Are you a child care provider in need of professional development hours? Are you a child care provider curious about the trainings the YWCA has to offer? Are you a child care provider wanting to expand their knowledge and stay up to date on current training topics? Then, look no further. The YWCA of Northwestern Illinois has you covered!

Why do I need professional development?

Children need education, interaction, encouragement and guidance. They need to feel loved, safe, secure and know that their provider is fully capable of supporting their needs. Sometimes, you are all they have. You are all the children have when it comes to reliable adults and consistency in their lives. You are all the parents have when it comes to seeking advice on how to raise their precious little ones.

Before I began working for the YWCA, I was a child care provider for 10 years. Through working with children, I became increasingly aware of just how important it is to be properly trained on how to care for them. I realized the more resources I had to offer families, the more successful my program became. What I didn’t realize was just how much the YWCA could help me out, especially when it came to expanding my own knowledge about child care, through ongoing professional development trainings.

Where can I find YWCA Professional Development Trainings?

The YWCA Training Calendar is where you can find all of the professional development trainings we have to offer. Trainings are both online and in-person. Online trainings conveniently have links located in each Training Calendar. Most of our in-person trainings are hosted right in the YWCA conference rooms, however, trainers can present anywhere in Winnebago, Boone, Stephenson, or Jo Daviess Counties.

We have a Training Calendar that comes out for each season/quarter. The Winter 2023 Training Calendar will be available mid-December. These calendars can be found by clicking here.

What topics does the YWCA offer and who trains them?

We have several very knowledgeable in-house trainers as well as state certified trainers who present on a variety of training topics. We have trainers from out of state who graciously give up some of their time to educate child care providers in our area. We also collaborate with an early childhood mental health consultant who presents on relevant topics.

Some topics include, but are not limited to: health and safety requirements, CPR/first aid- pediatric and adult, state requirements, hot topics, daycare center based trainings, family home daycare based trainings, and self-care and wellness trainings.

Want to learn more or register for a training?

To learn more about the YWCA trainings or register for any current trainings, contact the Training Coordinator, Annemarie at: 815-484-9442 Ext 211 or by email at AnnemarieT@ywcanwil.org. Click on any of the Zoom links listed in our training calendars and enter your name and e-mail to register for a training of your choice. We look forward to having you attend!

– Annemarie, CORE team member