The QCCPA, a New Training Requirement...What every trainer should know about training for child care providers in New York State.

• Introduction
• What child care providers are affected by the QCCPA?
• How does the QCCPA affect training requirements for day care providers?
• Is the provider required to take training in specific topics?
• Does the specific training curriculum or trainer need to be approved?
• How can I best meet the needs of providers as adult learners?
• Are there training units already developed that I can use to train providers?
• Can a provider with high-level skills and experience in a topic area skip that area of training?
• Is there free training available for child care providers?
• Is money available to help providers pay for training?
• What other resources are available?
• What other adult learning resources are available?

In 2000, New York State Governor George E. Pataki signed the Quality Child Care and Protection Act into law. This law has led to changes in day care regulations in many areas. As a professional conducting training for child care providers, your familiarity with the changes related to training will help you provide accurate and appropriate information to the child care community.

This information is a summary of the training requirements affected by the Quality Child Care and Protection Act (QCCPA).

The QCCPA also affects inspections, criminal background checks and other areas of child day care programs. For more details and specific legal requirements, please review the New York State Office of Children and Family Services regulations for child care providers, New York State Social Services Law 390-a and 424.

These can be obtained by contacting the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) or the regional OCFS office in your area.

What child care providers are affected by the QCCPA?

The Act affects all child care providers working in programs registered or licensed through the New York State Office of Children and Family Services or by the New York City Department of Health. This includes family day care providers, group family day care providers, staff of day care centers and staff of school-age child care programs. 

This also includes volunteers who have regular and substantial contact with children.

How does the QCCPA affect training requirements for day care providers?

The law affects training requirements in several ways. As of March 5, 2001, training requirements include:

• All providers and operators of licensed/registered child care programs must take a total of 30 hours of training during their licensing/registration period.
• Fifteen hours of this training must be obtained within the first six months of initial licensure, registration or employment in a regulated child care program.
• Family day care and group family day care providers must take some specific training in health and safety prior to getting an initial license or registration.
• Routine licensure/registration renewal period is 2 years.

Is the provider required to take training in specific topics?

Yes. To meet the requirements for registration/license renewal, providers must take training in specific topics. This applies to providers in all modalities (family day care, group family day care, day care center, small day care center and school-age child care programs.) The required topics are:

• Principles of childhood development, including the appropriate supervision of children, meeting the needs of children enrolled in the program with physical or emotional challenges and behavior management and discipline;
• Safety and security procedures, including communication between parents and staff;
• Child abuse and maltreatment identification and prevention;
• Statutes and regulations pertaining to child day care;
• Nutrition and health needs of children;
• Business record maintenance and management;
• Child day care program development;
• Statutes and regulations pertaining to child abuse and maltreatment;
• Education and information on the identification, diagnosis and prevention of shaken baby syndrome.

Anyone applying for an initial family day care or group family day care registration/license after March 5, 2001 must take specific training in health and safety before the registration/license is issued. This training can count toward the requirement of 15 hours of training in the first six months of registration/licensure.

Does the specific training curriculum or trainer need to be approved?

Yes and no. An approved curriculum must be used for the health and safety training of new family day care and group family day care providers.

In addition, individual trainers are certified to conduct the SUNY Health and Safety training.

For training used to meet the other training requirements, neither the curriculum nor the trainer needs to be approved in order for the training to "count" toward training requirements. As a professional, it is your responsibility to ensure that the training you offer meets the needs of providers and helps them improve the quality of care they provide to the children and families in their program. Offering training just to help providers "get the hours" does a disservice to the children in their care and is a poor use of the providers' limited time.

How can I best meet the needs of providers as adult learners?

As a trainer of adult learners, your role is not just to deliver information. How well participants understand and use this information is influenced by the way you establish a learning environment. Some ways to foster a supportive learning environment include:

Know your participants.
What is their level of knowledge and what skills do they already have? If you don't already know this, how will you assess it? Understand why the participants are at the training and be respectful of that reason.

Maintain a professional demeanor.
Be respectful, kind, courteous and enjoy your work with adult learners. Conduct yourself in a manner that makes adults feel that they are valued as separate, unique individuals deserving of respect. Your attitude sets the tone for the entire training.

Polish your communication skills.
Every trainer can improve. Attempt your best efforts during the training session. Afterward, be very critical of yourself. Think about what went well and learn from what did not work well. Practice new ways of saying thoughts or ideas that you were not happy with. Practice with other trainers.

Know your limitations.
No one is perfect. You may have better skills in some areas than in others. Work on what needs improvement. You do not need to have all the answers. You do need to know how to assist participants in getting answers.

