Basic Specialized Child Care Provider Orientation
-- Curriculum-Jan. 2011
Vermont Child Development Division, Department for Children and
Families, Agency of Human Services
with
Vermont Northern Lights Career Development Center
for early childhood and afterschool professionals
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Curriculum Development and Implementation Guidance
A.
Sponsors of the Orientation and Instructors
B.
Learning Objectives
C.
Training Curriculum Resources
III. Curriculum
Pages 1-2
Pages 3-7
Pages 8-26
I. Introduction
Specialized Child Care has been a component of the Child Development Division
for over twenty years. While forms and procedures have been modified over
time, the goal has remained consistent: to ensure that vulnerable
children/families have access to child care that meets their needs. To meet this
goal, providers of care to vulnerable children/families must have access to
information that contributes to their capacity to provide quality care and education
services for these families. For parents under stress, quality child care with
specific supports can help strengthen their family and promote their child’s
development.
This curriculum reflects best practice and researched based curricula, which
recognize that the quality of the relationships formed between providers, parents,
and children is instrumental in determining how successful children’s
development will be.
The following criteria are critical to attain before gaining the status of Specialized
Care Child provider:
1. Good regulatory status with Child Care Licensing program regulations
2. Attendance and satisfactory completion of this 6 hour Basic Specialized
Care Orientation, or approved equivalent;
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3. Review /understanding of the current Specialized Child Care Handbook
4. Review and signature on the Specialized Child Care Provider Agreement:,
part 3, indicating that the provider understands and assumes the
responsibilities described in the Agreement.
5. Approval of the Agreement and receipt of a letter from the Child
Development Division (CDD) acknowledging your specialized child care
provider status.
The program needs the director/individual with direct, daily responsibilities for the
program and staff to meet the criteria above in order for the program to achieve
this status. This is the person who signs the Agreement. This applies to all
regulated child care settings including afterschool, non-recurring care, centerbased, and family homes, as well as legally exempt providers.
The purpose of this six-hour BASIC SPECIALIZED CHILD CARE ORIENTATION
is to provide a foundation of information for those seeking to become specialized
child care providers working in regulated child care. For parents under stress,
quality child care with specific supports can help strengthen their family and
promote their child’s development. Specialized Child Care Status is designated
in order to support and promote quality child care for children and families served by the Family Services Division of the
Department for Children and families,
 families experiencing significant stress in areas such as shelter, safety,
emotional stability, substance abuse, and children’s behaviors, and
 children with special physical or development needs.
Once providers have achieved their Specialized Child Care status, additional
professional development opportunities, on site mentoring, technical assistance,
or consultation may be useful and are encouraged. Advanced Specialized Care
training is a required of those practitioners who have completed Basic
Specialized Care and want to maintain their status as specialized service
providers. Advanced Specialized Care includes 6 hours of training that is above
and beyond the hours required to maintain program licensure or registration.
The training relates to caring for children at risk or those who have special
needs. Appropriate documentation of professional development is always
required. The practitioner should identify training that meets her or her needs.
Additional information may be found in the Specialized Child Care Handbook, on
the Child Development web site at www.cddvt.org or www.dcf.vermont.gov/cdd
and on the BFIS Course Calendar listing of basic and advanced specialized
care workshops across the state: http://www.brightfutures.dcf.state.vt.us/
This 6 hour training is also embedded in the requirements of:
 Fundamentals for Early Childhood Professionals – a 45 hour course
required of new staff without experience or education, working in licensed
child care centers. The Fundamentals course is also aligned with the
requirements to achieve Level I of the Northern Lights Career Ladder.
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
On the Job Training Model (OJT) for entry level early childhood or
afterschool professionals working in sites as part of a program from the
Department of Labor
 Vermont Afterschool Professional Credential
Information about these training programs can be found on the Northern Lights
website: www.northernlightscdc.org
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Basic Specialized Services Provider Orientation Training has been
contributed to and supported by participants in three curriculum design meetings
held in the spring of 2008 with leadership from the Child Development Division
and subsequent meetings and work in 2009-2010. Many of these participants
were Resource Development and Subsidy Specialists of Vermont’s Community
Child Care Support Agencies. Their sharing of significant insights, training
experiences, and resources has been embedded in this work. Information
generated from those meetings provided the framework for this curriculum, was
the source of useful conversations about how to best prepare child care and
afterschool providers to do this sometimes challenging but important work, and
provided a forum for identifying some areas of need to better support and reflect
on training responsibilities and results. Specific acknowledgement goes to Betsy
Shuey, Danielle Howes, Nancy Sugarman, the Resource Development
Specialists and Basic Specialized Care Instructors who contributed to this
document.
