EIU Child Care Resource and Referral

Time: 1:00 pm-2:30 pm
Zoom (link will be sent out to all providers a day prior)
RSVP:  Not required

Provider Networking Meetings are all about you, the provider! These meetings are an opportunity to network with other providers, and ask questions and start discussions with other professionals and resource specialists who may be able to assist you and or offer suggestions with any challenges you may be facing in the early childhood field. Our team here at EIU Child Care Resource and Referral will share resources, updates,important dates, professional development opportunities, funding/grant information and more. Participants are asked to bring their ideas, thoughts and any resources that will be helpful to the networking process. These meetings reoccur monthly!

Trainer: Shelli Blair, Provider Services
1.5 In-Service Hours | CDA: 6 

Time 8:00 am-3:00 pm (lunch break included)
Location:  EIU Ninth Street Hall (2201 9th Street, Charleston, IL 61920)
RSVP:  08/01/25

Establishing nurturing and responsive relationships within a caring community is the foundation of the Pyramid Model. This training focuses on practices for building relationships with children, promoting relationships between children, relationships with families that affirm family culture and identity, and relationships with team members.

Trainer: Lori Rothrock, Quality Specialist
6.5 In-Service Hours | CDA: 3 

Time: 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Location:  Windsor Library (102 S Maple Street, Windsor, IL 61957)
RSVP:  08/06/25

Come network and chat with other local family child care providers! Topics will include ExceleRate Illinois, business practices, relationships with families, quality improvement, and self-care. We will also share resources and curriculum ideas.

Trainer: Lori Rothrock, Quality Specialist
2 In-Service Hours | CDA: 5 

Time: 6:00 pm-8:30 pm 
Location:  EIU Ninth Street Hall (2201 9th Street, Charleston, IL 61920)
RSVP:  08/07/25

As the first training module in the Pyramid Model Infant-Toddler Module Series, Understanding Social-Emotional Development will acquaint participants with the Pyramid Model, introduce important terms that will be used throughout the Pyramid Model training modules, and lay a foundation to better understand the role caregivers play in young children’s social-emotional development.

Trainer: Vicky Foster, Infant Toddler Child Care Specialist
2.5 In-Service Hours | CDA: 3 

Time: 11:00 am-2:00 pm
Location:  EIU Ninth Street Hall (2201 9th Street, Charleston, IL  61920)
RSVP:  08/15/25

Fun with Food is an interactive training where we will learn and practice hands on some fun and nutritious recipes for the children in your care. We will discuss the importance of lunch, look at some creative food presentation techniques, practice some recipes and activities.

Trainer: Bea Sawyer, Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant
3 In-Service Hours | CDA: 2 

Time: 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Location:  Paris Hospital Conference Room A (721 E Court Street, Paris, IL 61944)
RSVP:  08/20/25

Come network and chat with other local family child care providers! Topics will include ExceleRate Illinois, business practices, relationships with families, quality improvement, and self-care. We will also share resources and curriculum ideas.

Trainer: Lori Rothrock, Quality Specialist
2 In-Service Hours | CDA: 5

Time:  6:00 pm-8:30 pm
Location:  EIU Ninth Street Hall (2201 9th Street, Charleston, IL 61920)
RSVP:  08/21/25

In Focusing on Relationships, participants will explore the importance and complexities of developing relationships between caregivers, families, and children. Participants should leave understanding that social-emotional development takes place within the context of relationships, so strategies to support development must prioritize building relationships. This training covers topics such as reflecting on participants’ past and current relationships, as well as addressing issues related to culture, diversity, race, equity, risk, and protective factors.

Trainer: Vicky Foster, Infant Toddler Child Care Specialist
2.5 In-Service Hours | CDA: 3 & 4

Time: 1:00 pm-2:30 pm
Zoom (link will be sent out to all providers a day prior)
RSVP:  Not required

Provider Networking Meetings are all about you, the provider! These meetings are an opportunity to network with other providers, and ask questions and start discussions with other professionals and resource specialists who may be able to assist you and or offer suggestions with any challenges you may be facing in the early childhood field. Our team here at EIU Child Care Resource and Referral will share resources, updates, important dates, professional development opportunities, funding/grant information and more. Participants are asked to bring their ideas, thoughts and any resources that will be helpful to the networking process. These meetings reoccur monthly!

