Podcast

Cindy Croft and Priscilla Weigel welcome back special guest Nicole Frethem who is a Policy Specialist with the Minnesota Child Care Assistance Program at the MN Department of Human Services. They discuss in greater detail the Special Needs Rate that is available to child care providers working with children who are part of the Child Care Assistance Program. Nicole shares some of the reasons a child care provider might request a special needs rate for a particular child with a disability and explains why the rate helps families access higher quality care.

Cindy Croft and Priscilla Weigel welcome special guest Nicole Frethem, Policy Specialist with the Minnesota Child Care Assistance Program at the MN Department of Human Services to discuss the Child Care Assistance Program. Nicole shares important information about the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) and how its subsidies aid families in accessing quality child care. Both families and child care programs should know what the eligibility is, how you begin the process, and why it can help offset financial costs.

Join Cindy Croft and Priscilla Weigel as they continue their discussion with Jayne Cox-Lindsey, Early Childhood Referral In-Take Specialist. Jayne shares with our listeners the next steps that occur once a child enters the Help Me Grow referral process. An example of a referral success story is shared by Jayne which points out the collaborative process that create success for a child and a family.

Join Cindy Croft and Priscilla Weigel as they talk with special guest Jayne Cox-Lindsey, Early Childhood Referral In-Take Specialist. Jayne shares information of the roll of Help Me Grow in our state, the referral process, who should be referred, and why child care providers are a critical piece of the early intervention process.

Cindy Croft and Priscilla Weigel wrap up this four part podcast series with Martha Moriarty and Mary Beth Kelley of the Learning Disabilities Association of Minnesota by discussing useful inclusion strategies for children who may have behavioral characteristics of ADHD or learning disabilities. Mary Beth shares many of the ways a setting can be adapted to meet the learning needs of all children and especially support those who struggle with language or attention.

Mary Beth Kelley and Martha Moriarty share common red flags for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and who should make the diagnosis. Cindy Croft and Priscilla Weigel facilitate the conversation with their guests and discuss common misconceptions between a learning disability and ADHD. ADHD as a disorder is defined and the process of a diagnosis is covered based on the criteria in the DSM-V.