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

“Stop picking on me!” What you need to know about bullying (page 2)
I can identify in writing at least four risk factors for bullying behavior in young children.
I can document with pictures, anecdotal records, and lesson plans my efforts to provide an environment and guidance that minimizes the likelihood of bullying behaviors.
I can chart behaviors on the teasing to violence continuum and can describe in writing how each is a different degree of an intentionally hurtful behavior.

Bears in the classroom: Picture books that matter (page 12)
I can document my use of at least five new activities from four areas of the classroom that relate to children’s picture books.
I can list and access at least four Internet or print resources that help me develop activities related to children’s picture books.
I can document with records and notes my efforts to help parents use children’s picture books to support their children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development.

Staying healthy: Frequently asked questions—and answers (page 24)
I can answer in writing the posed questions about sanitation, dental health, nutrition, and exercise.
I can list and use at least five Web sites that provide up-to-date, accurate information on children’s health.
I can document with pictures, anecdotal records, and lesson plans my efforts to promote fitness and prevent disease.

More than just baby talk (page 32)
I can describe in writing the development of children’s communication skills from infant crying to school-age reading and writing.
I can document with pictures, anecdotal records, and lesson plans the ways I respond to children’s sounds, gestures, and other efforts to communicate.
I can document my use of at least five new activities that support language development in babies and toddlers.

Make a friendship quilt (page 36)
I can describe in writing the concept behind building a friendship quilt as a tool for social development, peacemaking, and an anti-bullying message.
I can document with pictures, drawings, and photographs the ways in which I introduced quilting to my group.
I can document the planning, stitching, and assembling of the patchwork blocks—and show the actual finished product.