Introduction to the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a training made specifically for family and group home day care providers. The CACFP is an important program that helps ensure children are eating nutritious foods and developing habits to support lifelong nutrition. This training consists of three modules. Module 1 will go over the basics of the program: the “who, what, when, where, why and how.” Module 2 will cover how to get involved in the program and what you can expect when you start participating. Module 3 is all about how to get the maximum benefits out of participating. Participants will have access to helpful resources and links to support their participation in the food program.

This training was developed by the Illinois Public Health Institute with support from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and Illinois Department of Public Health.

This training will help child care providers understand how to create chest/breastfeeding-friendly policies and environments that align with state and federal laws, Illinois licensing standards, and best practice.  This one-hour self-paced training will cover the basics on why it’s important for childcare providers to support chest/breastfeeding, how to develop policies and spaces on site that support families, and how to equitably communicate with families about these practices. The training will include links to many tools and resources that support you in these efforts!

Developed by the Illinois Public Health Institute with support from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and Illinois Department of Public Health, Office of Women's Health.

Esta capacitación está disponible en español aquí.

This training is for providers who were randomly selected to participate in a study called Understanding Vaccination Practices in Child Care.  We have created this free training on the importance of childhood vaccinations to thank these providers for taking time to participate in our study.  In this training, we cover how vaccines work, why they are important, the vaccine schedule and what each vaccination actually is for children under six, where to go for further resources, and how to protect yourself as a child care provider.  After the study is completed, we will be creating more resources like this training that will be available to all providers.

Module 1 - Child Development Overview: Understanding How Young Children Grow and Develop

In this module, you will receive an overview of child development for children birth through early school age.  Emphasis will be on understanding basic milestones in development as well as on strategies used to promote the healthy development of children.

Esta capacitación está disponible en español aquí.

Module 2a - Health Issues for Group Care

Ensuring a child's health and well-being requires more than basic first aid and emergency contacts.  In this module, you will learn how to help the growth of healthy children -- from the basics like hand washing to a more in-depth look at various practices surrounding health care.

Esta capacitación está disponible en español aquí.

Module 2b - Nutrition Issues for Group Care

Whether you're responsible for providing a quick snack or a well-balanced meal, understanding children's dietary needs creates healthier and happier kids.  Learn the basics of good nutrition, food safety and various practices surrounding nutrition through this module.

Esta capacitación está disponible en español aquí.

Module 2c - Safety Issues for Group Care

A child's safety is the number one concern for parents and child care providers alike.  In this module, you will identify tips for creating a safer group care environment, confront the issue of abuse and neglect and learn more about emergency preparedness and first aid.

Esta capacitación está disponible en español aquí.

Module 7a - Child Development: Ages Birth to 8 Months

Newborns and young babies are developing at an incredible rate, causing them to have special needs unlike older children. In this module, you will understand how children from birth to 8 months learn and grow, and how to individualize their care accordingly.

Esta capacitación está disponible en español aquí.

Module 7b - Child Development: Ages 8 to 18 Months

In this continuation of the first child development module, you will explore development among children ages 8-18 months.  You'll identify how this age group differs in growth and their approach to learning, and you'll discover toys, games and songs that are helpful and just right for their development.

Esta capacitación está disponible en español aquí.

Module 7c - Child Development: Ages 18 to 36 Months

Toddlers are an energetic bunch who require plenty of stimulation and education.  In this final section of child development training, you'll explore how children age 18 to 36 months learn language, learn to think, learn to move, and learn feelings, so you can better nurture this often curious age group.

Esta capacitación está disponible en español aquí.

Module 8a - The Preschool-Age Child: Social and Emotional Development

As children approach preschool age, their needs begin to change. This is the first of four modules designed to better understand children as they approach school age. You will identify characteristics of social and emotional development and learn techniques for promoting appropriate and effective discipline for preschool children.

Esta capacitación está disponible en español aquí.

As children mature, their minds aren't the only things growing at an incredible rate. In this module, you will explore the special areas of physical development in preschool-aged children. You also will learn about fine motor activities that will help preschoolers grow into their bodies while developing proper coordination and movement.

Esta capacitación está disponible en español aquí.

Module 8c - The Preschool-Age Child: Language Development

Appropriate speech patterns and language skills are crucial to nurturing effective communications by preschoolers. In this module, you will explore how to use pictures and storybooks to lay the foundation for good reading and proper language use.

Esta capacitación está disponible en español aquí.

Module 8d - The Preschool-Age Child: Cognitive Development

In this module on preschool development, you will dive deeper into how preschoolers learn and identify tips for making learning fun.  With suggestions for activities that encourage your preschoolers to explore numbers, shapes, colors and science, this module gives all the information you need to grow and stretch the ability of children to think and understand.

Esta capacitación está disponible en español aquí.

Module 9 - School-Age Development

This module on child development looks at school-age children to uncover how their learning and growth differs. With tips on how to better care for school-aged youth, this module offers you guidance on how to set rules and limits and to get your school-aged kids to appreciate safety and respect.

Esta capacitación está disponible en español aquí.

Módulo 2a - Problemas de salud para el cuidado en grupo

Garantizar la salud y el bienestar del niño requiere más que los primeros auxilios y contactos de emergencia.  En este módulo, aprenderá cómo ayudar al crecimiento de niños sanos, desde los fundamentos como el lavado de manos hasta una mirada más en profundidad a varias prácticas que rodean el cuidado de la salud.

Módulo 2c - Cuestiones de seguridad para el cuidado en grup

La seguridad del niño es la preocupación número uno para padres y proveedores de cuidado infantil por igual.  En este módulo, identificará sugerencias para crear un centro de cuidado en grupo más seguro, enfrentarse a la cuestión del maltrato y la negligencia, y aprenderá más sobre preparación para las emergencias y primeros auxilios.

Horas de contacto: 2 (horas)   Áreas de contenido de Gateways:  HSW (2 horas)   Áreas de contenido CDA: 1 (2 horas)

Participants will receive a brief introduction to child and youth development from ages 5–21. They will be introduced to the stages of development, along with the physical, cognitive, language, and social/emotional characteristics of development that will be used throughout the entire training series.

This course is Registry-approved and counts towards DCFS licensed program training hours (3 contact hours) for school-age and youth care.  

Contact Hours: 3 hours     Gateways Content Areas: HGD(2 hours), PPD(1 hour)     CDA Content Areas: 6(1 hours), 8(2 hours)

Esta capacitación está disponible en español aquí.

This session will explore the general characteristics and what to look for when work with children ages 5–12.  It will also discuss what to do and how to address children or youth who may have special needs.  Participants will also discuss protective factors and how to offer a safety net for children and youth who may be struggling.  The session will also introduce five goals that will help guide your approach when working with children and youth.

This Registry-approved training is brought to you by Gateways to Opportunity.  

Contact Hours: 3 hours     Gateways Content Areas: HGD(3 hours)     CDA Content Areas: 8(3 hours)

Esta capacitación está disponible en español aquí.