Thank you to all the Registered Early Childhood Educators and child care workers who provide engaging, safe, and inclusive environments for Durham's youngest residents to learn, play, and grow.
Professional learning opportunities
A special edition Summer 2021 GROW newsletter is now available. Check out the online opportunities and resources for professional learning.
Registration is now open for Connecting Home Child Care: A Conversion on July 14 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., where members of the Home Child Care community will participate in focused conversations to help drive the work of a newly initiated sub-committee of the Best Start Network. We invite all members of the HCC community and support system to participate in this event, as we want to ensure all voices are heard as we work to build a greater education, training, and support system to benefit children and families in Durham.
Visit the College of Early Childhood Educators Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) website for additional early learning and child care professional resources.
Important notice from the College of Early Childhood Educators: Effective April 2020 to August 2021, all members will have the option to defer compliance with their program requirements for one membership year due to COVID-19. The option to defer compliance will be available to members on their next annual renewal. Member may only select this deferral option once. Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) audits are currently postponed until further notice.
For more details on the deferral options based on your renewal month, please review the CPL Deferral Chart.
Durham Region's Early Learning and Child Care Virtual Town Hall
To order Heath Department resources for your daily practice, please visit the Health Care Provider Resource Order Form.
Professional Resource Library
The Region of Durham has a Professional Resource Library for early learning and child care professionals. The library is funded by the Ministry of Education's Capacity Building funding. Contact us to book an appointment at the Professional Resource Library.
The resource library has many free resources that can be used by early learning professionals, including new curriculum and inquiry-based kits.
Important Update: While the Resource Library remains closed for in-person visits, it is open for curbside drop-off and pick-up every Wednesday by appointment only, between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., with a minimum of 24-hours' notice. Please contact Tracy Barclay by email at Tracy.Barclay@durham.ca to make an appointment.
How Does Learning Happen?
In 2014, the Ministry of Education launched How Does Learning Happen?, Ontario's Pedagogy for the Early Years. The pedagogy recognizes children as competent, capable of complex thinking, curious and rich in potential.
How Does Learning Happen? is organized around four key concepts: belonging, engagement, expression and well-being. these concepts are the foundation of high-quality care, supporting children's future potential. Early learning and child care centres and licensed home child care agencies follow this pedagogy.
To download a copy of the pedagogy in English and French, visit the Ministry of Education's website.
In Fall 2020, the Ministry of Education released Building on How Does Learning Happen? Pedagogical approaches to reopening licensed child care. This new resource shares ideas, reflective questions, and lessons learned from emergency child care to help support child care and early years settings to continue to meet quality and curriculum requirements as they work to provide healthy physical, social, and emotional spaces for children and their families during the reopening phase. The document is available in English and French from the Ministry of Education's website.
Pedagogical Inquiry Tool (2015) and new 2019 Extensions
The tool has been developed by a sub-committee of the Best Start Network to support continued pedagogical reflection utilizing: "How does learning happen?" (2014), "Think, Feel, Act" (2013), "Think, Feel, Act: Empowering Children in the Middle Years" (2018). These activities will support deeper exploration of the four foundations, pedagogical leadership, inclusion, cultural identity, bullying, etc.
Requests for updated USB sticks containing the original Pedagogical Inquiry and the new 2019 Extensions in both English and French can be made by programs to Tracy.Barclay@durham.ca.
Durham Region Child Care Forum
The Durham Region Child Care Forum (DRCCF) looks after the training needs of Durham Region's Early Learning and Child Care Community including the Annual DRCCF Conference held in the fall.
Professional Education and Training (PET) Committee
The PET Committee’s purpose is to provide educational opportunities for child care professionals to network with colleagues, as well as access professional development opportunities that provide relevant up-to-date information on current issues within the child care profession. Goals and objectives: The PET Committee will undertake the responsibility of coordinating and implementing the following educational and training opportunities: Professional development workshops Supervisors’ Network opportunities Membership: The Committee welcomes all individuals who have an interest in providing training opportunities for the Durham Region child care community. If you have a topic of interest that you are willing to share, please contact Lauren.Goldsmith@edukids.ca or Janine.Keith@durham.ca.
Durham's Best Start Network
Durham’s Best Start Network started in 2005 with funds from the Government of Ontario. With more than 85 members from 45 organizations, the Network creates a space for creating resources, establishing partnerships, and sharing best practices.
The Network is open to all representatives from organizations who work with children from birth to 6 years of age. To join one of our quarterly meetings, please contact us at beststart@durham.ca.
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Child Care Sub-Committee |
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Providing members of the early learning and child care community with an avenue to:
Participants can attend with a goal of becoming informed, networking, and/or taking on a role in a working group. For more information on the Child Care Sub-Committee, connect with us at beststart@durham.ca. |
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Infant Mental Health Sub-Committee |
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Working to improve infant mental health experiences for children and families across Durham by integrating the science of mental health into professional practice. For more information on the Infant Mental Health Sub-Committee, contact us at beststart@durham.ca. |
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| Research and Knowledge Mobilization Sub-Committee | ||
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Our vision is to build a community where research informs practice, and practice informs research. The goal of the community is to build capacity for research and knowledge exchange in post-secondary institutions and agencies serving children and families in Durham Region. The Sub-Committee welcomes new members on a regular basis. Our existing members represent The Regional Municipality of Durham, Durham College, OntarioTech University, Trent University, local special needs resourcing agencies, EarlyON Child and Family Centres, and licensed child care agencies. Our valued members come from various backgrounds including early childhood education, research, social work, policy, and behavioural science. If you’re interested in joining one of our bi-monthly meetings, please contact us at beststart@durham.ca.
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