Early Childhood Digest
The Latest Early Childhood Developments by Wayne RESA
July 19, 2024
Early Childhood Services Department at Wayne Regional Educational Service Agency (Wayne RESA)
Email: EarlyChildhood@resa.net
Website: https://www.resa.net/teaching-learning/early-childhood
Location: 33500 Van Born Road, Wayne, MI, USA
Phone: 734-334-1312
Notes From the Senior Executive Director
Dear Early Childhood GSRP Partners,
It is bittersweet to be writing this message today, given it is my last one as the Executive Director of Early Childhood for Wayne RESA. As you are aware, I will be transitioning into a new role at the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential (MiLEAP) as the Director of GSRP, Early Childhood Special Education, and Family Services. I am truly grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve in support of Early Childhood programs, children, families, and educators in Wayne. Your dedication to our youngest learners is inspiring. I am humbled to be able to now lead at the state level supporting your work, our work together. The future is bright for early childhood education in Michigan!
Thank you for all you do.
Humbly,
Sophia Lafayette-Lause
Welcome New Programs!
18 New Programs will become Great Start Readiness Programs for the 24/25 SY!
On Thursday, July 18th from 1:00 – 4:00 PM New Programs attended the GSRP Fiscal Policies Training 101.
New programs will return for Day 2 on Monday, July 22nd from 9:30 - 12:30 PM.
Submit: 24/25 SY Hub Contacts
To ensure that communications, contracts, updates and more reach your designated persons in your organization we are asking for two Hub Contacts for the 24/25 SY.
Please complete the Hub Contact form with your current staff designees. If changes occur over the summer or during the 24/25 school year, please update by resubmitting this form.
NEW Updates: GSRP Implementation Manual Revision
Please see NEW messaging below from Emily Laidlaw, Deputy Director for Early Education, MiLEAP.
The updates to the GSRP Implementation Manual will support programs as Michigan makes progress on PreK for All. The changes, developed in alignment with the PreK for All Roadmap, NIEER Quality Standards, and the Early Childhood Standards of Quality, focus on meeting the needs of families while also supporting the GSRP programs.
Wayne RESA anticipates and MiLEAP leadership confirmed that Wayne RESA can begin following the new legislative requirements below. Updates can also be found in the recently updated Implementation Manual.
- Wayne RESA Requirement: Please see Prioritization graphic below regarding window or gap children enrollment.
- Wayne RESA Comment: Programs must prioritize those children who are 4 by September 1st.
- Wayne RESA Requirement: Please see prioritization graphic below regarding income guidance and over income children (400%+).
The revised Implementation Manual is available here:
Learning Stream: Professional Learning Fee
Governor Whitmer and the Michigan Legislature recently passed the FY 25 budget. With the new budget release, although the budget is yet to be signed, Wayne RESA anticipates having funding available to cover professional learning fees. In response, professional learning fees have been removed from Early Childhood trainings held by Wayne RESA. Programs will only be charged the $25.00 fee if a staff registered and was a no show for the training.
Fiscal Reminders
Transportation Funding Requests
WCRESA will begin accepting requests for transportation funding for the upcoming school year before the end of July. Please keep an eye out for communications from WCRESA regarding transportation funding requests. If your program is looking to add transportation this school year or is looking to significantly change transportation operations from 2023-2024, please note that we might need additional documentation or information to process your request.
Transportation Billing
All Transportation costs for the 23-24 school year should have been invoiced by Monday, 7/15/2024. If your program has not yet billed their transportation costs to WCRESA, please do so as soon as possible. Unexpended transportation funds at the end of the grant year will be forfeited.
Start Up/Expansion Funds
MiLEAP will be providing start-up/expansion funds for GSRP for the upcoming school year. Programs that meet the requirements to receive these funds are submitted directly to MiLEAP by WCRESA. Programs will receive funds once a completed and approved budget has been submitted to WCRESA. We will be releasing the start-up/expansion budget template soon.
Funding and Program Costs
While the GSRP Services Contract will not be released until August, WCRESA will be providing contract details around per-pupil funding and program fees this month to our partners for the upcoming school year.
