Regional Council Meetings:
At our October 1st BBF Regional Council meeting, we continued our conversation on diversity led by Dr. Karen Hack. This time our focus was on cultural humility aimed to promote council members’ personal reflection and development around culture in order to foster their knowledge and self- awareness.
This was followed by a Shared Services HUB presentation. LouAnn Benanati from Vermont Birth to Five (VB5) presented information on Shared Services and background on the statewide web platform. Michelle Tarryk from Northeast Kingdom Learning Services (NEKLS) provided an overview on the NEK Shared Services Hub, the approach, implementation timeline and next steps.
At our November 5th meeting, Kelly Ault from Vermont Early Childhood Advocacy Alliance (VECAA) presented the preliminary 2019 Vermont Early Childhood Legislative Agenda with the council. Kelly briefly reviewed the outcome of the 2018 legislative issues. VECAA will be posting the 2019 Agenda on their website by December and each issue will have a page with details about the proposals and how to get involved.
Ages and Stages Training and orientation to the statewide registry: The Northeast Kingdom Providers Association (NEKPA) hosted a training with Lauren Smith, the Universal Developmental Screening Registry Manager and Certified Ages and Stages Questionnaire ® Trainer at VDH, on the Ages and Stages Developmental screening tools and an orientation to the Developmental Screening registry. There were 16 early childhood professionals in attendance. BBF in Orleans/Northern Essex and the North Troy Promise Community supported this professional development opportunity by providing Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition (ASQ-3) Material Kits for participants. It is our hope that we will see a boost in regular screenings as well as the use of the Universal Developmental Screening registry in our region. More information is available at the Developmental Screening Registry website.
Upcoming BBF Regional Council Meetings/Trainings:
December 3, 2018 – Substance Use Disorder -Presented by Carol Smith- Oak Leaf and Pine Counseling, PLC
January 7, 2018 – Follow up Discussion on Substance Use Disorders Programs and Services. BBF is hosting a panel of community partners to share information on their programs and services before opening it up to questions from participants.
