updated 2/11/08...ecw
Helpful Links
Recommended Publications:
Leading Early Childhood Learning Communities: What Principals Know and Should be Able to Do, National Association of Elementary School Principals, 1615 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314-3483
1-800-NAESP
www.naesp.org
Helpful Websites:
Maine Organizations:
Center for Community Inclusion & Disability Studies (CCIDS)
http://www.ccids.umaine.edu/ec/
Working to ensure that all infants, preschoolers, and children to age 12 have an opportunity to be cared for and educated in high quality, inclusive community early care and education settings. The website includes useful ‘tipsheets’ that cover the many topics that arise around child care settings, from developmentally appropriate practices, to child assessment, to legal issues. The Center for Community Inclusion also has telephone consultation, email support, on-site consultation staff development and training activities, and a resource library to help Maine child care providers when they have questions or concerns about the children for whom they are caring.
http://www.ccids.umaine.edu/ec/resources/index.htm
CCIDS resources cover a myriad of topics including research and public policy, links to Maine and national organizations, technical assistance, instructional modules, periodicals, tip sheets, newsletters, and short publications.
Family Resource Center
http://www.connectingfamiliestogether.org/aboutthefrc.html
The Family Resource Center provides families that live in the Greater Seacoast with weekly playgroups, parenting support groups, parent education and other family-related services as part of a shared goal to grow and strengthen our community.
Maine Family Networks
http://www.mainefamilynetworks.com/
A resource for Maine parents and families to network and share their experiences.
Maine Home Visiting Programs
http://www.mainefamilies.com/
The Maine Bureau of Health administers the Healthy Families, Parents as Teachers, and Parents Are Teachers, Too programs by providing grants to community agencies which maintain sites within each of Maine’s counties. This website provides information to parents, professionals and interested citizens about these programs, including where they are located, what they offer and how the programs are succeeding. You will also find parenting tips, timely facts and figures, and links to many parent resources.
Maine Immunization Program
http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/boh/ddc/_immunization/index.html
The Maine Immunization Program strives to ensure full protection of all Maine children and adults from vaccine-preventable disease. Through cooperative partnerships with public and private health practitioners and community members, the MIP provides vaccine, comprehensive education and technical assistance, vaccine-preventable disease tracking and outbreak control, accessible population-based management tools, and compassionate support services that link individuals into comprehensive health care systems.
Maine Parent Federation
http://www.mpf.org/index.htm
A statewide private non-profit organization that provides information, advocacy, education, and training to parents and professionals to benefit all children. We promote individual aspirations and community inclusion for people with disabilities. Find information about: specific disabilities, parenting issues, education, services, support groups and other resources available to assist families and professionals within the home, school and community.
Maine Roads to Quality (MRTQ)
www.muskie.usm.maine.edu/maineroads
MRTQ is committed to promoting and supporting professionalism in the early care and education field in an effort to lead Maine in creating and sustaining quality learning environments for our youth. MRTQ works with existing or potential community child care providers in supplementing their work with systematic and up-to-date training opportunities and through public recognition of the importance of these providers through professional certification of their achievements.
Office of Child Care and Head Start
www.maine.gov/dhhs/occhs/index.htm
The Office of Child Care and Head Start is an excellent source of information for parents, providers, and burgeoning child care facilities interested in the health and development of young children and their families. From information helping parents locate and pay for child care to resource development center information to the State of Child Care in Maine reports, this site truly covers a wide territory of interest.
National Organizations:
American Academy of Pediatrics
http://www.aap.org/healthtopics/childcare.cfm
Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP): Child Care and Early Education
http://www.clasp.org/
CLASP offers policy information and other publication resources for child care and early education. http://www.clasp.org/publications.php?id=3
Early Childhood Research Institute on Inclusion (ECRII)
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~ecrii/
ECRII offers a very useful page for anyone with questions about the inclusion of children with disabilities in preschool, childcare, and community settings. There are multiple links leading to research centers, an administrator’s guide, and effective strategies for caretakers. PowerPoint presentations and conference slides are also available for perusal.
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids
http://www.fightcrime.org/
A national, bipartisan, nonprofit anti-crime organization of more than 3,000 police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors, other law enforcement leaders and violence survivors that takes a hard nosed look at crime prevention strategies, informs the public and policymakers about those findings, and urges investment in programs proven effective by research.
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
www.naeyc.org
The NAEYC webpage links to accreditation information, training opportunities/conferences, links to US and International job banks, policy information, and helpful research-based information related to early education and childcare as well as guides to assist you in using such research in a childcare-based setting.
- Maine Association for the Education of Young Children (MAEYC)
http://www.maineaeyc.org/
MAEYC includes links to organization resources in Maine and neighboring New England affiliates as well links to Maine-based higher education and career resources.
National Center for Early Development and Learning
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~ncedl/pages/research.cfm
This website is a great resource database with links to ongoing and complete research projects and articles focusing on early development from birth through age 8. More recent articles focus on PreK throughout the United States.
National Governors Association
http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga
The National Governors Association--the bipartisan organization of the nation's governors--promotes visionary state leadership, shares best practices and speaks with a unified voice on national policy.
Explore under “Center for Best Practices” dropdown subject menu: “Early Childhood”.
National Institute for Early Education Research
www.nieer.org
This very useful website links to the latest Preschool research and publications as well as to state-by-state reports on Preschool standards, resources, and improving Preschool. Research topics cover assessment, economics & financing, accountability, outcomes, quality & curriculum, special education, and many others.
National Prekindergarten Center
www.fpg.unc.edu/~NPC/index.cfm
The National Prekindergarten Center website provides a background and framework for how to build quality PreK programs. Links from this website are especially valuable and cover topics ranging from early childhood education advocacy to policy to research and technical assistance in implementing a quality PreK program.
National Scientific Council on the Developing Child
www.developingchild.net/about.shtml
This website has a more scientific approach to understanding early childhood development, although it is geared toward the not-so-scientific reader. From science to classrooms, the NSCDC does its best to make current research translate into early learning contexts.
PreK Now
www.preknow.org
PreK Now is dedicated to high-quality PreK programming. Aside from a historical look at PreK, this website offers ways of improving existing PreK programs and links to outstanding books, websites, and videos to help improve overall understanding of what it takes to create and sustain a high-quality PreK program. Information is broken into down into compartments for advocates, policymakers, media, businesses, community leaders, educators, and families, though the compartments are relevant for all.
- See how Maine rates for quality in their PreK programming compared to other states:
http://www.preknow.org/resource/mapping/qualitymap.cfm
- See how Maine rates for the availability of PreK compared to other states.
http://www.preknow.org/resource/mapping/accessmap.cfm
- What is high quality PreK?
http://www.preknow.org/resource/abc/highquality.cfm
Zero to Three
http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer
A national nonprofit multidisciplinary organization that advances its mission by informing, educating and supporting adults who influence the lives of infants and toddlers.
