Supporting children as they grow and develop can be both rewarding and challenging. Children’s Home Society of California (CHS) provides free workshops for parents, caregivers, and child care providers to offer them the information and resources they need to help children learn, grow, and develop to their full potential.
Although workshops are free to attend, we suggest registering in advance online in order to guarantee there is space. Workshops are typically two hours long and take place during weekday evenings or Saturday mornings. Topics vary, and new workshops are added to the calendar on a regular basis.
Attendees will receive a certificate of attendance and handouts or resources they can access on their own time for additional information. CHS interactive workshops are presented in English and Spanish in person at one of our office locations and/or online via Zoom. At the end of each workshop, we offer surveys where attendees can request workshop topics. Keep reading to learn more about the content of our workshops.
Workshops for Parents and Caregivers
Parent and caregiver workshop topics offer information about parenting, school readiness, and child development. We also offer Parent Café meetings, which invite parents to network and reflect on topics like managing stress, building resilience, and making social connections. A few recent Parent Café topics include Weathering the Storm, Building Structure and Routine at Home, and You Are Not Alone.
CHS also offers additional workshops that explore parenting topics such as Choosing Child Care, Activities for Family Bonding Time, Building Resilience: Practical Activities for Children, Five Basic Parenting Skills to Support You and Your Child, Positive Discipline and Responding to Challenging Behavior, Toilet Training Without Tears, Strategies to Collaborate for the Best Interest of Children, and Preschool and Kindergarten Readiness Tips.
Workshops about child development discuss a specific area of development and include ideas for free or low-cost activities that support healthy growth, as well as additional resources and tips for those who want to explore the topic further. Examples of child development workshops that have been presented include Social and Emotional Development of Infants and Toddlers, Understanding Sleep Behavior and Soothing Skills, Exercise and Fitness, Health and Nutrition, Transitions and Routines, Strengthening Children’s Communication Skills, Supporting Young Dual Language Learners, and Winter Wonderland: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM).
Workshops for Child Care Providers
Child care provider workshops offer information about child care as a business, child development, learning activities, and teaching strategies. These workshops are helpful for people building a child care business, early educators, Family, Friend, or Neighbor (FFN) providers, and license-exempt providers. The workshop certificates include the name, date, and hours completed for each workshop so child care providers can document their professional growth hours.
Workshop topics vary each month, but the Starting Up a Family Child Care Home (FCCH) Business workshop is offered on a regular basis to support those who are interested in obtaining a license to run a child care business from their home. The Starting Up a FCCH Business workshop offers an overview of what a child care license is, how to obtain a license, how to create policies, how to market a business, steps for creating a payment contract, setting up a daily schedule, and more.
Some of the workshop topics CHS presents that build business knowledge are Marketing Ideas for a FCCH Business, Caring for Children: Basic Health and Safety Practices, Preventing Suspension and Expulsion in Early Childhood Programs, Building Connections with Families: Engagement and Communication, Portfolio and Observation Documentation: Organization Tips and Resources, and Get Your Employer Identification Number (EIN). Each workshop provides handouts that may include additional resources, forms, or information.
Workshops related to child development, curriculum, and environment design are based on current learning trends and research related to how children develop and learn. Some past workshops on these topics include Literacy and Language Development, Media Technology in Early Learning Education Programs, Strategies for Building Children’s Confidence and Seft-Esteem, Learning Empathy Through Diversity, Safe Sleep Recommendations, Adapting Craft Activities for Children with Special Needs, Classroom Setup: The Third Teacher, The Importance of Art, Nature Connection, Engineering Activities in Child Care Settings, Math Play Every Day, Storytelling Methods, Bringing a Book to Life, The Importance of Block Play, Introduction to STEM Learning in a FCCH, Trauma Informed Care (TIC), and Bringing Imagination to Life: Dramatic Play in a FCCH. These workshops are usually interactive, and handouts include resources, activity ideas, and information about curriculum development and/or environment design. After the workshop, attendees can complete a survey and request workshop topics.
Check our Workshops and Events webpage frequently to see which workshops are being offered. Register by clicking on the workshop title and completing the online form. If you have questions about the workshop or need assistance with registration, call the Resource and Referral (R&R) Hotline in your county, and one of our R&R Program staff will assist you.
References
CHS Calendar of Workshops and Events: https://chs-ca.org/workshops-events
CHS Contacts and Hotline Phone Numbers: https://chs-ca.org/contact-us