First Things First is funding access to a free, unlimited online training library for eligible early childhood professionals. Teachers, assistant teachers, directors, and family child care providers at DHS licensed programs and DES certified homes who are serving children birth through age five, not yet in kindergarten, are eligible for this opportunity.*
There is a pathway specific to new employee onboarding that meets the DES initial Health and Safety requirements (Foundations I not included) and covers all of the DHS 10-Day Checklist for Training of New Staff Member licensing requirements. The New Employee Orientation includes 35 hours of professional development and can be used with both new employees and seasoned employees who could benefit from foundational trainings. All courses in the New Employee Orientation pathway are available in English and Spanish. Learn how to access the trainings here.
*Currently, Head Start programs will not have access. However, tribal and seasonal/migrant Head Start programs will have access.
New Employee Orientation Pathway
Title
Hours
Description
DES Preservice CCDBG
DHS 10-Day Orientation
Medication Administration in the Child Care Environment
3
This course provides detailed information on best practices and procedures for the safe, effective, lawful, developmentally appropriate administration of medications in the child care environment.
Administration of Medication
Staff responsibilities as required by Statutes and Rules that govern group homes or centers
Indoor Safety in the Early Childhood Setting
1
This course introduces early childhood professionals to indoor safety standards in an early childhood setting. Topics covered include toy safety, poison control, the development of appropriate play space, controlling high traffic areas in the center, and other safety standards. Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to identify common indoor injuries and identify appropriate ways to prevent these injuries. Students will also learn about the basic components of toy safety, potential safety hazards with specific equipment, and ways in which children may be exposed to poisons.
Building and Physical Premises Safety; Handling & Storage of Hazardous Materials
Responding to accidents and emergencies
Coping With Crises and Traumatic Events
3
Emergencies and natural disasters can happen suddenly with little or no warning. This course provides essential information on recommended practices and strategies and other important resources to help guide the process of planning to survive and recover from disasters, emergencies, and other types of potentially traumatic events.
Emergency Preparedness & Response
Accident and emergency procedures
Outdoor Safety in the Early Childhood Setting
1
This course identifies common outdoor injuries and appropriate ways to prevent them. Students will learn about the various components of playground safety and hazards and the steps that must be taken to prevent accidental poisoning. Upon completing this course, students should be able to identify common outdoor-related injuries to children and describe appropriate ways to avoid these injuries, list the four necessary components of playground safety, identify playground problems and potential hazards and identify the ways children may be exposed to poisons.
Handling & Storage of Hazardous Materials
Responding to accidents and emergencies; Sun safety; Safety in outdoor activity areas
Preventing the Spread of Bloodborne Pathogens
1
This course covers OSHA standards and other information related to preventing the spread of bloodborne pathogens in the child care setting. Major topics covered include common infectious diseases spread by bloodborne pathogens, standard precautions, and other safety practices.
Infectious Disease Control
Accident and emergency procedures
Child Abuse: Signs of Abuse and Reporting Requirements for Early Childhood Professionals
1
This course identifies and defines the major categories of child abuse, explains the responsibilities of mandated reporters, lists methods of reporting, and emphasizes the importance of visual checks. Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to identify and define the four major categories of child abuse, along with the signs, symptoms, and examples of each type of abuse.
Mandatory Reporting
Detecting, preventing, and reporting child abuse or neglect
Food Allergies in the Early Care Setting
1
This course provides an overview of food allergies and basic food allergy safety principles to employ in the early care setting. Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to identify the occurrence of food allergies in the United States, identify the program’s responsibility to provide a safe environment for children and staff who suffer from food allergies, identify the eight major food allergens, identify contact and airborne sensitivity, list the theories associated with the rise in food allergies, identify the importance of food labeling and packaging and define epinephrine.
Prevention of and Response to Food and Allergic Reactions
Health needs, nutritional requirements, any known allergies, and information about adaptive devices
Protecting Infants: Reducing the Risk of SIDS and Shaken Baby Syndrome
2
This course is designed to increase participants’ knowledge about ways they can protect infants from the risks of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS). Throughout the course, participants will be introduced to risk-reducing and preventative strategies designed to keep infants safe. Information provided will also prepare participants to share this life-saving information with families.
SIDS; Shaken Baby Syndrome
Sudden infant death syndrome awareness
Transportation and Field Trip Safety for Child Care Centers
2
This course presents recommended practices and policies for the safe, developmentally appropriate transport of young children to and from childcare centers. Information is based primarily on federal safety standards, which are generally used as the basis for state standards, though specific regulations vary from state to state. Topics include staff training and support; recommended vehicle types and maintenance routines; child passenger restraint systems; operating procedures and practices; safe loading and unloading procedures; field trip safety, and more.
Transportation Safety
Transportation procedures; Field trip procedures
Principles from the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct
1
In this course, participants explore the principles behind NAEYC’s Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment and the need for such a document in the early childhood profession. As a result of participating in this course, students should be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct; ways to apply the Code of Ethical Conduct to problem solve ethical early childhood- related issues or dilemmas, and ways to employ the Code of Ethical Conduct to validate professional standards for children, families, staff, community, and themselves.
