Today, DIEEC begins our annual celebration of Children’s Book Week. Having our DIEEC staff visit programs as guest readers this week is a wonderful opportunity to remember our ‘why.’ There’s nothing quite like sharing the joy of a good book with young children to connect us to the heart of early childhood education and inspire our work every day. I want to share one of my own favorites with you: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Eric Carle. The rhythmic, repetitive text captures toddlers’ attention and invites them to join in – you can see the excitement on their faces as they anticipate and call out each new animal! It was a special book in our home – our board book was so well-loved that we went through two copies when my now-teens were small.

The 10th cohort of our popular wellness initiative for family child care educators, Shining the Light On You, is forming now—be sure to check out the details on the final information session and the new wellness kit! We also have some fun and practical tips in Coach’s Corner on how you can use painter’s tape to support classroom learning.

Please take note of the important updates from Delaware’s Office of Early Learning regarding the Quality Improvement System (QIS) Guide and new requirements for programs preparing to apply for a Quality Improvement Award (QIA). Remember to utilize our drop-in Office Hours and free Professional Learning Experiences (PLEs)- DIEEC is here to support you!