AI Search Is Here - The Gold Rush Opportunity for Child Care Centers in 2026 by Bruce Spurr

A Strong Child Protection Policy that Works for Your Organization by Debbie Ausburn, J.D. and Tom Rawlings, J.D. Attorneys

RESOURCES * Watch the full webinar here [https://earlychildhoodwebinars.com/webinar/a-strong-child-protection-policy-that-works-for-your-organization-by-debbie-ausburn-jd-and-tom-rawlings-jd-attorneys?utm_campaign=39643743-2026%2F07%2F22%20%7C%20A%20Strong%20Child%20Protection%20Policy%20that%20Works%20for%20Your%20Organization%20by%20Debbie%20Ausburn%2C%20J.D.%20and%20Tom%20Rawlings%2C%20J.D.%20Attorneys&utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=spotify] * Join our newsletter! Earn your Professional Development hours with FREE sessions delivered right to your inbox every week [https://earlychildhoodwebinars.com/?utm_campaign=39643743-2026%2F07%2F22%20%7C%20A%20Strong%20Child%20Protection%20Policy%20that%20Works%20for%20Your%20Organization%20by%20Debbie%20Ausburn%2C%20J.D.%20and%20Tom%20Rawlings%2C%20J.D.%20Attorneys&utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=spotify] * Check out the producer of ECI, Playground, the Child Care Management Software [https://www.tryplayground.com/?utm_source=eci&utm_medium=podcast_ad&utm_campaign=child-protection&utm_content=spotify] Youth-serving organizations know they need strong child protection policies—but building (or rebuilding) one can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re balancing staffing, operations, and daily program demands. In this practical, action-oriented session, you’ll learn a clear, manageable process for creating a child protection policy that is not only compliant on paper, but usable in real life—aligned with your organization’s size, setting, and risk areas. Together, we’ll walk through how to bring the right people to the table, identify the current standard of care, audit what you already have, and adapt policies so they are clear, trainable, and consistently implemented. You’ll also explore how to move beyond “one-and-done” documents by making child protection a living part of your culture—supported through training, communication, and ongoing accountability. By the end of this session, you will be able to: 1. Gather your team and clarify roles and responsibilities for policy development and implementation. 2. Research the standard of care and identify best practices relevant to your organization. 3. Audit and adapt your current policies to close gaps and ensure clarity, consistency, and usability. 4. Make child protection a living part of your culture through training, reinforcement, and continuous improvement.

How Teachers Can Teach Without Taking Over: Scaffolding Learning in Preschool Classrooms by Amy Chiu, MSEd

RESOURCES * Watch the full webinar here [https://earlychildhoodwebinars.com/webinar/how-teachers-can-teach-without-taking-over-scaffolding-learning-in-preschool-classrooms-by-amy-chiu-msed?utm_campaign=13934989-2025%2F12%2F03%20%7C%20How%20Teachers%20Can%20Teach%20Without%20Taking%20Over%3A%20Scaffolding%20Learning%20in%20Preschool%20Classrooms%20by%20Amy%20Chiu%2C%20MSEd&utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=spotify] * Join our newsletter! Earn your Professional Development hours with FREE sessions delivered right to your inbox every week [https://earlychildhoodwebinars.com/?utm_campaign=13934989-2025%2F12%2F03%20%7C%20How%20Teachers%20Can%20Teach%20Without%20Taking%20Over%3A%20Scaffolding%20Learning%20in%20Preschool%20Classrooms%20by%20Amy%20Chiu%2C%20MSEd&utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=spotify] * Check out the producer of ECI, Playground, the Child Care Management Software [https://www.tryplayground.com/?utm_source=eci&utm_medium=podcast_ad&utm_campaign=scaffolding&utm_content=spotify] What does it really mean to support children’s learning without doing the work for them? In this session, presented by early childhood consultant Amy Chiu, M.Ed., from The Work of Play, you’ll explore the art and practice of scaffolding - one of the most essential tools in early childhood education. Scaffolding helps bridge the space between what a child can do independently and what they can accomplish with guidance. But it’s more than a strategy - it’s a mindset rooted in trust, observation, and responsiveness. You’ll be invited to reflect on how you offer help: When is it supportive? When might it unintentionally take over the learning process? Through vivid examples from real classrooms and common parenting experiences, you’ll see how scaffolding can empower children to become confident and persistent problem-solvers. We’ll explore how observation, timing, and gentle prompts allow you to provide “just enough” support - nurturing both competence and independence. You’ll also consider common pitfalls of over-helping and how to shift into a facilitation role that honors children's voice and agency. Whether you’re a teacher, parent, instructional coach, or administrator, this session will give you concrete tools and language to elevate your practice. Most importantly, it will reframe scaffolding not as something you do to children, but as a way of being with them as they grow. Join this session to learn to: 1. Define scaffolding and explain its importance in early learning and development. 2. Identify the difference between teaching and taking over. 3. Apply scaffolding strategies that support independence, confidence, and problem-solving. 4. Reflect on their own adult role in moments of struggle or learning discomfort. 5. Use observation and timing to decide when to step in - and when to step back.

