** APPLICATIONS DUE BY END OF BUSINESS FRIDAY DECEMBER 10 **

Thank you for your interest in the Long Island Early Childhood Educators' Screening Collaborative! Please read through the following information carefully before moving on to the application.

What is the Long Island Early Childhood Educators' Screening Collaborative? We want to help you, child care directors at center-based child care settings, start using developmental and social-emotional screens.  This free program is run in partnership by Help Me Grow - Long Island, the Child Care Councils of Nassau and Suffolk, and QualityStarsNY. The screening collaborative will take you from the basics through screening implementation over the course of 6 months. It is called a collaborative because unlike other trainings you will be an active participant, there will be different types of learning opportunities, and you will learn not only from the “experts” but also from each other. By the end of the program, participants will:

- Learn now to train staff on important principles about developmental promotion, developmental & social-emotional screening, and quality improvement
- Implement standardized developmental & social-emotional screening in classrooms
- Learn how to use screening information to improve curriculum and direct professional development
- Incorporate the new screening into policies and procedures


(Watch the Info Session on the Screening Collaborative here)
Who participates? Directors of center-based childcare in Nassau and Suffolk county. Additional participants can include relevant site leadership, but director participation is the required to support your efforts. The program will prepare you and guide you through training your staff on screening.

**Please note: given the timing and intensity of this program, it is most effective for center-based programs. Family and group-family providers that are able to commit fully to the program schedule are welcome to apply and will be considered on a case-by-base basis.

Why participate?

  • Screening is important: As provider, you are dedicated to engaging and supporting the development and wellbeing of children, and you are a key partner with the families of the children you serve. You may also be the first to observe potential delays or know what to do when there is a concern. Developmental and social emotional screening captures 70-80% of delays compared to observation alone, which catches 30% of delays. If developmental concerns are caught early, you can help ensure that children receive the extra support they need while in your care and are linked to the appropriate services. Offering screening can also support conversations with parents around concerns.
  • Participation is FREE: There is no cost to participating and you will even receive prizes that will help you promote development at your center.
  • Access to free screening: ASQ Online will be made available to your center during and after the program allowing ongoing, free access to the ASQ and ASQ-SE; this access is contingent on ongoing screening and sharing of data, along with completion of annual refresher sessions.
  • Professional Development Hours: Participants that complete the program receive 18 professional development hours.
What are the Expectations for Participation?

  •  Time: Participation is 1.5 hours weekly, with additional travel time needed to attend the in-person meetings in Part 1 of the program. During Part 2 of the program, virtual hour-long meetings will occur monthly in addition to individual site visits for technical assistance (see below). In Part 2 it is expected that participants will spend time training your staff and implementing screening at your center.
  • Site visits: In Part 2, you will work with the Child Care Council’s Infant Toddler Specialists and Help Me Grow – Long Island to schedule a monthly site visit for individualized technical assistance.
  •  Attend all meetings and complete all assignments: You or a representative must be present at each meeting. If a meeting needs to be missed, the training/assignments must be made up by the next meeting; failure to do so could compromise the credit hours provided and may result in expulsion from the program.
  • Implementation of screening: By the end of the program, you will be expected to have implemented the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) and the Ages and Stages Social Emotional Screen (ASQ-SE) with at least 3 children.
  • Share data: You will be trained to use the ASQ Online to help in your screening work, and will utilize the system for as long as you are screening in order to maintain free access.
  • Communication: Participants are expected to respond to communications throughout the program. 
  • Network: You will be added to a network of early care and learning providers for ongoing communication, sharing resources, and networking.
When and where does it meet? The total program lasts 6 months, with hybrid virtual/in-person meetings.

Part 1: Weekly from 9:30 -11am on Thursdays. Every other meeting will be in person at your local Child Care Council. Participants must attend all sessions, so please be sure to plan to join virtually/travel on the dates provided. PART 1 meeting dates are as follows:

Virtual                                   In Person

1/20                                       1/27

2/3                                         2/10

2/17                                       2/24

3/3                                         3/10

3/17                                       3/24

3/31                                      

4/7 (OPTIONAL)
 

Part 2: Virtual Monthly Meetings, 9:30-10:30AM. PART 2 virtual monthly meeting dates are as follows:

4/28

5/19

6/16

Individual site visits will be conducted before each monthly meeting and are subject to scheduling.

 

** APPLICATIONS DUE BY END OF BUSINESS FRIDAY DECEMBER 10 **

Please email info@hmgli.org or call Laraib Humayun at 516-647-3199 with any questions or concerns.

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