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MD EXCELS is Open to Statewide Participation!

Maryland EXCELS (EXcellence Counts in Early Learning and

School-age Child Care) is a voluntary Tiered Quality Rating and

Improvement System that recognizes the accomplishments of early

childhood and "school-age only" programs and providers through a set of

standards with 5 levels that offer a pathway to high-quality. Maryland

EXCELS provides information to families on choosing high-quality child

care and education programs and articulates to the public the level of

quality in early and school-age only child care and education programs.

More than 30 states have developed quality rating and improvement

systems and most states are in some phase of development.

For more information or to register your program, visit the MD EXCELS

website at www.marylandexcels.org.

Please call Child Care Links if you have any questions or need additional

support in understanding MD EXCELS. Our Technical Assistance

Coordinator is ready to assist you: 410-288-4900; Alexis Sibiski.

To view an introductory video about MD EXCELS, visit

http://marylandexcels.org/output/media.php?id=238651&type=Movie

this issue

TA & Infant Toddler P.2 Training P.3

Provider Information P.4

Read and Extend Activity P.5 Training Polices P.6

Child Care Links Membership

Join Today!

Your $35 membership fee

entitles you to:

Reduced fees for CCL

in-house workshops

CCL Membership Bag with

resource center materials

for the primary applicant

Membership card valid for

one year. Must renew

every year.

Access to our Resource

Library

One Professional Activity

Unit (PAU) for credentialed

providers

Membership is non-transferrable

One membership per person

*Certain Restrictions Apply*

Links to Learning Baltimore County Child Care Links Resource & Referral Center Newsletter

Summer Issue 2013

To support programs preparing for and participating in MD

EXCELS, Quality Assurance Specialists have been hired!

Lisa Smith - Baltimore City, Baltimore, Harford & Cecil

Counties.

As the Quality Assurance Specialist, I work from Balti-

more County (Region 3) Office of Child Care located at

409 Washington Avenue, Suite LL8, Towson, Maryland

21204. My office phone number is 410-583-6213. You

may contact me via email at lismith@msde.state.md.us.

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Have no fear, Technical Assistance is here!

Do you feel like

things are

changing and you aren’t able

to keep up? Overwhelmed?

Our Technical

Assistance

Coordinator will be

available all day, here

at Child Care Links,

on Wednesday,

August 21st from

8:30am-7:30pm.

Come in and talk about:

MD EXCELS

Credentialing

New Training

Requirements

Ways to improve

your program

Door Prizes, &

Refreshments

Find out what Child Care

Links has to offer to

support you and your

program! 410-288-4900

Did you know our Technical Assistance Coordinator can visit your

program and make recommendations FREE of charge?

Assistance with: Program improvement Child Development

Challenging behavior Room Arrangement Children with Special Needs Early Childhood Curriculums/ Activity

ideas Draft/Revise contracts or handbooks

Creating a daily schedule Meeting licensing standards Becoming credentialed

Contact our Technical Assistance Coordinator at 410-288-4900 or

asibiski@childcarelinksinc.org

What’s New

in Child Care?

Our Technical Assistance Coordinator/Infant and Toddler

Specialist will work closely with you to achieve the ultimate

goal of improving your overall child care services. Licensed

child care providers will receive technical assistance in

identification of special needs; learning to implement evi-

dence based practices and learn content related to Healthy

Beginnings: Supporting Development and Learning from

Birth to Three Years of Age. Providers will enjoy

personalized mentoring while learning new ways to

effectively interact and evaluate infants and toddlers. Call

today to get started!

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Email childcarelinks@gmail.com for more information...

90 HR Young Child

Certification

at Child Care Links

When: 9/4/13-12/18/13

Where: 1101 N. Point

Blvd. Ste. 129

Baltimore, MD 21224

Monday & Wednesday

6:45pm-9:45pm

$150 non-refundable

Deposit

Balance of $350 due by

end of the last class

REGISTRATION IS OPEN

410-288-5942

E-Learning at Child Care Links! Visit us at www.childcarelinks.net and click on the Online Child Care Professional Education

Center tab to see our complete course catalog or to register for great child care training on YOUR

schedule!