Trainer: Shelli Blair, Provider Services
1.5 In-Service Hours | CDA: 6 

Time: 8:00 am-2:30 pm 
Location:  EIU Ninth Street Hall (2201 9th Street, Charleston, IL 61920)
RSVP:  08/29/25

This module focuses on the practices for establishing high-quality supportive classroom environments that promote social-emotional skill development and prevent challenging behavior. Practices related to schedules, routines, transitions, promoting engagement, expectations, and rules are addressed in the workshop.

Trainer: Lori Rothrock, Quality Specialist
6 In-Service Hours | CDA: 3 

Time:  6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Location:  Windsor Library (102 S Maple Street, Windsor, IL 61957)
RSVP:  09/03/25

Come network and chat with other local family child care providers! Topics will include ExceleRate Illinois, business practices, relationships with families, quality improvement, and self-care. We will also share resources and curriculum ideas.

Trainer: Lori Rothrock, Quality Specialist
2 In-Service Hours | CDA: 5 

Time: 6:00 pm-7:30 pm
Location:  EIU Ninth Street Hall (2201 9th Street, Charleston, IL 61920)
RSVP:  09/04/25

In Responsive Routines, Schedules, & Environments, participants will learn how being intentional about establishing daily routines and setting up the environment can: help young children feel confident and secure, paving the way for social-emotional growth; promote children’s active and safe exploration and learning; and facilitate positive child-peer and adult-child interactions.

Trainer: Vicky Foster, Infant Toddler Child Care Specialist
1.5 In-Service Hours | CDA: 3 

Time: 11:00 am-2:00 pm
Location:  EIU Ninth Street Hall (2201 9th Street, Charleston, IL 61920)
RSVP:  09/12/25

Have you lost your motivation and your passion for what you do? Maybe you used to know, and you have had a significant change or life event that has you revisiting your goals. This training encourages you to look inside yourself to find out what drives you. We will practice self-reflection, take a personality test, and engage ininteractive activities to help you find your true calling. This training aims to introduce child care workers to the concept of reflective practice as well as engage you in a discussion about your professional passions and meaningfulness of your work. By discovering your “why” and sharing it with colleagues, stronger relationships and compassion for one another can be built. Knowing where we come from helps us to understand where we are going. This training offers specific discussion questions and topics to facilitate conversation around personal values and perspectives as a valuable member of a team and as a leader in your child care center, family child care center, classroom, or home. With new understandings of one another and ourselves, you will engage in goal setting around building a personal reflective practice that will encourage purposeful interactions in your everyday work and life.

Trainer: Bea Sawyer, Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant
3 In-Service Hours | CDA: 5 

Time: 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Location:  Paris Hospital Conference Room A (721 E Court Street, Paris, IL 61944)
RSVP:  09/17/25

Come network and chat with other local family child care providers! Topics will include ExceleRate Illinois, business practices, relationships with families, quality improvement, and self-care. We will also share resources and curriculum ideas.

Trainer: Lori Rothrock, Quality Specialist
2 In-Service Hours | CDA: 5 

Time: 6:00 pm-7:30 pm
Location:  EIU Ninth Street Hall (2201 9th Street, Charleston, IL 61920)
RSVP:  09/18/25

Working with infants and toddlers is rewarding, but it can also sometimes be challenging. In Understanding Behavior, participants will learn how to use observation to better understand child behavior. We will look at the many influences affecting behavior and use this knowledge to examine our own beliefs. We will practice reframing our thoughts to better respond to challenging situations.

Trainer: Vicky Foster, Infant Toddler Childcare Specialist
1.5 In-Service Hours | CDA: 3  

Time: 1:00 pm-2:30 pm
Zoom (link will be sent out to all providers a day prior)
RSVP:  Not required

Provider Networking Meetings are all about you, the provider! These meetings are an opportunity to network with other providers, and ask questions and start discussions with other professionals and resource specialists who may be able to assist you and or offer suggestions with any challenges you may be facing in the early childhood field. Our team here at EIU Child Care Resource and Referral will share resources, updates, important dates, professional development opportunities, funding/grant information and more. Participants are asked to bring their ideas, thoughts and any resources that will be helpful to the networking process. These meetings reoccur monthly!

