Child Care Resource Center

The Nest e-newsletter and training calendar, published three times per year, is an electronic publication of the Howard County Office of Children and Families for early care and education professionals! Learn about new training regulations, resources that are available to assist you in your professional development, upcoming workshops, conferences and events.

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Don't have an account yet? You can still view the upcoming workshops by clicking the Register for In-Person Training button. Create your new account for easy online registration at your convenience day or night!

Training workshops are held at 9830 Patuxent Woods Drive, Columbia, MD 21046.

MSDE Child Care Training Approval Number: CKO-156225; PSO-3569, CTO-7406, expires 06/30/2022

April Training Classes

March Training Classes

Looking for Child Care Training Online? Courses are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year!

Our e-learning training courses are designed to help early childhood professionals complete annual training requirements and acquire required training hours for those seeking a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, CDA credential renewal or in-service training. Our courses provide a variety of engaging topics designed specifically for the early childhood professional.

Register for Online Classes

Are you looking for the workshops which meet the training requirements to open a licensed family child care? Did you complete the required MSDE Office of Child Care Orientation? If not, call The Office of Child Care, 410-750-8771 to schedule an in-person orientation. To prepare for the orientation, view the online licensing orientation preview.

Applicants for a Family Child Care License must satisfy a series of training requirements determined by MSDE Office of Child Care. If you have questions about getting your license, required training classes, setting up your business, or another aspect of family child care, contact Joan Johnson by calling 410-313-1432.

TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

Family Child Care — New Applicants
• Initial Training Modules (24 hours)
• Emergency and Disaster Preparedness (6 hours)
• Medication Administration (6 hours)
• Including All Children and the ADA (3 hours)
• Infant/Child/Adult CPR Certification
• First Aid Certification
• SIDS: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (2 hours)
• Supporting Breastfeeding in Child Care
• Basic Health and Safety (3 hours)

Family Child Care — First Renewal Year
(18 clock hours)
• Child Development (3 hours)
• Mixed Age Groups (3 hours)
• Health/Safety/Nutrition (3 hours)
• Professionalism (3 hours)
• First Aid (current certification)
• Infant/Child/Adult CPR (current certification)
• Approved Training in any Area (6 hours)

Family Child Care — After First Renewal

(12 Clock Hours)
• Approved Core of Knowledge Training (6 hours)
• Approved Training in Any Area (6 hours)
• Current First Aid and CPR Certifications

Child Care Center Staff
For current staff staying in the same positions:
• Aide/Assistant (6 hours/year)
• Child Care Teacher (12 hours/year)
• Child Care Director (12 hours/year)

New hires and staff moving to new positions are subject to additional requirements which may include:
• Center Aide Orientation (3 hours)
• 9-hour Communication (9 hours)
• Including All Children and the ADA (3 hours)
• SIDS: Sudden Infanct Death Syndrome (2 hours)
• Supporting Breastfeeding in Child Care
• Basic Health and Safety (3 hours)

Questions?

Contact Joan Johnson,Technical Assistance Specialist at 410-313-1432
or
Contact the Howard County Office of Child Care at 410-750-8771.

CORE OF KNOWLEDGE KEY
Each training workshop listing indicates the approved Core of Knowledge area(s), which identifies specific topics of interest you may need to achieve or maintain levels within the Maryland Child Care Credential program.

The Core areas are abbreviated as:
CD - Child Development
COM - Community
CUR - Curriculum
HSN - Health, Safety, Nutrition
PRO - Professionalism
SN - Special Needs

Pursuing state accreditation helps early childhood programs improve their quality of service. Accredited programs provide research-based, high quality early childhood education that benefits children, parents, and local school systems. Whether you are working to become accredited, or you are just beginning to consider the possibilities; the Howard County Office of Children and Families (OCF) can help you through the process. Join us  to learn more about how and why to become accredited.

MSDE Orientation: Overview of Accreditation (This workshop is required for programs pursuing MSDE Accreditation) - Overview of the early childhood accreditation and validation process. Become acquainted with standards, focus areas, supporting documents, self-appraisal, and rating process. Learn about the validation process and discuss selecting a self-appraisal team. (2 PRO) Register online for MSDE Orientation: Overview of Accreditation.

Instructor Joan Johnson is an experienced validator for MSDE and will help you through the process. If you are actively pursuing accreditation; your program is also eligible for FREE technical assistance, mentoring and a program improvement visit. For more information on the series, please call Joan Johnson at 410-313-1432.

This class is open only to preschool and center directors and owners; other teachers may enroll only with permission of the instructor.

45-Hour Infant & Toddler Certificate: Methods & Materials

This course introduces the major concepts, theories, principles, and research related to the development and care of children birth to age 3. Participants will learn how to create a safe and healthy environment while developing appropriate interaction and communication skills that will assist with learning and development. For family providers, the regulations state those approved to care for more than two infants and toddlers must complete 45 hours of approved training related exclusively to the care of children younger than 2 years old. This class satisfies the regulation. 

The 45-Hour Infant and Toddler Certificate workshop series is not currently scheduled at the Howard County Child Care Resource Center.

