The Northeast Colorado Child Care Resource and Referral Annual Child Care Providers’ conference, “Providing Great Experiences for Children” will be held April 8 in Yuma at the First Southern Baptist Church from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.  Attendance of this amazing training opportunity is open to anyone in Colorado who wants to learn useful skills in working with children.  This includes family child care providers, group leaders, preschool teachers, and center/preschool directors, social workers, home visitors, children’s librarians, parents, court ordered child representatives, foster parents, teenage babysitters and all others who are in regular contact with children birth to 12 years old.

The welcoming address this year is being provided by Jodi Gillespie, Lead Licensing Specialist at the Colorado Office of Early Childhood Division of Early Care and Learning.  Jodi will cover what to expect during a child care licensing inspection, including the process for the safety walk through and documents needed for staff/provider files and children's files; what is needed when the provider is responding to their report of inspection; how to access the admin guide and review the consultation forms provided for family child care homes and child care centers.

 Breakout sessions at this year’s conference include: Wellness Champion! and Cavity Free Kids by Kim Wolff of Qualistar Early Learning; 11 Things That Every Child Needs To Grow Up Healthy by Tom Westfall; Care, Community and a Collection of Baby Dolls by Maureen Condon of Boulder Journey School; But Where Are the Toys?” Learning Through Play in Early Childhood by Sara Movahedazarhouligh; Safe and Sound: Promoting Resilience and Healthy Social/Emotional Development in Young Children by Erin Pounds, the Early Childhood Specialist for Centennial Mental Health. 

During the conference there will be a Scholastic Book Fair, Discovery Toys and Pampered Chef booths.  Scholastic has low cost, quality children’s literature.  Discovery Toys has developmental, educational and age appropriate toys, books and games for ALL ages.  Pampered Chef has high quality kitchen tools.  Al three booths will have an abundance of products that you can purchase and take home the day of the conference. 

Participants will earn 7 continuing education credits toward their licensing requirements.  Registration fee is only $35.00 which includes lunch.  There will also be amazing door prizes awarded at lunch. 

The Northeast Colorado Child Care Resource and Referral (NCCCRR) is a program of the non-profit organization the Rural Communities Resource Center.  Funding for NCCCRR and for the conference is received from the Colorado Department of Human Services, Centennial Mental Health, Early Childhood Council of Yuma, Washington and Kit Carson Counties, Lincoln County Department of Human Services and Yuma County Department of Human Services.  In kind donations have been received from KAPLAN.

For more information or for a registration form please contact Sheila Anzlovar or Gail Pallesen at the Northeast Colorado Child Care Resource and Referral at 970-848-3867 x 23.  Registration information and conference brochure can also be found on their website at www.ncccrr.org.