Professional Development Academy

FCC Family Adventure Week

Play, Learn, and Grow!
March 30th – April 6, 2025

FCC Adventure Week of fun-filled celebrations that connect family and FCC educators. Children will engage in hand-on activities designed to inspire growth, exploration, and quality care in line with NAFCC Quality Standards.

FCC Adventure Week is about the power of play – a child’s natural way of discovering the world and building connections. Through imaginative play, children develop problem-solving skills, foster creativity, enhance language, and strengthen their critical thinking abilities.

FCC Adventure Week highlights the essential role of play-based learning in early childhood development, offering families and providers a chance to connect, learn, and celebrate the joy of play.

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Professional Development Series

All training offers a certificate. Those trainings that offer CEUs will be notated in the training Title.
This four-part PD series training workshop will explore how early educators can promote sustainability, environmental stewardship, and eco- friendly conscious practices into their classrooms using project-based learning (PBL) and Space-based learning (SBL). These are Accreditation CEU Approved.

Play and Grow Green : Eco-Friendly Learning for Young Change-Makers

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the principles of eco-pedagogy and its role in early education.
  • Explore project-based learning strategies for environmental education.
  • Develop classroom initiatives that promote sustainability and environmental awareness. Implement age-appropriate, eco-friendly activities for different developmental stages.

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Protecting Children’s Health In A Changing Climate (CEU ACCREDITATION APPROVED)

Includes a Live Web Event on 04/22/2025 at 8:00 PM (EDT)

Simultaneous Interpretation (Spanish/English) will be available for this training.
This presentation will be presented by Children’s Environmental Health Network. This presentation explores the impacts of changing weather patterns, extreme heat, and wildfires, with a focus on health and safety considerations for children in family childcare settings. It highlights strategies for mitigating risks, including shade structures, cooling stations, and soft outdoor play surfacing, while also addressing the sources and effects of outdoor air pollution. Join our special guest Hester Paul, MS, National Director of Eco-Healthy Child Care® has worked with CEHN since 2010. Prior to joining CEHN, Ms. Paul led the initial national expansion of the EHCC program under Oregon Environmental Council, the statewide environmental organization that founded EHCC and Co-facilitator Jessica Mauricio Price works as the Eco-Health Child Care® Program Manager. Join us April 22, May 13, and June 10th at 8pm EST.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

  1. Understand the health risks of heat waves and wildfires, particularly for children.
  2. Recognize the importance of heat safety measures, including hydration, shade, and cooling solutions for safe outdoor play.
  3. Evaluate different outdoor play surfacing options for injury prevention and comfort.
  4. Describe major sources of outdoor air pollution, their impact on health, and low-cost solutions for lowering toxicant levels around family child care settings.

Social Emotional Learning of the Military Child (CEU Approved Accreditation)
This training is This is a CEU Approved Accreditation. All training offers a certificate.
Includes a Live Web Event on 04/29/2025 at 8:00 PM (EDT)

The Social Emotional Learning of the Military Child
Join Jocelyn D Jones, NAFCC Training Specialist and special guest, Tessie Ragan the founder of Perfect Start Learning in this powerful training, The Social Emotional Learning of the Military Child. In this powerful, engaging, and informative webinar, the facilitators will take an in-depth look at how the unique military lifestyle can significantly affect the social and emotional well-being of children and their families. Jocelyn and Tessie will explore the challenges faced by military families, including the emotional impact of deployments, temporary duty assignments (TDYs), and extended family separations. Through real-life stories shared by military parents, we will illustrate the personal experiences and struggles families face during these times of separation.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Understanding the impact of family dynamics on military children.
  2. Recognize and Social Emotional Learning impacts the children and their families.
  3. Exploring the real-life stories of military families and how they depend on the educators they have entrusted their children with.
  4. Fostering healthy family engagement, no matter how close or how far the families maybe.

Additionally, facilitators will provide practical tools and strategies to help parents, caregivers, and community members better support the emotional needs of military children and families. Join us on April 29 @ 8pm est.

Thank you for your interest!

Our current Business Series workshop is now full, and we are unable to accept additional registrations at this time. We understand this might be disappointing, but don’t worry — we’ll be hosting another Business Series in Fall 2025!

Stay tuned for more details and registration information. In the meantime, feel free to join our mailing list or follow us on social media to receive updates on upcoming events and programs.

We look forward to welcoming you to our next session!

Purpose with PD! All About 2025 National Annual Conference
A Live Web Event on 06/05/2025 at 6:00 PM (EDT)
Join us for a special Purpose with PD session dedicated to the NAFCC 2025 National Annual Conference—a landmark event designed to inspire, empower, and elevate the family childcare community.

This year’s theme, “BIGGER, BETTER, BOLDER: A New Legacy for FCC!”, sets the stage for an unforgettable experience in Dallas, TX at the Hilton Anatole, from July 31 – August 2, 2025 (preconference on July 30).

  • Get an exclusive look at what’s planned for this year’s conference
  • Explore exciting keynote speakers, workshops, and networking opportunities
  • Learn how to register or get involved as a volunteer
  • Hear about sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities

Whether you’re a first-time attendee or a conference veteran, this interactive session will help you make the most of this year’s conference. This is your chance to ask questions, plan ahead, and be part of something BIGGER!

