The South Dakota Early Childhood Enrichment (ECE) system launched a new website creating a centralized online location for early childhood resources including training, education, and technical assistance.
“Early childhood and youth development professionals make a difference every day in the lives of the children and youth they care for,” said Department of Social Services Secretary Laurie Gill. “Having high quality early childhood programs and services results in the positive development of children and youth, and a stronger social, educational, and economic future for our state.”
DSS works in collaboration with the Early Childhood Enrichment system to meet the growing demand for early childhood and school-age training and to help recruit and retain quality childcare providers. DSS and ECEs encourage and support program quality across the state of South Dakota.
“Specialized knowledge of how children develop and learn is critical for those who work in early care and education and that is where the South Dakota Early Childhood Enrichment system really shines,” Gill said.
On the new site, both parents and professionals can find a variety of training opportunities to meet licensing and registration requirements and to improve the quality of care. Many training classes are free of charge and others are available for a $5 fee. ECEs also provide Individualized technical assistance and coaching services at no cost to child care providers. The ECE system offers free relationship-based coaching including on-site consultations for licensed and registered programs to work toward making quality improvements to their child care programs and promoting optimal development for children in their care.
SD ECE works closely with the DSS Office of Licensing and Accreditation to identify trends in the child care industry and partners to create potential solutions. It also collaborates with other community partners regarding child care issues in South Dakota and trends impacting families and children.
For information, please visit https://sdece.org/.
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