With enrollment in the Training Academy, you will enjoy: affordable courses, training on your

schedule, a full year to complete a course, user-friendly access, CEU certificates

issued.

immediate and a friendly toll-free support line. Courses include: CDA Credential

Training, Child Abuse Awareness & Promoting Nutrition and Physical Activity.

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Are you offering affordable yet completive prices? Curious about the average cost of care in you’re area? Call 410-288-4900 and ask for Technical Assistance. Have a pen and paper ready and we will give you rates for your area. All we need is a zip code. You can update your fees online by visiting Maryland Family Network’s website at:

www.mdchildcare.org

Director’s Corner

Are you ready? The purpose of the Credentialing Program is

to provide a pathway for early child care

educators as they pursue training and

career development. Participation is easy.

Complete the Maryland Child Care

Credential Application form and send in

copies of training certificates, college

transcripts, documentation of experience

and professional activity. Applications for

the Credentialing Program are available at

each of our Child Care Regional Offices, the

Resource & Referral Centers across the

State and on the web at

www.marylandpublicschools.org/msde/

division/child_care/credentials. Don’t forget

to submit your renewal for continued

participation. For each year of participation

in the credentialing program you will need

to send in a renewal application and

documentation that includes a statement of

continued employment, training and

professional activity unit information for the

past credentialing year. Please be patient

with us as we process the applications and

information, we are still working through

issues with the CCATS system (Child Care

Administrative Tracking System). Your

continued participation is important to us,

so please help us process your application

by ensuring your submissions are timely and

Child Care Directors of Central Baltimore County

We invite you to join us Tuesday, October 8th, 2013 at the first meeting of the year for

the Child Care Directors of Central Baltimore County.

Meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of every month thereafter. Enjoy the

opportunity to share your experiences with others who are having similar ones. Get

answers to your questions and learn more about accreditation, credentialing, new

course requirements and MD EXCELS.

Don’t miss out on continued trainings opportunities.

Contact Pat Shafer 443-840-3190 for more information.

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Read...and Extend!!

Visit our NEW and

IMPROVED Website!

www.childcarelinks.net

Easy access to resources and

support Child Care Links has to

offer to you and your program!

Take advantage of exclusive

training offers and deals.

Win prizes by playing our TA

Tip & Play Game of the

Week!

Access free resources .

Stay connected to your

community.

Learn about ways to

improve your program.

Corduroy Goes to the Beach

By: Barbara G. Hennessy

Hardcover: 20 pages

Publisher: Viking, 2006

http://books.google.com

Sandy Hand Mosaic

What you'll need

Beach treasures, such as shells, rocks, and sea glass (no seaweed)

1 1/2 cups plaster of paris in a quart-size resealable bag

Water (salt water or fresh water)

Chopstick Wood (we used

driftwood) Drill Wood glue

How to make it 1. Have your child press his hand into damp, hard-packed sand, making a 2-inch—deep impression 2. Line the handprint with treasures, taking care to set them lightly without pressing them too deeply into the sand. 3. Add 1 cup of water to the bag of plaster of paris. Seal the bag and knead it to combine the two. Carefully pour the wet plaster into the palm of the handprint, covering the inlaid items. 4. Use a chopstick to push the plaster into the fingers and thumb. Add more plaster to the palm as needed. 5. Set the chopstick in place with 2 inches of one end submerged in the plaster. 6. Let the plaster set until it's hard, at least 30 minutes. To remove the hand, carefully dig out the sand from around the plaster, then slowly lift the hand up by the chopstick handle. Wrap your project in a towel to transport it. For a tabletop display, drill a hole 2 inches deep and a little wider than your chopstick into a piece of wood. Insert the chopstick handle, and secure it with wood glue, if needed.

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Mission Statement

Child Care Links addresses available, affordable, quality child care issues in Baltimore County. Child Care Links is committed to expanding and enhancing the quality of child care in Baltimore County by helping parents, child care providers, and the community understand and implement the indicators of quality enabling all children to receive optimum early care and education experiences. Child Care Links is committed to enhancing the quality of the child care delivery system in Baltimore County by providing pertinent resources, training, and referrals to families, child care providers, and the community.

