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

Supporting problem solving in the early childhood classroom (page 2)
I can document with anecdotal records maintained over three days the subjects of children’s arguments.
I can describe in writing the process of problem solving described in child development research.
I can document with transcribed dialogue the way I work to help children solve problems.

Science: It’s a process (page 10)
I can document with examples the four-step process of the scientific method.
I can describe in writing at least four original classroom scenarios and the questions I ask to enhance children’s scientific thinking.
I can document with pictures, anecdotal records, and lesson plans my use of at least four new activities that focus on the scientific process.

Don’t rush me! Let me play! Developing writing skills through play (page 24)
I can describe in writing at least four ways in which play is essential to children’s development.
I can document with pictures, anecdotal records, and lesson plans the ways in which I use play to enhance children’s literacy skills.
I can document with pictures, anecdotal records, and lesson plans my use of at least four new activities that build the large and small muscles essential to successful writing.

“Use both hands”: Helping toddlers learn self-help skills (page 34)
I can describe in writing three reasons self-help skills are hallmarks of toddler development.
I can document with photographs, lesson plans, and observations the steps I take in helping toddlers learn to stay safe while caring for their own bodies.
I can document with photographs, lesson plans, and anecdotal records the way I encourage self-help skills at mealtime.

The best toys—and teaching materials—are (almost) free (page 40)
I can describe in writing my justification for using free, found materials rather than purchased “educational toys” to support children’s learning.
I can list in writing my personal ABCs of equipment and materials essential to the ages and developmental levels of the children in my group.
I can document with photographs, lesson plans, and anecdotal records my use of at least five new activities using free materials.