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The foundation of child care and education is professional development. The amount of training an early care educator has directly impacts the quality of child care they can provide.
The Nurturing Center offers a variety of opportunities for professional development to child care providers in our region. Click on the Professional Development Calendar link below to see current offerings. All classes that we offer meet the Montana Early Childhood Project guidelines as approved training. Montana requires a minimum of 8 training hours per year in order tomaintain a child care provider registration or license. Child care providers on the Montana Practitioner Registry must complete a minimum of 23 hours per year.
 Professional Development Calendar (April - June 2013)
Click the calendar to view our current professional development training calendar.
Child Care Provider Services
 The Nurturing Center’s Child Care Provider Services is here to help interested people in becoming registered or licensed early care educators and help them achieve the highest level of quality care for the children they care for. Contact Sherrie Smith or Denice Malley at 756-1414 or sherrie@nurturingcenter.org and denice@nurturingcenter.org for more information about the process and benefits of becoming an in-home child care provider. On the 2nd Tuesday of each month from 10:30-11:30 am we are available for pre-orientation, please call in advance and let us you you will be here! We will be available to answer questions and guide you through the first steps of becoming a new provider.
To get information on becoming a Child Care Provider visit the Quality Assurance Division website for State forms and Regulations.
ACTIVITY BOXES
We have resources for child care providers to borrow. We also have a collection of themed activity boxes available for providers to borrow to enhance specific units they may be doing with children. Click here to see available boxes.
 To learn more about training requirements for Montana early care educators and upcoming approved trainings for all regions, visit the Montana Early Childhood Project (ECP) website at www.mtecp.org. Montana Early Childhood Project is housed at the Montana State University and partners with Montana's Early Childhood Services Bureau, Montana Resource & Referral Network and all others who are committed to bringing the highest quality, consistent early care and education to all of Montana's children.
We offer Bringing Early Success Training (B.E.S.T.) program to providers who are new to the field of early childhood education. B.E.S.T. is a mentoring program that offers new child care providers the support they need to thrive and be successful in their first years working with young children. This curriculum provides on-site support and individualized training covering what child care providers need to know, understand and be able to do. Topics covered will include child growth and development, child guidance, working with families, and health and safety. By completing B.E.S.T., you will receive 23 Montana-approved training hours for the low price of $25.00.
Click here for the NAEYC Code of Conduct
Mini Grant Applications
Mini Grant Applications for Fiscal Year 2013 are available HERE. The amount available for our region this fiscal year is $9,732.00. Family Group programs can request up to $1,000.00 and Centers can request up to $1,500.00. Proposals are due into The Nurturing Center by February 22, 2013 at 5:00pm.
Priorities for Mini-Grant funding this year include:
- Updating and purchasing cribs to meet the new safety standards effective starting December 28, 2012. Click on the links below to access more information about the new standards.
The New Crib Standards
New Federal Requirements
- Responding to emergencies and emergency preparedness. Click the link below to access information about emergency preparedness for Montana child care programs.
Your Inventory for Keeping Everyone Safe: Planning Guide for Emergency Response Planning in Child Care
- Licensing issues and deficiencies
- Requests for items not on the priority list are also welcome
Emergency preparedness continues to be in the news related to flooding across Montana…coordinating child care in times of natural disasters is one of the responsibilities of the Nurturing Center and all R&R’s across the State. Make the Nurturing Center one of your first calls if ever your program is impacted by an emergency event! Click HERE to download a Planning Guide to help you develop an emergency preparedness plan.
 Child and Adult Care Food Program
Nutrition education and reimbursement program that supports registered Early Care Educators serve nutritionally appropriate meals and snacks to the children in their care.
Provider Rates
Provider Rates September 1, 2009
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