All ESF-RI trainings are free and available to licensed and license-exempt family child care providers who participate in the CCAP program in Rhode Island. Union and non-union members alike are welcome to join. 

Providers get first priority registration. Assistants who register for a training will automatically be put on a waitlist. A week before the training date, assistants will be taken off the waitlist in the order in which they were added, until capacity is reached. 

ESF-RI develops all of its programs around five design principles:

• Worker-centered. We believe that family child care providers possess deep wisdom, experience, and assets and should be decision-makers regarding program and policy decisions impacting their profession and livelihoods. All trainings will be designed +to center the voice and needs of providers. We will harness the wisdom of providers by supporting them to be designers and facilitators of training for their peers. 

• Focused on Healthy Outcomes for Children and Families. We believe that all children deserve high quality early care and learning experiences. All trainings and technical assistance will be designed to ensure that providers have the tools they need to continuously improve outcomes for children.

• Culturally Responsive. We believe that the training and professional development experience for providers will be most effective and relevant if we listen to and celebrate their lived experiences. The majority of facilitators will be Spanish-speaking and all trainings will be facilitated in both English and Spanish, utilizing the evidence-based I-BEST model of ESOL and job training.

• Application of Theory into Practice. We believe that providers will learn best through doing. We will bring together research and practice experts to ensure a well-rounded context for learning. We will prioritize the demonstration of best practices through modeling and the sharing of resources. 

• High Expectations and High Support. We believe that providers will do well if they have clear and high expectations, reduction of structural barriers, and multiple layers and modalities of support. We will utilize a relational-based approach to learning, coaching, and mentoring to create a cohesive web of support for providers and increase preparedness for advancement in the state’s QRIS system. 

All licensed family child care providers in RI are required to complete 24 hours of professional development annually in order to maintain good standing with DHS Licensing. All assistants are required to complete 12 hours of professional development annually. We strongly encourage providers and assistants to choose programs that are aligned with their individual professional development plans and their personal goals for quality improvement. 

All of ESF-RI’s trainings have been approved for professional development hours by the Center for Early Learning Professionals. Within two weeks of successful completion of a training program, providers will be sent a certificate of completion in the mail.

DHS and 1199NE have joint oversight of ESF-RI’s administration of the training fund. The Joint Training Fund Committee meets quarterly to review and approve all program offerings.

Decisions about what programs we offer are provider-driven. If you are interested in learning about a particular topic, let us know by emailing our Training Coordinator at jacqueline.canola@seiuesf.org. To learn about more professional development offerings available to family child care providers in RI, go to the Center for Early Learning Professionals website. 

If you are having trouble registering online or would prefer to register by phone, please call our Training Coordinator, Jacqueline Cañola, at 513-453-6252.

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