Family Support + Education Committee Meeting
2023-05-18 13:00 - 14:30, 2023-06-15 13:00 - 14:30 (America/Denver) | 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.

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.

LEADING EDGE™ for Child Care Providers
2023-05-20 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.

Learning + Development Committee Meeting
2023-06-06 18:30 - 20:00 | Online
The Learning + Development Committee is a subcommittee of the Alliance for Kids Council and meets every other 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 Tanise Dixon, Foundations Manager, at tdixon@jointinitiatives.org.

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

Alliance for Kids Legislative Subcommittee
2023-06-13 13:00 - 13:30 | Online
The Legislative Subcommittee of the Alliance for Kids Council meets monthly.
Meeting details/Zoom will be shared with subcommittee members via email. If you would like more information, please contact Kelly Hurtado, Foundations Program Director, at KHurtado@jointinitiatives.org.

Health + Well-Being Committee Meeting
2023-07-26 12:00 - 13:30, 2023-10-25 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.

EQIT | Sessions A, B, C, and D
2023-07-27, 2023-10-18, 2024-02-01 | 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, 2023-09-12 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

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.

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.

Collective Impact Committee
2024-01-31 12:00 - 13:30 | Joint Initiatives for Youth + Families, 1600 N. Union Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO, 80909, United States
January 31, 2024, meeting canceled due to unforseen circumstances. Please stay tuned for the rescheduled date!
Collective Impact is the commitment of a group of important actors from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem. Key ingredients of successful community efforts to move “from fragmented action and results” to “collective action and deep and durable impact” include a common agenda, shared measurement, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication, and backbone support.
As a backbone support organization, JI’s role is to guide vision and strategy, support aligned activities, establish shared measurement practices, cultivate community engagement and ownership, advance policy, and mobilize funding.
Meeting details (time and location/Zoom link) are shared with committee members via email. If you would like more information about this committee, please use the Contact Us form or contact Kimberly Smith at ksmith@jointinitiatives.org.

Verbal De-Escalation and Active Shooter Survival Skills
2024-02-07 17:30 - 20:00 | Joint Initiatives for Youth + Families, 1600 N. Union Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO, 80909, United States
Join Officer Brian P. Corrado for the emergency preparedness training on verbal de-escalation and active shooter survival skills. Topics will include: Warning signs of hostile behavior, listening skills, Personal Safety, Situational Awareness, Run/Hide/Fight, preparation and planning.

Leading Edge™ For Family Childcare Providers
2024-02-10 09:00 - 2024-03-16 12:00 | Online
In partnership with Joint Initiatives for Youth + Families/Foundations, the Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center LEADING EDGE™ for Childcare Providers helps both licensed childcare providers (home-based) and start-ups. The program assists childcare providers in strengthening business practices when coping with the ever-changing landscape of the Colorado workforce.

Social-Emotional Health and Development – Trauma 1
2024-02-22 18:30 - 20:00 | Online
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.

Social-Emotional Health and Development – Trauma 2
2024-02-29 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 effect’s 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.