Trainer: Shelli Blair, Provider Services
1.5 In-Service Hours | CDA: 6 

Time: 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Zoom (link will be sent out the day prior)
RSVP:  09/24/25

Credentials are a great way to prove that you are a professional in the Early Childhood system and funding is attached to these in the ExceleRate IL and Great START programs. This training will go over the credentialing options to become teacher qualified in child care centers. Detailed information on the process of attaining the Child Development Associate (CDA) or the Child Care Professional (CCP) will presented. Also information and resources on how to achieve the Illinois Gateways to Opportunity credentials will also be covered. These include the Infant Toddler Credential, Early Childhood Education Credential, Illinois Director Credential, School Age and Youth Development Credential, and Family Child Care Credential.

Trainer: Melissa Coleman, Child Care Resource Specialist
2 In-Service Hours | CDA: 5 

Time: 8:00 am-3:00 pm (lunch break included)
Location:  EIU Ninth Street Hall (2201 9th Street, Charleston, IL 61920)
RSVP:  09/26/25

Promoting social-emotional development is core to the Pyramid Model. This module provides training on the practices for teaching friendship skills, emotional literacy, self-regulation, and problem-solving.

Trainer: Lori Rothrock, Quality Specialist
6.5 In-Service Hours | CDA: 3

Time: 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Location:  Windsor Library (102 S Maple Street, Windsor, IL 61957)
RSVP:  10/01/25

Come network and chat with other local family child care providers! Topics will include ExceleRate Illinois, business practices, relationships with families, quality improvement, and self-care. We will also share resources and curriculum ideas.

Trainer: Lori Rothrock, Quality Specialist
2 In-Service Hours | CDA: 5 

Time: 6:00 pm-7:30 pm
Location:  EIU Ninth Street Hall (2201 9th Street, Charleston, IL 61920)
RSVP:  10/02/25

In Teaching About Feelings, a module of the Pyramid Model Infant-Toddler Module Series, participants will explore what the development of emotional literacy looks like (i.e., labeling feelings in self and others,
recognizing facial and physiological signs, modulating responses, developing coping strategies) and share a variety of strategies teachers can use to support and teach the young early learners in our care about feelings.

Trainer: Vicky Foster, Infant Toddler Child Care Specialist
1.5 In-Service Hours | CDA: 3

Time: 6:00 pm-8:30 pm
Location:  EIU Ninth Street Hall (2201 9th Street, Charleston, IL 61920)
RSVP:  10/08/25

This module guides practitioners in how to individualize instruction on social-emotional skills for children who need more targeted support. Practices that are taught include: teaching systematically, peer-mediated intervention, planning for embedded instruction, and progress monitoring.

Trainer: Lori Rothrock, Quality Specialist
2.5 In-Service Hours | CDA: 3 

Time: 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Location:  Paris Hospital Conference Room B (721 E Court Street, Paris, IL 61944)
RSVP:  10/15/25

Come network and chat with other local family child care providers! Topics will include ExceleRate Illinois, business practices, relationships with families, quality improvement, and self-care. We will also share resources and curriculum ideas.

Trainer: Lori Rothrock, Quality Specialist
2 In-Service Hours | CDA: 5 

Time: 6:00 pm-7:30 pm
Location:  EIU Ninth Street Hall (2201 9th Street, Charleston, IL 61920)
RSVP:  10/16/25

In Positive Peer Interactions, a module of the Pyramid Model Infant-Toddler Module Series, participants will gain knowledge on how to facilitate positive peer interactions and support the development of social and friendship skills, learn about the developmental stages of social and play skills, and apply that knowledge to classroom practices.

Trainer: Vicky Foster, Infant Toddler Child Care Specialist
1.5 In-Service Hours | CDA: 3 

Time: 8:00 pm-3:00 pm (lunch break included)
Location:  EIU Ninth Street Hall (2201 9th Street, Charleston, IL 61920)
RSVP:  10/24/25

This module provides the practices for understanding child challenging behavior, how to respond to challenging behavior, becoming aware of bias in responding, de-escalating behavior, and the components of developing a behavior support plan for children with persistent challenging behavior.