Play-Based Literacy Through Storytelling and Storyacting by Laura Shea

RESOURCES * Watch the full webinar here [https://earlychildhoodwebinars.com/webinar/play-based-literacy-through-storytelling-and-storyacting-by-laura-shea?utm_campaign=33148736-2026%2F07%2F16%20%7C%20Play-Based%20Literacy%20Through%20Storytelling%20and%20Storyacting&utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=spotify] * Join our newsletter! Earn your Professional Development hours with FREE sessions delivered right to your inbox every week [https://earlychildhoodwebinars.com/?utm_campaign=33148736-2026%2F07%2F16%20%7C%20Play-Based%20Literacy%20Through%20Storytelling%20and%20Storyacting&utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=spotify] * Check out the producer of ECI, Playground, the Child Care Management Software [https://www.tryplayground.com/?utm_source=eci&utm_medium=podcast_ad&utm_campaign=play-based&utm_content=spotify] This professional development session explores how you can use storytelling and storyacting to support early literacy in young children. Rooted in research, including the science of reading, this hands-on training provides practical strategies to enhance vocabulary, narrative skills, and concepts about print through play-based, child-led storytelling experiences. Storytelling is one of the oldest and most powerful tools for fostering connection, imagination, and learning in young children. This session explores how you can harness storytelling and storyacting to support foundational literacy skills in developmentally responsive, playful ways. Drawing from research-based insights, including the Science of Reading, and years of hands-on experience, this session offers practical strategies you can immediately implement in your classrooms. You will discover how to use child-led storytelling to build concepts about print, vocabulary, and narrative skills while fostering creativity and collaboration. Through engaging demonstrations and examples, you will see how storyacting—bringing children’s stories to life—can deepen understanding and spark joy in learning. This session is designed to empower you with realistic, actionable techniques to integrate storytelling into daily rhythms and transitions. By the end, you will leave with a toolkit, a plan for overcoming common challenges, and renewed confidence in your ability to nurture a love of literacy through play and creativity. Session Objectives: 1. Identify the key benefits of storytelling and storyacting for supporting early literacy development. 2. Learn storytelling and storyacting technique that can be easily adapted to different classroom settings and age groups. 3. Develop a personalized action plan to integrate storytelling into daily rhythms, addressing potential challenges and tailoring strategies to meet diverse learner needs. 4. Gain confidence in facilitating child-led storytelling activities that foster creativity, collaboration, and a love of literacy.

