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Services offered by the Forum
The Children's Forum provides a broad array of
services to assist policymakers, for-profit and
nonprofit organizations, associations, coalitions,
child care agencies, early childhood teachers, directors
and administrators in furthering their goals. The
Children's Forum team of talented professionals
stands ready to help your organization further its goals.
Contact Phyllis Kalifeh
at (850) 681-7002 or
pkalifeh@thechildrensforum.com
to explore how we can meet your needs.
The Children's Forum's team of talented professionals
provide a broad array of services to assist policymakers,
for-profit and nonprofit organizations, associations,
coalitions, child care agencies, early childhood
teachers, directors and administrators in furthering
their goals.
"Phyllis Kalifeh was right on target, upbeat and
informative as our afternoon keynote speaker. The
audience connected with her. It was obvious that she
knew her topic. I would recommend her for any
organization looking for a dynamic knowledgeable speaker
for their conference." - Lynne Eldridge, CEO
Early Education and Care, Inc. Panama City, FL
Effective programs are built on evidence-based
information.
Effective programs are built on evidence-based information.
Scientific and technical knowledge is a decisive
element in shaping early care and education. Regardless
of the function, surveying child care and early
education status and needs, setting policies and
standards, conducting research, financing and delivering
services, providing technical assistance and resources,
and evaluating the success of interventions/programs
provides critical information for agencies making
decisions that affect the industry. The Children's
Forum understands that the political environment
strengthens this pragmatic requirement for knowledge-based
programming at every level by mandating strategic
planning, annual performance monitoring, and periodic
evaluation. Our researchers are skilled in planning,
data gathering, study design, and methods of qualitative
and quantitative research. We will conduct needs
assessments, surveys, focus groups, case studies,
state-of-the-field literature reviews, policy analyses,
process and outcome evaluations, as well as develop
long-range strategies and action plans.
The Children's Forum's conference and event
managers plan and implement dozens of meetings and
conferences each year. These seasoned professionals
know how to facilitate the magic that happens whenever
decision makers gather to compare notes, test ideas
and form and nourish professional relationships.
The Children's Forum will alleviate the stresses
of planning for your organization and ensure a seamless
event. Capable of organizing any size event, the
Forum has a wealth of experience to draw on to facilitate
its success. Our detailed plans address every contingency
and result in strategic agendas, logistics and comprehensive
onsite reporting.
The Forum excels in "the personal touch,"
but we also have mastered the high-tech aspects
of conference management. We rely on our information
technology expertise to expedite registration
online, to generate up-to-the-minute reports,
or to create dynamic, updatable Web pages that
provide 24/7 service to conference speakers and
attendees. Our clients appreciate our ability
to minimize their involvement in the painstaking
logistical details that spell the difference between
a sensational meeting and a job merely well done.
Always, we work behind the scenes and put the
client's program and purpose on stage.
The Forum's conference management team has extensive
experience in preparing for and responding to
the needs of meeting participants with disabilities.
Compliance with the provisions of the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) is second nature.
We work hard to accommodate the needs of physically
or mentally challenged participants with customized
services and arrangements, customized sleeping
rooms, special travel provisions, and specialized
travel advancements and reimbursements.
Contact
Joy Stover, Director of Events and
Multimedia at (850) 681-7002.
The Children's Forum technology department,
Forum Interactive, provides businesses with the
latest technology solutions to help them realize
their full potential. By improving upon existing
technologies and software, and implementing innovative
database management tools and Web site capabilities,
Forum Interactive delivers high-tech services,
at affordable costs, yielding significant results
for your organization and the people you serve.
We are prepared to serve as your in-house technology
department providing access to the latest technologies.
These technologies make running a business easier
and more cost effective. Forum Interactive will:
- Serve as your personal help desk.
With just a phone call, your staff will have one-on-one
personal assistance from a member of The Forum
Interactive team. Through remote access, The Forum
Interactive can remotely troubleshoot hardware
problems, e-mail connections, systems emergencies
and Internet disturbances - even while employees
are on the road.
- Design and maintain Web sites.
Whether developing a Web site from scratch,
or fine tuning an existing Web site to improve
functionality, The Forum Interactive
can customize an online marketing strategy to
achieve your organization's objectives.