Completing Program Budget Ledgers
Please remember that ledgers are due to be completed by the 15th of the month following for each monthly ledger. Please only add actual expenses to your program ledger that have been fully paid. Please note that the ledgers are what we use to track and evaluate program spending. Failure to complete program ledgers correctly and on time may result in payments being held until documentation is completed.
Marketing and Curriculum Material Distribution
On August 14th, 2024 Wayne RESA will hold an all-day distribution event. From 8:30a - 4:30p staff will be available at:
Wayne RESA-Annex Building
33500 Van Born Rd
Wayne, MI 48184
During this time programs can pick up recruitment materials, including lawn signs and banners. Also, during this time programs who have not yet received curriculum materials in 2024 can pick up materials.
Early On
We know that many of our programs serve infants and toddlers, and Wayne RESA is committed to supporting you to serve families of the youngest of children.
Early On is designed to provide comprehensive services to eligible infants and toddlers and their families. RESA collaborates with Wayne County Human Service agencies, Early Head Start, Infant Mental Health programs as well as local school districts to provide services.
Making a Referral
To make a referral for Early On, please do one of the following:
- Call the Wayne RESA Referral Hotline at (734) 334-1393 or 1-800-EARLYON.
- email echild@resa.net.
- visit the Early On online referral website.
Safe And Healthy Schools
Did you know…
Wayne RESA GSRP offers School Nurse Consulting Services to support you, Wayne RESA GSRP and Strong Beginnings partners, in meeting the chronic and acute health needs of your students?
School Nurse Consulting Services, which are available upon request, include:
- Review of and recommendations on program health policies and procedures.
- Free attendance for program staff to the foundational training, Safe and Legal Support of Students with Health and Medication Needs.
- Assistance in securing appropriate individual Medication Administration Authorizations (MAAs) and Medical Management Plans (MMPs)
- Facilitated trainings to support safe implementation of individual MMPs for all identified students, including:
- Access to templates of necessary forms;
- Review of completed MAA and MMP forms;
- General Tier 1 (Awareness) sessions on recognizing and beginning the response to potential health-related emergencies;
- Student-Specific Tier 2 (Emergency Care) and Tier 3 (Daily Care and Support) training sessions with the identified school health teams and parents/guardians;
- Unlimited consultation for safe and legal school support of identified students’ health needs.
- Free attendance for school staff to Medical Emergency Response Team (M.E.R.T.) Training.
- Communicable disease guidance and support.
Please complete this GSRP Nurse Consulting Services Request Form to initiate a formal request for support.
MISTAR Service Desk
Effective Monday, July 1, emailed requests will no longer be supported. This change is being made to comply with protecting personally identifiable information (PII) for FERPA and HIPAA compliance.
What is changing?
- Users will no longer be able to create tickets through email. If you send an email to create a ticket, you will receive a bounce-back email to let you know your ticket wasn’t received.
How will you be able to submit a ticket?
- Users will submit, update, and manage tickets through the MISTAR Customer Service Portal.
- Users will receive email notifications for ticket updates and must access the ticket portal to view detailed communications or respond to a ticket.
- Users may continue to call the Service Desk Help Line at 734-334-1870 to create a ticket.
If you have any questions or require assistance, please contact the Service Desk by creating a service ticket or calling 734-334-1870.
Social Emotional Support
Dr. Kelly Anderson, Early Childhood Social Emotional Consultant
Social Emotional Learning Resource Library
Please help me develop our social-emotional resource library by filling out this form with ideas and topics for us to develop professional resources for your teaching teams.
If you have questions regarding a child enrolling with an IEP or developmental delay and would like support in planning for accommodations feel free to reach out to Dr. Kelly Anderson, Early Childhood Social Emotional Consultant at Andersk@resa.net.
Meet Up and Eat Up!
2024 Summer Food Service Program Offers Free Meal Options for Children
The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) offers free and nutritious summer meal options for children ages 18 and under from low-income families with its popular Meet Up and Eat Up Summer Food Service program. Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Meet Up and Eat Up program is a great way for kids to continue eating healthy meals during summer break.
To find a Summer Food Service Program site in their community, people can visit the Meet Up and Eat Up locator map at www.michigan.gov/meetupeatup. All information, including meal service times and serving dates, will be available once school is out for summer recess. The locator map website is updated regularly throughout the summer months.
