Early childhood education can be an exciting and rewarding field. Working with children presents a wonderful opportunity to have a positive impact on the lives of children and their families in your community.
Research has demonstrated the significance of a child’s early years for brain development. It also has confirmed the importance of the early childhood workforce, and the education of the workforce, and its impact on children and high-quality child care.
Macomb County ResouresResources for health, housing, dental, transportation, support groups, parenting classes and more.
The Right ConnectionA user-friendly directory linking Macomb County families with community services.
Directory of Children Services Flip chart of Macomb County services for young children.
Macomb Intermediate School District Early childhood resources, workshops and more.
SUSPECTED CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT
You are a Mandated ReporterReporters guide to assist mandated reporters in understanding their responsibilities under the Child Protection Law
What is a mandated reporter?Information, forms and publications
FUNDING SOURCES
To apply for funds or items for your program or classroom.
Donors Choose
An online charity connecting you to a classroom in need
GUIDANCE FOR SWINE FLU AND CHILDREN ISSUED
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidance and helpful materials on the H1N1 virus for child care programs and K-12 schools, teachers, administrators and parents. Here are useful sites so that you, your colleagues, and parents can be prepared.
Early childhood programs
K-12 schools
Toolkit
Workplace preparedness
Poster for the workplace
The joint announcement from Secretaries Duncan, Sebelius and Napolitano
SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH
Macomb County Community Mental Health Infant Mental Health ProgramFor more information about Infant Mental Health in Michigan, visit the Michigan Department of Community Health
Social-Emotional Development in Young Children Social Emotional Health and School ReadinessA guide for parents with children birth to 5.
Center on the Social and Emotional Foundation for Early LearningCenter on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) is focused on promoting the social emotional development and school readiness of young children birth to age 5. CSEFEL is a national resource center funded by the Office of Head Start and Child Care Bureau for disseminating research and evidence-based practices to early childhood programs across the country.
Young Children with Challenging BehaviorsTechnical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children, also known as TACSEI, is a five-year grant made possible by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs
PARENTING SKILLS
CARE PARENTING EDUCATION & TRAINING
CARE offers a variety of informal workshops where parents come together to discuss the joys, humor, and sometimes struggles of daily family life. Participants work together in small groups to actively discuss common concerns and learn specific child-training principles and techniques. The classes guide parents toward raising responsible children who will grow into responsible men and women, capable of living meaningful, happy adult lives.
Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect
See Infant Mental Health Program Above
CARE - Supporting Opportunties for Families
0-3 Secondary Prevention Services
Case Management, including support, parent education, home visits, developmental screenings, transporation and Referrals and Resources for child care, employment housing, furniture, parenting education and counseling. To find out more call the SOF Programs at: 586-218-5283 or 586-541-2273
Healthy Families Program
0-3 Secondary Prevention Services
Family assessments, home visits, parent education, developmental assessments, school readiness, family support services, information and referrals and early childhood education.
FREE for Macomb County families 248-443-7293
LESSON PLANNING
Born Learning
Tips and tool to help parents, caregivers and communities create quality early learning opportunities for young children.
Developmentally Appropriate Learning Activities
Submitted by teachers for teachers
Perfectly Preschool
Preschool lesson plans listed by themes, activities, games, songs, crafts and printables.
Preschool Education
A free lesson plan resource for parents, teachers, and educators to discover the fun in learning. 1,000's of free ideas, songs, craft projects, snacks and other developmentally appropriate themes.
Kiz Club
Download and print story props. Print on Pellen and use as felt board props. Pellen is sold at most fabric stores.
Jan Brett
A collection of projects and activities of books for kids, and classroom activities and lesson plans for teachers about particular subjects, curriculum areas, themes and professional topics.
abcteach
A quality educational site offering 5000+ FREE printable theme units, word puzzles, writing forms, book report forms,math, ideas, lessons and much more. Great for new teachers, student teachers , homeschooling and teachers who like creative ways to teach.
A to Z Teacher Stuff
A to Z Teacher Stuff is a teacher-created site designed to help teachers find online resources more quickly and easily. Find lesson plans, thematic units, teacher tips, discussion forums for teachers, downloadable teaching materials & eBooks, printable worksheets and blacklines, emergent reader books, themes, and more.
KidsHealth
KidsHealths has doctor-approved, accurate, up-to-date, and jargon-free health information about children from before birth through adolescence.
ChildFun
ChildFun - where play and learning go hand in hand!
Everything Preschool
Everything for preschool teachers and parents. Features Songs, art/crafts, science, games, and more sorted by themes. Also includes a large selection of coloring pages and book/product reviews.
Get Ready to Read!
Get Ready to Read! (GRTR!) is a national initiative to build the early literacy skills of preschool-age children.
Michigan Association for Child Care Providers (MACCP)
Michigan Association for Child Care Providers (MACCP) is a non-profit organization that supplies child care providers with information and support and assists parents in finding child care in Michigan.
