Participants will receive an overview of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) giving them the knowledge to identify SIDS risk factors and describe ways to reduce the risk of SIDS in child care. The national standards for sleep safety will be presented and resources will be shared for both child care providers and parents. Topics include NC SIDS Laws, child care licensing rules for safe sleep, as well as how to develop a safe sleep policy. Key messages of this training include engaging in safe sleep practices and creating a safe sleep environment for infants and toddlers.

Participants will use the North Carolina Foundations for Early Learning and Development (NCFELD), the Infant-Toddler Environment Rating Scale (ITERS), and the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) to learn how to incorporate math into activity planning. Math activities will be shared using children’s literature and handmade activities as a basis for teaching developmentally appropriate math concepts.

Participants will gain information, knowledge, and tools to prepare them for many types of emergencies. They will learn how to plan, prepare, practice, respond, and recover from various emergency situations as they relate to child care. Participants will receive information on how to obtain an individual NCID as well as how to complete, submit, and maintain their EPR plan.

The environment a teacher creates, paired with his/her knowledge of the children in their care, can prevent many challenging behaviors in young children. Teachers who create positive social environments find that children more easily develop the social-emotional skills they need to succeed. This session focuses on modifications teachers can make in six key areas of the environment that will prevent and reduce conflict that leads to challenging behaviors. This training will be led by Behavior Specialist, Cherie White.