II. Curriculum Development and Implementation Guidance
For Sponsors and Instructors
A) Sponsors and Instructors of the Basic Specialized Child Care (BSC)
Orientation
In order for the training to be accessible, documented and verified, organizations
that sponsor this training must submit the training information to Northern Lights
Career Development Center so it can be entered into the statewide Bright
Futures Information system calendar. They must also use the documentation
and attendance forms that are part of the Vermont professional development
system. Contact Northern Lights Career Development Center for information
about this process: www.northernlightscdc.org
The six hour training can be offered in one, two or three sessions. It is strongly
recommended that the Curriculum is presented in two or three sessions, to
enable participants to fully absorb and consider application of the concepts
covered. To receive credit for completing the Basic Specialized Child Care
(BSC) training requirements, participants must attend all six hours.
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In order for the Orientation to have consistent, high quality and well informed
instructors, Instructors of the BSC Orientation need to meet the following
criteria:
- Trained, be very familiar with and use the materials of the Zero to Three:
Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect (PCA), Foundations of Early Learning
(FE) or Center for Social and Emotional Foundations of Early LearningCSEFEL) curricula which is a integrated into the BSC Orientation
- Be a Certified or Master level instructor in the Northern Lights Career
Development Center Instructor Registry. Guest presenters do not have to
be in the registry. For more information about the Instructor Registry go to
the Northern Lights website or contact their office.
- Have an in-depth knowledge of local, regional, and state health and
human services and specifically mandated reporting processes. Sponsors
are strongly encouraged to have the regional DCF worker or equivalent
expert, co-present at the BSC Orientation.
- Communicate and work with the regional Resource Development
Specialist in the Community Child Care Support Agency.
- Adapt the curriculum to participant learning and skill levels, while meeting
the learning objectives identified.
Instructors who offer the BSC Orientation should be knowledgeable about the
curriculum topics, the context of child care, and demonstrate effective adult
teaching strategies. New instructors would benefit from observing a BCS
Orientation by a seasoned instructor and then co-teaching their first Orientation
session.
Northern Lights Career Development Center hosts a special website for
instructors and sponsors of this curriculum, which is separate from the Northern
Lights public website. The most current syllabus and resources are housed
there. Each regional Community Child Care Support Agency has copies of the
curricula resources, and other resources and handouts should be printed from
the website as needed. Instructors and sponsors of the training are encouraged
to suggest to Northern Lights additional resources and activities that support the
learning objectives.
B) Learning Objectives
The 22 learning objectives fall into six general categories, as organized and
listed below.
A. Introduction
B. Child Development and differences in development:
C. Understanding Children’s Behavior
D. Child Abuse, Neglect & Trauma
E. Care-giving together with Families
F. Responsibilities of Specialized Child Care Providers
Items with a * are also part of the BSC Resource Tool.
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As a result of this training, participants will –
A. Introduction:
1. Recognize the basic ground rules and objectives of the 6 hour training
2. Become familiar with the other participants as a learning community
B. Child Development and differences in development:
3. Examine their own beliefs and cultural values about children and adults
with and without special needs.
4. Differentiate what is typical and atypical in a child’s development, behavior
and interactions.
5. Give examples of how children might be atypical in their development and/
or learning style.
6. *Describe at least 3 strategies to enable inclusion of all children in the
classroom environment
7. *Identify at least 3 appropriate resources for practitioners and referrals for
families to use, and describe when and how to provide them.
C. Understanding Children’s Behavior:
8. Identify their (participant’s) own temperament tendencies and define the
term “goodness of fit” as it relates to temperament.
9. Describe the impact of relationships, self-regulation and attachment on
children’s development.
10. *Identify at least three strategies to use to respond flexibly and
responsively to children with different temperaments, and social-emotional
needs.
D. Child Abuse, Neglect & Trauma:
11. *Describe their responsibilities as a mandated reporter including when to
make a report based on suspicion of child abuse or neglect and what
number to call.
12. Summarize what will likely happen on the call to DCF concerning a
suspicion of child abuse or neglect and what the social worker will do with
the information.
13. Describe how trauma can impact development of the child’s developing
brain, behavior and interactions with others.
14. *Recognize signs of the impact of trauma on children and their
development;
E. Care-giving together with Families:
15. Describe how one’s culture and values influence parenting and caregiver
choices
16. Identify risk factors, strengths and protective factors in families.
17. Describe how families and care givers partner in the care of the child, and
what reciprocity means in that relationship
18. Give 3 examples of how caregivers may support the family in the care of
their child.
