Professional Development

Continuing Your Education

Gateways to Opportunity works in partnership with local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies, the Illinois Trainers Network, and STARNET to provide early care and education professionals with opportunities for personal and career development.

Getting the Credit You Deserve

Each local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency offers regularly scheduled trainings and workshops to early care and education professionals with funding from the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). These trainings are specifically geared to meet the needs and interests of experienced early care and education professionals as well as those who are just starting their careers. Training topics address areas of child care and development. CCR&Rs also offer access to conferences, self-study modules, series of trainings, and individual workshops. Training participants are awarded inservice credit hours required by Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) licensing regulations. Trainings can be identified by contacting a CCR&R agency in your area.

Partnering for Success

The Illinois Trainers Network (ITN) is a group of trainers serving an important role in preparing early care and education professionals to better meet the needs of the children they serve. In partnership with local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies, ITN-approved trainers provide high-quality, accessible, affordable training for child care practitioners and interested community members throughout Illinois. Gateways to Opportunity and local CCR&Rs work together to provide support, materials, and payment for trainings conducted locally by Curricula Trainers, Specialty Trainers, and Facilitators. All legally operating early care and education providers have access to ITN services and may request training or assistance directly through Gateways to Opportunity and/or their local CCR&R agencies.

Opportunities for Growth

Illinois STARNET provides a variety of opportunities for personal and professional growth for those who touch the lives of young children, ages birth through 8, with an emphasis on children with special needs. STARNET supports family-centered, research-based, and effective practices in early care and education. An extensive catalog of library resources, including all types of media, is available for browsing and loan requests. STARNET provides free trainings throughout Illinois; they also promote other trainings related to early childhood development offered through third-party groups. Each month during the school year, STARNET sponsors APPLES Video Magazine, an online Webcast program on early childhood topics. The Webcast can be viewed online, and video loans are available. STARNET is operated through a grant awarded by the Illinois State Board of Education. For a complete listing of STARNET agencies is available at http://www.wiu.edu/starnet .

Goal of Gateways to Opportunity

The overall goal of Gateways to Opportunity is to develop:

• Trainer approval—a process with a core set of standards and qualifications for individuals who offer training based on Gateways core knowledge and skills, including a database of trainers and the qualifications and standards they have met.
• Training approval—a process with a set of standards that trainings must meet, linked to Gateways to Opportunity core knowledge, skills, and dispositions.
• Evaluation process—a quality assurance process built into each component that will provide benchmarks for ongoing outcome assessment.