Dedicated to strengthening
the lives of Chicago children, families and communities

Chicago: Ready to Learn! Head Start / Early Head Start 5-Day Orientation

The Chicago Department of Family & Support Services (DFSS) is hosting a Ready To Learn Head Start 5-Day Orientation for all delegates from May 20-24. The orientation is aimed at Executive and Administrative level staff. Delegates are required to attend all 5 days of the training in order to be able to receive a fully executed delegate agency contract from DFSS. As our Head Start Triennial Federal Review quickly approaches in the coming months, it is critical that members of your management team attend this conference to establish a firm grasp of the various aspects of the Head Start program and the many rules and regulations that govern it. DFSS expects that you will make every effort to have representation from your Management Team each day of this important conference.

Registration is open through COPA and is named: Ready To Learn Head Start Orientation Day 1-5.

If you are a new delegate and do not have access to COPA yet, please click here to register or copy and paste the link below into your browser:
https://creator.zoho.com/goldchicago/teaching-strategies-chicago-gold-subscription/form-perma/Autism

The topics for each day:

Monday: Case Study 10:00am - 4:30pm
Tuesday: Program Design & Management (HR, Record Keeping & Reporting, Monitoring, Self-Assessment, Program Governance) 8:00am - 4:30pm
Wednesday: Program Services (Disabilities, Early Childhood Education, CLASS, Facilities, Transportation) 8:00am - 4:30pm
Thursday: Health and Family Engagement 8:00am - 4:30pm
Friday: Fiscal  8:00am - 1:00pm

Location: St Augustine College Main Campus | 1345 W Argyle St, Chicago IL 60640

Please e-mail info@childrenserviceschicago.com with any questions.

View the Save the Date flyer

Effective Behavior and Classroom Management

Erikson Institute Continuing Education invites you to begin your participation in this series with an introductory webinar and in-depth workshop on behavior interventions for young children.

Webinar

This webinar will provide participants with an introduction to Positive Behavior Supports and Interventions (PBIS) for young children. The session will help participants to understand the difference between PBIS and traditional behavioral interventions.

Register for this webinar online »

https://erikson-events.webex.com/erikson-events/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=292265257

Session Date

Webinar:

May 6

9 a.m. – 10 a.m.

· May 9 | 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

· May 9 | 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

· May 10 | 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

· May 10 | 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Viewpoints: The Child, the Family, and You

Erikson Institute Continuing Education invites you to continue your participation in this series with an introductory webinar and in-depth workshop on working with families of young children.

Webinar

This webinar introduces the concept of the early childhood triangle of care (child, parent, teacher/caregiver) and explores how relationships, professionalism, and personal assumptions influence how professionals in early childhood care and education work with families.

Register for this webinar online »

https://erikson-events.webex.com/erikson-events/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=661137961

Session Date

Webinar:

May 16

9 a.m. – 10 a.m.

In addition, login to COPA Professional Development to register for only one workshop session:

Workshops:

· May 30 | 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

· May 30 | 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

· May 31 | 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

· May 31 | 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Letter from Mayor Emanuel

A letter from Mayor Rahm Emanuel on the city's investments in early learning:

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Community Members,

        As Mayor of the City of Chicago, I believe the most important thing we can do for our city is set our children on a path for success.  I am committed to providing every student in Chicago with a world class education -  from cradle to career, from pre-kindergarten to college, regardless of where they live.  There is no better foundation we can provide for our children's success and our city's future than the critical investments we are making in early childhood education.

2013 Self Assessment COPA Reporting Tool

CSD introduced the new COPA reporting tool for the 2013 Self Assessment on March 20, 2013. Please use the guide provided below to assist you in entering your delegate agency's self assessment results into COPA. For detailed instructions on the process, you can also watch the webinar in its entirety here: http://youtu.be/PvlyS1USFVI

Download the Self Assessment COPA User Manual

Download the Certification Signature Page

2012 Directory of Head Start Delegate Agencies

The 2012 Directory of Head Start Delegate Agencies is available for download.  The directory is a thorough listing of all DFSS agencies and their sites, including other important information such as addresses, phone numbers and web sites.

Download Directory

2011 Head Start Federal Review Report

From 4/24/2011 to 5/6/2011, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) conducted an on-site monitoring review of the City of Chicago Head Start program as well as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)-funded Early Head Start Program (attached).  We wish to thank the governing body, Policy Council, staff and parents of your program for their cooperation and assistance during the review.  This Head Start Review Report has been issued as legal notice of the results of the on-site program review.

Download Report

Professional Development Scholarship Information

In order to assist Delegate Agency Staff in meeting their educational goals, the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) is offering virtually full coverage of tuition and possibly books and fees (some institutions may require a minor charge).  In order to take advantage of these opportunities, please review the general requirements listed below before you apply.

  1. Applicants must be a current employee in a DFSS Funded Head Start, Early Head Start, Family Child Care Home, Child Care, or Child Care Collaboration program.
  2. Applicants must be in good standing at their current place of employment.
  3. Upon completion of their chosen educational program, applicants must commit to maintaining employment for 3 years in a DFSS funded HS, EHS, or FCCH program.
  4. Applicants must submit a completed DFSS Scholarship Application form along with a letter of recommendation from the Agency, Program or Site  Director. Letters of recommendation for Partner Sites must be certified and completed by DA.  These materials should be mailed to:
                City of Chicago - Department of Family and Support Services
1615 W Chicago Ave - 2nd Floor
Chicago, IL  60622

  5. DFSS will maximize additional resources in conjunction with the scholarship including Gateway to Learning, Pell Grants, etc.
  6. Acceptance of application is contingent upon verification of educational data in COPA.

Scholarship Application | School-Age Scholarship Application | Professional Development Opportunities Booklet