Joint Initiatives

Compassion Fatigue Training
2022-12-12 11:30 - 12:30 (America/Denver) | Online
This training includes a discussion on compassion fatigue and secondary trauma and provides resources to help.

Universal Pre-K Town Hall
2022-12-14 17:00 - 19:00 | CPCD giving children a head start, 2330 Robinson St.,, COS
Joint Initiatives for Youth + Families, the Local Coordinating Organization (LCO) for Universal Pre-K (UPK), invites you to participate in a special UPK Town Hall on December 14th.
This Town Hall will be an opportunity for our early childhood community of programs, professionals, and families with young children to learn and ask questions about the Colorado Universal Pre-K (UPK) Program that will begin with the 2023-24 school year.
Topics will include:

UPK + Local Coordinating Organization Facts
Eligibility
Rate Setting
Provider Agreements

To help us prepare for the event, participants are encouraged to submit questions in advance. This option is included on the registration form.
In the event of inclement weather, this Town Hall will shift to a virtual platform using the Zoom link provided in your registration confirmation.
Light refreshments and beverages will be provided.
IMPORTANT! Please share this invitation widely. All are welcome!

Universal Preschool Colorado Provider Training
2022-12-15 14:00 - 15:00 | Online
As the Local Coordinating Organization for Universal Pre-K in El Paso County, Joint Initiatives for Youth + Families is sharing resources and information with you from the Colorado Department of Early Childhood.
STATE UPK APPLICATION SYSTEM
Providers can participate in Universal Preschool (UPK) Colorado once they have registered and created a profile with the UPK Colorado application system available at Provider.UPK.Colorado.gov. This will help providers always be at their desired capacity, more easily communicate with families, and represent their businesses to a wider audience. Providers will need to be licensed to provide services for preschoolers and must sign a Provider Participation Agreement.
REGISTRATION WORKFLOW VIDEO + GUIDE
To help bring more clarity on the provider registration workflow from the UPK Colorado application site, here is a recorded video on the provider registration workflow experience, from submitting a registration form to filling out their provider profile. You can also download this UPK Colorado Provider Guide.
PROVIDER TRAINING | DECEMBER 15 FROM 2-3 PM
The Universal Preschool (UPK) Colorado technical team invites providers to register and become participating UPK providers! This training will cover the basics of the registration process, how to sign Provider Agreements, and best practices to build up your profile to advertise your services to families. The training will be recorded and sent out to all providers afterwards.

Universal Preschool Colorado Provider Training
Thursday, December 15, 2:00 – 3:00 pm
Video call link
Or dial: ‪(US) +1 609-459-2604 PIN: ‪902 656 438#

YOUR LCO IS HERE TO HELP
Beginning in January*, your LCO team at Joint Initiatives will be working with early childhood programs and families to provide the following:

Additional technical assistance to programs completing the state UPK registration process and help answering additional questions
Ongoing assistance to programs completing their profile on the Pikes Peak Early Childhood website
Technical assistance to families as they begin applying for UPK in January

*JI offices will be closed from December 19–January 4.

Workplace Culture
2023-02-06 11:30 - 13:00 | Online
This training offers healthy ways to promote a positive workplace culture implementing trauma sensitivity.

CPR/AED + First Aid Training
2023-02-25 09:00 - 12:00 | Joint Initiatives for Youth + Families, 1600 N. Union Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO, 80909, United States
The Foundations program of JI is partnering to host a quarterly CPR/AED & First Aid Training and Medication Administration at our new office!
Cost:
CPR+AED+First Aid (9-11 am) is $69.00 paid to the vendor at the time of registration online
MA (11 am – 12 pm) is $59 paid to the vendor at time of registration online
Approved Vendor: Colorado CPR & Safety Professionals
Register HERE.
For questions for the trainer please see the instructor’s contact information below:
Bryan C. Maki, RN, CCHC
Owner – Nurse Consultant
Approved Vendor CO Office of Early Childhood
720-605-0605 | coloradocprpros.com

Compassion Fatigue
2023-03-06 11:30 - 13:00 | Online

LEADING EDGE™ for Child Care Providers
2023-04-15 09:00 - 12:00 | Online
The Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center’s LEADING EDGE™ for Child Care Providers is created to help both licensed child care providers (center-based) and start-ups. The program assists child care providers in strengthening business practices and the ever-changing landscape of the Colorado workforce.
Register HERE for this 6-week impactful course.