State of Michigan
State of Michigan's official website.
Even Start
Even Start is a family literacy early childhood initiative funded through federal Title I funds. Eligible families must have a child aged 0-7 years and a parent/guardian who is eligible for adult basic education or is functionally illiterate.
The Holiday Zone
offers free educational resources for use in early childhood and elementary educational settings. Holiday and seasonal materials include learning games, whole language activities, writing prompts, songs, action rhymes, printable worksheets, printable and interactive puzzles, coloring pages, and children's literature recommendations.
Crafts and Activities
Resource for educators, child care providers & parents
EarlyChildhood.com
The Professional Resource For Teachers And Parents. Improving the education and general life experience of young children.
CURRICULUM
High/Scope
High/Scope Educational Research Foundation is an independent nonprofit research, development, training, and public advocacy organization with headquarters in Ypsilanti, Michigan. High/Scope's mission is to lift lives through education. High/Scope envisions a world in which all educational settings use active participatory learning so everyone has a chance to succeed in life and contribute to society; this website provides information about High/Scope curriculum and training opportunities.
Head Start Classroom Activities from QuickSource
This link will take you directly to a page to give you detailed classroom lessons. Click on one of 8 Head Start Curriculum domain areas - Language Development, Literacy, Mathematics, Science, Creative Arts, Social Emotional Development, Approaches to Learning, and Physical Health and Development - for lots of great ideas!
Council for Professional Recognition
Created to improve the status of early childhood care providers, they operate the CDA credentialing program, define CDA standards, and provide publications on the latest trends in accreditation.
Professional Newsletters
Dan Hodgins, Coordinator of the child development program
Mott Community College, Flint, Michigan
Please feel free to share these newsletters with your parents/guardians....
July 2011 Newsletter
RESEARCH
Seminal Research Abridged Summaries and Citations
The Ounce of Prevention Fund
National Institute for Early Education Research
Research, publications, facts and figures.
Promising Practices Network
The PPN website is a unique resource that offers credible, research-based information on what works to improve the lives of children and families.
ChildCare.gov
ChildCare.gov brings together all federal resources regarding child care to one location, including federal funding sources, safety alerts, and more.
MEDIA RESOURCES
Media Family
Resources, facts and information on televison, internet, cell phones, social networking and video games.
Common Sense Media
Media tips for parents and educators
SPECIAL NEEDS
MISD Special Education
Information Early On, MIPPS, Project Find, Assessment Center and more.
Early On Michigan
Early On® Michigan is the system of early intervention services for infants and toddlers, birth to three years of age, with disabilities or delays, and their families. Early On ensures that eligible children and families receive comprehensive, collaborative, family-centered, strength-based services. Early On supports families as families help their children to learn and grow. In addition to finding valuable information on their website, you can also get in touch with Early On Macomb by calling 1-586-228-3331.
National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities
The NICCYD provides information about: disabilities in infants, toddlers, children, and youth, IDEA, which is the law authorizing special education, No Child Left Behind (as it relates to children with disabilities), and research-based information on effective educational practices. To begin your search, check out their "A-Z" topics or go directly to their website search engine.
DEVELOPMENT
Brain Development
Brainwonders: Helping Babies Grow and Develop.
Provides parents, caregivers and pediatric and family clinicians with information about early brain development and the relationships between babies and their parents and caregivers that support intellectual and social-emotional development. The site is a collaborative project of ZERO TO THREE, Erikson Institute and Boston University School of Medicine.
Brain Development
An on-line booklet How Early Experiences Effect Brain Development
Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development
This Encyclopedia, published on the Internet, is available free of charge. It covers 37 topics related to the psychosocial development of the child, from conception to the age of five, and presents the most up-to-date scientific knowledge.
HEALTH
Healthy Child Care
Website includes information from this bimonthly publication of the Am. School Health Association. Each issue includes info on health, safety, staff wellness, medicines, illnesses, health education and more including reproducible posters and newsletters.
DHS Safe Sleep
Safe sleep infomation for parents and professionals
Mid Michigan Child Care Food Program
Encouraging Healthy Eating Habits in Children
Association for Child Development (ACD)
is a nonprofit organization that educates parents and caregivers about nutrition to promote the development of children and establish healthy eating habits to last a lifetime.
Take a First Look
A Guide on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders for Early Childhood Professionals
OTIS- The Organization of Teratology Information Specialists is dedicated to providing accurate evidence-based, clinical information to patients and health care professionals about exposures during pregnancy and lactation. The organization serves to provide education, to conduct relevant research and to support teratology information services throughout North America.
CLASSROOM SUPPLIES
Arts & Scraps 
Arts & Scraps is a Detroit non-profit organization that uses recycled industrial materials to help people of all ages and abilities think, create and learn.
Classroom Products
Discount School Supplies
School House Teaching Supplies