- Review various resources available in the community and at the state level to assist with developing and maintaining high-quality services for young children and their families.
- Review sample resources that are available on the web.
- Practice identifying available resources that offer guidance in resolving issues that may arise in an early care and education program.
Questions about any of the resources in this course? Find an error?
Contact Christine Hausman: christine.hausman@uky.edu
The Division of Child Care (DCC) helps child care programs. They support plans that help grow and improve child care services and resources in Kentucky.
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The Division of Regulated Child Care is responsible for licensing and investigating complaints against child care programs, certified family child care homes, residential child care facilities, and child placing agencies.
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The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) partners with child care centers, adult daycares, Head Starts, family child care homes, emergency shelters, and at-risk programs to provide healthy meals for over 70,000 Kentuckians. The CACFP contributes to the wellness, healthy growth, and development of young children by providing monetary reimbursements to institutions that serve healthy meals.
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The Child Care Assistance Program provides support to help families pay for child care. The Division of Child Care is responsible for all support for child care providers. The Division of Family Support helps clients apply for the program.
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Child Care Aware of Kentucky is the statewide regional network for Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) services supporting access to safe, affordable, quality child care for families and professional development for child care providers and trainers. They offer assistance and support designed for professionals working in early care and education, including child care providers and trainers. Four coaching types offer free, personalized Technical Assistance in the areas of: Quality, Health and Safety, Professional Development, and Training.
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Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension is committed to improving the quality of life for individuals and families, resulting in building strong families for Kentucky.
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The Family Child Care Network of Kentucky is comprised of an experienced and devoted group of Family Child Care Specialists who have been selected to visit and work with providers in their home (place of business). The Specialists support the provider and offer one-on-one technical assistance. The support offered varies from home to home and is individualized for each provider.
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The Division of Family Resource and Youth Services Centers provides administrative support, technical assistance, and training to local school-based FRYSC. The primary goal of these centers is to remove non-academic barriers to learning as a means to enhance student success. Kentucky’s Family Resource and Youth Services Centers (FRYSCs) enhance students’ ability to succeed in school by developing and sustaining partnerships that promote:
- Early learning and successful transition into school
- Academic achievement and well-being
- Graduation and transition into adult life
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The future strength of the Commonwealth depends upon the healthy development of our youngest citizens. The Governor’s Office of Early Childhood (GOEC) builds upon existing resources, fosters public-private partnerships, ensures collaborative planning and implementation, and mobilizes communities.
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Head Start programs support children’s growth from birth to age 5 through services centered around early learning and development, health, and family well-being. Head Start staff actively engage parents, recognizing family participation throughout the program as key to strong child outcomes.
Head Start services are available at no cost to children ages birth to 5 in eligible families. Head Start preschool services work with children ages 3 to 5 and their families. Early Head Start services work with families that have children ages birth to 3, and many also serve expectant families. Many programs operate both Head Start preschool and Early Head Start services. Programs deliver child development services in center-based, home-based, or family child care settings. All Head Start programs continually work toward our mission of ensuring that eligible children and families receive high-quality services in safe, healthy settings that prepare children for school and life.
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Help Me Grow Kentucky offers free and confidential developmental screening, activities, and guidance to next steps for families with children from birth to age 6.
We use the Ages and Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ-3® and ASQ: SE-2®), an evidence-based, universally accepted, and reliable screening tool.
If a family has questions about their child’s development, behavior, or learning, developmental screening will help them find the answers. The more they know about their child’s growth and learning today, the more they can support their child’s future success.
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Kentucky Early Intervention System (KEIS), formerly known as First Steps, is a statewide early intervention system that provides services to children with developmental disabilities from birth to age 3, as well as their families.
KEIS is Kentucky’s response to the federal Infant-Toddler Program. First Steps offers comprehensive services through a variety of community agencies and service disciplines and is administered by the Department for Public Health in the Cabinet for health and Family Services.
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The Kentucky Strengthening Families (KYSF) Initiative represents a multi-disciplinary partnership of over 20 national, state, and local organizations in the public and private sectors dedicated to embedding six research-based Protective Factors into services and supports for children and their families. Supporting families is a key strategy for promoting school readiness and preventing child abuse and neglect. All families experience times of stress, and research demonstrates that children grow and learn best in families who have the supports and skills to deal with those times. By supporting families and building their skills to cope with stressors, we can increase school readiness and reduce the likelihood that abuse will occur in families.
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Kynect allows Kentucky’s families to easily access public assistance benefits and information 24/7. The goal of Kentucky’s public assistance programs is to build strong families and provide services such as food, cash, and medical assistance to help them become self-sufficient.
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A Regional Collaborative (formerly known as the Community Early Childhood Council (CECC)) addresses the unique needs and strengths of local communities related to early childhood.