19. Identify when there is a difficult situation with families and at least 3
strategies to address these situations with families and co-workers.
F. Responsibilities of Specialized Child Care Providers:
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20. Give examples of using self-awareness, careful observation and flexible
response in their professional role supporting families.
21. Review, describe and agree to meet the responsibilities of a specialized
child care provider (see provider agreement: specialized child care
services, part 3)
22. Organize the information received and resources discussed to be able to
be useful and applicable within their child care program.
C) Training Curriculum Resources
The majority of the training curricula is gleaned from the, researched based
national sources listed below. In addition, the Tool Box on the Northern Lights
special website for instructors and sponsors includes essential resources and
handouts to inform the instructor and use in the BSC Orientation
http://northernlights.vsc.edu/bsc_resources.html
Partnering with Parents or Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect (PCAN) curriculum from ZERO TO THREE includes ten modules which are used
extensively in this curriculum. The PCAN curriculum is available through CDD,
Northern Lights Career Development Center, and in all regions of Vermont
through Resource Development Specialists or designated trainers in the area.
Please contact them to borrow or use a PCAN Curriculum/DVD. For more
information on the curricula, see the Zero to Three website:
http://www.zerotothree.org
Child Care Health Consultation NTI Training - curriculum from the National
Training Institute (NTI) at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, offers
modules that can support sections of this training, specifically regarding health
and safety issues in child care. This curriculum is available through CDD or
health professionals who have received the NTI training. For more information
about this curricula go to their website: nti.unc.edu/resource
Foundations for Foster Care: Resource Guide - curriculum created by the
Child Welfare Training Partnership – A Collaboration between the University of
Vermont and the Department for Children and Families, is a resource that
references important information regarding child abuse and neglect,
understanding trauma, supporting attachment, and understanding the Family
Services system, services, and policies. This curriculum is available through
Family Services, Child Welfare Training Partnership- A Collaboration between
the University of Vermont and the Department for Children and Families, 2008
Center for Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning
(CSEFEL) - curriculum promotes early social emotional competence. The
curriculum utilizes a “pyramid” model to illustrate a broad-based positive
relationship building approach for all children evolving to a more intensive level of
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individualized interventions. Materials available at the CSEFEL web site:
vanderbilt.edu/csefel
Strengthening Families through Early Care and Education - framework
stresses the importance of acknowledging and promoting the use of protective
factors with children and families as well as utilizing particular strategies to
ensure that children develop in optimal and healthy ways, and that child abuse
and neglect prevention is stressed. The Early Childhood Initiative of the National
Alliance of Children's Trust and Prevention Funds with support from the Doris
Duke Charitable Foundation and the Center for the Study of Social Policy has
promoted Strengthening Families through Early Care and Education. Materials
for this framework are available through their web site :
http://www.ddcf.org/page.asp?pageId=13 The Publication, Strengthening
Families and Communities can be found at www.childwelfare.gov/preventing
Act 1 - In 2009, the Vermont Legislature passed, and the Governor signed
into law S.13, “An Act Relating to Improving Vermont’s Sexual Abuse Response
System.” Known as Act One, this law is intended to increase child sexual abuse
prevention efforts, enhance the investigation and prosecution of child sexual
abuse, and improve the supervision of sex offenders. This law includes new
legal requirements for regulated child care providers in Vermont. A copy of this
legislation can be found at:
http://www.leg.state.vt.us/docs/2010/Acts/ACT001.pdf. Additional information is
contained in an October 18, 2009 letter from Stephen R. Dale, Commissioner of
the Department for Children and Families in 2009, and Reeva Sullivan Murphy,
Deputy Commissioner of the Child Development Division. This letter is available
within Section D of the Curriculum. The responsibilities of regulated child care
providers are described within 33 V.S.A. §3502(d)(1-2)
www.leg.state.vt.us/statutes/fullsection.cfm?Title=33&Chapter=035&Section=035
02
Additional information about what you can do to prevent child sexual abuse can
be found at: http://dcf.vermont.gov/protectkids.
ARC- The Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency (ARC) framework is
a flexible model for intervention with youth and families who have experienced
multiple and/or prolonged traumatic stress. ARC identifies three core domains
that are frequently impacted among traumatized youth, and which are relevant to
future resiliency. ARC provides a theoretical framework, core principles of
intervention, and a guiding structure for providers working with these children and
their caregivers, while recognizing that a one-size-model does not fit all. ARC is
designed for youth from early childhood to adolescence and their caregivers or
caregiving systems. The ARC framework is supported by Vermont’s mental
health system. Information about this framework is available at:
http://www.nctsnet.org/nccts/nav.do?pid=typ_early8