Family Child Care Professionals Tools and Professional Learning
Professional Learning for Family Child Care Professionals
The McCormick Institute’s Center for Early Childhood Leadership is home to a team of experts dedicated to providing family child care professionals with the skills and tools they need to grow their businesses and leadership competencies. The team frequently partners with professional development projects and statewide quality initiatives around the country. We work with you to determine a training experience to best meet the needs of your unique program or project.
Are you looking for opportunities for technical assistance specialists or coaches? Click here.
Why Training is Beneficial
Family child care professionals who utilize effective practices are more likely to provide a high-quality learning environment and interact more sensitively with children.
"Are you getting the tax deduction that you have earned while caring for children AND conducting business for your FCCH program? Take this training to open your eyes and discover how many dollars you are leaving on the table"
Terri Teters, Technical Assistance Specialist
Different Training Options
Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS) Overview Training
More than a Nurturing Heart (Also available in Spanish)
A nurturing heart is an essential part of family child care, but quality care is hard to sustain without sound business and professional practices in place. Using the Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS) as a guide, participants will learn how to measure and improve business and professional practices.
Getting Ready for the BAS Online Module
This self-paced, online module provides an overview of the Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS) and includes similar content as More Than a Nurturing Heart: Looking at Quality from a Business Administration Perspective. Providers will have the opportunity to reflect on each item as it relates to their programs and receive resources to help improve the quality of their programs. The module takes approximately 6 hours to complete.
Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS) Item-Specific Training
Accidents Happen, Why Risk It? Improving Your Risk Management Plan (BAS Item 6)
Most centers have risk management plans. Unfortunately, those plans often sit on a shelf in the office, leaving staff confused about what to do in the event of an emergency. This session explores how to make a risk management plan a living document. Best practices in risk management, as outlined in the Program Administration Scale, 3rd edition (PAS-3) and the Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS), are addressed.
Authentic Engagement: Building True Partnerships with Families (BAS Item 8)
Children and families benefit the most when early care and education programs work with them to build and sustain authentic and engaging partnerships. To achieve authentic engagement, we must shift the focus from basic family involvement to building and nurturing rich and collaborative partnerships with families. This session will review recent research on family engagement, examine ways to implement family-centered principles in early care and education programs, and focus on how administrators and families can make the shift from involvement to engagement.
Creating and Improving Family Handbooks (BAS Item 7)
A number of the challenges ECE programs face can be mitigated or eliminated by having clear policies in writing. An effective family handbook can set expectations, clarify relationships, reduce frustration, and help bridge communication between providers and families, but writing and organizing effective policies for a handbook can be challenging. Using the BAS as a guide, this session will help professionals create a more efficient and effective family handbook.
Communication in the Workplace: Crafting Connections, Managing Meetings, and Resolving Rifts (BAS Item 10)
Nothing is so simple that it cannot be misunderstood. Despite living in a world in which we are in constant communication with one another, we often struggle to do so effectively and efficiently, especially at work. As a leader, it is critical that you master the art and science of communication yourself and guide staff in practices to improve their communication. This session focuses on three areas for improving workplace communication: understanding and adjusting communication styles, strategies for creating and delivering effective meetings that foster engagement and increase collaboration and productivity, and practical and concrete methods to transform conflict from a destructive force to a productive force.
Communication in the Workplace is also offered as an eLearning module.
Creating a Financial Roadmap: Knowing Where You Want To Be and How to Get There (BAS Items 4 & 5)
Running a successful family child care business takes more than a passion for working with children—it requires a clear vision and strong financial planning. Creating Your Financial Roadmap is a practical, hands-on training designed to help family child care professionals take control of their finances, set achievable goals, and build a sustainable future.
Friendly Introduction to Budgeting (BAS Item 4) (Also available in Spanish)
Finances are an important part of business success; however, creating a budget can feel overwhelming or intimidating. Using an FCC-specific case study, learn the steps to building a budget. This session will use a hands-on approach to budgeting in a calm and easily digestible way, leaving participants feeling empowered and prepared!
Making Dollars and Sense (BAS Items 4 & 5)
One of the most critical, but often disliked, parts of running a successful family child care program is having sound fiscal management practices in place. This session includes an overview of recordkeeping and money management. Using best practices from the BAS as a guide, Participants will learn how recordkeeping and money monitoring practices can significantly increase the sustainability of their business.
Marketing Matters (BAS Item 9)
Smart marketing allows family child care professionals to effectively recruit families and maintain enrollment. But there is a science to effective marketing. This session will provide coaches with steps and strategies that assist FCC professionals in reflecting on the uniqueness of their program and how to utilize a variety of marketing techniques and tools to communicate their program’s benefits to prospective families.
Put it in Writing: What Belongs in an FCC Contract and Handbook (BAS Items 2 & 7) (Also available in Spanish)
Contracts and handbooks are two of the most important documents a family child care provider can have; however, providers sometimes struggle when trying to create them. Using best practices from the Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS) as a guide, participants will learn the most important elements of contracts and handbooks and how to organize each document in a way that will protect their business and help bridge communication between them and the families they serve.
Recruitment and Hiring: Finding the Needle in the Haystack (BAS Item 10)
Recruiting, hiring, and retaining qualified staff is hard! In fact, trying to find a good teacher can feel a lot like searching for a needle in a haystack. During the session, participants will focus on creating a skills audit, crafting a job description, interviewing, and candidate selection. Together, these strategies will help equip leaders in recruiting and hiring passionate and committed staff.
The Future Starts Now: Business Plan Basics (BAS Item 4)
Ready to transform your passion for child care into a successful business? The Future Starts Now: Business Plan Basics is designed for family child care professionals who are ready to lay the groundwork for long-term sustainability and growth. Whether you’re launching a new program or refining an existing one, this session will walk you through the core elements of an effective business plan—even if you don’t have a business degree.
Miscellaneous Trainings
Change is Good…You Go First!
Whether you're leading a classroom, a team, or an entire school, motivating yourself and others to embrace change is one of the toughest challenges in education—and often a major source of frustration. So, how do you take the first step and inspire others to follow? This session delves into the fascinating science behind how people change and offers practical, proven strategies to overcome common barriers and lead the way with confidence and purpose.
Tackling Technology for Business Effectiveness
In today’s fast-paced world, technology is a powerful tool that can streamline operations, improve communication, and boost the overall success of your family child care business. This session explores how providers can confidently embrace technology to simplify administrative tasks, enhance parent engagement, manage finances, and support child development tracking. Whether you're just getting started or looking to level up your digital skills, we’ll provide practical tips and tools that fit the unique needs of a home-based child care setting. Learn how to make tech work for you, so you can focus more on what matters most—caring for children.
FAQs or Process for Working With You
How do I get started?
Contact us! We will set up a meeting with you to learn more about your group’s needs and create a customized training program.
Are the trainings in-person or online?
We have live in-person training, live virtual training, and self-paced online learning options. Contact us!
Is there a way to customize the training?
Absolutely! We work with you to customize the package that best suits your group’s needs.
Can your trainers travel to where my group is located?
Yes! Our staff frequently travels to different locations nationwide to deliver these professional learning sessions.
Is there any evidence of the impact of this work?
What other resources do you have?
We have a library of eResources which include articles about topics relevant to early childhood administrators.
History for Training Program
The McCormick Institute’s Center for Early Childhood Leadership has a rich history of developing leadership in early childhood administrators.
