• Training Topics
• Training Descriptions
• Training Schedule/Entrenamientos
• How to Register
• Register online or download a printable registration form and mail/fax it to us today!
• Registration Policies

Training Topics

Below you will find a list of training categories. Click below for the training you are interested in to find a full description. Please refer to the Training Calendar for the specific times, dates and fees for trainings being offered.

• Family Child Care Training: Family Child Care Orientation: Establishing a Successful Family Child Care (FCC) Home, Caring For School Age Children in Family Child Care, and Introduction to Large Family Child Care
• Health & Safety: Pediatric CPR and First Aid courses
• College Courses: Subsidized Early Childhood Education courses at area colleges
• Distance Learning: Early Childhood Education courses in the comfort of your own home
• CEU Series: Workshop series offering Early Childhood Continuing Education Units
• P.E.T.'s Annual Early Childhood Conference: A daylong conference offering early childhood CEUs including a keynote speaker from the early childhood community and more than 12 workshops to choose from.
• Current Topics in Early Care and Education: For example, Discipline, Language Development, Value of Play, Working with Families and much more.
• Administration: Hiring, staff management, supervision, budgets, and any topic involving child care management and administration
• Infant/Toddler: Development, curriculum and working with parents
• School Age Care: Development, curriculum, and working with parents
• Children With Disabilities: Including and caring for children with disabilities in child care settings
• Entrenamientos en Español: P.E.T. proveé entrenamientos variedad en español
• Lead Poisoning Prevention Education: The dangers of lead poisoning in young children and prevention strategies
• Family Child Care Training and Credentialing: Trainings designed for family child care providers and applicable to Child Development Associate (CDA) and NAFCC requirements
• Career Workshops: Trainings designed to help you advance your early childhood career
• Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care Standards Training: Knowledgeable and trained P.E.T. staff can present workshops on DOE Early Childhood Program Standards and The Guidelines for Preschool Early Learning Experiences

Training Descriptions

• Family Child Care Orientation Training

Family Child Care Orientation: In this three hour training you will receive information on the services of the Department of Early Education and Care (DEEC) and the Preschool Enrichment Team. Learn about the licensing process and regulations, business basics, parent/provider communication and balancing work and family. Certificates will be awarded. Click here for schedule, prices and registration. If you would like to learn more about the basics of providing child care in your home you may also click here for the Department of Early Education and Care Introduction to Licensed Family Child Care Program. You may complete the questionnaire provided to help determine your readiness for FCC License.

Family Child Care Plus - Caring for School Age Children in Family Child Care: This three-hour workshop is required if you wish to be licensed for two extra school age children. In order to be eligible for this license you must have two years of family child care experience. This training includes policy and environment changes, planning for mixed age groups, promoting positive behavior, understanding school agers' development and planning activities. Click here for schedule, prices and registration.

Introduction to Large Family Child Care Home Programs: This five-hour workshop is required by DEEC if you wish to be licensed for up to 10 children. You must have three years of full time family child care experience to provide large family child care. This training includes business issues, child development in mixed age groups, promoting positive behavior, health and safety and ongoing professional development. Click here for schedule, prices and registration. 

• Health & Safety

Pediatric CPR: Pediatric CPR includes information on the causes and prevention of cardiopulmonary arrest and the basic anatomy of the heart and lungs. Participants will gain the knowledge and skills required to provide life-sustaining rescue for breathing arrest, obstructed airways and cardiopulmonary arrest for infants and children. An American Heart Association (AHA) certificate of participation is given. The Department of Early Education and Care recommends that you renew every year. The AHA's Pediatric Basic Life Support Manual will be sent to each registrant prior to the course and is included in the price of the course. Click here for schedule, prices and registration.

First Aid: P.E.T. offers its own four-hour First Aid course for individuals who have had CPR within the last six months.  This course is specifically designed for those who work with infants, toddlers, preschoolers and/or school-age children. This course includes indoor and outdoor safety, information about First Aid supplies, assessing vital functions, and First Aid case scenarios which address injuries that may occur in child care settings.  Certificates valid for three years are awarded. Childhood Emergencies, What To Do may be purchased for $12.00 or just borrowed for the course. Click here for schedule, prices and registration.

