Best Care provides professional development for thousands of Arkansas childcare professionals
Some 2,000 childcare professionals take Best Care training annually
Jan. 14, 2022
By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts:
- Statewide Extension program provides professional development for childcare providers
- Virtual and in-person training offered January to May
- 2022 training topics include Growing Young Gardeners, STEAM in Outdoor Learning
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(Newsrooms: Find file art https://flic.kr/s/aHsjCQHwU5, program graphic https://flic.kr/p/2mX5Zjp )
LITTLE ROCK — The Best Care training, a professional development course that reaches thousands of Arkansas childcare professionals annually, will be offered virtually and in-person in 2022. Family and consumer science agents with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture plan to conduct 35 Best Care trainings from January to May this year.
“Best Care is an important resource for childcare providers and families because it connects trusted research to the adoption of best practices in early childhood and personal development,” said Rebecca Simon, program associate for Early Childhood and Family Life with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
LEARNING -- Some 2,000 childcare professionals take part in Best Care training each year. (U of A System Division of Agriculture file photo)
Best Care is offered free statewide through the division’s Cooperative Extension Service in partnership with the Arkansas Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education. The program began in 1997 as a pilot program and has been funded by the Arkansas DCCECE since 1999. The program also receives funding from the Arkansas Department of Education’s Arkansas Better Chance program.
The training provides professional development to about 2,000 childcare professionals annually, Simon said.
“Best Care is designed to bring early childhood professionals training opportunities that keep them up-to-date on subject matter and methods to help them become more effective educators,” Simon said. “Best Care offers ten hours of high quality, research-based training that addresses the four program areas of Family and Consumer Science: child development, consumer economics, health and nutrition.”
Simon explained that Best Care is taught in a multi-county setting, referred to as “clusters,” with 26 clusters throughout the state.
“What is unique about Best Care is that it is offered statewide using the network of county family and consumer science agents, who serve as contacts for their county or cluster's early childhood training needs,” Simon said. “Childcare providers begin calling their counties in November and December to ask about Best Care training available in their communities because of the long-term success of the program. The curriculum is developed at the state level, but the success of the program is really due to the FCS agents across the state and their reputation at the county level as the ‘go-to’ person for annual training.”
“Best Care can also be a way to network and promote other county programs that would be beneficial to the childcare providers,” she said.
In 2021, Best Care provided professional development to 1,300 early childhood professionals. The course was available in an online format via learn.uada.edu, and it was also provided virtually in three or four multi-county “clusters,” with some classes provided in-person in the late spring and early summer.
This year, four virtual trainings are scheduled, and the rest are slated to be in-person. Moving in-person classes to virtual is decided on as-needed as COVID numbers progress, Simon said.
Best Care training topics for this year include Growing Young Gardeners, Healthy Habits: Nutrition and Fitness Practices, STEAM in Outdoor Learning, Infant Care and Self-Regulation, When Accidents Happen: Basic First Aid, Child Care Prepared: Disaster Preparedness, Music in Early Learning, Making a Clean Sweep, Effective Communication, and Playground Safety.
Anyone interested in Best Care training should contact their local Family and Consumer Science agent at uaex.uada.edu/counties/ for information about upcoming trainings offered in their area. More information about Early Childhood Professional Development opportunities in Arkansas can also be found at uaex.uada.edu/life-skills-wellness/child-care-providers/.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uark.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media contact: Rebekah Hall
rkhall@uada.edu
@RKHall_
501-671-2120