Finding New Ways To Improve The Quality of Early Care and Education...
With all the choices available, our services are like a road map to the future.
Today, there is greater recognition of the importance of quality early care and education.
Research indicates that children who attend a high quality early care and
education program are less likely to have problems in school later on. With more
mothers in the workplace than ever before, families are faced with difficult but
important decisions concerning the care of their children. With so many options
available, they are often unsure of exactly where to turn for information.
Our Mission...
Strengthening Early Learning in South Alabama Through
- Professional development programs for teachers and child care providers;
- Activities that enrich lives of children and families;
- Information that elevates child care as a community resource; and
- Partnerships with businesses and government to increase the availability of high quality child care.
High quality child care provides a safe and nurturing learning environment for children,
engaging their imaginations and preparing them to enter school ready for a life time of learning.
GRCMA Early
Childhood Directions is a private, non-profit agency that helps people make
informed child care choices. The agency provides information and referral
services and training programs which serve the entire early care and education
community as well as working parents and their employers.
Early Childhood Directions is guided by a primary mission: to improve the quality of
early care and education provided to our children. The professionals at Early
Childhood Directions are committed to increasing the availability of affordable
care for children that is safe, nurturing, and educationally sound. Certainly,
the steps that are taken now will have an enormously positive impact on all our
tomorrows.
Our Services and Programs:
Early Childhood Professional Training:
The training professional at Early Childhood Directions provide 200 workshops and seminars
annually, covering an extremely broad range of topics. Child care professionals
are guided in their skill development through a career lattice program that
tracks training experiences for individuals working in child care settings
through progressive levels of skill attainment. Other training opportunities
include specialized programs for child care centers, child care center
directors, family child care homes, and parents. Online training classes are
also available for students who's professional and family schedule hinders their
ability to attend facility based training classes.
Child Care Information:
Child care information and search assistance for families who need child care services for their children.
Caring for the Caregiver
Caring for the Caregiver support services and professional development for family child care home providers to
promote prevention of abuse and neglect of children.
Technical Assistance / Program Support:
Early Childhood Directions assists providers with on-site administrative and program
training and consultation. Sessions are available on virtually any topic related
to a child care operation, and are designed according to the provider's specific
needs.
Early Intervention Program for Children with Special Needs
Early Intervention Program for Children with Special Needs is an inclusion project in cooperation with
the Mobile County Public School System and area child care programs that allows children with identified
learning delays to attend preschool programs with typically performing children.
Reading Is Fundamental
The Reading Is Fundamental literacy initiative in cooperation with the Jean Dean RIF Kiwanis Foundation,
raises funds to distribute books to over 4000 children annually. Each child receives three books through three
book distributions held during the school year.
The Resource Place:
The Resource Place provides classroom resources,
educational toys and other equipment to support the work of teachers and other individuals who provide
children's programs.
The Reusable Center at the Resource Place:
The Reusable Center at the Resource Place
puts useful materials donated from companies and manufacturers in the hands of teachers for them to use
as great, no-cost supplies for the children's projects and art experiences in their programs.
The WOWmobile:
The WOWmobile, program travels to areas throughout the
community to provide learning opportunities and educational materials to child care programs, extending the
initiatives of the Resource Place.
Families in Transition Fund:
Families in Transition provides financial child care assistance for a limited time to allow families manage
extreme stress or loss, offering respite for children in high quality child care programs.
HIPPY:
Home Instruction Program for Parents of Preschool Youngsters provides home based early learning programs for
the parent and child.
