COVID-19
HiMama Helps Webinar: COVID-19 Vaccines and Child Care Policies
In this webinar, participants join law and virology experts to hear about how the vaccine works and how to create vaccine policies for their programs. They'll also have a chance to ask questions and learn more about keeping their CNC program safe!NEW CMAS WEBINAR: Learning As We Go – Literacy Strategies to Support Young Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Bookmates joins us for this important webinar to talk about early literacy resources, tools and strategies that support early learning during challenging times such as we are currently experiencing with the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s an opportunity for participants to hear about; possible long term repercussions of physical distancing on preschool development, evidence based research on increased anxiety/frustration, sedentary behaviours and screen time our early years population may be experiencing, the importance of relationships in a socially distant world, and literacy strategies and children's books designed to mitigate some of the challenges facing children in 2021 and beyond.
Professional Development: Self-Care in the Context of 2021
Strengthening self-awareness to reduce burnout in times of stress and uncertainty (Self-Care) is a keynote address focusing on the need for self-awareness and self-care in 2020. Now more than ever we need to access our sources of resilience, strength and grounding. Participants will be introduced to the concept of burnout and learn about the Zones of Self-Awareness to detect when their stress response systems have been activated. Several sources of resilience will be explored for strengthening or building self-regulation and grounding in times of stress.
Webinar: Puppet Pals for Children, SEL Partners for Teachers
Whether you are teaching in person or online, this information-packed webinar will provide strategies for using puppets to create engaging experiences for young children. Participants will be inspired to use puppets as "pals" who help children with problem solving, empathy, community-building, and all aspects of development. Join this webinar to learn how to make puppets partners in your online or in-person program.Online security considerations for CNC staff and programs supporting families remotely
Organizations are responsible for managing their own online presence. Given that security risks can arise through the use of various online platforms and practices, we encourage you to carefully consider what works best to meet your organizational needs. To bring this important issue to the forefront, in December, we provided you with two important documents to support your CNC team in delivering safe and secure online supports: The Importance of Secure, Safe, and Professional Online Interactions, and Online Interactions Considerations Checklist. We are also hosting Virtual Cafés on online security to raise awareness and help identify measures to help keep yourself, your organization, and your CNC families safe. If you are offering online supports and/or services for children, we encourage you to attend a session.
Prioritize “connections over content” in all virtual learning efforts
Ideally, virtual classrooms and programs can represent a space for children to focus on learning and to process the emotional and social effects of the pandemic. This article includes a list of considerations, including a recommendation to prioritize “connections over content” in all virtual learning efforts for children and families.
How To Help Kids Adjust To COVID-19 Safety Measures
Adapting to new COVID-19 procedures is especially challenging when working with young children. In this episode of the Preschool Podcast, Rebecca Reid, head therapist at Willow Occupational Therapy, shares practical tips that parents and educators can use to help children with things like wearing masks, increased hygiene routines, and social distancing while learning.
CNC Pandemic Response: The Importance of Connecting with Parents
This tutorial has been developed in response to challenges faced by CNC programs during the pandemic. Public health directives that limit face-to-face interactions between CNC staff and parents during drop-off and pick-up each day may have a serious impact on our ability to have important conversations and moments of connection with families. Many parents are feeling anxious, so it’s more important than ever to find ways to connect and share important information.
In the CNC Pandemic Response: The Importance of Connecting with Parents tutorial, you have an opportunity to explore why it is so important to connect with parents each day, and strategies to build relationships, connect and share information with parents - even when face-to-face interactions are limited. At the end of the tutorial, you’ll also find resources, a facilitator guide and added group discussion questions so that you can easily facilitate your own team training.
Are you using WhatsApp to connect with families?
Many CNC programs have been using WhatsApp to connect with newcomer parents and children throughout the pandemic. No matter what virtual platform you're using, it's important to use the technology responsibly and understand best practices when it comes to safety and security. Here's a helpful article on how to use WhatsApp responsibly.
Are you using Zoom to connect with children and families?
COVID-19 is forcing everyone to change how they function, and CNC is no exception. If your program is using Zoom to offer online sessions for families during the pandemic, here are two articles with some tips and tricks that might help: How to use Zoom as an early childhood educator and How to Do Zoom Sessions for Little Tiny Squirmy Kids