ABC’s of Child Care Conference

High-Quality Early Care and Education: What it is and What it Takes

Dr. Kathleen Gallagher
Director of Research and Evaluation at the
Buffett Early Childhood Institute

In her keynote, High-Quality Early Care and Education: What It Is and What It Takes, Dr. Kate Gallagher proposes a new definition of “quality” for all settings, based on what we know from brain science and developing relationships. Based on this definition of quality, she elaborates on what we should provide to children and families, to increase the likelihood that children get what they need to be well and do well. Dr. Gallagher then highlights the important role of the early childhood professional in ensuring quality early care and education for all children.

About the Presenter: Kate taught in early intervention and kindergarten, and administered nationally accredited childcare programs. A nationally recognized expert in child development, Kate’s program development and research focus on the education and wellbeing of young children from birth – Grade 3, their families and early childhood professionals. One of Kate’s current projects is learning how to support the well-being of the amazing professionals who teach and care for young children and families.

A. Curriculum Smorgasbord

Mindy Young

Trainer for the Nebraska Department of Education Early Childhood Training Center There are so many choices available to help you create a FUNdamental learning environment for your program. Get a brief overview of various curriculum theories, activities and experiences used to address key areas of child development. Which works best for your program? Come find out!

B. Step Up to Quality Roadshow

Lauri Cimino, Director
Lynne Cook, Coach Specialist
Jenny Fleming, Quality Specialist
Morgan Krull, Program Coordinator
Diane Lewis, Quality Rating Specialist with the Nebraska Department of Education, Step Up to Quality Program

You can change a child’s path with Step Up to Quality. High-quality early childhood programs can have a lifelong, positive impact on young children and their families. Step Up to Quality helps early child care providers and educators recognize and improve quality. Programs enrolled in Step Up to Quality have access to coaching and resources that help them on their path to higher quality. These resources enable any provider or educator – big or small – to take quality to the next level. Participants will get a brief history of Step Up to Quality, meet program staff and have an opportunity to ask questions.

A. You Have the Tools: Utilizing Your Environment and Routine to Promote Positive Behavior

Jackie Zeckser, Early Childhood Education instructor at Central Community College Hastings

This session will examine the aspects of an environment and routine that impact child behavior, encourage participants to evaluate their current early childhood environment and routine and assist participants in creating strategies to improve or strengthen their current environment and routines.

B. VIP: Very Important Purpose

Maryann Bolton, Accounting instructor, at Central Community College Hastings

Do you and your business convey professionalism? The more professional your business image is, the better your business will do. Let’s discuss how to convey a professional image. (Sorry no make-up makeovers at this session.)

The Mindful Caregiver: Promoting Well-being with Mindfulness and Compassion

Dr. Holly Hatton-Bowers
Assistant Professor for the Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies and an Early Childhood Extension Specialist for the University of Nebraska

How are you tuning into your needs and findings ways to remain calm during times of stress? How are you taking care of yourself? This session shares some of the promising ways that practicing mindfulness and compassion can increase self-awareness and promote the well-being early childhood teachers. Mindfulness and compassion offer strategies for maintaining health, personal well-being, developing healthy self-regulation, creating communities of care and being more present in children’s early care and education.

About the Presenter: Her work focuses on identifying and implementing effective ways of promoting well-being in early childhood educators, families and young children. The key areas of her work focus on developing the reflective capacities of caregivers to increase their learning, identifying ways that contemplative practices may support the well-being of caregivers and children and enhancing social-emotional learning in early care and education.