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June 2022 Newsletter
Vol XI. Issue 6
Circle Time
Support for Early Childhood Businesses and Parents
Summertime Nutrition & Resources
In South Carolina the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides the nutritional basis for meals and snacks served in SC-licensed childcare facilities (regulations are under forms and resources). The CACFP provides many useful resources to serve cost-effective, nutritious meals. The Crediting Handbook for CACFP is just one of these resources. The handbook is a virtual one-stop-shop for information on meal patterns, portion sizes, allowable foods, identifying whole grains, and more. In June we celebrate National Dairy Month and Fresh Fruit/Vegetable Month. Test your fluid milk knowledge with this fun Serving Milk Quiz. Celebrate both topics with a Peach Smoothie from the new USDA CACFP recipe collection, which features over 10 recipes with fresh vegetables and fruits.  
View Snack Recipes
USDA Guidance for Feeding Infants
The current infant formula shortage is a big challenge to many early childcare providers. Did you know the USDA Team Nutrition publication Feeding Infants in the Child and Adult Care Food Program has information that can help childcare providers and parents during this challenging time? This guide helps childcare providers understand the CACFP meal pattern requirements and requirements for formulas. It includes best practices for feeding babies in a way that supports their growth and development. This guide can help childcare centers and family childcare homes, regardless of CACFP participation, to offer meals to infants in their care. 
View CACFP Resources
Conferences, Trainings & Support
The Division of Early Care and Education is sponsoring free virtual trainings through Children’s Trust of SC for child care providers.  SC DSS Child Care training credit hours will be provided through SC Endeavors. For additional information contact Alexis Dow, adow@scchildren.org. Save the date for these upcoming trainings:
  • Early Childhood Development (5 hrs training credit):
    • June 25, 2022, 9:30am-3:00pm
    • Sept. 26-27, 2022, 6:00pm-8:30pm
  • Middle Childhood Development (5 hrs training credit):     
    • July 30, 2022, 9:00am-3:00pm
    • Oct. 17-18, 2022, 6:00pm-8:30pm
  • Responding to Abuse and Neglect (5 hrs training credit):   
    • August 13, 2022, 9:00am-3:00pm
    • Nov. 14-15, 2022, 6:00-8:30pm
  • Protective Factors (3 hrs training credit):
    • Upstate-  Sept. 17, 2022, 9:00am-12:00pm 
    • Pee Dee -  Dec. 12, 2022, 6:00pm-9:00pm           
    • Midlands - Jan. 21, 2023, 9:00am-12:00pm
    • Lowcountry - Feb. 6, 2023, 6:00pm-9:00pm
Register Now
Scholarship Opportunity
The T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® South Carolina Scholarship Program Fall 2022 Application is now open. T.E.A.C.H. recipients will now be able to take up to 18 credit hours each contract year, with the option of taking additional courses if excelling. Please submit your application with all supporting documents to . The deadline for applications is August 1, 2022. Visit https://scendeavors.org/professional-development/t-e-a-c-h/ to complete your application.
Apply for the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® South Carolina Scholarship Program
SCCR&R: Conferences & Trainings
South Carolina Child Care Resource & Referral supports families and child care centers.  If you know someone who needs help finding child care or if you are a child care center and are interested in coaching and/or improving the quality of your center,  send us a web referral https://www.sc-ccrr.org/for-educators/technical-assistance/requesting-technical-assistance/referral-form/

Upcoming Conferences and Trainings

Check us out at https://www.sc-ccrr.org. Follow us on Facebook and SC Endeavors for upcoming conferences and trainings.

Division Spotlight
ABC Quality

DECE Partner Honored with Service Award

ABC Quality partner Angela Baum, UofSC College of Education interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, received the Leonard F. Maiden Spirit award. Angela works with ABC Quality and the Division of Early Care and Education on several projects that focus on improving the quality of child care in South Carolina.

UofSC Mascot Visits Child Care Programs

The Academy of Young Scholars recently had a surprise visit from the University of South Carolina’s mascot, Cocky. Children and early childhood staff members have enjoyed reading books, dancing, and exercising with the mascot. Pictured Cocky and Helen Barnes, Director.

Project Learning Tree
Facilitator's Training

Trees & Me contains hundreds of ideas for fun, easy-to-do, hands-on experiences to connect young children to nature, with a focus on trees and forests. Through both outdoor and indoor activities, children explore nature through their senses, experience trees throughout all four seasons, and connect with their community. 

