Child Development staff and volunteers receive intensive 3 day training

I am thrilled to announce that we have completed our second Child Development Training (CDP)! The 3 Saturday trainings were held on October 3rd, 10th and 17th! The Child Development Training is provided to every staff and volunteer, and is now a required training for anyone working in our CDP. We have seen an amazing commitment level from those who have attended the trainings and the skills that they have acquired prove to be a necessity when working within our Child Development Program.

Our team of knowledgeable staff has worked hard to make this training educational, fun and interactive for the training participants. Each training session is unique and provides an opportunity for the staff and volunteers to interact and get to know one another, while enhancing their skills and knowledge for working directly with children.

During the first training session, staff and volunteers get a chance to really get to know one another while learning all about Deaconess Programs, the History of Deaconess, as well as our mission. They also have the opportunity to learn about the Incredible Years key concepts, child development and how to engage with families. We provide opportunities during each training session for the participants to share ideas, thoughts, concerns, and questions about the information being presented. These opportunities have lead to some amazing conversations, brainstorming and team building.

The Second training session focused on how to interact with children, including techniques for working with children who have challenging behaviors (A big thank you to Carol Good from the Little Red School House for taking time on her Saturday to come share her expertise with us) and techniques on ways we can make children feel welcome in our CDP. The participants also learned how to keep children safe while in our care, including de-escalating techniques and an overview of our CDP safety plan. Mandated Reporting was also covered in this session which provided an opportunity for the participants to learn about child abuse and neglect, as well as how and when to make a CPS report.

The third and final training session focused on reviewing and discussing Deaconess HR information such as Policies and Procedures, and Hazardous Communication & Hazardous Chemical Training. The participants also received the Blood Borne Pathogen Training, and information on safety in the workplace, dress code policy, and confidentiality.

Overall our three training sessions were fantastic! The participant feedback was wonderful and we are pleased to have such an incredible level of commitment from the staff and volunteers. The children and families that Deaconess serves will greatly benefit from having our Child Development staff and volunteers attend this training. We have seen first hand a new level of confidence as well as an increase in childcare skills from those who have been through our Child Development Training.

We are pleased to be able to provide this training opportunity to the CDP staff and volunteers so that we can provide the best services to the families involved in our Programs!

Child Development Training Facilitators:
Chanelle Carlin- Vice President of Deaconess Programs
Anna Kirschenmann- Childcare Coordinator/Teen Parent Advocate
Stacey Pfeiffer- Office Manager/ Volunteer Coordinator
Jenny Martin- Parent Educator