Child Care Provider Trainings

Child care providers play a critical role in development and education. Well-Ahead Louisiana works to equip providers with resources and training to ensure children are creating healthy habits that will last a lifetime.

Technical Assistance Networks

Child care facilities have access to the Louisiana Child Care Health Consultant (CCHC) Program and the Louisiana Pathways Early Learning Center Career Development System to support them in professional development and continuing education. The Bureau of Licensing requires all child care facilities to complete 15 hours of education and training each year.

Child Care Resources and Referral Agencies

The Louisiana Department of Education contracts with child care resource and referral agencies across the state to support providers and parents. The state of Louisiana’s child care licensing regulations require child care staff to obtain a minimum of 12 hours of continuing education per center.

Child care resource and referral agencies provide professional development opportunities for child care center staff and family child care home providers located in their designated region. Each agency offers monthly training calendars. Please visit your designated agency’s website to obtain full details on registering for upcoming professional development opportunities.

Child care resource and referral agencies:

• Assist families with finding and evaluating child care providers
• Work with providers in developing new child care facilities
• Offer approved training that is required for providers and their staff in order to maintain a Type III Early Learning Center license or Family Child Care or In-Home provider registration and certification as a Child Care Assistance Program provider
• Provide high-quality differentiated coaching that brings the trainer into the child care facility to help staff solve unique problems and see how general theories can be put to work in their specific environment to improve the quality of the care children receive

Providers can contact the child care resource and referral agency in their area for any of the above items, training or for any other questions regarding child care. There are six of these agencies in Louisiana, and each is assigned to service child care centers and parents in a select number of parishes.

Training for Early Childhood Professionals and Coaches

Child care resource and referral agencies employ early childhood professionals, often called coaches, that provide training at child care centers. These coaches work alongside child care staff to assist them in finding solutions to challenges and problems that arise in early learning centers.

Coaches observe, mentor and provide feedback to child care staff using research-based best practices from the CLASS tool. The feedback often comes in the form of suggestions and modeling in order to improve the quality of care, teaching and environments for children enrolled in their child care center.

Child care coaches who receive training and professional development are able to stay up-to-date on best practices in early care and education through online professional development programs and webinars.

Go NAPSACC

Go NAPSACC (Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care) is an online training platform that provides education and support to child care professionals looking to improve healthy habits at their facility. Child care centers can enroll in the program or request a consultant for individual support. Early childhood professionals can also apply to become consultants in the program and receive access to an expanded bank of online resources and the opportunity to assist child care centers through out the state.