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< Back Meet Brianna & Luca At 24 years old, Brianna was doing everything she could to hold it all together. A single mom to a spirited two-year-old son, she is his whole world. And he is hers. She works full-time, waking early each morning to make breakfast, get Luca dressed, and hurry out the door so she can clock in on time. But before Childcare Resources, every workday raised a heavy question: Where will he go today? Like so many parents in Indian River County, Brianna faced an impossible choice. High-quality childcare is expensive. She leaned on friends and family whenever she could, constantly texting to check in, her mind never fully at work. “I felt like I could never relax,” she says. “Every moment was filled with worry about whether he was safe and cared for.” Now, she drops her son off each morning at Childcare Resources knowing exactly how the day will go. He is safe. He is learning. He is surrounded by teachers who cheer on his fearless, curious personality. “It lifted a weight I didn’t even realize I was carrying,” Brianna says. “As a first-time mom, the worry never really stops. But knowing he’s here, safe and happy, lets me breathe.” Brianna now works more hours and maintains a steady income. For Luca, it means more than just a safe place to be cared for. It means quality early learning that prepares him for kindergarten, on-site wellness and early intervention services that support his overall development, and guidance from trained educators, building a strong foundation that will last far beyond these early years. “Childcare Resources has completely changed our lives. Luca is learning new things every day, and I finally have the stability to work and plan for our future,” says Brianna. “I can’t imagine doing this without their support.” Previous Next

Empowering Educators the Conscious Discipline Way | Cheryl Cotter | Conscious Discipline Empowering Educators the Conscious Discipline Way Saturday, August 24 Handout (PDF) Back Cheryl Cotter Conscious Discipline Learn the importance of soothing the lower centers of the brain for learning Compare and contrast proactive tools and strategies for maintaining regulation and reducing off task behavior Construct a school plan implementing structures, routines and rituals building classroom safety, connection, and problem solving Available at no cost to early educators in Indian River County Certificate of in-service provided CEUs available from FLAEYC Breakfast and lunch will be provided Join us for the opportunity to network with your colleagues Workshop will be held at First Presbyterian Church

Thank you for supporting high-quality early childhood education! Thank you for your generous donation! You should receive a confirmation email shortly, and will receive a printed tax receipt in the mail. Please contact our office with any questions: 772-567-3202. Home

Conscious Discipline: Resilience | Mandy Lloyd | Conscious Discipline Conscious Discipline: Resilience October 2018 Handout (PDF) Back Mandy Lloyd Conscious Discipline

When we get parents involved in preschool activities we are providing an opportunity for simple interactions that are both meaningful and important in early childhood development for their children. Coach's Column Amanda Gooch July 1, 2023 While you are all in a preplanning mode as we round out the end of an incredible summer, lets revisit what we learned during one of our past professional development workshops. During this particular workshop, we focused on parent engagement with Rhonda Meyers of Heartfelt Impressions Learning Centers. She helped us to really focus as a teacher or school in making outreach decisions to increase parent engagement. Here are just a few simple ways to promote parent engagement in early childhood education: 1. Educators can invite families to participate in activities such as accompanying the class with a hands on project or speaking at a "show and tell." 2. Other ideas include inviting family members to share special talents or visit the classroom at any time. 3. Educators can also offer getting-to-know-you meetings, make relationship-building home visits, and create welcoming spaces in the program and schools. 4. Hosting an open house, creating a parent board, and planning special parent engagement projects are other ways to involve parents (Popsicles on the Playground, Muffins with Mom, and Donuts with Dad etc.). To learn more about how to get parents involved in preschool activities, click on this link to One Perfectly Imperfect Mom . When we get parents involved in preschool activities we are providing an opportunity for simple interactions that are both meaningful and important in early childhood development for their children. We first learned about simple interactions from Dr. Dana Winters from the Fred Rogers Institute during our February professional development workshop. To recap, simple interactions are playful, respectful, enjoyable and rewarding interactions and experiences for young children. Simple interactions with children are an important aspect of early childhood education and are a building block for many skills including problem solving, social and emotional intelligence and self-regulation. Simple interactions provide opportunities for children to safely explore, test out, and try new things. By establishing these simple interactions through connection, reciprocity, and inclusion, we are developing positive relationships with young children and an opportunity for them to grow and thrive. Back to Coaching Back to Newsletters

