class to adoption hearing (NY Daily News)
- The Childcare Crisis: Why affordable childcare is out of reach for so many people (Time)
- South Carolina sixth grade teacher sues school district in open, class-action suit over working outside of contract hours and paying out-of-pocket for school supplies (Education Week) Not early childhood, but definitely interesting!
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