Interested in partnering with us? If you’re seeking trainers, facilitators or consultants, please connect with one of our subject matter experts at ta@ecic4kids.org to learn how we can collaborate. We work with local and statewide organizations throughout Michigan and in other states, in-person or virtually, and we look forward to helping you reach your goals.
You’re on the front lines. We’re here to support you.
ECIC’s Training and Technical Assistance Center works with local communities and organizations throughout Michigan and with state governmental agencies across the U.S. to provide innovative training, facilitation, and technical assistance on a variety of early childhood issues. To help support and connect family and parent leaders, partners throughout the early childhood field and local communities and organizations, we are offering a series of virtual programs and services based on the top requests and needs we are hearing from the field.
With Thanks to Our Partners: Highlights of 2020
During 2020, the Training and TA Center team was honored to work with several national, state, and local partners to provide trainings and webinars and to elevate the diverse voices of parents, families and providers through town halls, interviews, and focus groups. Over the past year we collaborated with dozens of partners statewide to deliver 95 trainings, consultations, virtual conferences and meetings, focus groups and more, engaging 1,731 participants and elevating 1,373 voices. Our gratitude to all of you is immeasurable.
The following are some of the highlights – demonstrating our collective triumph over adversity during COVID-19:
- Key decision makers, parents and early childhood providers participated in virtual townhalls to inform on-going policy decisions. Thank you to our partners at the Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health, Early On Foundation, Hope Starts Here and the Grand Rapids Chamber.
- In collaboration with American Institutes for Research, The Yaffe Group, Michigan Public Health Institute and the Michigan League for Public Policy we elevated the voices of parents and service providers to support the work of the Preschool Development Grant projects led by the Michigan Department of Education-Office of Great Start.
- Leaders from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Michigan Public Health Institute worked collaboratively with the trainers and Parent Leaders in State Government to modify the ‘Parents Partnering for Change’ training into a virtual format to ensure that parents continue to be in the forefront of making positive change for children.
- We were honored to support the North Carolina Partnership for Children by designing a detailed scope and sequence tool for the Smart Start Local Partnerships to expand their family engagement and leadership.
- We featured the Center for the Study of Social Policy who shared new research about how to move beyond ACEs with Protective Factors, Healing, and HOPE – Health Outcomes from Positive Experiences.
- COVID-19 has disproportionally impacted families of children with disabilities. With the Michigan Alliance for Families team, we facilitated “Sharing our Strengths and Struggles” virtual chats for families to come together, connect and learn from each other in a safe place.
- Ongoing statewide efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect are as critical as ever to the welfare of children in our state. This year, we supported the Children’s Trust Fund in transitioning their 2020 Annual CAN Conference to a virtual format, with more than 200 attendees.
- Thank you to the license-exempt child care providers that participated in the ‘Caregiving Conversations’ virtual training pilot funded through the Preschool Development Grant and led by the Michigan Department of Education-Office of Great Start.
- Partnering to promote racial equity in child care settings, we collaborated with the Division of Mental Health Services at MDHHS to discuss racial disparities in child care settings and how to promote positive racial identities.
- Carolyn Mckanders from Liberation, LLC joined us to lead an interactive session focused on ‘Being Adaptive in Challenging Times’ to support participants in being their best selves while facing adversity.
- Working with the Early Childhood Support Networks, we provided Strengthening Families and Parent Café trainings to Great Start Collaboratives and Parent Coalitions throughout the state to help families and communities build protective factors and mitigate stress.
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Webinar Series
Unable to join us live for our free, monthly webinars? Download a recorded version below:
- Promoting Racial Equity in Child Care Settings (1 hour, educational webinar, recorded Sept. 29, 2020)
- Kinship Care in Michigan: Challenges, Opportunities and Partnerships (1 hour, educational webinar, recorded Sept. 17, 2020)
- Moving beyond ACEs with Protective Factors, Healing, and HOPE (1 hour, educational webinar, recorded May 14, 2020)
- How to Make Conflict Your Friend (30 minute educational webinar, recorded February 20, 2020)
- Tips for Engaging Parent Leaders – Part Two (30 minute educational webinar, recorded January 22, 2020)
- Tips for Engaging Parent Leaders – Part One (30 minute educational webinar, recorded December 19, 2019)
- Unpacking the Buzzword Sustainability (30 minute educational webinar, recorded November 20, 2019)
- Four Keys to Systems Practice (30 minute educational webinar, recorded October 30, 2019)
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