§ 16-60-7.1 - Early childhood training and resource center – Board of advisors. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 16-60-7.1

   § 16-60-7.1  Early childhood training andresource center – Board of advisors. – (a) The department of elementary and secondary education shall establish,maintain, and operate, in accordance with the guidelines of the board ofadvisors created pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, a training andresource center to serve as a source of information regarding training andresources for early childhood and child care professionals which would:

   (1) Provide information regarding requirements and/or sourcesfor licensure, approval, and certification;

   (2) Provide information regarding sources of training to meetspecific needs;

   (3) Maintain contact with professional organizations, statedepartments, higher education institutions, and other resources for training;

   (4) Develop a newsletter for dissemination of vitalinformation regarding topics as department of health alerts, changes indepartment of human services programs, and eligibility criteria for personsseeking child care;

   (5) Develop and conduct training for which no identifiedtraining source currently exists;

   (6) Develop a speakers' bureau;

   (7) Maintain a calendar of events for earlychildhood¢hild care professionals; and

   (8) Provide any other services that the board of advisorsshall deem necessary.

   (b) To guide the department in the establishment, location,maintenance, and operation of the training and resource center, the departmentshall establish a board of advisors consisting of representatives from each ofthe following agencies, departments, professional associations, and educationalinstitutions: department of children, youth, and families; department of humanservices; department of elementary and secondary education; department ofhealth; Rhode Island Association for the Education of Young children; RhodeIsland Early Childhood Resource Center; Rhode Island Association for Home DayCare; Rhode Island Day Care Director's Association; Association for ChildhoodEducation, Providence area; Rhode Island Head Start Director's Association;Community College of Rhode Island; Rhode Island College; the University ofRhode Island; and any other agencies, departments, institutions, andassociations as the advisory board shall prescribe.