The purpose of forming Regional Collaboratives is to involve members who represent a cross-section of the community and who can foster efforts to improve outcomes for young children and families.
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The Early Childhood Regional Training Centers provide a range of services for the early childhood community, including regional training and workshops, on-site consultations, a lending library of materials, and annual statewide and regional collaborative institutes.
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ECE-TRIS (Early Care and Education Training Records Information System) is an Early Care and Education database created to store and maintain individual training records for Early Care and Education professionals in Kentucky. ECE-TRIS creates an easily accessible, centralized location for training records.
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These scholarships are designed to enhance the professional development of early childhood educators by providing funding to pursue degrees and credentials in college and non-college settings. Administered by the Division of Childcare (DCC) and the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA), these scholarships help early childhood professional in Kentucky improve their skills, knowledge, and qualifications, ultimately contributing to enhanced quality child care services across the state.
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The Council for Professional Recognition envisions a society where all children learn and thrive in environments led by competent, valued early childhood educators. They advance career pathways for early childhood educators through high-quality, competency-based credentialing. The Council for Professional Recognition has pivoted to respond to evolving best practices in early childhood education, technological advances, and the growing diversity of individuals pursuing ECE as a career for the betterment of our profession, our educators, and our children.
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The Kentucky Association for Early Childhood Education (KAECE) serves and supports early care and education professionals on behalf of young children and their families. KAECE membership is open to all who are interested in the field of early childhood, including students and professionals who work with and care for young children, parents, and those who provide education and resources for these individuals.
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Kentucky Out-of-School Alliance (KYOSA) supports the continued growth, development, and accessibility of quality out-of-school programs to promote the success of children and youth.
Their vision is that all children and youth in Kentucky will have access to high-quality out-of-school time programs that prepare them for success in school, work, and life.
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The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is a professional membership organization that promotes high-quality early learning for all young children, birth through age 8, by connecting early childhood practice, policy, and research. NAEYC works to advance a diverse, dynamic early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children. They work to achieve a collective vision: that all young children thrive and learn in a society dedicated to ensuring they reach their full potential.
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Zero to Three is a membership-based organization. They provide a vibrant, connected community for professionals in diverse disciplines focused on child development. Zero to Three strives to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life. At Zero to Three, they envision a society with the knowledge and will to support all infants and toddlers in reaching their full potential.
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Child Care Health Consultation provides consultation and technical assistance on health, safety, nutrition, and social-emotional development for ages 0-5 to child care providers and parents/guardians. Child Care Health Consultants work in their local communities to promote quality child care.
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Early Childhood Mental Health Specialists are in each of the 14 Community Mental Health Centers. The Specialists’ time is devoted solely to their regional ECMHPs and building regional capacity to better meet the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of children from birth through age 5 and their families.
The ECMH Specialists’ role is to improve the behavioral health of children from birth through age 5 and their families to achieve better social, emotional, and functional outcomes.
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Health Access Nurturing Development Services (HANDS) program is a voluntary home visitation program for any new or expectant parents. HANDS supports families as they build health, safe environments for the optimal growth and development of children.
Any parent in Kentucky expecting a new baby is eligible. Families can be enrolled during pregnancy or before a child is 90 days old.
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Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program (KCHIP) is free health insurance for families without health insurance with an annual household gross income at or less than 218 percent of the federal poverty level, for the following qualifications:
- children younger than 19 without health insurance,
- currently pregnant women, or
- women within 1 year postpartum.
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The Kentucky Oral Health Program (KOHP) proudly provides a variety of programs and services to achieve optimal oral health for a lifetime of smiles. These programs and services include fluoride supplementation, fluoride varnishes, public health dental hygiene services, and water fluoridation.
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Their mission is to enhance the quality of life for Kentucky’s children with special health care needs through quality service, leadership, advocacy, education, and collaboration.
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The mission of Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky (PCAKY) is to prevent the abuse and neglect of Kentucky’s children through advocacy, awareness, education, and training. They host the Kids Are Worth It Conference, Kentucky’s premier education event designed to meet the continuing education, networking, and programmatic needs of diverse professionals who contribute, whether professionally or personally, to the safety, well-being, and permanency of Kentucky’s children.
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The Kentucky Poison Control Center serves all 120 counties in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Their specially trained staff of nurses, physicians, and pharmacists is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to answer questions and respond to emergencies involving possible poisons. Their website has Poison prevention tips and resources.
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WIC is a nutrition education program that provides nutritional counseling, breastfeeding support, education, nutritious foods, and referrals to health care services. WIC improves the health of pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age 5.
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WIC is a nutrition education program that provides nutritional counseling, breastfeeding support, education, nutritious foods, and referrals to health care services. WIC improves the health of pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age 5.