The Child Care Management System (CCMS) application is closing soon. If you still have questions about the program or what CCMS can do for your business, explore the FAQs at on.IN.gov/ccms-faqs.

If you need assistance, contact the SPARK Help Desk. SPARK can assist with application support, technical issues, and more. Contact the SPARK Help Desk by calling 1-800-299-1627, emailing BusinessSupport@indianaspark.com, or using the 'Chat with an Expert' feature in the lower right corner of the SPARK Learning Lab website.

Make an informed decision about which CCMS vendor is right for you and your business.

Providers from all across the state are welcome. Whether you are just getting started or have an established child care business, if you are staff, or simply interested in the childcare field, CASY CCRR's Child Care Provider Fair is a great opportunity to connect with other providers and staff, meet state support agencies, connect with community organizations, and access resources that will support your business. Providers across the state are invited to attend.

There will be an opportunity for you and staff to receive free fingerprinting from IdentoGo. Visit the CASY website to view the list of state partners that will be there.

While this is not a training event, it will provide opportunity for networking and meeting other child care provider professionals like yourself. There will be a Family Child Care Network meeting for Family Child Care Home directors during the fair. If you are a home provider, please watch for a special invitation to the Central Family Child Care Network.

Register Here

Are you ready to thrive in your family child care career? Join the Family Child Care Network now to connect with other providers and take your business to the next level. Share strategies for operating your business, get support from like-minded child care pros, discover exclusive training opportunities and resources, gain the recognition you deserve, and ensure children in your care are learning and thriving. Home providers play a vital role in Indiana’s child care landscape. Family Child Care Networks provide a supportive community, professional development and introduce new opportunities.

Email Trisha Guinn tguinn@casyonline.org to join your local Family Child Care Network today.

Learn more here.

Update your program anytime with this link or the QR code below.

We know you are asked to complete many surveys in the course of your work — the survey will be brief, and you will have an opportunity to receive one of ten gift cards at the end! In less than 15 minutes, you can share your experiences and in turn, we’ll compile them in a meaningful way in order to build on what works.

If you work in a child care program in Indiana, we want to hear about your experiences! Help us understand your professional journey, challenges you face, what’s working, and what’s not.

Early Learning Indiana is partnering with Child Trends and the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment to understand what brings Hoosiers to the child care field and, more importantly, what keeps them there. We cannot do this without the essential feedback of providers like you.

Click here to complete the survey.

Indiana's early child care and education system can expect several significant changes this summer. While the Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL) will continue to share updates about these changes, you can begin preparing now. Visit the links below for important details about each initiative.

• Pay by Enrollment voucher program: On July 15, providers will use a new portal to record child absences. This update replaces the swipe cards and POS machines that families currently use to track their child's attendance. Register for webinars that will include additional information, including timelines and a live demo of the new system. View previously recorded webinars & FAQ's.
• July 15th 1:30-2:30pm Registration link
• July 16th 1:30-2:30pm ET (Spanish) Registration link
• July 17th 6:30-7:30pm ET Registration link

• 2024 Indiana legislative session: Several changes will go into effect this summer, including expanded voucher eligibility for employees of licensed child care programs and changes to family child care home operations.

• Three-Year Background Consent Forms: Three-year consent forms for background checks will go live on July 1. Moving forward, Indiana child care employees will only have to complete a consent form every three years or when they update their fingerprints. The fingerprint process will remain the same. FSSA requires new fingerprints every three years, even when the caregiver changes jobs. If your consent form expires before your fingerprints expire, you will need to submit a consent form twice — once when it expires, and again when you get new fingerprints.

  
  

Many organizations take the same approach to their job postings and rarely make changes. Have you noticed fewer applications coming in than expected? When was the last time you revitalized your hiring methods? Your job postings may be turning away top talent.

Join lead facilitator Natalie Wenzler (Institute for Workforce Excellence) for a free, interactive Attract the Right Talent virtual workshop. Learn how a skills-based hiring approach can help you stop missing out on quality talent!

Skills-based hiring is for all roles regardless of educational attainment level. It can give you a competitive advantage by reducing turnover, increasing diversity and improving time to hire. Research shows job descriptions that use more inclusive language lead to a 42% increase in responses and a two week faster hiring time.

Register Here

August 8

1 – 4 p.m. EDT

The Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children (INAEYC) is pleased to announce the availability of the Child Development Associate (CDA®) credential courses through the Indiana Non-Formal CDA Project scheduled to begin as early as August 2024. These courses are being provided through funding by The Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) and the Department of Workforce Development (DWD). The courses vary from 100% virtual to hybrid formats. The courses offered will be fourteen weeks (14), meeting three nights per week for three hours each evening. Days and times may vary depending on the class.

To be eligible for the Non-Formal CDA Course, applicants must:

1. Be a resident of Indiana who is at least 18 years of age.

2. Employed in a childcare center, childcare home, or childcare ministry that is licensed, registered, or certified as a LLEP CCDF provider by OECOSL.

3. Be working 25+ hours/week in Indiana.

4. Have a current Criminal History/Background check on file with the FSSA, Office of Early Childhood and Out of School Learning.

5. Earn $25.00/hour or less as a teacher/teacher assistant, family childcare owner or director/administrator.

6. High School Diploma or High School Equivalency Diploma (HSE).

For a copy of the application and directions, please reach out to CCRR's Trisha Guinn.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Emily Roth (Indiana Non-Formal CDA Project Director) eroth@inaeyc.org 317-275-3526 and Rachael Grissom (Indiana Non-Formal CDA Project Coordinator) rgrissom@inaeyc.org 317-275-3505.

View the Training Calendar

Register for a Cohort

Get to know Town Square

Paths to QUALITY support

Where to get help and other resources

Children under the age of six are the most at-risk for lead poisoning. Lead is a naturally occurring metal that can be found in the air, soil, dust, and paint inside or outside of some homes and other buildings built before 1978. However, lead exposure is completely preventable, and testing is as easy as a finger prick.

The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) can bring testing to your program and the parents you serve. The IDOH team will manage the process and then work directly with parents if a child has a high lead level.

If you're interested in partnering with the Department of Health to bring lead testing to your early childhood program, complete the request form or call 317-233-1296. Download this flyer to let families know about this free testing opportunity.

Families, teachers and children are better together. That’s why the Child Care Resource and Referral Network is proud to serve as a navigator for families, expertly assisting them in finding high-quality child care and connecting them with additional opportunities to meet their needs.

Is your family struggling to make ends meet? Could you or someone you know use assistance with paying for utilities, accessing a food pantry, or connecting to job training or employment services? Call 800-886-3952, ext 2. to learn more!