CONTACT:

Jennifer Gallo, Community Public Relations Coordinator
302-479-1691

For immediate release – December 21 , 2006

 

The Family & Workplace Connection Receives Major Grant
from Carl M. Freeman Foundation

The Family & Workplace Connection (FWC) is pleased to announce funding from the Carl M. Freeman Foundation’s Major Grant Program that will be used to translate Delaware First Early Childhood Education training curricula into Spanish. The Family & Workplace Connection administers the Delaware First comprehensive statewide career development system for early care and education professionals and coordinates Delaware First courses throughout Delaware. The Carl M. Freeman Foundation is a philanthropic leader, dedicated to making a difference in Sussex County and other communities.

The $20,000 grant will be used to translate the Delaware First Training for Early Care and Education 1 & 2 handouts, readings, and assignments into Spanish. Delaware First offers high quality training opportunities and resources to early childhood educators; however, all of the training materials and resources are written and printed in English. Although Spanish-speaking providers attend the mandated training, they are unable to benefit from the English-only curriculum and therefore, are unable to implement course content to the children in their care.

Training for Early Care and Education 1 & 2 is comprised of 120 hours of basic information that early childhood educators and staff need to know, including CPR and pediatric first aid, curriculum planning, recognizing and responding to child abuse and neglect, disaster preparedness, behavior modification and nutrition to build their skills and competencies for working with young children in a group setting. With the funding from the Carl M. Freeman Foundation, over 900 pages of handouts, readings and assignments will be translated into Spanish.

Delaware First is a statewide career development system that provides a variety of programs to help early childhood professionals develop a successful career. Delaware First training is made possible with funding from the federal Child Care Development Fund managed by the Office of Child Care Licensing, Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families.

The Family & Workplace Connection is a nonprofit regional dependent care resource and referral organization whose mission is to enhance the supply and quality of care and education for children and elders and to help families effectively manage their work and personal life responsibilities. To learn more about our organization, please visit us on the Web at www.familyandworkplace.org.