Departments
Study guide

In Texas, the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) regulates the training of people who work in home- and center-based facilities.
Must training meet criteria? DFPS recognizes clock hours or continuing education units (CEU) from various sources including 1) workshops offered by local school districts, colleges or universities, or child care licensing; 2) conferences; 3) self-instructional materials; and 4) planned learning opportunities. See minimum standards, §746.1317 for center-based care and §747.1315 for home-based care for further details.
All training must include specifically stated learning objectives; a curriculum, which includes experiential or applied activities; an assessment to determine whether the person has met the objectives; and a certificate of successful completion.
Does DFPS approve training resources or trainers for clock hours? No. It’s your responsibility to obtain relevant training from reliable resources. DFPS does recommend, however, that you preview all training materials and ask trainers to verify their knowledge of the subject—both experience and education, and training qualifications.
What is instructor-led training? This is usually a class led by an instructor, who communicates and interacts with learners by answering questions, providing feedback, and offering guidance or information on resources. Advantages include getting a break from the isolation of your work, networking and support, sharing knowledge, and learning about different practices in early care and education.
What is self-instructional training? This is training in which an individual works alone, at her own pace, to complete lessons or modules without the direction, assistance, or feedback of an instructor. That is why CPR and first aid training cannot be obtained through self-instructional training.
DFPS limits the number of annual training hours you can obtain from self-instructional materials. Check your minimum standards for details on these limitations; for home-based care, see §747.1325. For center-based care, see §746.1327.
How do I verify training for DFPS? To be counted toward compliance with minimum standards, the trainer or training source should provide you with a certificate or letter showing: your name, date of the training, title or subject of the training, the trainer’s name or the training source for self-instructional training, and the length of the training specified in clock hours, CEU’s, or college credit hours.
Keep all documentation in a safe place like a file cabinet or personnel file. DFPS licensing representatives may ask to review self-instructional materials to ensure training criteria are met. Do not mail your documentation to child care licensing or to the Texas Child Care Quarterly.
Can I use Texas Child Care for self-instructional training? Yes. DFPS will recognize two clock hours of self-instructional training credit from this issue, provided you do the following: 1. Review the checklist at right. 2. Study all articles that relate to your work with children. 3. Respond to the checklist with documented evidence (written descriptions, photographs, and charts, for example). Continue to study the article until you can provide documentation and answer “Yes” to each skill. 4. Attach a copy of the checklist or a cover page to your documentation. Be sure to include your name, the date you completed the documentation, and identify the issue and titles of the articles you studied.

Learning objectives and evaluation checklist

Books abound! Benefits and guidelines for reading to young children (page 2)
I can describe in writing at least three research findings that support reading aloud.
I can describe in writing the five STORY guidelines with illustrations of each.
I can document with lesson plans, photographs, and anecdotal records the ways in which I share and talk with children about books.

Got rhythm? Simple instruments to make and play (page 8)
I can provide in writing a description of how music supports children’s growth and development.
I can document with lesson plans, portfolio entries, journals, and anecdotal records the ways I introduce and expand rhythm and music activities in my classroom.
I can identify at least five homemade instruments and document how I’ve used each in my classroom.

Crying babies: Answering the call of infant cries (page 14)
I can describe in writing and give examples of the following concepts: trust, attachment, infant communication tools, and caregiver responsiveness.
I can provide tip sheets and handouts I’ve used to help families understand why responsiveness is not the same as spoiling.
I can list at least five unique reasons why babies cry and tell how I respond to each.

Self-regulation: Using children’s literature to support self-control (page 24)
I can describe in writing at least three stories about how my classroom plans were interrupted by children’s challenging behaviors.
I can identify and explain at least three of the Responsive Classroom® guidelines.
I can define self-regulation and explain, in writing, at least four reasons it’s so challenging for young children.
I can document with lesson plans, portfolio entries, journals, and anecdotal records how I’ve used children’s books to support self-control.

Talking with children about milk (page 38)
I can provide in writing a definition of pasteurized and homogenized.
I can list at least five questions that could introduce the study of milk and milk products to children.
I can document with photos, lesson plans, portfolio entries, journals, and anecdotal records children’s participation in at least three activities described in this article.