BOOTHEEL CHILDCARE CONFERENCE PLANNED FOR OCT. 23

A Bootheel Area Early Childhood and Child Care Conference is planned for Oct. 23 at the Harry L. Crisp Bootheel Education Center in Malden.

The conference is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The Southeast Missouri Regional Training Consortium is spearheading the conference to address the child-care training needs of individuals living in the region.

Topics to be addressed include "Bonding and Attachment: The Importance of Caregiver Consistency," "Child Growth and Development: Curriculum Implications," "Parent Partnerships"," Early Brain Development," "Parenting in the New Millennium" and "Observation as an Assessment Tool."

All conference sessions will be presented twice. Participants will be able to choose the sessions they wish to attend. Conference sessions will be offered on a first-come basis and will be limited to 25 participants due to room sizes, organizers said. A closing panel discussion will be open to all participants.

Presenters will be Charla Myers of the Workshop on Wheels/Child Care Resource and Referral; Betty McClanahan and Missy Herbst of Educare; Nancy Hale, P.A.T. regional coordinator; Janet Woods of Head Start; Carol Murphy of Cape Girardeau Public Schools; and Judy Perkins of Perkins Preschool.

Cost of the conference is $5. Pre-registration is required. On-site registration will be permitted as space allows. Those attending will be eligible to receive three hours of in-service training credit.

The conference is being sponsored by the Workshop on Wheels/Child Care Resource & Referral. For registration information, call (800) 811-1127.