NACCRRA
NACCRRA to Launch New Child Care Provider Website
April 2009
NACCRRA will launch a new Website dedicated to prospective child care providers. The site will provide interested individuals with the tools and resources needed to pursue a career in child care. Specifically, it will offer individuals a step-by-step guide on how to prepare a business plan; information on how to effectively manage a child care operation; information on required and recommended pre-service trainings and ongoing trainings; and suggestions on developmental and age-appropriate
activities and experiences for children in child care to promote healthy learning and development. The Website will launch in June of this year and will be hosted under the Child Care Aware速 Website. As a result, the current Child Care Aware速 Website will be undergoing some minor changes to accommodate the new site. For more information about the new Website, please contact the Provider Services Department. Also, be on the lookout for additional information in the coming months.
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Departmental News and Highlights
Human Resources Updates
40 hour pre-service training initiative The Provider Services Department is breaking ground on the 40 Hour Pre-service Training for child care providers. It is NACCRRA’s goal to establish a minimum standard for pre-service training for all child care providers caring for at least one unrelated child on a regular basis and for a fee. The introduction of a standard of minimum training will help entry-level providers embark on a career ladder, advance professional skills, achieve better wages and treat child care as the vitally important profession that it is.
NACCRRA Welcomes New Employees Arlean Thompson, EFMP Coordinator Bea Underwood, Executive Assistant Blanca Siles, Child Care Coordinator Nancy Caracas, Child Care Coordinator Nedelka Phillips, Director of Strategic Marketing Peter Shadzik, Respite Care Report Specialist Sobia Nawaz, Instructional Designer Karen Platt, Quality Improvement Manager Jacqueline Thomas, Assistant Chief of Subsidy
This initiative will have two phases:
Susana Quintero, Payment Coordinator Randy Doughty, Child Care Coordinator
Phase I: Curriculum Development
Michael Agosta, Senior Research Analyst
»» Includes components that are standard and specific to family child care providers and child care center providers
Christina Page, Child Care Coordinator Marcy Michael, Director of Corporate Partnerships Bianca Williams, Child Care Coordinator
»» Supports the content areas of the Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential as a means of promoting continuing professional development for child care providers
MIchelle Thomas, Director of State Government Relations Stephany Fludd, Child Care Coordinator
Happy Birthday!
Trainings will be available through NACCRRA’s e-Learning Solution at a cost affordable to potential child care workers, while providing a sustainable funding source for provision of the training.
Don Valentine
4/18
Alicia Phaison
Jamallah Drayton
4/30
Linda Brown
Rose Beckner
4/11
4/28 4/5
Happy Belated Birthday! Ollie Smith
3/31
Tamiya Andrews
3/13
Phase II: Implementation
Teneisha Spady
3/18
Bryan Pendleton
3/7
»» NACCRRA will design a grassroots advocacy campaign in support of the training requirement as a national standard, a pilot incentive program and a national public awareness campaign
Janae Minor
3/3
Melissa Sullivan
3/28
Michelle Miller
3/18
Brenda Moore
2/3
Mujaahida Latiff
2/8
Mary Higgins
2/9
Marlana Kelly
2/21
Venita Liverpool
2/22
Congratulations to the Following for Their Dedicated Years of Service
»» NACCRRA will create a grassroots campaign to train state and local CCR&R staff, providers and parents on how to effectively educate key policymakers on the need for minimum training requirements for child care providers
Rahath Sultana
3/17, 1 yr
Alicia Phaison
3/24, 1 yr
Gail Upton
2/4, 1 yr
Sonia Robbins
2/18, 1 yr
Tiaira Richardson
2/27, 1 yr
Tamiya Andrews
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2/26, 2 yrs
Sharonne Byrd
4/6, 11 yrs
Gloria J. Foster
4/18, 9 yrs
Vonciel Little
4/14, 6 yrs
Shelby Ferguson
4/3, 3 yrs
Shahzad Ali
4/30, 2 yrs
Cassandra Piper
4/1, 1 yr
Sharnette Houston
4/7, 1 yr
Jamallah Drayton
4/7, 1 yr
Bryan Pendelton
4/17, 1 yr
Department Spotlight: Provider Services NACCRRA’s Provider Services Department develops resources and trainings for child care providers and CCR&R trainers to improve the knowledge, practice and quality of the child care workforce.