Great Start Collaborative - Wayne County
Great Start Detroit / Wayne County is dedicated to ensuring every child has a strong start in life by collaborating with families and community partners. We help you stay connected with Free to low-cost Events, Help & Fun in Detroit & Wayne County!
On our Find Help page, you will find resources for shelters, food, diapers, finance, and so much more.
Looking for free or low-cost Family Fun? We also work hard to find all the local activities, festivals, reading fun, arts and crafts, and more! Check out our Find Fun Page.
Lastly, Check out our updated Out and About Resource Guide! These are hot off the press and shipping out now. If you have received copies and need more, or if you would like to order a case of 100 copies to share with families, simply fill out the form in the link, and they will be shipped to you at no cost. We can not split cases or send individual copies. Out & About Order Form.
Elaine Koons presented Talking in Teaching at the Wayne RESA Advisory Meeting, and many have expressed interest in hosting a Talking is Teaching session at their site. Click here to complete the Talking is Teaching Interest Survey
The program will be contacted by Ms. Koons regarding offering Talking is Teaching following the completion of the survey.
Talking is Teaching questions may be sent to EarlyChildhood@resa.net (Subject line: Talking is Teaching) for monthly answers/updates from Elaine Koons and Elizabeth Grace.
- Submit 2024/2025 SY Hub Contacts
Professional Learning
2024-2025 Course Catalog NOW AVAILABLE!
Attention Directors: Did you know Seclusion and Restraint training is required for all staff working with children annually?
Wayne RESA provides directors Seclusion and Restraint training that is focused on early childhood. Directors will leave the training with the tools and information that they will need to then train their own staff in Seclusion and Restraint in early childhood. Please register for the training below:
Wayne RESA Summer Learning Blitz
Share with your School-Age Teaching Staff!
Our 5th annual Summer Learning Blitz begins on August 1, 2024. Registration is open now.
This year we are excited to offer:
- Professional Learning at No Cost
- SCECHs Available
- 23 Unique Offerings including 7 asynchronous sessions
- Recordings Sent to All Who Register
Teaching to Liberate Educator Conference
The Tri-County CRMT team is excited to announce a FREE conference that is open to all educators. There will be a couple of sessions specifically designed to support mathematics instruction, however all are welcome to attend. An exciting day of learning and networking is scheduled. Please join us on August 13th from 8:00-3:30. Also, please feel free to share with other teachers and educational leaders. Click here to register!
Kristy Carmichael
Navigator - Our Strong Start, Child Care Licensing Bureau
Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential
Phone: 517-643-0553
Child Care Licensing Child Care Licensing (michigan.gov)
Our Strong Start (connecting with a navigator) Our Strong Start (michigan.gov)
CCHIRP Technical Assistance CCHIRP (michigan.gov)
ASQ Support
Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ®) provides reliable, accurate developmental and social-emotional screening for children.
ASQ Technical Assistance is available! If your program needs ASQ Online training, login or password info, or access to the Help Me Grow partner Google Drive please don’t hesitate to reach out to Amber Anderson at Help Me Grow.
All GSRP programs should be a Help Me Grow partner to receive their ASQ Online Account.
Amber Anderson
Care Coordinator/Technical Assistance
Help Me Grow Michigan
Great Start Collaborative Detroit-Wayne
313-410-5235
Open office hours are available on Thursdays at 2:00 P.M.
Zoom link for our GSRP working hours: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/5969353317
Google form link: GSRP Partner Intake Form
Booking link: Everybody Ready (zohobookings.com)
Looking for updates on what is going on in your child care licensing region?
Please join the CCLB Regional Office Hours hosted by the CCLB area managers! This is an opportunity to stay informed, connected, and engaged within your child care licensing region. These sessions are a great opportunity for conversation and connection.
LARA Office Hours (see link below):
Wayne County with LaTanya Ellington
Great Start to Quality Job Board
Do you have openings in your program? Great Start to Quality can help you find qualified candidates!
Early Childhood Job Board - Great Start to Quality
Job postings are good for 60 days and can be renewed, if needed.
Send the jobs description(s), program location and submission contact information to jobs@ecic4kids.org
Once a candidate submits a resume or cover letter, Great Start to Quality sends them directly to the program.