Nine Gold Beach, Port Orford and Brookings child care providers and Early Intervention program staff recently completed six hours of specialized training in "Partnering with Parents to Support Children's Learning."  The class was facilitated by CARE Connections of Southwestern Oregon Community College through a grant from Partnerships for Inclusive Child Care and Education (PICCE).

Participants included: Autumn Anderson, "Time Well Spent Childcare" in Port Orford; Sabrina Anderson, "Sabrina's Family Day Care" and Diane and Cathi Palinkas of Diane's Preschool and Daycare in Gold Beach; Armida Padilla of "Freedom to Discover", Dawnel Magnuson, staff, "Cindy's Creative Learning and Preschool; Jacque Graves and Caree Connolly, staff, South Coast ESD Early Intervention program.   

Each participant in "Partnering with Parents" was asked to complete an individualized plan on how they would apply the concepts and best practices from the course to their work with children and families in the community.  These personal implementation plans, with access to follow-up and technical assistance, are considered an essential component of TRAC training.        

A special benefit of attending the TRAC classes was the unique opportunity for local providers to network and have fun with others who are doing similar work with children.

"Partnering with Parents to Support Children's Learning" is a module in the Teaching Research Assistance to Childcare Providers (TRAC) series.  The TRAC curriculum was developed by The Teaching Research Institute of Western Oregon University to assist early childhood professionals in the successful inclusion of all children in typical early childhood settings.

For referrals to child care in Curry County, information about inclusion and respite for children with disabilities, and upcoming classes for registered and exempt child care providers, please contact Liz Cohen, CARE Connections, at (541) 469-9299 x 224 or toll-free (800) 419-1371.