For more information or to register on-line, please visit www.va-itsnetwork.org

These exciting professional development institutes will focus on how caregivers can facilitate infant and

toddler success through relationship building and language development to increase positive interactions while preventing and managing challenging behaviors.

March 14 Herndon March 21 Fairfax March 28 Roanoke April 18 Norfolk May 2 Fredericksburg

Institutes for early care professionals who serve infants and toddlers!

Enhance understanding of the developmental processes related to typical and challenging behaviors and explore strategies and language to help infants and toddlers build skills to address them Learn to incorporate relationship-building strategies and new language into interactions with and between infants and toddlers and identify ways child care professionals attend to their own emotional well-being

Design strategies and approaches to strengthen the collaboration between infant and toddler child care professionals and families around typical and challenging behaviors, improving the consistency between home and child care

Explore and develop strategies to build strong relationships with infants and toddlers that support social and emotional development and address typical and challenging behaviors with developmentally appropriate practices

Promote networking, collaboration, and resource sharing among institute participants

Institute Objectives

Institute Agenda

March 14, 2020 The Westin Washington Dulles Airport 2520 Wasser Terrace Herndon, VA 20171

March 21, 2020 The Waterford at Fair Oaks 12025 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway Fairfax, VA 22033

March 28, 2020 Holiday Inn Tanglewood - Roanoke 4468 Starkey Road Roanoke, VA 24018

April 18, 2020 DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Norfolk Airport 1500 N. Military Hwy Norfolk, VA 23502

May 4, 2020 Fredericksburg Hospitality House and Conference Center 2801 Plank Road Fredericksburg, VA 22401

2The VA ITS Network is a program of Child Development Resources, and is supported by the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) Grant #93.575, with funds made

available to Virginia from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

8:30 am - 9:00 am Registration 9:00 am - 9:15 am Welcome and Opening 9:15 am - 10:15 am Keynote Session 10:15 am - 10:30 am Break 10:30 am - 1 2:15 pm Workshop Sessions 12:15 pm - 12:30 pm Break12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Activity Session (Lunch served) 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Keynote Session 2:30 pm - 2:45 pm Break 2:45 pm - 4:30 pm Workshop Sessions 4:30 pm - 4:45 pm Certificate Distribution

Institute Dates and Locations

Jennifer C. Fiechtner is senior partner at Innovations in Early Childhood Education, Inc. She is an educator, writer, and editor, with a special focus on children experiencing stress, upheaval, and trauma. She is author of Five Parenting Strategies to Support Emotional Development and was the editor of Social Emotional Tools for Life: An Early Childhood Teacher’s Guide to Supporting Strong Emotional Foundations and Successful Social Relationships. She currently lives in Fairfax County, Virginia with her family.

Self-regulation is an important developmental process in infants and toddlers, and it comes on line little by little, much like learning to walk and talk. In this keynote, caregivers will learn more about the way children develop self-regulation and explore strategies for co-regulation that can help children manage their emotions. We will also explore ways to respond to challenging behaviors that support development and build lifelong social and emotional skills.

Institute Keynote Speaker

Keynote Session IFoundations: Developmental Stepping Stones to Self-Regulation in Infants and Toddlers

Keynote Session IIConnection First: Preventing and Managing Challenging Behavior – What You Do Matters Most!

We know relationships with children are key to healthy emotional and social development. This keynote will explore concrete ways to build and support relationships that can form the foundation for preventing and managing challenging behaviors in infants and toddlers, including ways of interacting and language to use. We will also take time to consider ways providers can attend to their own emotional well-being, allowing them to be more fully present with the children they care for.

The workshop sessions will be presented by highly qualified infant and toddler specialists and infant and toddler mental health consultants from nine regions across the state. As part of their work with the VA Infant & Toddler Specialist Network, they provide professional development and coaching to early care providers.

Building Relationships with Children

Self-regulation is an important developmental process in infants and toddlers, and it comes on line little by little, much like learning to walk and talk. In this keynote, caregivers will learn more about the way children develop self-regulation and explore strategies for co-regulation that can help children manage their emotions. We will also explore ways to respond to challenging behaviors that support development and build lifelong social and emotional skills.

Warm, positive relationships are the foundation of healthy child development. When challenging behaviors occur, strengthening the relationship between child and caregiver is an effective and developmentally supportive strategy.

Participants will be provided concrete, easy-to-implement strategies to create and maintain their relationships with children while addressing challenging behaviors. These will help children build skills and learn new ways of interacting with the people and world around them.

Building strong relationships with families is an important way for caregivers to support children’s development. Research shows that families who are involved in the earliest days of children’s out-of-home experiences often remain more involved throughout their education.

In this workshop, participants will learn to use their expertise in child development to build partnerships with families around typical and challenging behaviors. Strategies to improve consistency between the home and school environment will be explored, as well as communication techniques to try when challenging behaviors arise.

Institute Keynote Speaker

Collaborating with Families to Address Challenging Behaviors

Institute Workshops

Keynote Session IIConnection First: Preventing and Managing Challenging Behavior – What You Do Matters Most!

Workshop Objectives

VA ITSN Offerings

Professional DevelopmentScholarships available for trainings and college courses

Support to obtain endorsements, credentials, and community college certificates

Participation in IMPACT Registry

Incentives for completing courses towards endorsements, credentials, or certificates

For more information, contact Mary Sheldon at (757) 378-3172, PD@va-itsnetwork.org

Technical AssistanceInterested in creating or adding infant and toddler space, an area for mothers to breastfeed, or need for resources for inclusion? VA-ITSN works with child care programs to set goals related to expansion, inclusion and breastfeeding areas and helps purchase items needed to achieve those goals.

We also provide free technical assistance around topics specific to infant and toddler care. This can include one-on-one mentoring, on-site coaching, or assistance by phone.

For more information, contact Janet Yang at (757) 378-3167, TA@va-itsnetwork.org

If you are an infant and toddler provider and would like support with any of the following, we are here to help!

Institute Registration

Registration fee: $30.00 Please call for group (four or more) rates.The registration fee is non-refundable.

Pre-registration is required. To register on-line and pay by credit card, visit www.va-itsnetwork.org

To pay by check, complete this form (one per person) and return with payment. Mail: VA ITSN, P. O. Box 280, Norge, VA 23127 Fax: (757) 378-2791, attention: Debbie C.

Name:

Street Address:

City: State: _ Zip Code: _____

Phone: ( _ ) Email: ______

Name of infant and toddler program where you work:

Institute you would like to attend (select one):

o March 14 in Herndon o March 21 in Fairfax

o March 28 in Roanoke o April 18 in Norfolk

o May 2 in Fredericksburg

Lunch is included. Please indicate preference:

o Standard box lunch o Vegetarian lunch

o Special dietary requirements:

o Enclosed is a check, made payable to CDR. o Please charge to the credit card number below:

Card Number: Exp. Date:

Name on Card: Security Code:

Billing Address:

Billing Phone:( )

Registration fee: $30.00 per person. Please call for group (four or more) rates.

Registration will not be complete until registration fee is received. Registrations are accepted on a first come, first serve basis.

Questions? debbiec@cdr.org or (757) 378-3168

Child

Dev

elop

men

t Res

ourc

esP.

O. B

ox 2

80, N

orge

, VA

231

27