You are the key factor in providing STREAM experiences for your children. Coach's Column Susan Roberts May 14, 2020 STREAM in an early education setting involves bringing together knowledge of developmentally appropriate practices in literacy, math, science, technology and art to help children increase their understanding of the world. You are the key factor in providing STREAM experiences for your children. Relationships are critical for children to feel safe enough to explore their environment. Mistakes will happen and your response will help children accept mistakes and move past them. Mistakes are an opportunity to adjust, try again and learn. This builds resilience. By listening, questioning and expanding on previous knowledge and experiences you are guiding your children to reach beyond their knowledge and form deeper understanding. Children naturally ask questions and we often provide answers instead of having children investigate to find answers on their own. STREAM involves doing. The teacher needs to provide the opportunity for children to safely experiment with a variety of materials. This allows children to go beyond recall and reproduction to creatively applying what they have learned, thinking about it and making adjustments. How do you do this in an early childhood setting? By integrating science, technology art and math and planning a wide range of explorations. Follow the interests of your children. In the picture above a child has planted a seed in an egg shell. What can be done to move this one activity into a STREAM experience that will help the child expand their knowledge? Here are some ideas: Science - Grow a lima bean seed in a baggie with a damp paper towel. While observing daily use correct vocabulary for parts of plant. Recycling is involved since the egg shell can be planted in the ground with the plant. Composting scraps from lunch provides food (fertilizer) for plants. (Why are water droplets forming in the bag? That is another science concept dealing with precipitation and weather.) Literacy – Provide a variety of picture books about plants and gardening. Have child draw a plant and “label” the plant parts. Correct formation of letters is not the goal. Knowing that words are used to convey information to others is what is important. An older child may get some beginning sounds correct or try to copy labels on their own. Good for them! Have child cut out pictures of plants from a magazine or provide the pictures for them. Sort the pictures by color, flowers/no flowers, plants/trees, leaves/no leaves, etc. Encourage discussion and the use of a variety of words. Mathematics - Measure plant daily and record results on a chart. An older child can make “log book”. Let the child make the choice of how they want to record the plant growth. Engineering - Make card board seed starting pot from a toilet paper roll. Technology – At a young age “sharing” technology is probably the best approach. Have two children look at a website of plants they might not be familiar with such as desert plants. The tablet is a tool, other tools may be a magnifying glass, ruler, tweezers, etc. Art – various found materials should be available to experiment with-paper, twigs, rocks, leaves, sand, glue, coffee filters, pipe cleaners, string, crayons, magazines, etc. This is just one example of a STREAM experience. The block center can have tractors, the dramatic play center can be a garden shop, make a planting station with small cups, dirt and sunflower seeds to work on fine motor skills. These activities are all intertwined. The teacher is the guide that brings the appropriate materials together and provides the guidance, feedback, and assistance needed for each child to grow. Be confident enough to follow a child’s lead. Show enthusiasm, joy and curiosity yourself. And remember, we are all learning together! Back to Coaching Back to Newsletters

The Power of Mistakes: Creative a Positive CLASSroom Climate | Dr. Maleka Donaldson | Smith College The Power of Mistakes: Creative a Positive CLASSroom Climate November 16, 2024 Handout (PDF) Back Dr. Maleka Donaldson Smith College Educators: Join us Saturday, November 16th to discover The Power of Mistakes: Creating a Positive CLASSroom Climate with Dr. Maleka Donaldson, Assistant Professor of Education and Child Study, Smith College. Encourage children to embrace mistakes that lead to new learning experiences Develop strategies for a positive and supportive classroom culture Reflect on personal experiences as learners and teachers to connect theory with practice Available at no cost to early educators in Indian River County Certificate of in-service provided/CEUs available from FLAEYC Breakfast and lunch will be provided Workshop will be held at First Presbyterian Church

What is nature-based play, and why does it matter? Coach's Column Amanda Gooch February 1, 2025 So, what is nature-based play and why does it matter? Nature-based play refers to allowing children to interact with either the natural world or a play space that mimics nature so they can connect with nature in some capacity while they fuel their imaginations. There are many benefits to nature-based play: Discover nature : Children get to learn about the outdoors and the world around them, gaining an appreciation and respect for the environment and engaging the senses. Physical activity : Outdoor play can improve relationships, reduce obesity risk, increase physical activity and reduce stress. Cognitive functioning : Longer periods outside can improve problem solving, academic and creative skills. Spending time outdoors is linked to lower cortisol levels, which is a hormone associated with stress. Time outside can also reduce fatigue, depression and anxiety. Nature-based play can be one way to ensure children are getting plenty of outside play a day, no matter where they live. “Restore balance. Most kids have technology, school and extracurricular activities covered. It’s time to add a pinch of adventure, a sprinkle of sunshine and a big handful of outdoor play.” - Penny Whitehouse Wishing you all the best, Amanda & Todd Back to Coaching Back to Newsletters

Conscious Discipline February 2018 | Amy Zolessi and Polly Beebe | Conscious Discipline Conscious Discipline February 2018 February 2018 Handout (PDF) Back Amy Zolessi and Polly Beebe Conscious Discipline

Big Ideas for Early Mathematics | Lisa Ginet | Erikson Institute Big Ideas for Early Mathematics March 2019 Handout (PDF) Back Lisa Ginet Erikson Institute

Michele , Director, Finance and Human Resources at Childcare Resources of Indian River Michele Harr Director, Finance and Human Resources Grant Budgets | Facility Maintenance | Employment Joined Childcare Resources in 2014 Contact 772-567-3202 ext. 103 Back

Shannon MA, M Ed, CFRE, Executive Director at Childcare Resources of Indian River Shannon McGuire Bowman MA, M Ed, CFRE Executive Director Donor Support | Agency Collaboration Joined Childcare Resources in 2012 Contact 772-567-3202 ext. 106 Back