Rose Beckner Senior Associate Director of Provider Services Ext. 118
The team is currently working on the development of the 40 Hour Pre-service Training initiative, Provider Appreciation Day, the Provider Services Quality Assurance pilot and Web pages for child care providers (accessible through the Child Care Aware® website).
Beverly Houston Provider Services Manager Ext. 135
Communications Reminder:
pages by moving the margins – it just looks tacky and everyone knows what you are doing. Instead, cut the words.
Please refer to AP rules when drafting reports and external documents. For specific questions regarding 7. Do readability exercises on your work every so AP rules, email kendra.beasley@naccrra.org. often. To improve readability, use the first person/ active voice when possible. It is the most “readable.” Passive voice is a real snoozer.
10 Tips for Getting Your Written Documents Approved
8. Set the stage — put your paper in context. (e.g., “Imperative #1 of our strategic plan requires” or “The Army requested . . . ”)
1. Know your audience and write to them—think about what they know and what they want to know.
9. We are about “child care” – not early care and education. Don’t try to “gussy up” or disguise what we do. We actually want the public to think about child care.
2. Be clear about what you are asking for, recommending and why? (e.g., Why are you writing the paper? State the purpose early. Remember the famous who, what, why, when and how? Use them).
10. The bottom line is if you can’t think, you can’t write. So, think about what you are trying to accomplish before you put words on paper. If you have a goal in mind when you start, the outcomes will be clear.
3. Cut out the words – think about every word you use and why you use it. Don’t feel like you have to use adjectives. Too many adjectives cause the reader to get lost. 4. Make sure you have clear subjects, verbs and predicates.
Peer Recognition Awards
5. Avoid jargon and overused words. Their meaning is lost on the audience. Words such as “empower” or “collaborate” have been used so much they lack meaning. Colloquialisms don’t work at NACCRRA. Avoid being “cutesy” — we are a professional organization and we need to project that.
This award allows employees to recognize colleagues for significant contributions to the organization. Peers may nominate each other for exemplary performance, dedication, display of camaraderie, and/or team spirit. Send your submissions by the 20th of each month. January Winner: Betty Underwood, Exceptional Family Program Manager March Winner: Megan Miller-Johns, Quality Control and Training Specialist
6. Try to keep your papers to one page – two at most. LESS IS BETTER! Don’t try to get to one or two
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Events Calendar >> April 17-29, 2009 Big Band Jam! (Various Locations Throughout the DC Metro Area) The 2009 Big Band Jam! is a 12-day jazz festival that features performances by various jazz groups from area high schools, universities and military ensembles. Performances will take place at a variety of venues in Washington, DC., including the Sylvan Theater, Kennedy Center and the Library of Congress. For more information, please visit www.bigbandjam.org/. >> April 18-May 10, 2009 DC Design House 2009 (Washington, D.C.) DC Design House is an annual project that brings together Washington, DC’s top interior designers to transform and showcase a house using the best in today’s home renovation and design ideas. The 2009 DC Design House is the rectory of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Georgetown Parish located at 3238 O Street, NW, Washington DC. For more information, visit www.dcdesignhouse.com.
Recipe Broiled Tilapia Parmesan
>> April 25, 2009, MS Walk (Various Locations Throughout the DC Metro Area)
Ingredients 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp dried Basil
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp celery salt
This walk, sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton, is a fun, family oriented event, taking place in six different neighborhoods in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. You can participate in Washington, DC, Manassas, Reston, Potomac, Oxon Hill or Bowie. For more information, visit www.walkms.org.
2 pounds tilapia fillets
Preheat your oven’s broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
>> April 28, 2009 Staff Meeting (Large Conference Room)
In a small bowl, mix the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
>> April 30 – May 1, 2009 Symposium Planning Committee Meeting (Large Conference Room)
Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish. Recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com.
© 2009 NACCRRA Vol. 2, No. 1.
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