Curriculum: What Is It and Why Is It Important?
1
This course examines the benefits of implementing a well- planned curriculum in an early childhood program. As a result of completing this course, participants should be able to identify the basic steps involved in selecting, planning, and evaluating an effective early childhood curriculum.
Lesson plans
Assessing Young Children: Part 1 – Introduction to Assessment
1
This is the first of a three-part series dealing with the assessment of young children. Students completing this course will have an understanding of the importance of assessing young children and creating a narrative summary for the assessment of each child. Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to define assessment, list why it is important for teachers to assess young children, list the four basic areas addressed by developmental milestones and define “performance-based assessment.”
Lesson plans; Names and ages of and developmental expectations for enrolled children
The Developmentally Appropriate Classroom
1
This course will help you create a learning environment that is safe, secure, and full of opportunities for learning. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to recognize the four major things to be considered when designing a developmentally appropriate classroom, and identify keys for successful activity transitions. Course level – Beginner
Names, ages, and developmental stages of enrolled children; Lesson plans; Child guidance and methods of discipline
Parent Communication: Building Partners in the Educational Process
1
This course examines the importance of open communication between parents and teachers. Participants will learn about positive listening and speaking skills, overcoming communication barriers, and other methods and strategies that will help ensure parents are active partners in education.
Staff responsibilities as required by Statutes and Rules that govern group homes or centers
Creating a Multicultural Environment
1
This course explains multiculturalism and anti-bias education. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to define the goals of multiculturalism, develop an anti-bias classroom, incorporate multiculturalism into learning centers and other classroom activities, and promote cooperative social skills in diverse classrooms.
Lesson plans
Orientation to Child Care: Roles and Responsibilities for Teachers
1
This course discusses the roles and responsibilities of being a teacher in an early childhood setting. Upon successful completion of this course, a student should be able to identify five or more roles a preschool teacher fulfills, name three ways to prevent and reduce injuries in the classroom, name three appropriate guidance techniques, learn how to communicate clearly and professionally with parents and other caregivers, and describe ways to create an engaging developmentally appropriate environment that encourages learning through play.
Names, ages, and developmental stages of enrolled children; Lesson plans; Child guidance and methods of discipline; Staff responsibilities as required by Statutes and Rules that govern group homes or centers
Brain Development and Learning: What Every Early Care and Education Professional Should Know
1
This course teaches child care providers the basic parts and developmental processes in the human brain, as well as teaching practices and strategies that young brains need in order to develop to their full potential. Course level – Beginner
Child guidance and methods of discipline; Staff responsibilities as required by Statutes and Rules that govern group homes or centers
Safety in the Infant/Toddler Classroom
1
This course presents practices and recommendations for preventing injuries and reducing unnecessary hazards in the indoor child care setting.
Diapering techniques and toileting, if assigned to diaper changing duties; Preparation, handling, and storage of infant formula and breast milk
Birth to Five: Child Development in Young Children
3
Think back to your childhood. How much do you resemble the person you were as an infant? A five-year-old? A teenager? Your life, as well as the life of every other individual, is filled with growth, change, and development. This course covers important developmental milestones from birth through age five, related to physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Names, ages, and developmental stages of enrolled children
Foundations of Positive Guidance
2
This is an introductory course to positive guidance, a philosophy and strategy for guiding children’s behaviors and learning experiences. The course will explore the elements of child development that influence positive guidance strategies and some basic implementation practices for use in the child care setting. The course will also discuss the importance of working with families to establish consistent positive guidance practices at school and at home.
Guiding and disciplining children
Practicing Positive Guidance with Young Children
2
Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to identify strategies for promoting self-identity, self- confidence, and self-control in infants, toddlers and preschoolers. This course also reviews and expands upon theories, theorists, and concepts regarding human behavior and early childhood development.
Guiding and disciplining children
Basic Health and Hygiene Practices for the Early Childhood Setting
2
This course provides basic information everyone should know about preventing the spread of infectious diseases in the child care setting. Participants will learn about various types of pathogens and how they are spread, along with recommended hygiene practices, how to recognize signs and symptoms of a disease, immunization policies, criteria for excluding a child from group care, communicating with families regarding a disease, and maintaining a clean environment.
Health needs, nutritional requirements, any known allergies, and information about adaptive devices; Hand washing techniques; Recognizing signs of illness and infestation
Nutrition and Food Service in Early Learning Environments
2
This course is designed to provide information to assist food service staff, caregivers, and members of program leadership develop positive, healthy nutritional programs for young children. Participants will also gain a greater understanding of the requirements of the USDA Food Program and meal planning in an early childhood education setting.
Health needs, nutritional requirements, any known allergies, and information about adaptive devices; Preparing, serving, and storing food