• Distance Learning

These distance learning courses are designed for any child care professional who would like to study independently and earn Continuing Education Units (CEU) in the comfort of their own home. If you are self-motivated and able to work independently with professional direction from a P.E.T. facilitator, this is for you.

• A Caring Curriculum for Infants  Toddlers, 45 hrs, 4 CEU
• Preschool Development Home Study, 10 hrs, 1 CEU
• FCC Health and Safety Home Study, .5 CEU
• Building Relationships in the School Age Child Care Environment, 10 hrs, 1 CEU
• Child Guidance in the School Age Environment, 15 hrs, 1.5 CEU

Click here for schedule, prices and registration. Call for more information if not currently on schedule.

• CEU Series

 The Preschool Enrichment Team often offers workshop series that, upon completion, award Continuing Education Units (CEU). CEUs are awarded through the Massachusetts Association for the Education of Young Children. Once a provider or early childhood educator has accrued 4 CEUs, the Department of Early Education and Care will accept them in lieu of a college course for Lead Teacher or Director qualifications.
  Click here for schedule, prices and registration.

• P.E.T.'s Annual Early Childhood Conference

 Our annual early childhood conference is held every spring in the heart of downtown Springfield, MA.  This conference is a must for all early childhood professionals; it includes a keynote address by prominent members of the early childhood community and a dozen workshops to choose from on the hottest topics in the field.  CEUs are available for this daylong training. Request a brochure for more information. 
Click here for schedule, prices and registration.

• General Early Childhood Training

The Preschool Enrichment Team, Inc. is your best source for early childhood training. All of P.E.T.'s trainings award Department of Early Education and Care approved training hours. P.E.T. offers a wide range of topics including, but not limited to:

• Developmentally Appropriate Practices
• Violence in the Lives of Young Children
• Child Development & Guiding Behavior
• Curriculum Ideas and Program Planning
• Appreciating Diversity
• Parent/Provider Communication
  

Click here for schedule, prices and registration.

• Administration

The Preschool Enrichment Team, Inc. offers trainings specifically designed for child care administrators. Our popular Annual Director's Seminar and Director Power Breaks offer programs on mentoring and supervision, teacher and team development, communications, changing families and the general management and administration of child care programs. Click here for schedule, prices and registration.

• Infant/Toddler Trainings

The Preschool Enrichment Team, Inc. offers trainings specifically pertaining to the many challenges of caring for infants and toddlers in both family child care and center-based child care settings. Topics include but are not limited to program/curriculum planning, environment, transitions and behavior. P.E.T.'s infant/toddler trainings are designed to also meet the requirements of Large Family Child Care providers. Click here for schedule, prices and registration.

• School Age Child Care Trainings

The Preschool Enrichment Team, Inc. offers trainings specifically pertaining to caring for school age children in both family child care and center-based child care settings. Topics include, but are not limited to:

• Enhancing after school and summer programs
• Challenging behaviors
• Choosing developmentally appropriate activities
• Language and literacy development
  

P.E.T.'s school age child care trainings are designed to meet the requirements of FCC Plus providers and the five hour training required for School Age Child Care staff. Click here for schedule, prices and registration.

• Children With Disabilities

The Preschool Enrichment Team, Inc. offers trainings specifically pertaining to the inclusion of and caring for children with disabilities in both family child care and center-based child care settings. Topics include, but are not limited to:

• Questions/concerns about enrolling children with disabilities
• Is this behavior "normal"
• The Americans with Disabilities Act
• Parent communication
• Early Intervention Programs
• Environmental modifications
• Community resources
• Curriculum adaptations

Click here for schedule, prices and registration.

