Caregiving

Formal and informal caregiving is and will continue to be important to help all Texans remain active, vibrant parts of their community. We have a variety of materials and resources for child, adult and military family caregivers, including educational resources and in-person programming.

Related Departments: Nutrition

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AgriLife Extension Military Program

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service – Military Program focuses on providing educational programs and resources to assist veterans, service members and their families as they face the many uncertainties of life.
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Caregiving

Programs

We offer numerous free and affordable programs on agriculture and natural resources, family and community health, economic health and youth development. We also offer many volunteer opportunities. Browse the list below.
Program

Balancing Food & Play (grades 3rd-5th) was developed to address children’s health issues by developing lifelong healthy behaviors through nutrition, physical activity, and family engagement.

Program

Promoting Early Education Quality (PEEQ) is dedicated to encouraging the adoption of research- and evidence-based practices at all levels of the early education field.

Courses

Course

Infants’ experiences early in life literally influence the physical structures of the brain, opening the way for patterns of thought and behavior for the rest of a child’s life. This 1-hour course addresses critical topics related to caring for the youngest and most vulnerable population of children, infants and toddlers.

Course

One of the most challenging aspects of child care is deciding upon a style of discipline that is appropriate, effective, and in the best interest of each child. Students will learn about the strengths and weaknesses of various disciplinary styles and explore strategies for setting and enforcing healthy limits.

Course

Guidance and discipline issues are two of the most challenging aspects of any early childhood teacher’s work. Explore what contributes to problem behaviors and how to work with children to promote positive behaviors. Examine the effects of the classroom environment on children’s behaviors.

All Resources on Caregiving

  • Course

    In this online course, you will learn about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. We consider factors that contribute to FASD, our own biases towards children and families who may be impacted by FASD, the impact of FASD on young children’s development, and strategies for welcoming children with FASD into the classroom.

  • Course

    Preschool children are capable of understanding concepts of living and non-living things. Explore ways to support children’s observation skills related to the life sciences. Delve into inquiry-based learning activities to encourage critical thinking. Use STEM concepts to test theories on living things and non-living things.

  • Course

    “Getting the wiggles out” is not the sole purpose of outdoor play. This course helps teachers understand the importance of outdoor play and how to make it a priority. Safety aspects such as playground standards

  • Course

    Experience a variety of counting activities and developmentally appropriate approaches for teaching addition and subtraction. Explore principles, objectives, and developmental stages of counting and examine ways to support children’s counting in everyday situations. Number and operations tasks for preschoolers are provided.

  • Course

    In this training course, you will learn about self-regulation in infancy and toddlerhood. We consider ways caregivers can support the development of children’s self-regulation. We then discuss infant and toddler temperament so you can reflect on your own regulatory strategies and preferences for young children’s temperaments.

  • Course

    In this course, you will learn about sensory processing in very young children. We define the senses, consider healthy sensory development and indicators of sensory integration difficulties, review activities that support sensory development, and outline strategies for helping children with sensory difficulties.

  • Course

    Understanding the meaning and implication of developmentally appropriate practices in a classroom, as well as teacher/child interactions based on those practices is introduced. Effective characteristics of developmentally appropriate practices, the value of intentional teaching and strategies to use are also introduced.

  • Course

    This course examines the role of play in contributing to the healthy development of preschool children. Students who enroll in this course will learn why play should be an important component of every child care program, how to organize indoor and outdoor play spaces, and how to involve children in fun play activities.

  • Course

    Develop a pathway to enhance classroom science centers by means of interactive science experiences for preschool children. Explore the scientific process and making discoveries within four different areas of science: Life Science, Health Science, Physical Science, Earth and Space, and Environmental Science.

  • Course

    Children use their senses to explore the world. More than just seeing or noticing, through science, children can determine how important or unimportant an observation is. Enrich the sensory table, beyond digging and pouring. Build an “Observation Station” with simple, sensory-rich explorations preschoolers will love.

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