CAFRA – Child Care Association For Resources to Administrators

Nourishing Beginnings

We are happy to share with you this new free resource about nutrition and young children for Alberta ELCC educators!

The Nourishing Beginnings program has launched module one: Supporting Young Eaters. This is an online nutrition program designed for Alberta ELCC educators with the support of leaders in early childhood and nutrition. The program is free and educators have ongoing access to each module and digital resources after they have completed it. 

Educators who register for the Supporting Young Eaters module have access to:
– the e-learning module with original videos and
– six digital resources (provided at completion of the module)

For more information about the program, see Nourishing Beginnings.  For information on accessing the program, please contact Jaclyn Chute at Jaclyn.Chute@dfc-plc.ca or 780-577-3334. 

CAFRA members are invited to attend the Association of Early Childhood Educator’s of Alberta’s AECEA Connect session on December 10, 2020 from 7:00-8:00 PM! 

In this session, we will be joined by Jane Beach to speak on her report written for the Edmonton Council for Early Learning and Care and the Muttart Foundation, An Examination of Regulatory and Other Measures to Support Quality Early Learning and Care in Alberta. To view the report, go here.

Jane is an early learning and child care research and policy consultant, based in Victoria BC. Over the past 25 years, Jane has developed child care expansion plans, conducted numerous child care studies, and authored many research and policy reports for government, universities, non-profit organizations and labour groups.

Register Here

Be sure to like and follow CAFRA’s Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/CAFRA-Child-Care-Association-for-Resources-to-Administrators-106093627478266

Applications are now open for the ECDV 0100 – Exploring Early Childhood Curriculum: Play, Participation and Possibilities Winter 2021 course offering.  This free online course is for educators wanting to learn how to use Flight: Alberta’s Early Learning and Care Framework to guide their daily practices.  For more information, please see the attached Winter 2021 Course Information PDF and Powerpoint presentation with answers to FAQs.  

The first step in the application process is for educators to submit an online Expression of Interest form. The Expression of Interest form can be found through the following link and it is also embedded in the Winter 2021 Course Information PDF that is attached to this email. The form will provide an opportunity to indicate your preference for English or French instruction and course materials, and for the OSC focused course offering.  Link: https://forms.gle/yVf5Y7nzQHt1XDdA7

As a government-funded project, only educators from licensed and approved programs will be considered for a space in the course.  Due to limited spaces in the course, the offer to register will be decided on the basis of balancing regional representation across Alberta, as well as program type.

The Expression of Interest form link will be open until Monday, November 2, 2020 until 6 P.M.  Submit today!  

For more information regarding Alberta’s Early Learning and Care Framework:  https://flightframework.ca/ 

For more course information contact: pppinfo@macewan.ca. 

Free On-line Course: Applications are now open for ECDV 0100 – Exploring Early Childhood Curriculum: Play, Participation and Possibilities 

SPOTS ARE LIMITED AND FILLING FAST – APPLY RIGHT AWAY!

Applications are now open for the ECDV 0100 – Exploring Early Childhood Curriculum: Play, Participation and Possibilities fall 2020 course offering at MacEwan University. This free online course is for educators wanting to learn how to use Flight: Alberta’s Early Learning and Care Framework to guide their daily practices. This course is intended for educators working in licensed and approved programs in Alberta. 

The online application form can be found through the following link. https://forms.gle/U7XYwbo5Z9UMRbGf7

The application link will be open until Friday, July 31st.  Apply today! This message has been shared with several early learning and child care networks across Alberta. 

For further information, please contact pppinfo@macewan.ca.

Have you been keeping up with CAFRA? Many members are sharing information on our Members’ List, the easiest way to contact all members at once.
– If you have a question or information to share, send it to members@lists.cafra.ca. Be sure to send it from the e-mail you used to register your membership or it will be rejected or delayed.
– To read what members have been sharing, go to For Current Members on the website homepage (Forget the password? Check the bottom of recent agendas or meeting minutes OR contact Vicki at admin@cafra.ca.) and click on CAFRA Membership Mailing List.)

