Pathways LA offers trainings and professional development opportunities to licensed child care providers, child care center staff, and any family, friend or neighbor providing child care services. Topics include Child Growth and Development, Trauma-Informed Care, Business Development, Children with Special Needs, Nutrition and much more. We collaborate with the California Early Care & Education Workforce Registry, which tracks and promotes the education, training and experience of the early care and education workforce in order to improve professionalism and positively impact children.
To attend our training sessions, please create your Registry profile following this link: California Early Care & Education Workforce Registry. Click here for step by step instructions in English or Spanish. For support creating your profile, or to register for our training sessions, please contact the Resource and Referral Department at (855) 481-9220 or email us.
Learn more about Pathways LA professional development offerings below.
GATEWAYS FOR EARLY EDUCATORS
Gateways for Early Educators™ is the integrated, research-based professional development system of the Child Care Alliance of Los Angeles Resource & Referral agencies. In this comprehensive training program, participants explore 12 curriculum topics aligned with the California Early Childhood Educator Competencies, culminating in a Gateways Training Passport and Award of Achievement after 48 hours of training. All Gateways for Early Educators™ training sessions can be found on the California Early Care & Education Workforce Registry. Participants with a Registry profile can sign up to track their training accomplishments, as well as their progress towards completing a Gateways Passport.
Pathways LA and the other Child Care Alliance of Los Angeles member agencies are committed to the growth and development of the child care workforce in Los Angeles County. Collectively we work with 18,000 licensed and unlicensed child care providers throughout Los Angeles County, providing at least 500 training workshops to more than 2,000 early care and education providers annually.
QUALITY START LOS ANGELES
Quality Start Los Angeles (QSLA) is a Quality Rating and Improvement System designed to empower early learning providers to build upon and improve the quality of care they provide to children birth to age five. QSLA supports professionals from licensed child care centers and family child care homes through professional development, specialized training sessions, individualized coaching and access to cutting edge resources and funding opportunities. Choosing to participate in QSLA shows your strong commitment to providing high quality early learning services and to the continuous improvement of your program.
There are many benefits to enrolling in QSLA, including:
- Ongoing professional development, which leads to higher quality of care for children, as well as greater retention and engagement for educators.
- Incentives such as training stipends and classroom instructional kits in order to sustain your quality improvement efforts.
- One-on-one support tailored to the unique needs of your center or family child care home.
- Support in showcasing the quality of your program.
This initiative is a collaboration between Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE), Office for the Advancement of Early Care and Education, Child 360, First 5 LA, and the Child Care Alliance of Los Angeles (CCALA).
Visit QSLA’s website to learn about the eligibility requirements and application process: https://qualitystartla.org/
FAMILY CHILD CARE HOME EDUCATION NETWORK
The Family Child Care Home Education Network (FCCHEN) is made up of a group of licensed child care providers in Metro Los Angeles. These child development programs are small, carefully selected home based environments for whom Pathways LA provides ongoing training, professional development and technical assistance. FCCHEN programs combine the standards of a first-rate child care center with the personal touch and familiarity of a home environment. Children are cared for in a safe and healthy environment, enjoying developmentally and age-appropriate activities and nurturing interactions with staff.
The California Department of Education offers financial assistance for families who qualify to gain access to these high quality programs. This ensures that low-income families can provide their children with the best care while they work or attend school or training. FCCHEN providers work with parents to create a close relationship that benefits the child.
FCCHEN providers receive benefits including:
- Coaching and mentoring services from a Professional Development Coach.
- Training in child assessment, creating plans for individual children’s needs, and communicating with parents.
- Regular monthly payments on behalf of eligible families who are enrolled.
- Opportunities to train with other local child care professionals, learning from people who are in the field, experiencing the same issues all providers face.
To learn more about the FCCHEN program, please contact our Resource & Referral Department at (213) 427-2700.
EMERGENCY CHILD CARE BRIDGE PROGRAM FOR FOSTER CHILDREN
The Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for Foster Children (Bridge Program) is designed to increase the number of foster children successfully placed in home-based family care settings, increase capacity of child care programs to meet the needs of foster children in their care, and maximize funding to support the child care needs of eligible families. The Bridge Program is provided by Pathways LA in partnership with the Child Care Alliance of Los Angeles (CCALA), the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).
In addition to directly assisting eligible families through Child Care Navigators and vouchers for child care, the Bridge Program also provides meaningful professional development opportunities for child care providers. Providers engaged in the Bridge Program receive training on topics such as Trauma-Informed Care, infant and toddler development, and research-based best practices. Providers also have access to coaching and technical assistance in applying the curriculum learned during workshops and employing strategies for working with children in foster care.
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For more information on the Bridge Program, contact Pathways LA. To enroll in a Trauma-Informed Care training please visit the Child Care Bridge program portal, to sign up.
PROVIDER TRAINING CALENDAR
Visit our Events page to find upcoming trainings and events for child care providers.
