Free child care provider classes to be held Feb. 25

The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Agents-family and Consumer Sciences will once again host in-person training for The Best Care for child care providers and foster parents.

The training will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, at Center Fork Baptist Church, 1101 S. Moore Road.

Ten hours of training will be offered. All training is verified through the Professional Development Registry, formerly Traveling Arkansas Professional Pathways TAPP, and may be counted as continuing education for child care providers. Some sessions may also be approved for foster parents.

Topics presented at the Best Care training on Feb. 25 include Body Positivity, Good Nutrition Counts on Basic Math Skills, Importance of Immunizations, Literacy in Early Childhood, Money as You Grow, Guidance, Kindergarten Readiness, Engaging Children in Physical Activity, Observation in Early Childhood, and Professionalism.

All Best Care classes are offered free of charge. Continuing Education Units are available for $10 for any or all Best Care training sessions. Instructors include Alison Crane, Amy Monk and Bridgett Martin, Extension agents in Garland, Montgomery and Polk counties, respectively.

Interested persons can contact Monk at the Montgomery County Extension Office in Mount Ida at 870-867-2311, or by email at amonk@uada.edu for the Best Care Training or for information on other options for verified training for child care providers or foster parents.

An additional five hours of training are available through Best Care Connected, a webbased child care training program. For more information and Best Care Connected registration, visit https:// www.uaex.edu/health-living/child-care-providers/ best-care-connected.aspx.