Trainer: Lori Rothrock, Quality Specialist
6.5 In-Service Hours | CDA: 3

Time: 6:00 pm-9:00 pm
Zoom (link will be sent out the day prior)
RSVP:  10/28/25

The Strengthening Business Practices for Family Child Care training addresses basic concepts in fiscal and operational management of family childcare programs. The purpose of this training is to strengthen child care provider’s foundational knowledge of fiscal terms, concepts, and practices. It encourages providers to realize the importance of fiscal planning to the sustainability of their business operations. It provides tips and best practices in fiscal, organizational, and financial goals and human resource documents in order to help break down the fiscal processes into manageable steps.

Trainer: Melissa Coleman, Child Care Resource Specialist
12 In-Service Hours | CDA: 5

Time: 1:00 pm-2:30 pm
Zoom (link will be sent out to all providers a day prior)
RSVP:  Not required

Provider Networking Meetings are all about you, the provider! These meetings are an opportunity to network with other providers, and ask questions and start discussions with other professionals and resource specialists who may be able to assist you and or offer suggestions with any challenges you may be facing in the early childhood field. Our team here at EIU Child Care Resource and Referral will share resources, updates, important dates, professional development opportunities, funding/grant information and more. Participants are asked to bring their ideas, thoughts and any resources that will be helpful to the networking process. These meetings reoccur monthly!

Trainer: Shelli Blair, Provider Services
1.5 In-Service Hours | CDA: 6

Time: 6:00 pm-8:45 pm
Location:  EIU Ninth Street Hall (2201 9th Street, Charleston, IL 61920)
RSVP:  10/30/25

In Individualized Teaching, a module of the Pyramid Model Infant-Toddler Module Series, participants will learn how to identify and address delays in social-emotional development. This module provides an overview of these screening and assessment processes and guidance on how to develop a systematic plan to provide individualized teaching to children who have delays.

Trainer: Vicky Foster, Infant Toddler Child Care Specialist
2.75 In-Service Hours | CDA: 3 & 7

Time: 6:00 pm-7:30 pm
EIU Ninth Street Hall (2201 9th Street, Charleston, IL  61920)
RSVP:  11/05/25

In this module, practitioners learn about the steps of Prevent-Teach-Reinforce for Young Children (PTR-YC) and how PTR-YC is used as a manualized process for conducting a functional behavioral assessment and developing a behavior support plan.

Trainer: Lori Rothrock, Quality Specialist
1.5 In-Service Hours | CDA: 7

Time: 1:00 pm-3:00 pm
EIU Ninth Street Hall (2201 9th Street, Charleston, IL  61920)
RSVP:  11/07/25

This will be an interactive training where we will learn about secondhand trauma, compassion fatigue, symptoms, and incorporate some strategies for developing compassion fatigue resilience. We discuss trauma informed care in the workplace and with children, learn some techniques that work with children such as Brain Dance, and Mindfulness in letting go, as well as compassion satisfaction, tips for transitioning from work to home and home to work to leave compassion fatigue behind, and many ideas for self-care. This training will leave you informed and inspired.

Trainer: Bea Sawyer, Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant
2 In-Service Hours | CDA: 6

Time: 6:00 pm-9:15 pm
Location:  EIU Ninth Street Hall (2201 9th Street, Charleston, IL 61920)
RSVP:  11/13/25

In Challenging Behavior, a module of the Pyramid Model: Infant Toddler Module Series, participants will identify and define challenging behavior, and work to understand why challenging behavior happens; discuss how to gather data and implement strategies that will prevent challenging behavior; and discuss strategies to address or respond effectively to challenging behavior when it is present.

Trainer: Vicky Foster, Infant Toddler Child Care Specialist
3.25 In-Service Hours | CDA: 4 & 7

Time: 1:00 pm-2:30 pm
Zoom (link will be sent out to all providers a day prior)
RSVP:  Not required

Provider Networking Meetings are all about you, the provider! These meetings are an opportunity to network with other providers, and ask questions and start discussions with other professionals and resource specialists who may be able to assist you and or offer suggestions with any challenges you may be facing in the early childhood field. Our team here at EIU Child Care Resource and Referral will share resources, updates, important dates, professional development opportunities, funding/grant information and more. Participants are asked to bring their ideas, thoughts and any resources that will be helpful to the networking process. These meetings reoccur monthly!

Trainer: Shelli Blair, Provider Services
1.5 In-Service Hours | CDA: 6