- Host and Manage your Databases and
Specialized Applications on our
Servers. Leverage limited budget dollars
by using Forum Interactive servers. We have the
capacity and the ability to host your
software on our powerful, multi-processor servers
which you can then access from anywhere in the
world.
- Provide Backup Off-site for your most
important information. The Forum Interactive
will safeguard your most valuable asset -
the information stored on company computers,
networks and servers.
- Protect systems from viruses. How many
employees in your organization work on a computer?
Consider the costs when one employee experiences
a computer problem. Not only is valuable data
lost, but productivity decreases because employees
cannot access their computers to work. The Forum
Interactive can install and maintain systems to
keep your organization up and running.
- Improve your Internet and Web presence.
By leveraging creative design concepts and programming
functions, The Forum Interactive can maximize
and implement database management systems, remote
access e-mail services and Web-based programs
to deliver key messages to targeted audiences.
- Provide Network and general IT consulting.
When it comes to making crucial decisions about network
design or back-up technologies, retaining IT experts
with proven experience is imperative. With more
than 30 years experience, The Forum Interactive
team can implement technology solutions to meet
immediate needs and long term goals.
Contact
William Kirchhoff, Vice President of MIS at
(850) 681-7002.
Successfully generating attention for your organization
is no easy task. It requires thinking strategically,
shaping the message and targeting the audience.
And although many organizations understand their
goals better than anyone, many may not have the
staff or time to execute awareness campaigns.
The Children's Forum team of graphics and
communications specialists will develop and execute
strategies to establish your identity and build
support for your organization. We know your issues,
we know your audience.
Children's Forum has a menu of services available
to ensure the success of your campaign.
Creative Services
The Childrens Forum specializes in creating
effective design materials that evoke emotion
and clearly communicate your message. Our award-winning
creative team will match your idea with the right
medium to deliver a high-impact product.
- Logos
- Collateral materials (stationery, brochures, posters, etc.)
- Annual reports
- Marketing kits
Image Development
Developing the image of an organization is critical
to its growth and success. The Children's
Forum will brand your organization through marketing
strategies based on the organization's focus
and mission. By implementing creative media strategies,
we will ensure the target audience identifies
your organization with the issue at hand.
- Public service branding and awareness
- Initiative launches
Grassroots Communications
Rallying community support can be a daunting task
leaving many organizations to ask “how can
they not care?” although the community may
be asking “why should we care?” The
Children's Forum will clearly identify and
communicate “the” why and develop
communication strategies that generate a desired
response. By launching and maintaining effective
grassroots campaigns, your organization will have
the support it needs from the community to further
your efforts.
- Message development
- Op-ed drafting and placement
- News releases
- Polls and surveys
- White papers
Contact
Phyllis Kalifeh,
at (850) 681-7002.
Successful program implementation requires knowing
where you are going and how to get there. The
Children's Forum technical assistance specialists
provide individual, customized consultation services
on program planning, execution and evaluation.
We help clients think strategically about program
processes and outcomes. Needs assessment, capacity
building, partnerships, infrastructure development,
business plans, financial sustainability, future
funding, program-to-program mentoring and program
monitoring are areas where the Forum's staff and
consultants have produced outstanding results
by blending experience and innovation.
Our approach to planning and developing technical
assistance is rigorous but uncomplicated: we help
clients identify their needs, shape their objectives
and prioritize agendas. Most importantly, we provide
the methodology and know-how to measure the results
of training and technical assistance. Our trainers
conduct large formal workshops, present to small
informal groups or meet one-on-one, whatever is
needed to best address the needs of your organization.
Contact
Beverly Esposito, at (850) 681-7002.
Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
The Children's Forum is an Authorized Provider of the
International Association for Continuing Education and Training.
What is the International Association for Continuing
Education and Training (IACET)?
The International Association for Continuing Education and Training
is a non-profit association dedicated to quality continuing education
and training programs. IACET authorizes education providers that meet
strict continuing education guidelines created in 1968. IACET's
Criteria and Guidelines are the core of thousands of educational
programs worldwide.
When was the Continuing Education Unit (CEU) created?
