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

How to get more out of the outdoors (page 2)
I can describe in writing at least three research findings that support outdoor play.
I can describe in writing four guidelines for designing outdoor environments.
I can document with lesson plans, photographs, and anecdotal records the ways in which I encourage active outdoor play.

Architectural monuments: Nine to know (page 10)
I can describe in writing the ways in which I prepare, present, and evaluate activities I do with children.
I can provide in writing a description of the history and significant facts about the construction of at least five of the monuments referenced in this article.
I can document with lesson plans, portfolio entries, journals, and anecdotal records at least five activities designed to support knowing architectural monuments.

English language learners: Smoothing the transition (page 24)
I can provide in writing at least three stories about how English language learners have impacted the social structure of my program.
I can describe in writing the reasons behind the increase in the population of English language learners.
I can provide in writing a description of the strategies for welcoming newcomers referenced in this article.

Talking with children about monsters (page 30)
I can describe in writing and give examples of at least three ways in which children are appropriately frightened and why this can happen.
I can provide tip sheets and handouts I’ve used to help families understand how to minimize childhood fears and resultant challenging behaviors.
I can document with photos, lesson plans, portfolio entries, journals, and anecdotal records children’s participation in at least four activities described in this article.

I did it all by myself: Scaffolding to develop problem-solving and self-help skills in young children (page 38)
I can provide in writing a definition, description, and three examples of scaffolding.
I can list three strategic techniques for helping children develop problem-solving skills.
I can document with photos, lesson plans, portfolio entries, journals, and anecdotal records the ways in which I promote children’s independence by supporting the development of self-help skills.