We are looking for persons who are making a significant contribution to the early childhood field in Arkansas. Our children deserve the best and because of the fine efforts of the professionals throughout the state they receive the best! We want to recognize and honor these outstanding persons who care for our children!

CLICK HERE to nominate someone as a

2012 Outstanding Early Childhood Professional.

For more information, you may contact the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education at 1-501-682-9699 or 1-800-445-3316 or visit our web site at hs.arkansas.gov/dccece.

Download and read the entire report here.

Here are a few highlights:

• 349 Better Beginnings programs were given more than $410,000 in Incentive and Professional Development grants to invest in their staffs.
• Arkansas has 731 Better Beginnings certified programs.
• Better Beginnings provided more than 5,800 hours of training and support for over 4,000 child care professionals in its first year.
• In its first year, Better Beginnings dedicated over 650 hours of technical assistance and step-by-step guidance to child care providers in Arkansas.
• Better Beginnings certified programs provided care in quality learning environments to more than 55,000 children in Arkansas.
• In its first year, the Better Beginnings website saw more than 21,000 visitors seeking child care programs, help with certification or other information.
• Better Beginnings has 47 dedicated staff members who provide training, technical assistance and support. This support system results in fewer child care licensing infractions.
• In its first year, more than 1,500 hours of research were invested with providers to improve the quality of Better Beginnings .
• Families have access to a Better Beginnings certified quality learning environment in all 75 of Arkansas’ counties.

Dear Better Beginnings participant,

We are happy to announce that Better Beginnings promotional materials have arrived! We have beautiful 6’ x 3’ vinyl Better Beginnings banners for outdoor/indoor display, lapel pins for staff, stress ball stars, and ink pens.  These materials will be provided at no cost to current Better Beginnings certified facilities, but a small charge may apply in the future. One packet will be provided for each Better Beginnings certified facility.

We are planning to distribute these materials using the following methods:

• For Head Start programs: Brinda Burr, DCCECE Resource Center Manager, will have a booth at the Head Start Conference on July 20, 2011, and attendees may come by to pick up one packet of materials for each Better Beginnings licensed facility.
• For ABC programs: ABC staff attending the ECERS Refresher class on August 1st and 2nd in Little Rock may stop by the Resource Center to pick up materials for their Better Beginnings certified facilities.
• Better Beginnings participants that come to Little Rock for other purposes or meetings may come to the DCCECE Resource Center to pick up their packets. Please call and let us know you are coming at 1-800-445-3316.
• Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies will have the packets available locally for Better Beginnings facilities to pick up in the counties they serve. Please call 1-800-445-3316 and let us know if you want to pick up your packet at the CCR & R in your area.
• Better Beginnings staff will deliver packets to some of the Better Beginnings facilities in their areas.                               

When receiving a packet for your facility, participants will be asked to sign a tracking form showing that the packet has been received. 

The Resource Center is located in Little Rock at 700 Main Street in the Donaghey Plaza South DHS Building. Contact the Resource Center at 1-800-445-3316 or 1-501-682-9699 if more information is needed.

Contact information for the Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies is located on the DCCECE website at www.arkansas.gov/childcare (choose Unit Selection, then Program Support).

The Better Beginnings online store offering Better Beginnings materials (both free and for purchase) will be operational in early fall.

Better Beginnings hosted Mind in the Making author, Ellen Galinsky on Monday May, 9th at the Peabody Hotel in Little Rock. Galinsky spoke on the importance of early childhood education and the “Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs.” In this clip, she discusses her latest book with Dawn Scott at a central Arkansas station.

Most child care centers in the state of Arkansas with more than five children enrolled must meet minimum licensing requirements set forth by DHS. The state requires that all licensed centers meet the essential standards relating to issues involving safety, nutrition, child/staff ratios, space and personnel background checks to name a few. A list of all licensed providers can be found on the DHS website at state.ar.us/childcare. Parents may also call 1-800-445-3316 for a list of licensed providers.

Licensed child care centers may enroll in Better Beginnings, Arkansas’ new quality rating and improvement system. Better Beginnings emphasizes the value of quality child care and provides the tools for establishing and exceeding standards of excellence for participating licensed programs in the state.

