The Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood created a monthly newsletter just for you! Get the latest news and updates, professional experience opportunities, resources, and our special Voices from the Field feature which spotlights early childhood education professionals throughout Delaware.
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February 2023
During the cold months in the middle of winter, it can be helpful to think about what lies ahead.
Our editorial focus this month is self-care. Self-care is an especially important topic for all of you who spend your time caring for others. In our Voices from the Field section, we hear from a family child care educator who found successful strategies to prioritize her own goal of working towards her CDA. We also highlight two wellness initiatives for family child care educators below, “Make Time for Me Mondays” and “Shining the Light on You” – check them out! We’re planning to share additional self-care resources and stories throughout February, and we encourage you to share how you think about self-care. -
January 2023
Here at DIEEC, we’re starting January by focusing on partnerships. In addition to the “Early Childhood Partnering Opportunities” we’ve highlighted for you, this month’s “Voices from the Field” spotlights one of our current opportunities to build partnerships – participating in a series of Professional Learning Experiences (PLEs) as part of a cohort.
We’re excited to share that we will be partnering with the Department of Education to support programs in understanding and applying to participate in this state funding stream. As the first step, check out the article from our DOE partners, which introduces ECAP.
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December 2022
As we wrap up 2022 this month, it’s a great time to reflect on the year. Take a few moments to recognize everything you’ve accomplished! What are you proud of? What would you like to focus on improving? We took some time to look back as well, and you can see some of our learnings in the wrap-up, reflections, and provider survey articles.
DIEEC will be spending time in December highlighting New Directions Early Head Start. Check out the article below as an introduction, and you’ll see more to come on our social media channels throughout the month.
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November 2022
What a busy and exciting month! Today marks the start of Children’s Book Week. We’re looking forward to visiting programs and reading in classrooms. At the end of this week, DIEEC will be hosting our first family child care conference. We can’t wait for the full day of learning, activities, and networking with Delaware’s family childcare educators.
We have more updates to share in this issue as well.
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October 2022
We have some exciting updates in this month’s issue, including further details about our upcoming podcast and some new opportunities for Delaware’s family child care educators. Additionally, you can read a summary from the Department of Education Early Childhood Support team about the next steps for early childhood in Delaware.
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September 2022
In the “Fall Preview” of this month’s newsletter, we’re thrilled to be announcing the return of Children’s Book Week, one of our favorite events. Make sure to sign up to participate! We’re also excited to begin getting the word out for a couple of brand new initiatives, with more to come soon.
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August 2022
Like many during summer, we’re getting outside, but we’re doing it with our professional learning experiences. In the first article of this issue, learn more about the “Let’s Go Outside” initiative, our outreach to provide grants and training so programs can create outdoor spaces and facilitate learning through exploration and play.
Check out other news and updates, including opportunities to participate in several family child care initiatives. Fall is always busy, so we encourage you to savor what’s left of summer.
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July 2022
Things continue to be busy at DIEEC. Our website now includes all our offerings with content focused on you – the early childhood educator. We will continue to hone the site with your feedback to ensure it serves your needs.
We are excited to share a new professional learning experience for family child care educators in this issue. Be sure to check out “Using Data to Improve Teacher-Child Interactions” in a fun video highlighting what you’ll learn.
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June 2022
Welcome to summer! We understand that summer presents a new set of circumstances with more time outside, field trips, and in many cases, a change of routine for your families. To this end, check out our social media content and Coach’s Corner, our monthly blog, for helpful summer safety tips.
In our “Voices from the Field” series, we feature an early childhood educator who took advantage of the nice weather to host a picnic for families as the first step in her community engagement strategy.
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May 2022
Welcome to a special issue of REACH dedicated to provider appreciation. Although May 6 is officially Provider Appreciation Day, we’re celebrating you the entire month because of your impact and tireless commitment to your work. We kick off the month with an opportunity for you to nominate the early childhood educator of the year.
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April 2022
April kicks off an important couple of months for the early childhood community. This week, DIEEC is celebrating the “Week of the Young Child’, NAEYC’s initiative that designates a week to celebrate early learning, young children, their teachers, families, and communities.
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March 2022
Happy spring, everyone! With February being a short month, we’re back quickly with our monthly newsletter. There aren’t enough days in the year to showcase the great work you are doing; however, this month, we feature another great program in our “Voices from the Field” series. Bayhealth Child Care & Learning Center in Dover, Del. is committed to serving young children and elevating the importance of early childhood in the community.
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February 2022
Our editorial theme for February is legacy. We asked several of our early childhood professionals what legacy meant to them. Their feedback is inspiring. Our field is defined by individuals who do this work because they are passionate about caring for and educating young children. And because of this investment, the field’s impact can transcend generations.
