ABC’s of Child Care Conference

Simply Your Life With Deep Self-Care

Theresa Ritta-Olson, Teaching and Learning Coordinator, Educational Service Unit 10

Everything in your life takes up space, whether that’s physical space, emotional space, cognitive space, or calendar space. When we simplify our lives we are given more space and time to do what we love and be with the people we love. We can feel free. However, getting there isn’t easy or quick. In this session, we’ll discuss deep self-care and how it can help us simplify, focus, and become more content.

Theresa has worked in education for 17 years. She’s taught secondary English learners and secondary reading intervention for 13 years, and for the past four years has been working as a teaching and learning coordinator at ESU 10. She’s passionate about educator self-care and has provided professional development on mindfulness, cultivating resiliency, trauma-informed care, and culturally responsive teaching.

A. What is Addiction (Why Do I Binge on Ice Cream and Not Broccoli?)                       

Dr. Christine Tina Chasek, Associate Professor of Counseling and School Psychology at UNK and Director of the Behavioral Healthcare Center of Nebraska-Kearney. 

This session will address the difficult subject of addiction. The neurobiology of the addiction cycle will be reviewed in easy and understandable terms. Participants will come away with new knowledge of addiction and its implications on young children and families. Objectives: (1) identify and address the stigma regarding Substance Use Disorders, (2) Understand the Addiction Cycle from a neurobiological perspective, (3) learn the prenatal impact of addiction.

B. Pyramid in Real Life                                   

Patti Mahrt Roberts, Roberts Early Childhood Consulting

This interactive session will discuss Pyramid strategies for teaching social and emotional skills to young children.

A. How to Work with Families and Young Children Impacted by Substance Use Disorders                                                                   

Dr.Christine Tina Chasek, Ph.D., LIMHP, LADC  

This session will give participants the tools needed to work with families and young children who are impacted by substance use disorders. Participants will learn how to have difficult conversations and identify community resources to support families. Objectives: (1) recognize the signs and symptoms of substance use exposure in young children, (2) learn how to have difficult conversations with families, (3) discuss effective resources that can be shared with families affected by substance use disorders/exposure.

B. Path to Excellent Nutrition                         

Betty Vette, Consultant for Family Service Child Care Food Program

Come discover how to find the Path to Excellent Nutrition, because every child deserves to be well fed and well led. We will explore CCFP best practice, cost, saving through meal planning, and current nutrition research that supports child development.

The Temperament Toolbox

Katie Miller, Content Specialist, Cultivate Learning at University of Washington

Helping children understand their own emotions and interact well with others can benefit children, parents, and teachers alike. ln this session you will learn some basics about temperament theories and how to use that knowledge to help children build emotional, prosocial, and empathy/compassion skills.

Katie has been connected to early childhood since her own youth, growing up as a frequent “volunteer” (purposeful quotes) in her mom’s Head Start classroom.  She worked for Migrant Head Start as a teacher and bus driver for three summers in high school and college and then in her university’s child development center as a student employee.  Despite all this, and wanting to follow a different path from her mother, she stuck with her international business and marketing major/bachelor’s degree through graduation.  After a brief stint in the business world, Katie embraced early childhood as her calling and has been working in the field ever since.  She has held positions of infant/toddler/preschool teacher, assistant director, master teacher, director, classroom assessor, coach, undergraduate instructor of record, trainer, and career development specialist. Katie is a Content Specialist for Cultivate Learning at the University of Washington and currently supports the Office of Head Start-Public Schools Collaboration Project. She is a Nebraska farm girl at heart and loves to talk about her home state.