In Standard 4: Administration and Business Practices, at Star 3 the Program Director/Owner is required to complete the six-hour on-demand training Supporting Inclusion: Laws and Practices. This requirement applies to both family child care programs and facilities. Waivers are not available for this requirement. 

For those with experience in special education and inclusion, this requirement might seem redundant. However, there are a few reasons why it’s important for all Program Directors/Owners to participate in this training:

• It’s only six hours, it can be completed at any time, and it’s free!

• Staff at MRTQ PDN designed this training to cover current, evidence-based content in an engaging way.
• Once the Program Director/Owner has completed this training, the requirement will be met for that Program Director/Owner in subsequent renewal periods.
• Program Directors/Owners must complete annual training to satisfy licensing requirements; Supporting Inclusion: Laws and Practices will help you meet your annual training goals.
• Even if you have a degree or years of experience, MRTQ PDN challenges you to learn something new about supporting inclusion!

We appreciate that added requirements can feel burdensome and like one more thing added to your to-do list. But we hope that by setting aside the time to engage with this training, you will find at least one small way to improve your approach to working with children and families with disabilities or special health care needs. The training is available through the Online Training section of the MRTQ Registry.

As always, reach out to risingstarsforme@maine.edu with questions.