Newsletter | May 2021

Happy Child Care Appreciation Day!

We want to take a moment to thank each and every one of our providers for the dedication of your time and hearts to teach little ones across North Central Oklahoma. You all do amazing work! As a thank you, Resource and Referral will be going out the first week of May to deliver a gift to each provider. We will call when we drop it off so you can pick it up after we leave. We have started our Complete Update 2 for this semester. Please remember that we are required to do updates twice a year. This will help families in our area looking for child care. . . Click Here Fresh Air, Fun, and Exploration: Why Outdoor Play is Essential for Healthy Development It can be challenging to take young children outside—from naps to mealtimes and sunscreen to mittens, a trip outdoors might feel like too much hassle. Additionally, play outside may seem unruly, overwhelming, or lacking in learning opportunities. But outdoor play is worth the time and effort. . . Click Here The Do's and Don'ts of Risky Play We spend much of our lives doing our best to keep our children safe. We bundle them up when it’s cold. We feed them healthy foods. We put plug covers in the electrical outlets. We put child safety locks on all the cabinets. We buckle them safely into their car seats. So, why in the world would we ever allow our precious little ones to take any sort of risk that could get them injured? That seems crazy, right? Maybe not. When children are allowed to participate in risky play, it challenges their bodies in new ways. It develops strong muscles and organizes the senses, which increases their cognitive development... Click Here The Calm in the Storm: Supporting Young Children Before, During, and After a Community Disaster or Trauma Young children are affected when community disasters or traumatic events occur (APA 2008). It doesn’t matter what the event is—when a young child’s caregiver is impacted by a stressful occurrence, that child is also impacted, even without having directly experienced the trauma. A traumatic event in a community introduces a period of great social and emotional vulnerability for children because they do not have the ability to regulate strong emotions on their own. All of the children’s caregivers are likely to be upset by a community disaster—including early childhood educators—and young children read their caregivers’ emotional cues. Early childhood educators’ regulation of their own emotions is an important part of protecting the young children in their care from the potentially negative effects of traumatic events. . . Click Here Emergency Kit Checklist for Kids and Families An emergency kit has all of the things that you and your family may need during an emergency in which you may have to stay inside for longer than usual or the electricity could go out. Making a family emergency kit can be fun for the family to do together. Here’s how to have a family emergency kit treasure hunt. . . Click Here The Reading Corner! We have started a reading corner for our providers. Each month there will be three books that your Resource & Referral Team recommend. The books will be based on age groups: Infant/Toddler; Pre-School; and School-Age. We hope you enjoy our book choices and read many books to the children this month and all year around! . . Click Here Updates!! Delaware Child Development Resource and Referral updates your child care information twice a year. This update allows us to give families needing child care updated information on facilities in their area. Please complete the following update. If you are unable to complete the update or have questions, please call us at 918-397-3007 or email us kabbott@delawarechild.org. Please click below to complete the survey: Survey QRIS Regional R&R: The Pyramid Model What is the Pyramid Model, and why are so many early childhood professionals in Oklahoma (and across the country) talking about it? It is a proven way to teach and support young children in understanding and managing their emotions, which helps children handle life’s tough situations with greater resiliency and hope. . . Click Here Scholars for Excellence in Child Care What Is the Scholars Program? The Scholars program awards scholarships to eligible child care professionals to complete coursework in the area of child development or early childhood education, as well as the Child Development Associate (CDA) and Certified Childcare Professional (CCP) Credential Assessment. These scholarships enable child care providers in Oklahoma to improve their skills through education, receive an educational stipend and continue the availability of quality child care in local communities. . . Click Here CDA Renewal Amnesty Program Beginning Jan. 1, 2020, the Council will be celebrating 45 years of the CDA®! To celebrate, the Council will offer a limited-time CDA® Renewal Amnesty Program. This program will allow anyone with a CDA® credential expiration date as far back as January 1, 2010, an opportunity to complete the renewal process and make their credential active again. . . Click Here We are here to serve you! Delaware Child Development Resource & Referral serves the North Central Region of Oklahoma, which includes nine counties. For more information, contact your Resource and Referral Specialist: Kristine Abbott Heather Cruz 918-397-3007 918-766-6254 KAbbott@delawarechild.org HCruz@delawarechild.org (Washington, Nowata, Kay, (Osage, Payne, Pawnee, Lincoln, Logan) Noble) Infant & Toddler Specialist: Renae Barnett 918-332-8651 RBarnett@delawarechild.org Technical Assistance from our Resource and Referral Specialists! Delaware Child Development Resource and Referral can provide technical assistance to child care providers. Click below to find out more! Click Here More Resources for Information and Webinars

• Early Childhood Investigations Webinars - Early Childhood Investigations is a ongoing series of conference-quality free webinars for early childhood educators.

• Baby Talk: Resources to Support the People Who Work With Infants and Toddlers - Baby Talk is free and distributed monthly. Each issue features resources that are high quality and readily available at no cost. Click Here for archived issues that contain a wealth of information.

Additional Resources Delaware Child Development and Training Center 918.977.3600 Scholars for Excellence in Child Care Program 866.343.3881 Insurance Assistance Insure Oklahoma/OEPIC 888.365.3742 Oklahoma Child Care Warmline FREE phone support and consultation for child care providers regarding behavior, development, health, andsafety issues. Mon - Fri 8am - 5pm Automated system available 24/7. Questions? Email: warmline@health.ok.gov Follow us on Facebook: Delaware Child Development Facebook Centers for Early Childhood Professional Development (CECPD) 888.446.7608 Licensing OK Child Care Services Oklahoma Registry Child Nutrition Program Child and Adult Care Food Programs(CACFP) Information, Resources &Trainings Oklahoma Child Care Resource & Referral (OCCRRA) 888.962.2772 Multicultural Environments, Email Keila Garcia Fingerprinting: Delaware Child Development Fingerprinting Services OKDHS Information on fingerprinting Identogo to schedule an appointment. 2419 Nowata Place, Suite 103 Bartlesville, OK 74006, USA Ph:918-977-3600 Share on social Check out our website