• Entrenamientos en Español

Preschool Enrichment Team provee entrenamientos extenso de variedad en español por todo el condado de Hampden incluyente son cursos de Resucitación Cardiopulmonar Pediatrico (CPR), Primeros Auxilios, Orientaciones, Conferencias, Tallers de niños en programas de cuido infantil y cursos de colegio con subsidios. Algunos cursos estan fondado por los programas de Community Partnerships y la Oficina de Servicios para el Cuido de Niños (O.C.C.S.). Favor de referir a la siguiente lista de entrenamientos para los cursos que vienen pronto en su comunidad.

• Lead Poisoning Prevention and Education

The Preschool Enrichment Team, Inc., offers lead poisoning prevention programs designed specifically for early care and education providers and parents of young children.

• The Low Down on Lead
• Including the Lead Injured Child in Your Care
• Lead Poisoning Prevention: What Are My Responsibilities As A Child Care Provider?
• Renovating? Get the Facts on Lead

These trainings are made possible by a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program of the Bureau of Environmental Health Assessment.

• Family Child Care Professional Development Credentialing

Child Development Associate (CDA) - The Council for Professional Recognition, headquartered in Washington, D.C. offers a nationally recognized credential to family child care providers, center-based caregivers in preschool and infant/toddler settings and home visitors. The Child Development Associate Credential focuses on the skills of early care and educational professionals. Through training and assessment, it recognizes each candidate's ability to demonstrate their skills in nurturing children's physical, social, emotional and intellectual growth in a child development framework. Each Candidate for the CDA credential can request a qualified advisor from P.E.T. who offers technical support, observations and training. Call or email us for more information.

Our work currently is funded through the Department of Education Community Partnerships for Children grants.

National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) Accreditation:  The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) Accreditation System has been designed to help providers set and reach quality improvement goals and to help parents and policy makers identify high quality family child care. Accreditation is a nationally recognized standard of excellence for the professionalism of family child care. NAFCC Accreditation standards are based on relationships, environment, activities, developmental learning goals, health and safety and professional and business practices. Providers should expect the process to take nine to twelve months to complete. Call or email us for more information.

• Career Workshops: P.E.T. presents workshops designed to help you enter the field of early childhood as well as how to move up the early childhood career ladder. Topics include: Welcome to the World of Early Childhood; Directors: How to Help Staff with Professional Development; What is CDA? College 101 and more. Call or email us for information.

• Department of Early Education and Care Standards Training: P.E.T. staff can present Department of Early Education and Care Guidelines for Preschool Early Learning Experiences and Early Childhood Program Standards trainings. Additionally many of P.E.T. trainings in FY 2005 will be linked to the Standards and Guidelines. Check training schedule or call for more information.

Register for Workshops Online!

Or Download a Registration Order Form
and Mail or Fax it Today!

How To Register

You may register for our trainings in one of three ways:

1. Register online via our secure shopping cart with a major credit card.
2. Download, print, and fill out our order form using a major credit card. Then fax it.
3. Download, print and fill out our order form. Then mail it with check, money order or credit card information.

Training Registration Policies

In our effort to provide successful trainings to the early childhood community, we have found that a few basic policies are necessary to help ensure a positive training experience for you. Thank you for your cooperation.

• Pre-registration with payment is required for all trainings. All major credit cards accepted.
• Phone registrations are not accepted unless otherwise noted. Phone inquiries regarding openings in trainings are accepted.
• Registrations are non-refundable except in the case where P.E.T. must cancel. Credit may be given to registrants who cancel enough in advance so the slot can be filled. A processing fee will be deducted. Requests for credits will not be accepted after a training event.
• A fee of $10.00 will be charged for any returned checks.
• Please assume you are registered for a training unless otherwise notified. We send confirmation for CPR and First Aid only.
• In the case of inclement weather call P.E.T. at (413) 736-3900 after 1:00 PM on the day of session to receive information on training status. For Saturday courses listen to radio station WHYN AM/FM for cancellations.
• Please make prior arrangements for child care and transportation. We have no safe child care facilities; therefore, we cannot allow children of any age to attend training events.