The 45-Hour Infant and Toddler series is available online. Register for The 45-Hour Infant and Toddler: Methods and Materials online training. 

For questions related to the care of infants and toddlers, contact Joan Johnson, Technical Assistance Specialist by calling 410-313-1432. For other questions, please call 410-313-1940.

Yes, we can provide child care training for your staff at your Howard County location. Most of the workshops which are offered in the training calendar are available for your onsite training if you have at least ten staff members. It's convenient and as easy as 1-2-3!

1. Submit an On-Site Request Form to the Training Coordinator no less than three weeks prior to your training date.
2. The Training Coordinator will contact you to discuss details and will send an On-Site Confirmation for your approval.
3. After receiving your On-Site Confirmation, submit  an On-Site Training Enrollment Form to the Training Coordinator. An instructor will arrive at your site with the materials needed to train your pre-registered staff on the scheduled date!

Inclement Weather Cancellations Call the DCRS Inclement Weather Line at 410-313-7777(voice/relay) Additional Inclement Weather Updates can be found at this page or on our Facebook page

If Howard County Public Schools are delayed or closed, DCRS classes and programs status is as follows:

• 2-hour school delay – DCRS facilities will open on time. All classes and programs scheduled before 11am are canceled.

• Schools closed – DCRS facilities will strive to open on time. All classes and programs are canceled.

• If Howard County Public Schools cancel evening and weekend activities -- DCRS facilities will be closed for evening hours and classes canceled after 4:30pm.

For weekend activities, all classes will be cancelled. Should the weather deteriorate, please call or check the operating status before going to the DCRS facility. All DCRS facilities are closed when Howard County Government is closed.

Office of Children & Families (410) 313-1442

Office of Community Resources Main Line (410) 313-6400

Registration is on a first-come, first served basis. Payment is required at the time of registration. Receipts are emailed to the address provided during registration. The registration receipt is your confirmation, please mark your calendar. Access your online account at any time to verify your upcoming workshop schedule!

Pre-registration  is required for all workshops. Your registration and payment must be received by 4:00 pm on the day of the workshop for all weekday workshops (by Friday for weekend workshops). Same day registrations will accepted until 4:00 pm if space permits. Walk-ins will not be permitted to stay.

Late Arrival to a Workshop: Workshops begin at the time stated in the calendar and your receipt. Plan to arrive 10-15 minutes early to sign-in. If you arrive after the workshop begins, you will be asked to leave; you will not be eligible for a certificate, credit, or refund.

Change or Cancellation of a Workshop: Registration fees are non-refundable, if you do not show up for a scheduled class, you forfeit your registration fee.  If you need to cancel, you must call 410-313-1442 at least 24-hour in advance to transfer to another class or receive a credit for future use. Credit card refunds will not be given unless the Office of Children and Families (OCF) cancels the workshop. OCF reserves the right to change the location or instructor of a workshop. If a workshop is cancelled due to weather, instructor illness, etc., participants will be notified by 4:00 pm. If possible, the workshop will be rescheduled and an attempt to notify all participants by phone and/or email will be made. 

Workshops are designed for adults only; please make appropriate child care arrangements in advance.

If you need accommodations to attend a training workshop, please call (410) 313-1940 at least one week prior to the workshop.

• Turned off or put in the silent or vibrate only mode
• No texting, games, application use, etc. during the workshop
• Please step out of the room to accept any phone calls
• Show respect to all participants
  • Be mindful of comments or language which may offend others
  • Let others finish their comments without interruption or criticism  
• Show respect to the trainer
  • Please refrain from holding side conversations
  • If you disagree with the trainer, please share your thoughts with respect
• Please enter and exit the room quietly so as to not disturb others
• Ask as many questions as you need, but please keep questions focused on the topic  
• Share experiences responsibly
  • Be mindful of confidential information
  • Please keep sharing directly related to the topic
• Enjoy your food responsibly
  • Dispose of all trash and recycling appropriately 
  • Clean up the area of any spills 
• Leave the room in the condition you found it 
• Please discard of trash and recycling in the appropriate bins 
• Do not place containers with liquid in any trash or recycling bins; please empty liquid in bathroom sinks 

Trainers will administer assessments in written or verbal form at each workshop.

All certificates will be mailed to participants after the assessment scores have been validated, usually within 10 business days. Those completing the Medication Administration course will generally receive the certificate at the end of the workshop after successful completion of the assessments and demonstration. Those completing the CPR and/or First Aid Certification will receive the certification card after successful completion of the assessments and demonstrations.

Certificates are generally mailed within 10 business days after the workshop. Certificates which are not returned to the Office of Children and Families after mailing are considered replacement certificates.

Replacement training certificates may be requested either in writing or by phone call.  The following information is required to process your request:

• Name of participant
• Title of workshop
• Date of workshop
• Address to mail certificate
• Contact phone number or e-mail
• Payment information

Please call the Registrar at (410) 313-1442. 

There is a $5.00 fee per replacement certificate issued for workshops that were held within a year of the request. For replacement certificates for workshops held beyond a year of the request, the fee is $10.00. This can be paid by cash, check, or credit card. Certificates will not be mailed until payment has been received.