WV Early Childhood Training Connections and Resources (WVECTCR) is a statewide program designed to provide professional development opportunities for the early care and education community. Through an extensive network of information, training and technical assistance, resources, and collaboration, WVECTCR strives to improve the quality of early education services for young children and their families.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

611 7th Avenue Huntington, WV 25701

304.529.7603/888.983.2827

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM

http://www.wvearlychildhood.org

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Helping Families, Children and Communities 
Through Numerous Programs and Projects
 

The West Virginia Apprenticeship for Child Development Specialist program, often referred to as ACDS, is a four-semester training opportunity for individuals employed in the field of early childhood. ACDS is designed to combine classroom instruction and work experience to enhance the quality of care provided for children and families in WV. The program is a collaboration between the Department of Labor (DOL) and River Valley Child Development Services (RVCDS). Students of the program must be working a minimum of 20 hours a week in an early childhood program (birth to age 12). The program is divided into four semesters, each fifteen weeks in duration. Upon completion of the coursework, graduates will receive an ACDS certificate verifying their completion of the related instruction component. A certificate from the DOL will be issued to apprentices once they have completed between 3200 and 4000 of on the job training hours.

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Child Care Health Educators provide trainings and resources to child care providers serving children and their families. They focus on providing the most up-to-date information on health, safety, and nutrition topics to child care providers to improve the overall health of the child.

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Child Care Nurse Health Consultants work with child care providers to promote the health and safety of children in the child care setting. These consultants can provide expert guidance, technical assistance and training on a wide range of health and safety topics.

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Early Care Share WV is an online platform that delivers a wealth of practical resources for early childhood education directors, family care providers, teachers, and students. Most simply, the website helps its users manage their programs more efficiently by saving time, reducing costs, and improving quality. Examples of resources offered include links to state and national regulations, discounts from vendors, and templates and sample documents.

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Early Childhood Quality Evaluators are a group of highly trained individuals in the ECERS-3 and ITERS-3 assessment tools. In March 2019, they began visiting every classroom in the state to complete an ECERS-3 or ITERS-3 assessment. The purpose of conducting the initial assessment is to establish baseline data on current child care center classrooms in WV.

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Celebrating Connections is the annual early childhood conference providing learning opportunities for all professionals in the early care and education community and parents.

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Camp Gizmo is a five day, hands-on camp where parents, professionals, and students learn how assistive technology can help young children, birth through 8 years, with significant and multiple developmental needs.

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Great Beginnings Infant/Toddler Conference is a professional development opportunity for Infant/Toddler Caregivers, Administrators, Early Interventionists, Home Visitors, and Early Head Start Staff.

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WV Early Intervention Interagency Coordinating Council is a governor appointed council mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to advise and assist with the implementation of the WV Birth to Three Early Intervention System. The Council is composed of families, practitioners, state agency representatives and other early childhood stakeholders.

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WV State Training and Registry System (STARS) is dedicated to impacting care and education by promoting quality professional development opportunities for those who care for, educate, and support West Virginia’s children and families.

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WV STARS Distance Learning works with Professional Development Providers from a variety of programs to develop, facilitate, and build high quality webinars, facilitated training courses, and self-paced training content for the Early Childhood community in West Virginia.

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WV STARS Pathway Advancement Scholarship is a project developed to encourage individuals to advance their education through the offering of scholarship opportunities. The WV STARS Pathway Advancement Scholarship is available to child care providers

and directors in a licensed child care center, licensed child care facility, or registered family child care home.

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WV STARS Pathway to Earnings is a wage incentive program available to individuals with qualifying certificates or degrees working in a licensed child care center, licensed child care facility, or registered family child care home.

 

WVECTCR creates several publications for use within the early care and education community.  The WV Early Childhood Provider Quarterly Magazine supports and informs the early childhood community, including families, on a variety of topics through an online format and distributed electronically.  The Parent Blocks Newsletter is a section of each magazine that is designed to provide families with relevant information on a variety of topics that focus on children’s issues from a parent’s perspective.  The Healthy Kids WV Newsletter includes relevant information on a variety of health, safety and nutrition topics that focus on children’s issues.
 

More Info:

http://www.wvearlychildhood.org