Agrilife Extension Resources

Starting a new home-based child care business involves making a number of decisions including the type of home-based child care to operate and how to incorporate best practices.

Many parents work nontraditional hours, meaning their children need access to early care and education programs outside typical operating hours. In the absence of qualified early care and education programs that offer nighttime care, these families may have to make challenging and precarious choices, choosing between maintaining their employment and leaving their children without the appropriate care.

The purpose of this 2-hour course is to support early childhood program owners and directors through the process of incorporating extended hours of care, including overnight care, to support the needs of many families across Texas.

Starting a new home-based child care business involves making a number of decisions about how best to operate the program and meet the needs of children and families. Fortunately, several statewide programs offer training, resources, and guidance to assist you in navigating the process.

This 1-hour course for prospective home-based child care business owners will introduce some key support systems and the tools and services they provide.

This course will introduce learners to critical leadership concerns and how managers can build and support high-performing teams.

Early childhood educators strive to establish warm and secure relationships with children in their care. Unfold strategies for building strong relationships with families while supporting social and emotional development. Recognize the importance of responsive interactions, positive guidance, exploration, and play.

Providing a broad overview of 4 main areas of child growth and development, this course offers practical tips on supporting children’s development. Key findings from brain research and its relevance to the care of young children is briefly explored, as well as the principles of Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP).

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.

Abusive head trauma is the leading cause of death in cases of child abuse in the United States. This 2-hour course will help you better understand the dangers of abusive head trauma and how to take steps to protect the children in your care from this type of abuse.

Maintaining the health of young children – and setting them up with lifelong healthy habits – are critical elements of a quality early childhood program. This one-hour course reviews some of the key practices early childhood educators can use to promote breastfeeding and healthy feeding habits in infants. It is aligned with the guidelines of the Texas Healthy Building Blocks recognition program.