Training & Workshops
Quoting Albert Einstein, “Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.” Everyone can benefit from continuing to learn new ideas, processes and research. The State of Illinois believes in continuing education and therefore requires 15 hours of training per year for child care staff and family child care owners in licensed child care programs. West Central Child Care Connection is a resource for training. We offer instructor led, online, self study and webinar options for you to choose from.
Training Calendar
West Central Child Care Connection plans to offer 90 presenter/instructor led training and professional development opportunities for child care providers. Training is either free or have a very small registration fee. Providers can call to register at 800-782-7318, or you can email Sharon at Sharon@wcccc.com, or you can register online directly from the Training Calendar. Please check back to the calendar regularly as we will add new training opportunities when we receive approvals.
Online Trainings
There are online trainings that are accepted by DCFS as well. These trainings are useful if you are obtaining hours for a CDA or applying to become a licensed provider. Some of the trainings found at these links are free and some do charge a fee to complete the course. We encourage you to attend “live” trainings which are beneficial for a variety of reasons: more personal interaction, networking with others, and question and answer opportunities. However we know that sometimes they are not an option. Many of the links below offer multiple trainings on a variety of great topics.
Lead in Water: Protecting Illinois Children
Food Handlers Course – These food handler courses will take you through the fundamentals of food safety for your food handler training certificate which is sometimes confused with a permit, license, card or certification. Once the course has been completed, you should have a good understanding of what foodborne illness is, how it is caused, and what you can do to help prevent it from occurring.
Once the course is successfully taken, you will be able to immediately print a certificate for your records.
Listed below are some options
- FHC Food Handler Class
- Learn to Serve-Food handlers class
- eFood Handlers class
- Illinois Food Handler Training
- Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse:
Training for Mandated Reporters - Family Child Care Orientation
SIDS/SUID/Safe Sleep and SBS/Traumatic Brain Injury Training
- ExceleRate Orientation
- Transitions
- Environment Rating Scale
- WEEC
- Continuous Quality Improvement Plans
- Curriculum
- Screening Tools
- Assessment
Gateways To Opportunity Training
- ECE Credential
- We Choose Health
- Becoming A Registry Member
- School age care issues
- CDA certification and renewal courses
- NAC renewal courses
- Other child related topics
Self Studies
West Central Child Care Connection offers Self Studies for checkout from our office. Each self-study contains a DVD and questions for you to complete to confirm understanding of the material presented. Providers will submit their self-study materials after viewing the DVD and upon successful completion of the questions, will earn two DCFS contact hours. Providers have one month to complete the self-study and submit it to be approved. There is a $10.00 fee (plus $20.00 fee for unlicensed providers) per person for each self-study. Any questions or requests can be made by calling our office at 800-782-7318 or by email at Librarian@wcccc.com.
Statewide Training Opportunities
West Central Child Care Connection serves nine counties in West Central Illinois. There are wonderful training opportunities outside of our nine county region. If you are interested in a training opportunity or conference that is within Illinois, but is not sponsored by us, it may qualify for Individual Professional Development Funds to help cover the cost of registration, travel, and possibly more. Please call or email Robin@wcccc.com to inquire about eligibility.