FIRE SAFETY FOR CERTIFIED FAMILY AND REGISTERED FAMILY
Providers are invited to share feedback on the Fire Safety Family Care rule until May 25, 2022 at 10 a.m. The Early Learning Division (ELD) has worked with providers, early learning advocates, and other government organizations to strengthen fire safety rules in family care settings during the past year. Specifically, the goal was to create permanent rules about cost-effective alternatives to automatic sprinklers statewide, a rule introduced in April 2021 by Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services.
Review the rules on our website.
CRIB BUMPERS PROHIBITED IN CHILD CARE
The Oregon State Legislature recently amended a statute to prohibit the use of crib bumper pads for children up to age 3. This change also prohibits a facility from having crib bumper pads on the premises, unless a medical professional has determined that using a crib bumper pad is medically necessary for a particular child who uses a crib in the licensed facility.
The Office of Child Care will be revising the rules for Certified Centers, Certified Family and Registered Family child care facilities to align with this change in statute.
AIDE II RULE CHANGE PROPOSED FOR CERTIFIED CHILD CARE CENTERS
After receiving feedback from providers, the Early Learning Division (ELD) will be moving to allow Aide II positions to have increased supervision in Certified Child Care Centers as a permanent rule change. ELD will recommend the Early Learning Council adopt the rule at its June 29, 2022 meeting.
ELD anticipates this change will assist providers with retaining staff and allow for greater flexibility within programs.
OAR 300-0110(3) states, “An Aide II may support teachers in caring for children but may not be left alone with a group of children, except when: (a) Supervising a group of children for no more than 60 minutes at a time, not to exceed more than 120 minutes of Aide II supervision per day, provided staff-to-child ratios are maintained, and there is another staff who is teacher, head teacher, or director qualified present at the facility. An Aide II may supervise an Aide I for no more than 60 minutes at a time.”
If you have questions, please contact your licensing specialist or email
ProviderContact@ode.oregon.gov.
NEW RESOURCE FOR FAMILIES TO FIND FORMULA DURING THE INFANT FORMULA SHORTAGE
If you are struggling to find infant formula, this new fact sheet created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services includes resources for locating safe formula.
You should not water down formula, try to make formula at home, or use toddler formula to feed infants. Do not discard formula unless it is expired or is part of the recall. Check your formula’s lot code to see if it was affected by the recall.
MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH
Oregon’s early learning and care professionals play a critical role in supporting the mental health and well-being of children, families, and staff in their child care setting. In addition to sharing resources and creating a safe, welcoming child care setting and community, you can also support others by sharing your own experiences.
In a recent Education Week article, David Shapiro, program manager at the Colorado School of Public Health’s Center for Health, Work, & Environment shared how it’s important to have “people be willing to share their stories, and I think this starts with leaders. [They can tell staff], ‘This pandemic has been challenging for my own mental health—here’s how it impacted me, and I’ve used my mental health benefits [to get help]’. The more we can build the story of mental health, the more we can spread awareness, the more we can reduce stigma.”
Click here to read the article and click here to learn about “StigmaFree,” a campaign by the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Your mental health matters. Visit https://mhanational.org/teachers-protecting-your-mental-health for ways to help yourself and others in the field.
Click below for additional resources and professional development opportunities.
- Press 3 for a pep talk from kindergartners. A new hotline gives you options for joy | NPR
- The Earliest: Zero to Three Podcast
- Guardians in the Nursery: The Role of Early Childhood Educators in Fostering Infant and Young Children’s Positive Mental Health | Zero to Three
- Children’s Mental Health Awareness | The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- Mental Health and Social Support Guidance for Educators and School Staff | Oregon Department of Education
- Safeguarding the Mental Health of Teachers | Harvard Graduate School of Education
- Resources | ACEs Aware
- 4 ways schools can support students, staff suffering from trauma | K-12 Dive
COMING SOON: DELC MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES FEEDBACK SURVEY
The Early Learning Division (ELD) needs your help with establishing the new agency, Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC). Watch for announcements about this opportunity to inform DELC and help create a mission, vision, and values that reflects, represents, and supports Oregon communities.
REMINDERS:
Health, Safety, and Nutrition Requirement
Certified Family and Certified Center staff are required to complete at least one hour of Health, Safety, and Nutrition (HSN) training before their facility’s license renewal.
Registered Family providers and substitutes need to complete the annual HSN training before the end of each year of their license.
Providers can look for training on the online calendar.
DEADLINE EXTENDED FOR STATEWIDE SURVEY
Center- and family–based owners, directors, teachers, assistants, and aides (whether currently employed or not) —share your experiences by completing this survey by May 31, 2022. If you are eligible, you will receive an email with a link to the survey. Look for an email from “The Preschool Development Grant” that you would have received around April 18. Questions? Didn’t get an email and think you should have? Contact Denise Ford. Email: denisef@oslc.org Call or text: 916-205-6851.