Also under the For Current Members section, The HR Zoom Presentation from April 9, 2020, has been added.

Hello everyone! What a different world we’re all living in right now! We hope that you are healthy and well and managing to navigate these changes.

Today’s Board of Directors meeting was cancelled. Let’s hope for a May meeting! Stay tuned for information about the April members’ meeting.

Many of you are touching base with each other and sharing information in our Members’ List Discussion List. If you have a question or information to share with other members, you can send messages to the list: members@lists.cafra.ca. You can see previous archived messages here.

AECEA needs your assistance in completing a survey “Alberta Child Care Operating Costs – Provincial Survey in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.” If you have not already completed this survey, please do so as the information will assist them in advocating for you and your child care program.

If you find you have time on your hands and are interested in some free professional development, check out the variety of free webinars offered at Early Childhood Investigations. Also, this today, April 2, through Saturday, April 4, the Institute of Child Psychology is offering a webinar “Battling Anxiety in Children and Teens.” You can find more information here. Click on “Register for the Event” to see the dates and times offered.

Finally, take care of yourself during these crazy times. This article is directed at parents, but certainly offers great advice for CAFRA members as well: “Self-care in the Time of Corona Virus“

Information on AECEA’s Dr. Sherrill Brown Award can be found below this post. Information on the upcoming AECEA conferences on April 24 and April 25 can be found under Professional Learning.

Will you be attending this month’s February CAFRA Membership Meeting on February 20 from 9am to 11am at Southview Child Care? There will also be a special meeting from 11am to 11:45am to discuss CAFRA’s suggestions to changes to Alberta Child Care Regulations and Act. Your contribution is important – please stay if you can! Hope to see you there! On this month’s agenda:

• Learn about your Board’s work on CAFRA governance.
• Find out about upcoming professional development opportunities.
• Get essential information on early learning advocacy and public policy.
• Get involved! Submit your name or another nominee for CAFRA Board of Directors.
• Participate in the development of a Code of Conduct for CAFRA members.
• Most importantly, stay for 45 minutes after the meeting to contribute to the development of CAFRA’s suggestions for changes to Alberta Child Care Regulations and Act.

2020 NOMINATION GUIDELINES
The Association of Early Childhood Educators of Alberta is pleased to present the 2020 AECEA Dr. Sherrill Brown Award of Distinction. This award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of early learning and quality child care in Alberta.

Selection Criteria
Award recipients must have made outstanding contributions in the following areas:
Involvement with the Early Learning and Child Care Community
The nomination should describe and provide evidence of the nominee’s involvement and/or impact with families and the early learning and child care community.
Commitment to the Field
The nomination should describe and provide evidence of the nominee’s ongoing commitment to improve the child care profession and enhance the abilities of others in the field.
Innovation
The nomination should describe and provide evidence of the nominee’s use of creative approaches to support and advance early learning and quality child care: locally, provincially, and/or federally.

View the eligibility requirements here

Submit your nomination here

Whether you are a returning member or would like to become a new member, remember that 2020 membership fees are due February 29, 2020. (Thank you to those who have already paid!)

Do you have a passion for leadership and advocacy? Would you like to contribute to CAFRA by serving on its Board of Directors? Elections will be held at this year’s AGM on March 19, 2020. Nominations will be accepted beginning February 20, 2020. The Board meets monthly on the first Thursday of each month from 9:00am to 11:00am at McKernan Child Development Centre.

AECEA is seeking presenters for its upcoming 2nd Annual Student Conference. See details under Professional Learning: Upcoming PD Opportunities. If you are interested in presenting or know someone who would be ideal, the presenter application form can be found here. Application deadline is February 14, 2020.

Check out Upcoming Professional Development Events under Professional Learning for details about a NEW upcoming opportunity: Resources for Infant Educarers: RIE^® Foundations: Theory and Observation Course being offered here in Edmonton at McKernan CDC beginning March 2!

Watch your e-mail! Each member agency received an e-mail regarding current member information on file. Send any corrections to Vicki before January 14 as membership invoices will go out that day. Thanks!

Looking forward to seeing many of our members at the Google Training courses on Thursday!