Join the Professional Development Team interactive and engaging session on:
March 4, 2025 1pm EST | June 5, 2025 6pm EST | September 9, 2025 1pm EST | December 4, 2025 6pm EST

Caring Through Crisis: SEL Strategies for Family Child Care Educators (For All) Accreditation CEU Approved
Includes a Live Web Event on 03/13/2025 at 8:00 PM (EDT)
The NAFCC’s Professional Development (PD)Department will host a Social Emotional Learning training entitled, “Caring Through Crisis”. This training supports family childcare educators with actionable social-emotional learning (SEL) strategies using our “Caring Through Crisis SEL Toolkit”. This toolkit supports infants and toddlers, two’s, preschoolers, and school-agers to support children and families navigating economic and natural disasters. The Caring Through Crisis SEL Training will promote Identity Safe Theory and the CASEL Framework for deep dive understanding of social emotional development for children. “Caring Through Crisis” provides tools for fostering resilience, emotional regulation, and a sense of belonging, ensuring that family childcare educators can confidently support children’s well-being during times of uncertainty.

Tax Preparation Strategies for Child Care Businesses

Includes a Live Web Event on 03/17/2025 at 6:00 PM (EDT)

All training offers a certificate. Those trainings that offer CEUs will be notated in the trainin.

Tax Preparation Strategies for Child Care Businesses webinar guides child care business owners on a number of topics, including:

  • Navigating Schedule C;
  • Understanding transportation and food costs;
  • Business use of the home;
  • Time/space calculations;
  • The impact of grant funding on taxes; and
  • Additional tax mitigation strategies.

This PD Series is a 5-part Tax Preparation Clinic

Description: This workshop is designed to help family child care educators navigate the complexities of tax preparation, strategic tax planning, and regulatory compliance. Participants will learn to distinguish between tax preparation and tax planning (long-term strategies to reduce taxes).

The session also covers the new Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting , family child care educators must accurately report ownership and control details to ensure compliance.

Participants will gain practical knowledge through an on-demand video and receive personalized support during a one-hour coaching session to apply these concepts to their unique business situations. This workshop equips educators with the tools to strengthen their financial management and meet regulatory obligations confidently.

Esta serie de Desarrollo Profesional (PD) es una Clínica de Preparación de Impuestos de 5 partes

Descripción: El taller está diseñado para ayudar a los educadores de cuidado infantil familiar a navegar las complejidades de la preparación de impuestos, la planificación fiscal estratégica y el cumplimiento regulatorio. Los participantes aprenderán a distinguir entre la preparación de impuestos y la planificación fiscal (estrategias a largo plazo para reducir impuestos).

Las sesiones también cubren información sobre el nuevo Informe de Beneficiarios Finales, los educadores de cuidado infantil familiar deben informar con precisión los detalles de propiedad y control para garantizar el cumplimiento.

Los participantes obtendrán conocimientos prácticos a través de un video pregrabado y como suplemento, los educadores recibirán apoyo personalizado durante las sesiones en vivo de una hora, para aprender a aplicar estos conceptos a situaciones empresariales únicas. Este taller equipa a los educadores con las herramientas para fortalecer su gestión financiera y cumplir con las obligaciones regulatorias con confianza.

Free Professional Development Opportunity

FIND PD logos

NAFCC is excited to partner with FIND PD Stanford University to offer a free, high-quality professional development opportunity for family child care educators. This exclusive program will empower family child care educators with practical strategies grounded in scientific research that can be immediately put into practice to enhance positive interactions, promote child development, and effectively manage challenging child behavior. Each session has been aligned with NAFCC Accreditation Quality Standards. Join us in enhancing your skills and strengthening your impact in early childhood education through this valuable learning experience.

Annual National Conference

Save The Date!
NAFCC NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2025
Dallas, Texas
July 31-Aug 2, 2025

Inaugural Regional Conference

Save The Date!
INAUGURAL REGIONAL CONFERENCE 2025
Houston, Texas
March 29, 2025

Leaders Shaping Leaders – Professional Leadership Fellowship

The Academy is a dynamic In-Person & Virtual Learning series that includes 30 sessions of interactive education and networking. 15 NAFCC Association leaders & 15 emerging leaders will participate in a year-long professional development of FCC specific leadership building and knowledge transfer in the four pillars listed. It is a curriculum strategically designed to strengthen institutional knowledge of FCC professionals and develop an appreciation for the importance of networking and strong connections in the setting.

Professional Development Department. Have Questions?

NAFCC is proud to announce the development of our very own Professional Development Academy! Leaders Shaping Leaders is our first component of the PD Academy and what sparked NAFCC to take a deeper dive into providing an extensive Professional Development platform.

We are re-imagining what training will look like for all FCC practitioners. This is something that is being developed from the ground up. We want to make sure that all the trainings we are offering are culturally diverse, inclusive, and intentional. Whether they are being offered via workshops-In person, webinars, or virtually.