Free Inclusion Webinar Series for CA-based ECE Professionals

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS), in collaboration with WestEd, recently announced a series of free, upcoming webinars hosted through the CDSS-funded Beginning Together project. Beginning Together will offer five webinars designed to support inclusive practices for center-based programs, family child care homes, Head Start/Early Head Start, preschool programs, and family/friend/neighbor caregivers. Direct service providers, administrators, special educators, trainers, coaches, and others who support inclusion are all encouraged to attend. 

Following each webinar, participants will be invited to a ninety-minute virtual small group session designed to facilitate conversations with others in similar roles to discuss specific areas of interest or concern in relation to supporting inclusion. The sessions will be facilitated by a Beginning Together trainer who can provide technical assistance, additional information, and resources. 

Each webinar will be held on a Thursday evening from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Webinars will be in English with Spanish interpretation.

Webinar Schedule

September 26, 2024: Communicating with Families when Concerns Arise

• Recognize how the initial identification of developmental or behavioral concerns can have an emotional effect on families and educators.
• Explore a responsive framework for sharing concerns with family members and how to make referrals when needed.

November 14, 2024: Supporting Children with Behavior Adults Find Challenging

• Examine how children communicate through behavior and how adults interpret that behavior.
• Consider ways to support children’s resilience, development, and well-being and explore strategies to support behavior to allow the children and child care provider to have more positive experiences in the early learning setting.

This last trio of workshops builds on one another and work best when taken as a series. These three sessions elaborate on the book and accompanying video series, Inclusion Works! Creating Child Care Programs that Promote Belonging for Children with Disabilities. 

January 23, 2025: Understanding Inclusion

• Reflect on defining features and examples of inclusive practices.
• Understand Universal Design and Universal Design for Learning in early childhood settings.

March 6, 2025: Collaborating for Inclusion

• Examine the referral and eligibility process for early intervention and special education.
• Discover various methods of collaboration with specialists, family members, and others.

April 24, 2025: Creating Inclusive Child Care Settings

• Examine resources to support child care providers in implementing inclusive practice.
• View, read and reflect on examples of each common type of research-based modification and adaptation.
• Create a plan of action for implementing modifications and adaptations in their settings.

Visit the Inclusion Webinar Series to register today!