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Health to Heart Services offers professional development for center-based settings and group family settings. Let us train you for a successful career in childcare.

Courses include:

 

Daycare Center, Family-Group Family Providers and After school Programs
15 -Hour Health and Safety Training and 30 Hour Training
Family Day Care Providers, Group Family Day Care Providers, Group Family Day Care Assistants, Center Based Staff and Directors must complete a minimum of 30 hours of training every two years. 15 hours of such training must be taken during the first 6 months of the program’s first year of licensure or during the person’s first six months of employment by the program.

Training must address the following topics:

  • Principles of childhood development including the appropriate supervision of children, meeting the needs of children enrolled in the program with physical or with motional challenges and behavior management and discipline
  • Nutrition and health needs of children
  • Child day care program development
  • Safety and security procedures, including communication between parents and staff
  • Business-record maintenance and management
  • Child abuse and maltreatment identification and prevention
  • Statutes and regulations pertaining to child care
  • Statutes and regulation pertaining to child abuse and maltreatment
  • Shaken Baby Syndrome
  • Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

We Accept EIP Scholarships

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Daycare Center, Family-Group Family Providers
CDA (Child Development Associates)
We offer the CDA training curriculum, Caring for Preschoolers, 3rd Edition
Phase 1: Field Work: Candidates work with children in childcare settings and complete readings and exercises under the guidance of a Field Advisor.
Phase 2: Course Work: Candidates participate in child development seminars and take a written examination.
Phase 3: Final Evaluation: Documents prepared by the Candidate and results of observations and interviews are submitted to the Council for review and decision.
Please be aware of the following steps for application:

 

Step One: Determining Eligibility
Candidates seeking to apply for CDA assessment in any of the three settings (center-based, family child care, and home visitor) must meet the following eligibility requirements:

  • Be 18 years of age or older
  • Hold a high school diploma or GED
  • Have 480 hours of experience working with children within the past five years
  • Have 120 clock hours of formal child care education within the past five years

Candidates applying for a Bilingual Endorsement must meet the above requirements and be able to speak, read, and write well enough in both English and another language to understand and be understood by both children and adults.

All candidates must also be able to identify an appropriate setting where they can be observed working as the lead caregiver. For details, see separate website section on “Settings for CDA Credentials”.

STEP TWO: Fulfill Training Requirements
The eligibility requirement for CDA Candidates to have 120 clock hours of formal child care education may be met through participation in the wide variety of training available in the field, including in-service. While the formal education hours can be credit or noncredit, the hours must be through an agency or organization with expertise in early childhood teacher preparation. The agency or organization must provide verification of the Candidate’s education in the form of a transcript, certificate, or letter.

The 120 clock hours of education must be documented, with no fewer than 10 hours in each of the following content areas:

  • Planning a safe, healthy, learning environment
  • Steps to advance children’s physical and intellectual development;
  • Positive ways to support children’s social and emotional development;
  • Strategies to establish productive relationships with families;
  • Strategies to manage an effective program operation;
  • Maintaining a commitment to professionalism.
  • Observing and recording children’s behavior.
  • The principles of child development and learning.

STEP THREE: Purchase Application Packet
Individuals who meet all the Candidate eligibility requirements and who can be observed in an eligible setting are ready to purchase an application packet appropriate for the type of credential they wish to receive.

  • The Preschool Packet is for Candidates working in a center-based setting with children 3-5 years old.
  • The Infant/Toddler Packet is for Candidates working with children from birth to 36 months of age.
  • The Family Child Care Packet is for Candidates working with one or all age groups in a family child care home.
  • The Home Visitor Packet is for Candidates working with the parents of young children.

These Application Packets contain ALL of the documents Candidates will need to apply for CDA assessment. Each packet is customized for the selected child care setting and contains two copies of the CDA Competency Standards Book; instructions and instrument for the observation; scholarship information; parent questionnaires; and the application form.

STEP FOUR: Complete Assessment Requirement
Upon receipt of an Application Packet, a Candidate is ready to begin working on the requirements for CDA assessment. These requirements are completed in three phases: preparation of necessary materials; filing of application; and verification of competence and knowledge.

Preparation: The first set of requirements involves the candidate documenting evidence of her or his competence from the following three sources:

  1. The Professional Resource File (prepared by the Candidate)
  2. The Parent Opinion Questionnaires (collected by the Candidate)
  3. The CDA Assessment Observation Instrument (completed by the Advisor)

Application: When the above documentation is complete, the Candidate and Advisor sign the Application Form and send it to the Council with the assessment fee ($325) and training documentation. EIP scholarships are available. This begins the CDA Assessment Process and the Council assigns a Council Representative to conduct the Verification Visit.

Verification Visit: The second set of requirements involves a Council Representative visiting the Candidate to verify competence and knowledge using two methods:

  1. The Early Childhood Studies Review (administered by the Council Representative)
  2. The Oral Interview (conducted by the Council Representative)

Details about the assessment and credential process will be handed out during the orientation.

Course Length
120 Hours

Prerequisite
CDA Council Rep Assessment

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All CDA Renewal COURSE
CDA Credentials are valid for three years from the date of the initial award, or five years from the date of renewal. A CDA Credential may only be renewed for the original setting, age-level endorsement, and specialization.

Purchase a Renewal Packet: A Renewal Packet may be purchased for $13 plus $5 shipping and handling. The Renewal Packet applies to all four types of credentials—Center-based Preschool; Center-based Infant/Toddler; Family Child Care Home; and Home Visitor. The Packet includes a Renewal Procedures booklet, a booklet of materials for use by the Early Childhood Education Professional, application form, recommendation form, and waiver request form.

