Welcome to Blueprints for Learning’s Child Care Training Institute. The Training Institute is a private non-profit organization that has provided engaging and meaningful professional development for the Spokane region’s early care and education community since 2002. Our classes are informed by our full-day, year-round childcare program which serves as a model for best practices in early childhood care and education.
We provide four ways within our organization to begin or continue your education as an early care and education professional. All of our programs are focused on improving the quality of care and education provided at family home and child care centers through increasing the skills and knowledge of the providers.
- We are Washington State approved trainers and specialist trainers and the classes that we offer are eligible for STARS Hour Credits.
- We have created Leadership Meetings to foster a peer support and education community with the Early Achievers team and the owners, directors, and supervisors of early care and education programs in the Spokane area.
- We also provide the nationally recognized Child Development Associate (CDA) credential program.
- In addition, we offer fee-based consultations as well as free consultations (as available through contracts with partner agencies) to family home and child care centers.
STARS
Our STARS courses are directed towards those who want to or are currently working as child care professionals. We offer the 30 Hour Basic Training Course as well as a variety of classes to help you continue to learn and grow as a child care professional as well as meet your continuing education requirements as established by the Department of Early Learning. Many of these courses will give you a deeper understanding of the standards established by the Early Achievers program and opportunities to put these standards into action.
All of our STARS classes and Special Events are available for MERIT credits and reimbursements for class fees. In some cases, we may be able to bring the training to you! Contact us to learn more.
Browse our site for additional information and please contact us with questions.
Leadership
In partnership with United Way of Spokane County and the Eastern Washington Early Achievers Team, we have been providing Leadership Meetings since 2013 to support family home and child care center owners, directors, and supervisors in their efforts to implement the standards established by Early Achievers, Washington’s Quality Rating and Improvement System. You can learn more about these meetings by contacting Child Care Aware of Eastern Washington at (509) 482-0996.
Child Development Associate + Mentoring
Our innovative Child Development Associate (CDA) + Mentoring program has been offered since 2002. The CDA is a nationally recognized credential for child care providers. This year-long program is an in-depth training course, which can be articulated for college credits toward an Early Childhood Education degree in the Washington State Community College System. Access to this course is highly prized by directors and owners of early care and education programs because of the immediate and direct impact it has on the quality of care being delivered by the staff in their programs.