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

Developmentally appropriate child guidance: Helping children gain self-control (page 2)
I can document with pictures, anecdotal records, and lesson plans the ways in which I involve children in creating classroom rules.
I can describe in writing my understanding of positive reinforcement and logical consequences.
I can document in writing at least five classroom examples of using clear, supportive communication with children.

Family diversity in children’s literature (page 10)
I can list at least five common family structures.
I can describe in writing at least three reasons for how children’s literature can support their emotional and social development..
I can document with pictures, anecdotal records, and lesson plans the ways in which I share at least eight of the books described in this article.

Cooking in the classroom (page 16)
I can document with pictures, anecdotal records, and lesson plans the ways in which I offer cooking experiences in my classroom.
I can describe in writing five essential safety and sanitation procedures for classroom cooking experiences.
I can document with pictures and lesson plans my use of at least four new cooking activities.

Help children learn to read: Connect popular culture print to classroom instruction (page 24)
I can describe in writing at least three ways to connect environmental print to classroom literacy activities.
I can document with pictures, anecdotal records, and lesson plans the ways in which I use environmental print in my classroom teaching.
I can describe in writing five points of useful information gained from the print survey of parents.

Whole grains and unusual beans: Simple, nutritious, and tasty (page 34)
I can list at least five benefits of eating whole grains and beans.
I can describe in writing my understanding of the SAD Lifestyle and the ways in which I strive to minimize its effects.
I can document with menus and anecdotal records my use of at least three new food recipes and the children’s response to them.