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KAIMH Connections
Resources for Early Childhood Mental Health Advocates
Updates | October, 2023
Highlights in this newsletter include information on a free reflective practice resource from Start Early, free training and updated app from the CDC, a free webinar series from the Division of Early Childhood, KAIMH Conference 2024 save the date and upcoming professional development courses that support your IMH-Endorsement®.
Free Resource
Start Early has launched a new professional learning resource called Reflectable®. For a limited time, they are offering it free to early childhood systems. Reflectable® is a mobile-first tool for early educators that supports social emotional learning in pre-K classrooms through a 10-minute, guided weekly reflective practice. Click here to learn more.
"Embracing diversity, especially when it comes to children and families, is like adding all the colors to a beautiful painting."
Check out these helpful tips on how to teach children to embrace diversity, from Gail Cozadd, CEO of Kansas Children's Service League.
Early care and education providers play a critical role in the health and wellbeing of children. You are very well positioned to help identify children who might need extra help in their development. This FREE, online training course, Watch Me! Celebrating Milestones and Sharing Concerns, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention helps you fulfill this role by providing tools and best practices for monitoring the development of children in your care and talking about it with their parents.
A free webinar series from the Division of Early Childhood in now available to watch on demand:
In this webinar series, the Division for Early Childhood and the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center host various experts in the field of early childhood special education and early intervention in disrupting the pervasive inequities of our systems. Topics include troubling notions of "at risk," challenging biases about families in home based services, suspension and expulsion in early childhood settings, counteracting racism and ableism in early childhood systems, and engaging in systems change in pursuit of equity. Click here to learn more and access the recordings.
CDC’s Milestone Tracker is now LIVE in the App Store and Google Play!
This NEWLY updated app is FREE for teachers, parents, and caregivers. Track a child’s milestones from age 2 months to 5 years with CDC’s easy-to-use illustrated checklists; get tips from CDC for encouraging a child’s development; and find out what to do if you are ever concerned about how a child is developing. As an early care and education advocate, you know the importance of tracking children’s developmental milestones. This app makes it easy, fun, and a great way to engage parents and caregivers. CDC’s Milestone Tracker app helps teachers, parents, and caregivers better understand each child’s skills and abilities, track and celebrate developmental milestones, and share developmental progress from ages 2 months through 5 years.
Features:
Add a Child – add a photo and enter personalized information about a child or multiple children.
Milestone Tracker – track a child’s developmental progress by looking for important milestones using an interactive, illustrated checklist.
Checklists Adjust for Prematurity—updated functionality uses corrected age for babies born prematurely.
Milestone Photos and Videos – know what each milestone looks like so that you can better identify them in a child.
Tips and Activities – support a child’s development at every age.
When to Act Early – know when it’s time to “act early” and talk with a child’s doctor about developmental concerns.
Appointments – keep track of a child’s doctors’ appointments and get reminders about recommended developmental screenings.
Milestone Summary – get a summary of a child’s milestones to view and share.
Access a printable poster (8.5” x 11”) for your classroom or center, a web button for your website, and more at www.cdc.gov/MilestoneTracker.
Save the Date - KAIMH Conference 2024 April 18-19th, Overland Park, KS
Check out these upcoming professional development opportunities that support your Infant Mental Health Endorsement® from the Early Childhood Investigations Webinars, Kansas Child Care Training Opportunities, Kansas Children's Service League, Kansas Parents As Teachers, and Child Care Aware.
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