“DHS takes a proactive approach to quality early childhood education and care. Better Beginnings is a new, groundbreaking program that will improve early childhood education in Arkansas,” said Tonya Russell, director of Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education.

Child care centers in Arkansas with fewer than five children enrolled are not required to be licensed with DHS. These facilities are not required to meet any state regulations, but are encouraged to be licensed.

For families, Better Beginnings provides tools to help find and select certified child care providers in their area. The Better Beginnings website, ArBetterBeginnings.com, rates providers based on their quality ratings, which are ranked as a 1, 2 or 3-star program. The website also provides a checklist of what to look for and what questions to ask when searching for a child care center.

For more information on Better Beginnings or to find the “Choosing Child Care Checklist,” visit this link, or call 1-800-445-3316.

Providers raise the roof in celebration of a new quality improvement system.

Administrators, legislatures and early child care providers from around the state gathered at Philander Smith College in Little Rock on October 25, 2010, to celebrate Better Beginnings, the new child care improvement system for Arkansas.

“Better Beginnings will improve early childhood education in Arkansas by building solid foundations for every child,” said Vandy Nash, 2010 Arkansas Teacher of the Year. “This program will empower parents, give child care providers valuable tools and establish standards of excellence.”

As a school teacher at Indian Hills Elementary, Nash understands the importance of using partnerships.

“The problem starts early,” said Nash. “In order for the achievement gap in Arkansas to narrow we have to work together.”

Renowned early childhood education specialist, Joshua D. Sparrow, M.D., speaks about the importance of human interaction in developing young minds.

Speakers for the Better Beginnings Celebration Event featured internationally renowned child development specialist, Dr. Joshua Sparrow, economic and business development specialist, Bill Millett and Arkansas State University’s early childhood curriculum specialist, PJ Yarbrough.

“All of the presentations were timely and thought provoking,” said state Rep., Tim Summers. “I wish the entire education committee could have been in attendance.”

“Quality pre-kindergarten programs are an effective strategy to get our schools out of school improvement,” said Marilyn Chambers, special programs director for Hamburg School District. “The Better Beginnings program will help Arkansas education meet benchmarks. I wish other superintendents and federal programmers would have had the opportunity to hear these wonderful speakers.”

Business development specialist, Bill Millett, and DHS/DCCECE Health Policy Administrator, Martha Heitt, talk over coffee about the role early childhood education plays in developing a stronger economy.

Child care providers from around the state were also in attendance. The afternoon celebration enabled providers to speak one-on-one with early childhood education specialists.

“I hope the Better Beginnings program will cause everyone in the field of early child care to consider the impact of early experiences on young children,” said Barbara Gilkey, director of the Arkansas Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters Program (HIPPY). “Even though we’re a home-based program I don’t think we’re immune from ensuring that every child receives a high quality preschool experience.”

ASU curriculum specialist, PJ Yarbrough, speaks to providers and educators on the importance of tracking children’s successes rather than failures.

The Better Beginnings celebration also encouraged providers to visit the website for tools and facts on how to become quality rated and certified.

“I’ve visited the website,” said Gilkey. “It’s very helpful and easy to navigate. I plan to work closely with the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education to get more child care centers, family daycare homes and other programs that serve children to apply.” Better Beginnings in Action View “Telling the Better Beginnings Story” to hear from providers who have seen the program in action. These are the people who are on the front lines, witnesses who are here to tell you that Better Beginnings works. On the Small Screen Child care providers play a vital role in the future of Arkansas. View “The Story of Better Beginnings,” and join us in celebrating Arkansas’ new child care improvement system, because every child deserves our best. Ripped From the Headlines Education reporters from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette and the Texarkana Gazette covered the unveiling Better Beginnings, the new child care improvement system for Arkansas.

“Three stars is the new top rating available to Arkansas,” wrote Cynthia Howell, education reporter for the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. “The state will provide much of the training, guidelines and other types of support to the providers, which include center-based care programs, family child-care and school-based programs.”

Howell’s article ran in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette in northwest Arkansas on October 26, 2010, and appeared again in the paper’s statewide edition on October 30, 2010.

