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❄️🌟Happy Holidays!🌟❄️ Sending warm holiday wishes to our Zero to Five Montana family and friends! Thank you for being here. Your efforts in 2023 have helped us move good work forward for our state's children and families! Cheers to hope, happiness, and harmony during this holiday season as we reflect on the momentum gained over the past year and plan for continued exciting progress in 2024. From all of us to all of you -- thank you so much for supporting Zero to Five Montana as we work to stabilize, innovate and build Montana's early childhood system. Early Literacy Council proposes draft rules for implementation of HB 352 The Montana Early Literacy Advisory Council (ELAC) and many others throughout Montana are working hard to ensure our state's newest literacy programming for our youngest citizens will be off to a good start in 2024. ELAC, formed in September, is a 15-member council comprised of administrators from various school districts, teachers, higher education faculty, education-focused organizations and the Office of Public Instruction. It is facilitated by McCall Flynn, Executive Director of the Montana Board of Public Education and Caitlin Jensen, Executive Director of Zero to Five Montana. ELAC has developed draft rules for the Board of Public Education for the implementation of HB 352, Rep. Brad Barker’s bill to provide targeted interventions to support 3rd grade reading proficiency. The proposed rules outline the evaluation methodology to qualify a child’s participation in programming, a framework for the (summer) jumpstart program and requirements for the home-based program. As required in HB 352, the Board of Public Education, the Office of Public Instruction, and the boards of trustees of Montana school districts will collaborate and prepare for the full implementation of early literacy programs in the school year beginning July 1, 2024, with eligibility determination beginning in the spring. Public comment on the draft rules opens Dec. 8 and a public hearing to consider adoption of the proposed rules is scheduled for Jan. 4, 2024, at 10 a.m. in room 152 of the state capitol building. For details on the draft rules and more information on the advisory council, see https://bpe.mt.gov/Advisory-Councils The council meets Dec. 6 to review early childhood education standards. Watch the meeting here: https://bit.ly/bpe-livestream Zero to Five Montana is hiring two positions! We are looking for an Early Childhood Policy Analyst to provide legislative expertise on key early childhood issues and develop issue briefings and policy solutions for broad audience awareness and engagement. The willingness to lead projects and initiatives resulting in increased access to high-quality early care and education, as well as other services to support the health and well-being of Montana’s children, is essential to this
role. We are also seeking an Early Childhood Tribal Coordinator to work across the early childhood system in Montana to elevate the importance of tribal early care and education through policy and advocacy. The Early Childhood Tribal Coordinator works collaboratively with partners to address systemic challenges and develop solutions. This position is a partnership between Salish Kootenai College and Zero to Five Montana. See this link for more info! --> bit.ly/ECTribalCoordinator Announcing new online tools & resources! At Montana Child Care Business Connect, we are committed to providing Montana’s child care community with the necessary resources, tools, and support they need to flourish. We invite you to explore our on-demand virtual training sessions, resource library, and more! Empower yourself and your child care business to deliver outstanding care and education to Montana’s children. Our extensive online resource library continues to grow, providing child care businesses with a curated collection of articles, guides, templates, and best practices. This valuable repository covers business development, policies and procedures, community engagement, financial management, and more. Our new resources include:
Check our website regularly for updates! Education & Events Child Care is a Business Affair During Nov. 15 and Nov. 30 appearances in Lewistown and Hamilton (more stops on our statewide tour) Senior Business Advisor Jason Nitschke presented “Child Care is Infrastructure,” featuring localized data on labor force participation demonstrating how child care is the workforce behind the workforce that allows regional economies to maximize their revenues, profits, and broaden the local tax base. Community Navigator Shelby Whelan talked about the upcoming relaunch of our Family Forward Montana program, ways businesses can engage with Connect in the meantime, and the family-friendly success stories we are already seeing from businesses across the state. The “Child Care is a Business Affair” events, hosted by the Central Montana Childcare Alliance and the Bitterroot Valley Chamber of Commerce, attracted workforce professionals, human resource managers, business owners, and elected officials including Lewistown area county commissioners and state legislators. Would you like an MCCBC staffer to present at a community event in your area? Please contact Kendra Edlin at KendraE@ZerotoFive.org. These free offerings are part of a webinar series specific to different aspects of business practices for business owners/directors/managers. Participants must attend a minimum of four of the seven offerings to receive CE credit. Remaining Webinar Series Schedule:
All Tiny Training webinars are held from 1:30 - 2 p.m. Missed a Tiny Training webinar? Subscribe to our YouTube channel to access past recordings. Or visit childcarebusinessconnect.com. In the News
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