ABC Quality staff members attended the Project Learning Tree’s environmental curriculum Facilitators’ training Trees & Me: Activities for Exploring Nature with Young Children. This is Project Learning Trees' latest resource for families and teachers of ages 1 – 6 years old. To schedule a Trees & Me: Activities for Exploring Nature with Young Children training at your early childhood program contact Sherrie Dueno, at sherrie.dueno@dss.sc.gov.
UofSC Research, Evaluation & Measurement Team Presentation
ABC Quality in partnership with the University of South Carolina, Research, Evaluation and Measurement team submitted a paper presentation and were accepted to present at the 2022 AERA Conference in San Diego, CA. The name of the paper presentation is Content and Response Process Validity Evidence for a State-Developed Measure of Preschool Teaching Quality. Authors of the presentation from the University of South Carolina are Tammie S. Dickenson, Hall West and Leigh K. D’Amico.  Authors from the ABC Quality program are Cathy Kovacs, Bridget Hinson Verone, Beverly Hunter and Debbie Akos. The name of the session is Early Childhood Quality Improvements and was a collaborative presentation with other states and universities throughout the country.
Grow Outdoors SC Design Plans
 
Grow Outdoors South Carolina (GO SC), is a collaborative effort of the Division of Early Care and Education (DECE) at the SC Department of Social Services and the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). It is an initiative to promote healthful, nature-based outdoor spaces at early childcare and education programs resulting increased access to quality, naturalized outdoor environments that enhance play and learning across all domains of development.

GO SC will be utilizing the Preventing Obesity by Design (POD) model which is meant to reverse the trend toward childhood obesity by improving outdoor play and learning environments at childcare centers. Healthful outdoor environments help young children be more physically active while they play, discover, and connect with nature.

Child care sites are encouraged to improve their existing outdoor space layout by installing primary pathways, relocating fixed equipment, adding activity settings, and naturalizing the outdoor space. Sites should aim to increase the diversity of play and learning opportunities by adding research-inspired activity settings and components. The overall outdoor space should be naturalized by planting trees, shrubs, ground covers, vines, and hardy flowering perennials. In addition, the maintenance of the outdoor settings should be addressed during the design stage to ensure sustainability and ease of care.

Sites participating GO SC will receive a professionally designed master plan for their outdoor space, access to training from Nature Learning Initiative (NLI) at NC State University, staff training on activating the outdoor space, and access to online resources. A site’s outdoor master plan is driven by a participatory design process, gathering input from center staff, parents, and children, with intentional selection and placement of field-tested outdoor activity settings within the plan. All master plans are incrementally phased so that sites can build out the plan as funding is available.

Ultimately the master plans are designed to move children throughout the entire outdoor space utilizing a curved, looping pathway linking other activity settings. The best practice is the inclusion of at least ten outdoor setting activities including a looping pathway for the outdoor space designated for each age group (i.e., infant/toddler/preschool). Selected activity settings should be age-appropriate.

GO SC Best Practice Indicators

  • Ten or more play and learning settings
  • Looping, curvy primary pathway
  • Multipurpose lawn
  • Shady settings (other than trees)
  • Natural, loose materials
  • Wheeled toys, portable play equipment and play materials
  • Support of gross motor activities
  • Sufficient trees
  • Edible fruiting trees
  • Shrubs, vines, and ornamental grasses
  • Designated vegetable garden
  • Enclosed outdoor storage
  • Outdoor classroom space   
View More Information & Resources

Remembering When:
Looking Back on 30 Years of ABC Quality

 As ABC Quality continues to celebrate 30 years of providing quality child care services throughout 2022, current and former ABC Quality staff members reflect on their experiences working in the program.

Mark Orf

When I began working with the CCDF/CCDBG in 1992, I had no experience in child care or early education. What I found was a very large group with a passion for both. The group was composed of a variety of people including child care providers, educators, and parents. For other groups, it provided an opportunity for dependent families to become self-sufficient. When a program has that much support, failure is not an option. It was a lot of fun. Congratulations on 30 years of service to South Carolina!

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Our mailing address is:
P.O. Box 1520
Columbia, SC 29202-1520

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SC Division of Early Care and Education · 1535 Confederate Avenue Extension · Columbia, SC 29201 · USA