What's New
Stay current with what's happening in Early Childhood Education! News headlines and upcoming conferences/workshop listings to keep you 'in the know'. Contact us to list your Headline or Conference/Event!
Headlines
Revisions to Article 47 Have Been Approved
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Bureau of Day Care regulates public and private child care centers operating in New York City through enforcement of Article 47 (Child Care Services) of the Health Code. After a series of public hearings last year, the code was amended and the changes will go into effect on September 1, 2008. Some important modifications include:
- All centers must now have a written health and safety plan that describes standard policies and procedures for the safe operation of child care facilities.
- The requirement that new staff be tested for tuberculosis infection has been eliminated .
- A new provision has been added to maintain all medical information confidential .
- All employees and any volunteers that have unsupervised contact with children must have two hours of training on child abuse and maltreatment identification, reporting and prevention within the first six months of employment.
- All teachers are now required to receive training in infection control and reporting infectious diseases.
- Assistant teachers are required to receive 15 hours of training every two years, including the mandatory child abuse courses and other subjects related to child health and safety, and early childhood development.
- Infant/toddler teachers are required to have an associate's degree in early childhood education or a CDA or GED and experience in the field as well as a study plan leading to an associate's degree in early childhood education within seven years.
- Infant/toddler programs are restricted to the first (ground) floor and one level below the floor to facilitate the evacuation of the youngest children during emergencies. Child care services for older children will be restricted to the third or lower floors and window guards will be required on all windows.
To assist centers in the compliance with the new regulations, the Bureau of Day care will hold a number of informational city-wide forums to discuss the revisions. During the forums, information about the “Tune in for Child Safety” child abuse prevention initiative will be provided. Download the documents below for more information and visit http://www.tuneinforchildsafety.org/ to register for the forums. You can also email Juanita Wilson at jwilson4@health.nyc.gov if you have any questions.
New Article 47
Letter from DOHMH DOHMH Forum Registration Form Tune in For Child Safety Flyer
Conferences and Events
4th Annual Bilingual Education Conference on Educating English Language Learners Pre-k - 6
"From the Past to the Future Revisiting the Mission of Bilingual Education"
We are honored to have Dr. Virginia Collier, Professor Emerita of Bilingual/Multicultural/ESL Education, George Mason University, and Dr. Ofelia García, Professor, Doctoral Program in Urban Education, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, as our guest speakers at the Fourth Annual Bilingual Education Conference, which will embrace the significance of these two milestones: the fortieth anniversary of Hostos Community College and forty-five years of bilingual education in the U.S.A.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Hostos Comunity College
450 Grand Concourse
Bronx, NY 10451
- Virginia Collier, PhD
- Ofelia Garcia, PhD
To view the schedule, download the registration form or learn more:
Visit: http://www.hostos.cuny.edu/news/bilingualedconf
Or Call: (718) 518-4316
New York City Association for the Education of Young Children's 2008 Annual Conference:
"Bringing Communities Together for Children"
Join the NYCAEYC on Saturday, October 25 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm for their annual conference, featuring Sesame Street Music Teacher Bob McGrath as the keynote speaker. This conference will also host over 20 workshops on a range of topics, including music and movement, classroom management, and parent involvement.
Register Now!
Addressing the Challenges of Autism: Getting the Social Stuff Right.
Birch Family Services' 11th Annual Conference
November 6, 2008
New York, NY
Register now at: www.birchfamilyservices.org
- Brenda Smith Myles, PhD
- Nancy Reichle, PhD
- Elisa Gagnon, Ms.Ed
Panel presentation with Michael John Carley, M.F.A. Director of G.R.A.S.P (Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership)
Online and Ongoing Events
MAX M. FISHER ONLINE INSTITUTE- A web-based tutorial that allows teachers to learn the benefits of philanthropy education (giving time, talent and treasure for the common good), hints for teaching and have some interactive fun along the way. BILINGUAL SEIT - Free Services for children 2.5- 4.5 years of age- Servicing Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island
- Offers free evaluations and teachers for children with:
- Speech delays
- Learning disabilities
- Social problems
- Behavior problems
- Physical development delays
- Other
- Bilingual Seit personnel speak Chinese/English, Korean/English, and Spanish/English
- Call (718)353-2330 or call Barbara at Day Care Council (212) 206-7818 for free brochures
- Call Ms Madge at (201) 461-6032 for Bilingual Seit in Bengali/English for free special instructions and evaluations
NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY EARLY EDUCATION WORKSHOPS - Getting Children Ready to Read
- This Series features workshops for Early Child Educators, Parents and Caregivers.
- All programs are FREE of charge, but you must register in advance.
- To register, call the Branch that is hosting the Workshop you are interested
- List of Library Branches
ONLINE COURSES AND WEB SEMINARS- Council for Exceptional Children
- Provide effective strategies to target professional development priorities and reach all individuals.
- Self-paced courses available anytime from any computer.
- Earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) upon completion of each course
- These are some of the courses and seminars offered:
- Adapting Language Arts, Social Studies and Science Materials for the Inclusive Classroom
- Adapting Reading and Math Materials for the Inclusive Classroom
- Educational Assessment Principles and Practices
- English Language Learners with Language and/or Learning Disabilities: Is it a Language Difference or Is It a Disability?
ONLINE WORKSHOPS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS - EC-TIIS: Early Childhood Technology Integrated Instructional System at Western Illinois University
- The Early Childhood Technology Integrated Instructional System (EC-TIIS) is a FREE online training program.
- This site provides nine high quality online workshops which focus on the use of technology as a tool to assist young children with disabilities in achieving developmental goals.
- Topics include Adaptations; Curriculum Integration; Computer Environment; Expressive Arts; Emergent Literacy; Math, Science, and Social Studies; Technology Assessment; Software Evaluation; and Family Participation.
- Each workshop contains written information, graphics, links to outside resources, and downloadable curriculum activities and articles.
- Participation in the workshops is FREE. There is no charge for use of this site.
- You will need to register and complete a technology survey, a preschool educator or family survey, and a short pre-assessment before reviewing the workshops.
- You can view sample workshops before registering.
- Requirements for receiving CPDUs, CEUs, graduate credit, or a certificate of completion will be provided upon request.
- The online workshops are ongoing and always available.
- Learn More
- For questions, email EC-TIIS Co-Director, Linda Robinson at: L-Robinson1@wiu.edu
or call (309)298-1634 ext.250.
TEACHER-LEADER INSTITUTE- Bank Street College
- Focuses on creating program-wide change by involving teams of teachers and Directors in a series of participatory seminars that center on developing effective early childhood program environments and strategies that promote teamwork and cooperation. The Institute offers these director-teacher pairs an opportunity to interface outside of their centers, in order to accomplish the challenging task of operating a child care center effectively.
- The Goals of the Institute:
- Strengthen understandings of early education and developmentally appropriate practices
- Develop knowledge of activities and strategies that promote cooperation, mutual sharing and team building
- Develop and engage teacher and leader teams in mentoring relationships
- Create a peer support network for program leadership teams
- Support knowledge and use of a variety of tools to assess professional development growth as a means of documenting continuous improvement and quality
- For more information, contact Tracey-Lee Lucas at 212.961.3414 or tldlucas@bankstreet.edu
Special Study Opportunities
- none currently available