Creating Connections with Teen Parents Practical Strategies to Engage and Empower Young Families in Early Childhood Settings by Debrah Clark, M.A., CFLE and Treasa Howard, MEd, MBA

RESOURCES * Watch the full webinar here [https://earlychildhoodwebinars.com/webinar/creating-connections-with-teen-parents-practical-strategies-to-engage-and-empower-young-families-in-early-childhood-settings-by-debrah-clark-ma-cfle-and-treasa-howard-med-mba?utm_campaign=39558983-2026%2F07%2F15%20%7C%20Creating%20Connections%20with%20Teen%20Parents%20Practical%20Strategies%20to%20Engage%20and%20Empower%20Young%20Families%20in%20Early%20Childhood%20Settings%20by%20Debrah%20Clark%2C%20M.A.%2C%20CFLE%20and%20Treasa%20Howard&utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=spotify] * Join our newsletter! Earn your Professional Development hours with FREE sessions delivered right to your inbox every week [https://earlychildhoodwebinars.com/?utm_campaign=39558983-2026%2F07%2F15%20%7C%20Creating%20Connections%20with%20Teen%20Parents%20Practical%20Strategies%20to%20Engage%20and%20Empower%20Young%20Families%20in%20Early%20Childhood%20Settings%20by%20Debrah%20Clark%2C%20M.A.%2C%20CFLE%20and%20Treasa%20Howard&utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=spotify] * Check out the producer of ECI, Playground, the Child Care Management Software [https://www.tryplayground.com/?utm_source=eci&utm_medium=podcast_ad&utm_campaign=teen-parents&utm_content=spotify] Teen parents are navigating two critical developmental journeys at once: adolescence and parenthood. The image of teenage pregnancy and parenting often elicits an emotional response shaped by personal beliefs, systemic bias, and media narratives. This workshop will empower early childhood professionals to create meaningful, relationship-based, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive connections that build confidence, strengthen parent-child interactions, and support long-term success for young families—and for the professionals who care for them. Learning Objectives By the end of this session, you will be able to: * Identify key developmental differences between teen and adult parents, and analyze how parental developmental stages may influence child development outcomes. * Examine common stereotypes about teen parents and evaluate how these perceptions impact parenting confidence, engagement, and classroom outcomes. * Identify effective strategies and determine practical ways to replicate them across programs.

HuUbuntu: I Am Because We Are - Reconceptualizing family engagement by Dr. Patrick Makokoro

RESOURCES * Watch the full webinar here [https://earlychildhoodwebinars.com/webinar/huubuntu-i-am-because-we-are-reconceptualizing-family-engagement-by-dr-patrick-makokoro?utm_campaign=39344025-2026%2F07%2F09%20%7C%20HuUbuntu%3A%20I%20Am%20Because%20We%20Are%20-%20Reconceptualizing%20family%20engagement%20by%20Dr.%20Patrick%20Makokoro&utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=spotify] * Join our newsletter! Earn your Professional Development hours with FREE sessions delivered right to your inbox every week [https://earlychildhoodwebinars.com/?utm_campaign=39344025-2026%2F07%2F09%20%7C%20HuUbuntu%3A%20I%20Am%20Because%20We%20Are%20-%20Reconceptualizing%20family%20engagement%20by%20Dr.%20Patrick%20Makokoro&utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=spotify] * Check out the producer of ECI, Playground, the Child Care Management Software [https://www.tryplayground.com/?utm_source=eci&utm_medium=podcast_ad&utm_campaign=huubuntu&utm_content=spotify] Step into a space where you are invited to experience connection, reflection, and renewal. In this session, you will explore HuUbuntu, an African relational philosophy that reminds us, “I am because we are.” You will be called to reimagine what family engagement means. This is not about a checklist of school events or communication strategies, but a living, breathing practice of interconnectedness. Together with author, academic and founder of the Nhaka Foundation, Dr. Patrick Makokoro, you will trace how knowledge, identity, and moral growth are not individual pursuits, but collective creations shaped within the webs of family, community, and culture. Through guided dialogue and shared stories, you will see how embracing HuUbuntu transforms relationships among educators, families, and children into co-created spaces of belonging. You will leave with a deeper understanding of how to cultivate educational environments that honor the fullness of each child’s communal heritage and lived experience. By the end of this session, you will be able to: * Understand the principles of HuUbuntu as an African relational philosophy and its implications for education and family engagement. * Reframe traditional views of family involvement toward a model of interconnectedness that values families as co-creators of knowledge. * Identify practical ways to integrate relational, decolonial, and community-based approaches into your professional and educational practice.