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

Thinking kids or feeling kids? With emotional scaffolding, one realm can help the other. (page 2)
I can document with pictures, anecdotal records, and lesson plans the ways in which I support children in developing emotional strength.
I can document in writing at least five strategies that support children’s emotional development.
I can provide at least four anecdotal records or other documentation tools that illustrate children’s cognitive-emotional integration.

Summer games from junk (page 10)
I can list in writing at least five outdoor safety precautions.
I can document with photographs and anecdotal records children’s participation in at least four of the activities described in this article.
I can provide a written plan for each activity including materials to gather, ways to introduce the activity, and any special game rules that are specific to my group.

Guiding toddlers—Questions and answers about autonomy and self-control (page 16)
I can describe in writing the similarities and differences between toddlers and infants and toddlers and preschoolers.
I can define in writing the definition of autonomy and give five examples of a toddler’s quest for independence.
I can list in writing at least six techniques that support toddler autonomy and positive social interactions.
I can provide a written evaluation of my classroom environment responding to at least four of the questions posed in this article.

Block play: Classroom essentials (page 24)
I can list at least five ways in which block play supports each of the following: math, science, language, physical, social, and emotional skills.
I can describe in writing how block play supports math and number learning more authentically than rote counting.
I can document with photographs, drawings, and anecdotal records children’s development through the stages of block play.
I can catalog my classroom’s collection of construction toys and block props.

Enliven summer with science (page 36)
I can answer the question “What is science?” and give at least five examples of areas of science study.
I can document with photographs and anecdotal records children’s participation in at least five of the activities described in this article.
I can describe in writing at least five points of useful information about science and nature study to share with parents.