Duluth, GA, Oct. 03, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ChildCare Education Institute^® (CCEI), an online child care training provider dedicated exclusively to the early care and education workforce, is proud to introduce PROF106: Creating Early Learning Environments that are LGBTQ+ Friendly to the online child care training course catalog.

It is likely that child care professionals have already worked with a family whose members identified as part of the LGBTQ+ community. If not, it is a distinct possibility that they will in the future.  It is important for early childhood providers to understand how the LGBTQ+ community fits into the overall fabric of America.  There have always been people who identified a LGBTQ+ and they have raised children throughout time.  Some people may believe there has been a recent increase in the number of LGBTQ+ people when what is really happening is that we are more likely to know people who have publicly confirmed that they are a member of the LGBTQ+ community. 

The language we use is important and language is always evolving. The title of this course includes the acronym “LGBTQ+.” The “+” indicates that there are many more terms that people use within the LGBTQ+ community. The letters LGBTQ stand for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning.  It is important that child care providers understand the distinction between these terms in order to begin to understand the experiences of families and to communicate with them in a respectful and effective manner.

According to the most recent census, approximately 4.3% of adults in the United States self-identify as part of this community. That is equivalent to more than 10.7 million people.  In order to honor the core values of the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct, it is necessary for ECE professionals to recognize and acknowledge the parallels in the joys and challenges of family life for all families. The hopes and stressors of family life are similar across all families, whether they are heterosexual couples, same-sex couples, single parents, polyamorous parents, foster parents, adoptive parents, or extended family members who have taken on the role of parenting a child.

This course is designed to help professionals in the field of early childhood education create welcoming and affirming spaces for all children and families, including families from the LGBTQ+ community. The course will introduce common terminology and research data related to parents who are LGBTQ+ and their experiences in schools. Participants will better understand the experiences of parents who are LGBTQ+ and be able to identify ways to adapt their own programs to create more welcoming spaces for all children and families.  This course was developed by Dr. Robin Fox, a teacher educator in early childhood education.

“Understanding the factors that may be impacting the families in a child care program will help ECE professionals build relationships and meet their ethical responsibility to provide high quality care to all children and families,” says Maria C. Taylor, President and CEO of CCEI.  “All providers need to be aware of the challenges faced by members of the LGBTQ+ community in order to be able to better support all families and children enrolled in the program.”

PROF106: Creating Early Learning Environments that are LGBTQ+ Friendly to is a two-hour, intermediate-level course and grants 0.2 IACET CEU upon successful completion. Current CCEI users with active, unlimited annual subscriptions can register for professional development courses at no additional cost when logged in to their CCEI account. Users without subscriptions can purchase child care training courses as block hours through CCEI online enrollment.

For more information, visit www.cceionline.edu or call 1.800.499.9907, prompt 3, Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST

ChildCare Education Institute, LLC

ChildCare Education Institute®, a division of Excelligence Learning Corporation, provides high-quality, distance education certificates and child care training programs in an array of child care settings, including preschool centers, family child care, prekindergarten classrooms, nanny care, online daycare training and more. Over 150 English and Spanish child care training courses are available online to meet licensing, recognition program, and Head Start Requirements. CCEI also has online certification programs that provide the coursework requirement for national credentials including the CDA, Director and Early Childhood Credentials.  CCEI, a Council for Professional Recognition CDA Gold Standard™ training provider, is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and is accredited as an Authorized Provider by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET).

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