“The Arkansas Department of Human Services hopes a new initiative can help parents make more informed choices about child care,” wrote Eric Nicholson, education reporter for the Texarkana Gazette. “In Miller County, 10 child care centers have been awarded three stars; the rest have none.”

Nicholson’s article appeared in the Texarkana Gazette on October 30, 2010, highlighting the launch of the new child care improvement system. The Texarkana Gazette features news stories in both Arkansas and Texas. Better Beginnings Facts What is Better Beginnings?

• Better Beginnings is the new name of our state’s Quality Rating Improvement System.
• Better Beginnings is a three-tiered building block system designed to assess the quality of early care
  and education programs and youth development programs by evaluating the following components:
  • Administration
  • Administrator/Staff Qualifications & Professional Development
  • Learning Environment
  • Environmental Assessment
  • Child Health & Development

Who is eligible to participate in Better Beginnings?

• All facilities operating under a regular child care license, a new provisional license, or registration as issued by the DHS Division of Child Care and Early Education are eligible to apply for certification.
• All participating facilities must be in good standing with the Department of Human Services. How do I apply for Better Beginnings?
• Visit ARBetterBeginnings.com to fill out an application.
• Applications and supporting documents may be submitted electronically or mailed to:Division of Child Care and Early Childhood EducationAttn: Better Beginnings PO Box 1437, Slot S150Little Rock, AR 72203-1437

Telling the Better Beginnings Story

Better Beginnings celebrated the program’s launch with a Kickoff Celebration on Monday, October 25, at the Harry R. Kendall Center on the Philander Smith College campus.  Guests including child care specialists, program advocates, legislators and child care facility providers heard presentations regarding the importance of quality early child care from different perspectives.

Speakers included Joshua Sparrow, M.D., internationally renowned child development specialist, Shaneil (PJ) Yarbrough, curriculum specialist for Childhood Services at Arkansas State University, Scope View Strategic Advantage founder, Bill Millett, Chad Rodgers, M.D., and Walter Kimbrough, Ph.D. among other experts in the field of early childhood education. In addition to lecture activities, attendees participated in questionnaire sessions, a luncheon, as well as a book signing by Dr. Sparrow.

Photo Gallery	Program Resources	Program Video
Click to View Gallery	Administrator Tip Sheets (0.1 MB) Learning Center Signs (0.2 MB) Environment Rating Scale Handouts (1.5 MB) Training in a Box Facilitator Guides (1.1 MB) Adventures in Learning Curriculum for Preschoolers (8.6 MB) Adventures for Toddlers Curriculum (22.4 MB) PD Kits (15.6 MB)  *ZIP	The Story of Better Beginnings

The Program Resources are made available in PDF format, which requires Adobe Reader or another PDF viewing application. Click here if you need to download and install the free Adobe Reader application.

* The PD Kits are in a ZIP compressed file that contains a collection of files. This file can be opened to browse the contents on your computer by double-clicking the file after you download it.

…and Early Childhood Education and Development Advocates

Better Beginnings Invites All Child Care Providers to Celebrate Keynote Speaker

Joshua D. Sparrow of Harvard Medical School

Joshua D. Sparrow, M.D.

Joshua D. Sparrow, M.D. with Harvard Medical School, keynote presenter, will speak about equality of children’s development at both the morning and afternoon sessions at the Better Beginnings Celebration on Monday, Oct. 25 at Philander Smith College.

Dr. Sparrow’s work with the Brazelton Touchpoints Center has included collaborative consultation on child development and parenting to the Harlem Children’s Zone, American Indian Early Head Start Programs and UNICEF. He has served as a consultant to media programming for children and parents, including PBS Frontlines and Discovery Kids. Sparrow has also been called upon by a wide range of national and international media including the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, NPR, CNN, among others.

Dr. Sparrow is also director of special initiatives at the Brazelton Touchpoints Center, Children’s Hospital Boston, director of Brazelton Touchpoints Project, Inc., and assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Co-author with Dr. T. Berry Brazelton of eight books and a weekly New York Times Syndicate column, “Families Today,” Dr. Sparrow is also a contributing editor to Scholastic Services’ Parent and Child magazine. He has lectured extensively nationally and internationally on child and adolescent development.

