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Laura Spivey, a resource specialist from East Central University’s Child Care Resource and Referral, discusses temperament and how it relates to early childhood with area teachers at a recent Strengthening Families training offered by Smart Start South Central.
Laura Spivey, a resource specialist from East Central University’s Child Care Resource and Referral, discusses temperament and how it relates to early childhood with area teachers at a recent Strengthening Families training offered by Smart Start South Central.

Twenty-four teachers from nine child care centers in the Ada area have received four hours of training and $100 stipends, thanks to an offer from Smart Start South Central.

All child care centers in Pontotoc County were eligible to apply for the training, which supplied a stipend to each teacher who attended the two two-hour sessions on the prevention of child abuse and neglect.

Laura Spivey, resource specialist from East Central University’s Child Care Resource and Referral, was the lead trainer at the meetings. Topics included helping parents and providers understand temperament and how to use this information in the child care setting. The Chickasaw Nation partnered with Smart Start by providing dinner to all of the participants on both evenings of the training.

“Most of the teachers who attended were fairly new, so any material that we could supply them on child development is helpful in the care of their young students,” Spivey said. “All of the attendees were so receptive to the information presented, and shared their own knowledge of situations that they encounter in the daily care of children.”

“We are happy to be able to help provide opportunities for training to teachers in our Ada area centers, and it is gratifying to see how eager they are to receive professional development,” said Trish Little, community coordinator for Smart Start South Central. “We have been promoting the Strengthening Families Initiative in the Ada area for over three years now, and hope that it continues to grow.

“We are also very thankful that we have partners like the Chickasaw Nation to help make events such as this one possible.”

Smart Start South Central is an early childhood initiative housed in the Center of Continuing Education and Community Services at East Central University. For more information about Smart Start South Central and its programs, contact Trish Little at 580-559-5367 or Cindy Byrd at 580-559-5872.

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