Prerequisites:
Candidates must meet the following five criteria:

  1. Documented proof of a current Red Cross or other agency First Aid Certificate.
  2. Documented proof of at least 4.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) or a three-credit-hour course in early childhood education/child development, principles of adult learning, mental health counseling, etc.
  3. These hours must be in addition to the original 120 clock hours required when the Candidate obtained the CDA Credential. Bilingual CDA’s must meet this requirement with coursework incorporating bilingual issues.
  4. The Council requires documented proof of recent (within past year) work experience with young children or families of young children (a minimum of 80 hours).
  5. A completed Letter of Recommendation Form regarding the CDA’s competence eith young children prepared by an Early Childhood Education Professional. The Council requires documented proof (within current year) of membership in a national or local early childhood professional organization. A list of national organizations appears in another.

Course Length
45 Hours

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Daycare, Family-Group Family Providers
Creative Curriculum
This course addresses child development and learning theory and its applicatoin in the Creative Curriculum.

This course teaches:

  • Goals and objectives are linked directly to a valid and reliable assessment instrument (The Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum for Ages 3-5).
  • Specific guidance on the teacher’s role in teaching content in literacy, math, science, social studies, the arts, and technology throughout the day.
  • A wide range of instructional strategies—from child-initiated to teacher-directed learning—to best respond to children’s strengths and interests and the material being taught.
  • Guidance on building social competence in children, teaching social problem-solving skills, and responding to challenging behavior.
  • Strategies for meeting the needs of English language learners and children with disabilities.

Our professional developer tailors each workshop to fit the need of every child care setting.


Group rates are available
Customer cost is determined based on Daycare Center need
Eip scholarships are available

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Daycare Center Family-Group Family Providers After School Programs
Shaken Baby Syndrome and SIDS Workshops

Shaken Baby Syndrome
Shaken Baby Syndrome awareness is an excellent opportunity to emphasize the dangers of shaking an infant or young child. A preventable, often life-threatening injury, Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is responsible for 95% of serious head injuries in children under the age of one.

SIDS Workshop
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), crib death. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is the diagnosis given for the sudden death of an infant under 1 year of age that remains unexplained after a complete investigation. SIDS is the leading cause of death in infants aged 1 month to 1 year of age.

We Accept EIP Scholarships

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American Heart Association
Heartsaver CPR
Includes relief of choking in adults and children, as well as infant CPR and relief of choking. Comes shrink-wrapped with the Adult CPR Card, the Child And Infant CPR Reminder Card, and a CD containing supplemental information and video clips to refresh the student in CPR skills. Workbook supports the Heartsaver CPR course for responders who require a credential for completion. This is Ideal for first responders and students attending the Heartsaver CPR course: A Comprehensive Course For The Lay Responders."

Course Length
2-3Hours

Prerequisite
Skills test

We accept EIP Scholarships

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Heartsaver First Aid
Provides information on how to manage illness and injuries in a child during the first few minutes of an emergency until professional help arrives. Includes four core modules: First Aid Basics, Injuries and Illnesses, Life-Threatening Emergencies and the Chain of Survival, and CPR and AED. Also includes optional modules, such as Use of a Nebulizer, to meet regulations for day-care centers in certain states. Target audience: Daycare centers and Head Start workers

Course Length
2 Hours

Prerequisite
Skills Test

We Accept EIP scholarships

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A Child Development Associate (CDA) is an individual who has successfully completed the CDA assessment process and has been awarded the CDA

Credential. CDAs are able to meet the specific needs of children and work with parents and other adults to nurture children’s physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth in a child development framework.

A CDA performs according to the CDA Competency Goals in center-based, home visitor or family child care programs. To date, there are more than 200,000 CDAs in all 50 United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the U.S. territories of Guam and the Virgin Islands.

Earning the CDA Credential has many advantages, including motivating caregivers toward continuing education and providing a platform for professional and career opportunities. Many view the CDA Credential as an instrument for career advancement in the early childhood care and education profession. The Council works to ensure that it is a credible and valid credential, recognized by the profession as a vital part of a coordinated system of professional development.

As a result of an increase in demand from many public and private employers for qualified trained staff, the number of child care providers applying for the CDA Credential has grown to nearly 15,000 annually. Furthermore, 49 states plus the District of Columbia incorporate the CDA Credential into their childcare center licensing regulations.
  

 


Child Abuse
Generally, the term abuse encompasses the most serious harms committed against children. An “abused child” is a child whose parent or other person legally responsible for his/her care inflicts upon the child serious physical injury, creates a substantial risk of serious physical injury, or commits an act of sex abuse against the child. Not only can a person be abusive to a child if they perpetrate any of these actions against a child in their care, they can be guilty of abusing a child if they allow someone else to do these things to that child. Child Abuse is defined in law at Section 412 of the Social Services Law and at Section 1012 of the Family Court Act.

Child Maltreatment
Maltreatment refers to the quality of care a child is receiving from those responsible for him/her. Maltreatment occurs when a parent or other person legally responsible for the care of a child harms a child, or places a child in imminent danger of harm by failing to exercise the minimum degree of care in providing the child with any of the following: food, clothing, shelter, education or medical care when financially able to do so. Maltreatment can also result from abandonment of a child or from not providing adequate supervision for the child. Further, a child may be maltreated if a parent engages in excessive use of drugs or alcohol such that it interferes with their ability to adequately supervise the child.

Shaken Baby Syndrome
It can happen quickly. Just 3 seconds of shaking can cause brain damage, paralysis, blindness, learning and behavior difficulties, and even death. The average age of SBS victims is 6 months old. Continuous crying is the number one reason caregivers shake babies. The good news is that SBS is completely preventable. A few simple strategies can help caregivers cope with a crying baby and prevent the irreversible harm of SBS.