Early Childhood Trauma | Part 2
2023-04-18 18:15 - 19:45 | Online
To participate, you must have taken Early Childhood Trauma Part 1 previous to taking this advanced training. This training will give more research-based facts and resources to help children and adults in their environments feel successful. It also included helpful tools to help children and adults with triggers that lead to anxiety.
Register HERE.

Family Support + Education Committee Meeting
2023-04-20 13:00 - 14:30 | Online
The Family Support + Education Committee is a subcommittee of the Alliance for Kids Council, and serves as the oversight group for the Voices program of Joint Initiatives. Meetings are held on the 3rd Thursday of each month. The committee is made up of agencies and individuals working collaboratively to guide the work of Alliance for Kids in meeting the goals and objectives of its Strategic Plan, which are aligned with the Early Childhood Colorado Framework.
Meeting details will be shared with committee members via email. If you have an interest in joining this committee, please contact Bernadine McCarron, Foundations Health + Wellness Manager, at bmccarron@jointinitiatives.org.

Health + Well-Being Committee Meeting
2023-04-26 12:00 - 13:30, 2024-01-24 12:00 - 13:30 | Online
The Health + Well-Being Committee is a subcommittee of the Alliance for Kids Council and meets quarterly (January, April, July, and October). The committee is made up of agencies and individuals working collaboratively to guide the work of Alliance for Kids in meeting the goals and objectives of its Strategic Plan, which are aligned with the Early Childhood Colorado Framework.
Meeting details will be shared with committee members via email. If you have an interest in joining this committee, please contact Bernadine McCarron, Foundations Wellness Manager, at bmccarron@jointinitiatives.org.

Ellicott Early Childhood Resource Fair
2023-04-29 09:00 - 12:00 | Ellicott Middle School, 322 S. N. Ellicott Highway, Calhan
Mark your calendars for APRIL 29th and plan to attend this special event featuring early childhood resources!

Come learn more about launching your own business as a family child care provider or other careers in early childhood education. A Career Navigator will be available to provide assistance.
Families will also be able to connect with other families and caregivers in their area as well as find resources to support children going to kindergarten in the fall.

To help us plan activities for children, please RSVP HERE.
To share this event, view the FLYER HERE.

Early Childhood Provider Appreciation Celebration
2023-05-06 09:00 - 13:00 | City Auditorium, 221 E. Kiowa Street, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Joint Initiatives for Youth + Families, in partnership with the Community Cultural Collective, will be celebrating early care and education providers (teachers, aides, directors, family child care providers, etc.) at a special appreciation event on May 6th at the City Auditorium from 9 am to 1 pm!
This event will acknowledge and thank the city’s early care and education providers and caregivers for their work and contribution to our community. The event will be a time to relax and celebrate YOU! We will have food, door prizes, giveaways, vendors, and a special appreciation presentation.
Registration will open HERE on April 17th and close on May 3rd.

Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale (FCCERS)
2023-05-20 09:00 - 12:00 | Online
In this three-hour overview of the Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale (FCCERS-3), we discuss best practices related to the protection of children’s health and safety, supporting, and guiding social/emotional development, and opportunities for intellectual and language stimulation and learning activities. Participants will also learn about the FCCERS-3 subscales, the rationale for the requirements of the scale, and receive suggestions on how to meet the scale’s criteria. Participants engage in hands-on activities and will learn about the scoring process.
Clayton Early Learning will email participants two emails before the training. The first email should be sent one week prior to the training with general information and the second email the day before the training to include the Zoom link and FCCERS-3 Hints.
$20 | Free for CCCAP programs.

EARLY CHILDHOOD TRAUMA PART 1
2023-06-12 18:00 - 19:30 | Online
A basic introduction to Early Childhood Trauma, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and resources to help adults and children in a classroom setting be successful. This training is a requirement to take the advanced Early Childhood Trauma Training Part 2.
Register HERE

EQIT | Sessions A, B, C, and D
2023-07-27 | Online
The 48-hour EQIT Curriculum provides a solid introduction to infant and toddler development, with a focus on providing quality group care for our youngest children. The EQIT course builds on the knowledge and experience of infant and toddler caregivers through interesting, interactive, and fun activities. The EQIT Curriculum has been approved by the Division of Child Care as one of the classes that can be used for Early Childhood Teacher (formerly Group Leader) Qualifications AND will count toward the Infant Toddler class that will be required for Director Qualifications. The Expanding Quality in Infant Toddler (EQIT) Care Curriculum consists of 16 modules, covering the following topics:

Emotional Development
Responsive Care
Family Partnership
Safety, Health, and Nutrition
Learning Environments
Curriculum
Language Development
Literacy
Physical Development
Culture
Children with Special Needs
Professionalism

Register in PDIS.
Session A: July 27–September 21, 2023
Session B: October 18–December 19, 2023
Session C: February 1–April 4, 2024
Session D: April 15–June 10, 2024
See PDIS for specific dates and times.