The International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET)
grew out of a National Task Force on continuing education commissioned
by the United States Bureau of Education (now the Department of Education)
in 1968. The task force included the leaders in continuing education,
such as the American Medical Association and American Nursing Association.
The Task Force determined the universal guidelines for continuing education and created the Continuing Education Unit (CEU).
IACET was created by the task force to provide both a forum for discussion
of education standards and an organizational body to promote quality
standards. IACET's guidelines are based upon in-depth research on the
learning process.
How did the Forum become an Authorized Provider?
The International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET)
authorizes educational providers to award the IACET Continuing Education
Unit (CEU). IACET Authorized Providers undergo a strict evaluation of
their educational processes according to the IACET Criteria and
Guidelines, including two reviews by IACET's Commission and a site
visit by an IACET Commissioner.
Do I need to earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs)?
Early care and education professionals may want to earn CEU for four
(4) purposes:
- If you hold a National Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential
through the Council for Professional Recognition, Washington, DC. Each
Child Development Associate must renew the credential in order to
maintain its validity. A CDA Credential is valid for three (3) years
from the date of award, after which it may be renewed for five-year
(5) periods.
The Council for Professional Recognition requires proof of continuing
education in order to renew the credential. The proof must be in the
form of either 4.5 Continuing Education Units (CEU) or a 3-credit hour
college course in early childhood education. The additional
training/course work must be taken after the original credential is
earned, or since the last renewal.
- If you hold a Florida Child Development Associate Equivalency
(CDAE) Credential through the Florida Department of Children and
Families.
The Florida CDAE program is a training program approved by the
Department of Children and Families (DCF) that meets or exceeds
the criteria and core competencies established as equivalent to
the National Child Development Associate (CDA). As of June 30,
2005, all individuals working in a child care facility with a
Florida CDAE must maintain an active credential, per section
65C-22.003, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), by completing
the renewal process.
The Department of Children and Families requires proof of continuing
education in order to renew the credential. The proof must be in the
form of either 4.5 Continuing Education Units (CEU) or a 3-credit
hour college course in early childhood education. The additional
training/course work must be taken after the original credential
is earned, or since the last renewal.
- If you hold a Florida Director's Credential through the Florida
Department of Children and Families.
Effective January 1, 2004, every child care facility in Florida is
required to have a director who holds a Florida Director's Credential.
A Director Credential issued prior to January 1, 2004 will have an
initial renewal date of January 1, 2009, and every 5 years thereafter.
A Director Credential issued after January 1, 2004, will have an
initial renewal date after 5 years and every 5 years thereafter.
To maintain a valid Director Credential, candidates must provide proof
of either 4.5 Continuing Education Units (CEU) or a 3-credit hour
college credit course every five years in any one of the following
curriculum areas:
- Overview of Child Care Center Management
- Child Care and Education Organizational Leadership and Management
- Child Care and Education Financial and Legal Issues
- Child Care and Education Programming
- If you hold a Florida School-Age Certification through the
Florida Department of Children and Families.
The Florida School-Age Certification Training Program provides
school-age child care professionals with a training option that
allows them to meet 65C-22.003(6), F.A.C. Completion of the Florida
School-Age Certification training program may also be used to meet
the staff credential component required for the Director Credential,
as outlined in section 65C-22.003(7)(b)5, F.A.C.
To maintain a valid School-Age Certification, candidates must provide
proof of either 4.5 Continuing Education Units (CEU) or a 3-credit hour
college credit course every five years in a school-age child care
curriculum area.
NOTE: One IACET CEU is equal to ten (10) contact
hours of participation in an organized continuing education experience
under responsible sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified
instruction. Therefore, 45 hours of training (4.5 CEU) is required
for renewal of all of the credentials listed above.
The Children's Forum can provide CEU for your organization or event on
a one-time basis or according to a yearly contract. The cost of CEU
processing is $20/participant per training event. Organizations can
choose to pay the cost of CEU for their participants, or the cost can
become the responsibility of each participant. For more information,
contact
Beverly Esposito or
Elise Ray at 888-352-4453 (toll-free),
850-681-7002 in Tallahassee, or
besposito@thechildrensforum.com or
eray@thechildrensforum.com.
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