2024 Annual CCHC Conference – North Carolina Child Care Health Consultant Association

Reach for the Stars: Promoting High Quality Child Care

The conference will be held on September 24-25^th in Hickory, North Carolina at the Hickory Metro Convention Center.

This is a great opportunity to learn about amazing resources and meet other CCHC’s from across the state in a relaxed environment.

Click here to download the abbreviated conference agenda.

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Go to Registration (opens in a new tab)
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Go to Hickory Metro Center interior map
Go to NC CCHC Association Business
Go to NC CCHC Annual Conference Evaluation (Opens during conference)
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Share your experience! Upload your pictures from the conference to be shared during the closing session

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Share your success stories!

Thank you for sharing your success story with us. Every story has the potential to inspire early educators and fellow CCHCs and other technical assistants to begin and/or continue engaging in this important work. Keep doing what you’re doing and reach out for any needed support!

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Conference Agenda

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Note: The agenda for the conference is available on this page.
One-page printed agendas will be provided in participant packets. The packets will not include a full conference brochure. If you prefer to have a printed brochure, please print and bring it to the conference. Click here to download a printable copy of the Conference Brochure.

Tuesday, 9/24

9:30 am Registration
10:00 am: Welcome: Jacquie Simmons and Julie Daniels, NC Resource Center
10:15 am Session One

Session One: Smart Start CCHC Update
with Angela Lewis, Early Care and Education Manager, North Carolina Partnership for Children
This session will present an update of current information related to Smart Start funded CCHC activities. The audience will be engaged in discussion as well as a question-and-answer period.

11:15 am Break and networking
11:30 am Session Two

Session Two:
with W. David Brown, W. David Brown – Surveillance Coordinator, REHS, Division of Public Health, Environmental Health Section, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
Join David and fellow CCHCs in another engaging discussion. This presentation will provide pictures and discussion to increase awareness of potential health and safety hazards in child occupied facilities.

12:30 pm – Lunch in Conover 4 (see map below)
1:30 pm– Session Three: Common Questions about the ITERS-R and NCRLAP assessments

Session Three:
with Megan Porter, NCRLAP State Anchor, North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project
This session will cover information related to specific requirements of the ITERS-R. We will discuss common challenges and provide NCRLAP resources that demonstrate ways to prepare for the assessment process. There will also be time to answer questions regarding the assessment process and the Environment Rating Scales.

2:30 pm – Session Four: Making “sense” of mealtime challenges: Inclusive strategies for supporting teachers and families with food-sensitive children

Session Four:
Virginia Stage, PhD, RDN – Nutrition Education & Behavior Specialist / Assistant Professor, North Carolina State University / NC State Extension
“If they are hungry enough, they will eat.” But what if children refuse to eat or insist on eating the same food repetitively? This presentation will discuss how challenging feeding behaviors often involve sensory or skill-based issues. Participants will learn strategies that can be used to support teachers and families interested in turning their food-sensitive child into an adventurous eater.

3:30 pm – Break, Networking, Ice cream social
4:00 pm – Keynote Address

with Rhodus Riggins, Quality Enhancement Coordinator, Education Quality Improvement and Professional Development Project at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro

GET BACK!

The quest for quality and competing demands on our time, energy, and emotional reserves influence how we show up. Let’s get back to us and the voices and experiences of the human beings in and behind our work. Let’s get back to our true essence, how we be, grow with self, and others.

Rhodus Riggins, Jr. is Quality Enhancement Coordinator at the Education Quality Improvement and Professional Development Project (EQuIPD) at the University of North Carolina- Greensboro. He is Adjunct Faculty member at Alamance Community College and UNC-Greensboro. He is co-founder and co-owner of Bailey, Pullis, & Riggins LLC, a racial equity consulting organization. Rhodus is a grassroots advocate and early childhood champion from the Low Country region of South Carolina. He holds a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership, Public Policy, & Advocacy in Early Childhood

5:00 pm – Optional Group Wellness Session – Ellie Morris

Wednesday, 9/25

6:15 am Optional Group Morning Walk – Alicia Tanner
8:30 am Breakfast, sign-in, and welcome (sessions will be in Conover 1 unless otherwise specified)
9:00 am NC CCHCA Annual Meeting/Elections, Nicole Richardson, NC CCHC Association Chair
10:00 am – Recognition of New CCHCs
10:15 am Break and Networking
10:30 am Breakout Sessions:
- A. Conover 2: Supporting Children with FASD: Lauren Borchert, Proof Alliance NC Program Manager, The Arc of North Carolina
  This interactive session will help participants understand the impact of prenatal alcohol exposure on the developing fetal brain, recognize characteristics of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), as well as understand strategies for support and the role we all play in preventing alcohol exposed pregnancies and supporting those with FASD.
- B. Conover 1: Common Chemicals in Homes and Child Care: Understanding phthalate exposure and steps to protect children: Neasha Graves, MPA, Environmental Health Outreach Manager, UNC Center for Early Life Exposures and Neurotoxicity (UNC CLEAN)
  Phthalates are chemicals added to plastic and personal care products, with as much as 470 million pounds sold in the US each year. In this interactive session, we will explore how children are exposed to these chemicals in child care centers and homes, the impact on children’s health, and steps for reducing exposure and protecting their health.
- C. Conover 3: NC CCR&R Family Child Care Project: Building and Sustaining NC Family Child Care Programs: Daniel Bates, Statewide Family Child Care Project Manager, NC CCR&R Statewide Family Child Care Project/Southwestern Child Development Commission and Vickie Ansley, Southwestern Child Development Commission
  This session explores the NC Statewide CCR&R Family Child Care Project, its key components, current initiatives, and the role of regional family child care consultants. It also discusses collaboration with the Health and Safety Center to ensure North Carolina’s children receive the best care.
12:00 pm Evaluation/Closing
12:30 pm Adjourn

Hickory Metro Center map

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Special thanks to the 2024 Conference Committee:

Dee Bullock, Kristey Coulter, Tamara Dempsey-Tanner, Julie Johnson, Sharleen Laporte, Amy Matthews, Lindsey Pertet, Stacy Rosser, Courtney Summey, Alicia Tanner, and Jasmine Walker

NC CCHC Association Business

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The 2024 NC CCHC Association Annual Meeting will be held during the conference on September 25, 2024 from 9 am – 10 am.

Agenda:

Call to Order	Nicole R. Richardson
Executive Committee Reports
Membership Financial	Tandrel Lennon Rachel Lentz
Regional Reports
East Central West	Stacy Rosser Kimberly Cruz Chrissy Wolfe
Committee Reports
Certification Conference Planning Public Awareness & Education Website and Communication Review/Policy	Chrissy Wolfe Kristey Coulter Alicia Tanner Robin Worley Fran Hoover
New Business: Election of New Officers: Secretary Revised By-Laws	Nicole R. Richardson
Gift Card Drawing	Nicole R. Richardson
Adjournment	Nicole R. Richardson
Brief Regional Group Check-in

CCHCs, this is your association! Please be a part by volunteering for an officer, regional representative, committee chair, or committee member role.

NC CCHC Association Officer Nomination form

Officers of the NC CCHC Association executive committee (chair, vice-chair, treasurer, and secretary) are elected through nomination and member voting. The officer position currently vacant is : Secretary.

Click here to nominate a cchc

Visit the CCHC Directory for a list of CCHCs and their contact information.