A graduate of Yale Medical School, Dr. Sparrow went through residency training and child psychiatry fellowship at Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals. Prior to his medical training, Dr. Sparrow worked for several years as a preschool teacher and journalist in New York City.

During his years as a doctor he has developed special interest and expertise in the areas of psychological development of parents as mediated by their children’s development, application and assessment of adult learning theory to medical education, and cultural differences in child development beliefs and child rearing practices. Morning Treat

Nationally Recognized Speaker to Discuss Economic Impact of Childhood Development

Bill Millett

Bill Millet of Charlotte, North Carolina, will take part in the Better Beginnings Celebration by speaking about “Quality Early Education: A Competitive Imperative for Arkansas” during the morning session on Oct. 25, at Philander Smith College.

Bill Millet established Charlotte, NC-based Scope View Strategic Advantage in 1995 to deliver substantial and sustainable value to private, nonprofit and public firms through support in a broad range of economic, organizational and business development areas.

While most of Millet’s work is with corporations in the confidential areas of site location and taking market share from competitors, he has a particular interest in early education issues. He has spoken on the subject to local, state and national organizations.

Scope View Strategic Advantage’sclient list includes corporations, professional associations, chambers of commerce, United Ways, various nonprofits, economic development groups, libraries, government councils, partnerships for children, school districts and municipal, county and state agencies. These organizations are located in Arkansas, Alaska, the Carolinas, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia.

Millet has more than 25 years experience serving as an executive director of two Regional Councils of Government, including the largest agency in South Carolina; he has also served as senior vice president of Economic Commerce and principal for Business Development for a major architectural firm.

Leadership positions have included: the Board of the National Association of Development Organizations, past president of the Carolina Economic Development Assoc.; charter president of the Southeast Community Development Assoc.; past member of the Governor’s Committee on Local Government (SC), and chair Regional Council Executive Directors Assoc. Afternoon Delight

ASU’s Childhood Services Curriculum Specialist Featured at Better Beginnings Celebration

Shaneil “PJ” Yarbrough with Arkansas State University (ASU) will help celebrate Better Beginnings by speaking to child care providers about “Collecting Memories that Matter” during the afternoon session on Oct. 25, at

PJ Yarbrough is a curriculum specialist for ASU, Childhood Services. She is hired regionally to assist child care facilities in implementing developmentally appropriate curricula and practice. While she develops trainings tailor-made to meet the requests of early childhood professionals that are in need of resources and support, she also provides coaching, technical assistance, facilitating trainings and presents at a number of Early Childhood conferences.

With Shaneil’s passion for early childhood and experience in the classroom, she is both enthusiastic and efficient. She holds a Bachelor of Science in education from Southern Arkansas University. She is a P-4 early childhood licensed teacher and has previously worked in both the El Dorado School District and for a non-profit Head Start Agency. She has taught as both a fifth and second grade teacher, served as the early literacy curriculum coordinator, math curriculum coordinator, parent involvement coordinator, education manager, and Arkansas Better Chance coordinator and center director. She is an Arkansas Early Childhood Verified trainer and serves in many capacities within the early childhood profession.

In addition to her career, she serves alongside her husband, Pastor Larry D. Yarbrough, leading Changing Lives Ministries (Louann, AR). Together, the couple has two sons, Larry D., Jr. (“LJ”) and Lance. ]]> http://www.arbetterbeginnings.com/bulletin/october-2010/feed/ 0 http://www.arbetterbeginnings.com/general-news/u-s-secretary-of-education-visits-hamburg-school-district/ http://www.arbetterbeginnings.com/general-news/u-s-secretary-of-education-visits-hamburg-school-district/#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:02:39 +0000 jfoster http://www.arbetterbeginnings.com/?p=280 Second Visit by Secretary in Past Ten Years

By David Moyers
Published: Tuesday, August 31, 2010 9:51 AM CDT
Courtesy of Ashley County Ledger

For the second time in ten years, a United States Secretary of Education has visited the Hamburg School District. Current U. S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was in Hamburg Thursday as part of a bus tour which included two stops in Arkansas.