Registrations. ALL workshop participants must pre-register—NO EXCEPTIONS. Participants are

required to register and pay for workshops in advance. Registration is accepted by phone, mail, or in

person. The training line for phone-in registration is operational from 8:30am-3:30pm, Monday

through Friday. Visa or Master Card required for all registrations done by phone. Mail registration

form to Child Care Links Inc., 1101 North Point Blvd., Suite 112, Baltimore, MD 21224. Child Care Links

does not accept personal checks. A confirmation receipt will be mailed within 1-2 business days from

the date of registration, except in the situation that registration is received less than 3 days prior to

your scheduled workshop.

Fees Paid are NON-REFUNDABLE. Should you miss a workshop, credit or transfer to another

workshop may be given if Child Care Links is notified at least 24 hours prior to the workshop. If after

hours, please leave a message on Child Care Links’ answering service. No credit or refunds are issued

for “no shows.” Call 410-288-5942 with any questions or concerns about our refund or credit policies.

Any credits issued are good for one year from date of issue.

Late arrivals. Workshops begin at the stated time. Our instructors reserve the right to refuse admit-

tance to any workshop for any participant arriving 15 minutes or more past the start of the workshop.

Credit or transfer will be issued at the discretion of Child Care Links staff for any participant turned

away from training for lateness.

Cancellation or change policy. Child Care Links may need to cancel a workshop due to lack of

enrollment; in this event, a CCL staff member will contact you at the phone number or address you

provided upon registration. If we need to cancel a workshop and you do not wish to be transferred to

another training, you will be issued credit good for one year or refunded fees paid for the canceled

workshop. If you are phoning in your registration please verify that we have the correct contact infor-

mation, including more than one telephone number where you can be reached.

Rude and/or disrespectful behavior during workshops will not be tolerated. Please remember

to exercise good judgment and respect for both the trainer and other participants in your session. It

is okay to disagree with facts or opinions presented by the trainer or other participants but please

remember to remain professional. Should you violate this policy, the instructor may ask you to leave

the workshop and you will not be re-admitted, nor will you receive a refund for the class.

Certificates. Core of Knowledge certificates will be issued at the conclusion of the training session

for all participants who successfully complete all requirements set forth for the course.

Child care is not provided during workshops. Workshops provided by Child Care Links are in-

tended for adults only. Please make other arrangements for care of your children during workshop

hours.

Workshop locations. The majority of workshops are held at the Child Care Links main office, 1101

North Point Boulevard, Suites 112 & 129. Should your workshop be held at an off-site location, you will

be notified upon or at registration of the address and directions.

Inclement Weather Policy. Please note that the training department of Child Care Links follows the

Baltimore County Public School Systems inclement weather policy for closings and delayed openings. If

you are scheduled for a workshop and Baltimore County schools close for inclement weather, our

workshop will be canceled. During the weekend our workshops will be can-

celed if Baltimore County goes into Phase One of their snow emergency plan.

If, for any reason, this changes, a CCL staff member will contact you.

Attempts will be made to reschedule any canceled workshop.

Training Policies and Procedures

Child Care Links Resource and

Referral Agency for Baltimore County

1101 North Point Blvd.

Suites 112 & 129

410.288.4900 ph

410.288.3943 fax

www.childcarelinks.net

Business Hours: Monday-Thursday 8:30am-4:30pm Friday 8:30am-4:00pm Closed for lunch 12:30-1:30 Training Department: 410-288-5942 Monday-Friday 8:30am-3:30pm LOCATE Child Care Maryland Family Network 1-877-261-0060 Monday-Friday 9:30am-3:30pm www.mdchildcare.org

This publication was produced as a work for hire for the

benefit of, and with funds from, the Maryland State

Department of Education. This publication was produced as

a work for hire for the benefit of, and with funds from, the

Maryland State Department of Education.