Social-Emotional Health + Development – Trauma 1
2023-08-24 18:30 - 20:00 | Online
Trauma 1: This training will go over promoting social-emotional development in a trauma-sensitive environment helping both teachers and students have a successful learning environment. This class will also help earn points toward the Colorado Shines rating. It is highly recommended to take this training before taking Trauma 2.
Trauma 2: This training is the second part of Trauma 1, and it is highly recommended that you take Trauma 1 before taking Trauma 2. This training goes more in-depth about the effects trauma has on the young brain and what you can do to help promote a trauma-sensitive classroom, both for adults and children. This class will also help earn points toward the Colorado Shines rating.

Social-Emotional Health + Development – Trauma 2
2023-08-31 18:30 - 20:00 | Online
This training is the second part of Trauma 1, and it is highly recommended you take Trauma 1 before taking Trauma 2. This training goes more in-depth about the effects trauma has on the young brain and what you can do to help promote a trauma-sensitive classroom, both for adults and children. This class will help earn points toward the Colorado Shines rating and is presented by Cassy Reyes, Foundations Trauma Coach + Trainer.

Restorative Practice: Part of a Trauma-Informed Classroom Strategy (Evening)
2023-09-05 18:00 - 20:00 | Online
Joint Initiatives for Youth + Families is offering a NEW learning session presenting the connection between trauma-informed practices and the five principles of restorative practice (relationship, respect, responsibility, repair, and reintegration).
Kathy Orr, Executive Director of Peaceful Households, will lead this learning session focused on understanding the role of trauma, building community in the classroom, and developing healthy relationships. Designed especially for early childhood educators, this training will benefit center-based directors and staff, family child care providers, paraprofessionals, and anyone working with young children.
To download flyer, click HERE.

UPK Town Hall for Early Childhood Programs
2023-09-06 16:45 - 18:45 | Online
Early childhood programs are invited to join us for a special El Paso County Virtual Universal Pre-K (UPK) Town Hall on Wednesday, September 6th from 4:45–6:45 pm*, hosted by Joint Initiatives for Youth + Families, the Local Coordinating Organization for UPK. This Town Hall will feature a presentation by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood and breakout sessions for center-based early childhood programs, family child care homes (FCCH), and school district preschools to learn and ask questions about UPK.

4:45–5:30 pm | School District Breakout Session
5:30–6:00 pm | CDEC Presentation on major updates
6:00–6:45 pm | Center and FCCH Breakout Sessions

*School Districts: Please join the Town Hall at 4:45 for the Breakout Session, followed by the CDEC presentation at 5:30 pm.
*Centers and Family Child Care Homes: Please join the Town Hall at 5:30 pm for the CDEC presentation, followed by Breakout Session at 6:00 pm.
To help us prepare for the event, participants are encouraged to submit questions in advance. This option is included on the registration form.
View and share Town Hall Flyer HERE.

Restorative Practice: Part of a Trauma-Informed Classroom Strategy (Sat.)
2023-09-23 10:00 - 14:00 | Online

Roundtables for Early Childhood Providers | School Districts
2023-10-20 11:00 - 12:00 | Online
JOIN US!
October 20th
Joint Initiatives is announcing a NEW platform to keep early childhood providers informed about guidance from the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC), offer time for Q+A, and provide training on important UPK topics. Roundtables will be held monthly via a one-hour Zoom session.
ROUNDTABLE TRAINING: UPK + CCCAP
The first Roundtable for Early Childhood Providers event will include how Universal Pre-K and the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program work together.
ROUNDTABLE SESSION TIMES
To make the Roundtable contents relevant to our different types of early childhood programs, the session times for the October 20th event are as follows:

School Districts | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Child Care Centers | 1:00 to 2:00 pm
Family Child Care Homes | 5:30 to 6:30 pm

Roundtables for Early Childhood Providers | Child Care Centers
2023-10-20 13:00 - 14:00 | Online

Eyes Toward the Future Fall Conference | PPRFCA
2023-10-21 07:30 - 16:30 | Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 4125 Constitution Ave., Colorado Springs
The Pikes Peak Region Family Child Care Association will present a fall conference, “Eyes Towards the Future,” on October 21, 2023. Family Child Care Providers and early childhood program staff are invited to register. Sessions include Circle Time Engaging Practices, Classroom Transitions, and Challenging Behavior in Children.
For details and the link to register, please click HERE.

CLASS (Classroom Assessment Scoring System) Tool Overview
2023-10-23 12:00 - 13:30 | Online
CLASS not only defines teaching quality through the lens of interactions, but it also provides the ability to measure and improve the interactions that matter most for children’s outcomes. And it’s a journey of continuous improvement that is data-driven.
As you implement CLASS, you will:
• Focus on high-quality interactions and create a shared understanding of quality in your program
• Measure the quality of interactions to create a system that enables data-driven improvement
• Improve teaching quality through tailored and individualized professional development
This training is presented by Cassy Reyes, Foundations Trauma Coach + Trainer.
View the flyer HERE.

ChildcareRead
2023-11-14 18:00 - 20:00, 2023-11-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Joint Initiatives for Youth + Families, 1600 N. Union Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO, 80909, United States
The ChildcareRead 4-hour workshop provides certification for people who work directly with children birth-5 years old. In this training, participants will gain ideas and strategies to energize storytime, make reading fun, and expand literacy into other parts of the child care day. They will participate in sample lessons from the Story Exploring® curriculum and learn the step-by-step model for planning the use of books with young children. Participants will become certified as a Story Exploring® Facilitator Earn 4 hours in Colorado Shines PDIS; learn ways to meet high-quality child care and education standards in language and literacy; and receive the curriculum of over 60 lessons, parent take-home materials in English and Spanish, and several children’s books, and more.
This is a two-day training on November 14 and 15th.
Click HERE to view the flyer.

Roundtables for Early Childhood Providers
2023-11-29 11:00 - 18:30 | Online
JOIN US!
November 29th!
Joint Initiatives is announcing a NEW platform to keep early childhood providers informed about guidance from the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC), offer time for Q+A, and provide training on important UPK topics. Roundtables will be held monthly via a one-hour Zoom session.
ROUNDTABLE TRAINING:
The agenda will consist of CDEC updates as well as an opportunity to provide feedback to your LCO as part of the planning for the 2024-25 UPK year. We want to be sure that your voice is captured as part of that planning process. We will also share any information that we have about plans for the 2024-25 UPK year. There will be no roundtable in December.
ROUNDTABLE SESSION TIMES
To make the Roundtable contents relevant to our different types of early childhood programs, the session times are as follows:

School Districts | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Child Care Centers | 1:00 to 2:00 pm
Family Child Care Homes | 5:30 to 6:30 pm

The Zoom link is the same for all sessions – just join the session at your designated time.

Focus Group on Infant + Toddler Care
2024-01-09 12:00 - 13:30 | CPCD giving children a head start, 2330 Robinson St.,, COS
SHARE YOUR STORY
Join us for a Focus Group discussion on infant and toddler care in our community. This focus group welcomes families that would want to share their experience with finding Infant/Toddler care for their young child. Your thoughts would be confidentially combined with others and used to develop a community plan to address services for young children across El Paso County.
January 9 | Noon-1:30 pm
CPCD…giving children a head start (2330 Robinson Street, COS)
Download the FLYER HERE.
Registration required to participate. Register HERE.

Simple Gift Scholars | Early Childhood Enrichment Training
2024-01-20 08:00 - 14:00 | Simple Gift Scholars, 127 1/2 Bijou St., Suite 1, Colorado Springs
Join us for a morning of networking and enrichment training featuring the music and literacy programming of the early childhood Simple Gift Series on PBS. Launched here in Colorado Springs, this unique program works to quiet the world around every child, while honoring the power of human connectedness and gratitude for all life’s Simple Gifts! Join Linda Weise, the creator of the program, as she shares original songs and books, and teaches you how you can bring these elements to your classroom while utilizing the program as an additional teaching tool.