Foster a collaborative spirit.
Identify ways for adults to genuinely work with you and with each other.

Remember that training is a shared experience.
See yourself as a resource person - a helper rather than the leader or key person. The participants need to go back to their programs and function without you. If you become the only one with "right" answers, they won't be capable of applying what was learned to their own situation.

Watch what is going on and try to understand it, even while you are participating.
Mentally step back and try to view the session as it progresses, including your behavior and feelings. You may spot something (or someone) blocking people from learning. Keep an eye on the climate. Watch for what subjects come up again and again, who talks and who doesn't, participants' body language, how the group as a whole makes decisions and solves problems.

Establish "ground rules" for participants to receive training certificates.
Think about how you will award certificates documenting the training. How will you handle participants who arrive late or leave early and expect a training certificate? Will you fill out the certificates with participants' names ahead of time? How will you document participation if a participant contacts you in a year and needs a copy of their certificate?

Are there training units already developed that I can use to train providers?

Yes. Many units of training for child care providers have been developed by organizations through contracts with NYS OCFS. To get copies of these units, contact the Resource Library at (518) 473-8320.

Another resource for curriculum are the videoconference trainings developed through the SUNY Early Childhood Education and Training Program with funding from NYS OCFS. Agencies that host videoconferences have taped copies of the trainings, master copies of handout materials and co-trainer guides. These can be used as the basis for trainings. Contact your local child care resource and referral agency to find out if you can borrow these materials.

If you want to offer the health and safety training mandated for new family and group family providers, contact the SUNY Early Childhood Education and Training Program at (518) 443-5940 or by e-mail at ECETP@tsg.suny.edu.

Can a provider with high-level skills and experience in a topic area skip that area of training?

Yes but this option is available only after renewing the registration/license at least one time. A provider can show her/his skills in one of two ways:

Basic competence.
A provider who demonstrates basic competency may determine in which of the specified topic(s) he/she needs further study. The provider still needs to participate in a total of 30 hours of training.

Knowledge or experience in a specific topic area.
A provider who demonstrates knowledge or experience in a specific topic area can choose not to take additional training in that topic area. For example, a provider who is a Licensed Practical Nurse might request an exemption to the requirement that s/he take training in "nutrition and health needs of infants and children." The provider still needs to participate in a total of 30 hours of training and cover all other required topic areas.

A provider who plans to demonstrate competency should contact his or her registrar/licensor ahead of time to avoid any delays in renewing the registration/license.

Is there free training available for child care providers?

Yes. The New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) funds videoconference trainings that are free to participants. They are held in the evenings at sites across the state. To obtain a registration form for the videoconference trainings, call the SUNY Early Childhood Education and Training Program at (518) 443-5940 or toll-free at (888) 399-0549. In addition, there may be local organizations in your community that offer free training.

Is money available to help providers pay for training?

Child care providers may be eligible for scholarship funds from OCFS that are available through the Educational Incentive Program (EIP). The EIP promotes the professional and career development of those working in registered/licensed child care programs. Eligible providers can use EIP funds toward educational and training activities that lead to the fulfillment of training requirements. To receive an application, call 1-800-295-9616.

What other resources are available?

Training child care providers is an important responsibility. Understanding training requirements and offering high quality training is part of that responsibility. If you have any questions about the Quality Child Care and Protection Act, regulations for child care providers or training requirements, contact the OCFS Bureau of Early Childhood Services Central Office or Regional Office:

• OCFS BECS Central Office  (518) 474-9324
• OCFS BECS - Buffalo  (716) 847-3828
• OCFS BECS - Rochester  (716) 238-8533
• OCFS BECS - Syracuse  (315) 423-1202
• OCFS BECS - Albany  (518) 402-3038
• OCFS BECS - Yonkers  (914) 376-8810
• OCFS BECS - Long Island  (631) 952-4907

Child day care programs in the five boroughs of New York City are administered by the New York City Department of Health. Their phone number is (212) 676-2444 for day care centers and (212) 280-9251 for family day care programs.

What other adult learning resources are available?

Some helpful resources about adult learning include:

• Birkey, Richard C. and Rodman, Joseph J., 1995. Adult Learning Styles and Preferences for Technology Programs.
• Brookfield, Stephen D., 1986. Understanding and Facilitating Adult Learning.
• Knowles, M. 1984. The Adult Learner: A Neglected Species.
• Kolb, David A. 1985. Learning Style Inventory.
• Rose, Colin, 1987. Accelerated Learning.
• Vygotsky, L.S., 1978. Mind in Society.