CONNECT
CHILD CARE RESOURCE & REFERRAL
River Valley Child Development Services
611 7th Avenue
Huntington WV 25701
Phone 1-304-523-3417 Fax 1-304-523-2678
River Valley's mission is to be a leader in providing high quality early childhood care and education services for children, families, and communities.
Our Commitment is:
Safe, nurturing, and inclusive learning environments
High standards of professionalism and practice
Resources, support and opportunities
Program Descriptions
Apprenticeship for Child Development Services
This Nationally recognized Apprenticeship for Child Development Specialist (ACDS) program is a four-semester Training program developed in West Virginia for those employed in early care and education programs. Based on the U.S. Department of Labor's apprenticeship model, ACDS has become a model program for the rest of the nation. The program promotes highly skilled, confident, early childhood employees; quality early childhood classrooms; and informed supportive early childhood professionals. Graduates receive national certification through the U.S. Department of Labor. River Valley also administers the coordination and funding of the ACDS trainers.
Birth to Three Regional Administrative Units
West Virginia Birth-to-Three is a statewide system of services and supports for children under age three who have a delay in their development or may be at risk of having a delay, and their families. The three Regional Administrative Units (RAU) coordinated by River Valley serve as the entry point to these services and work to facilitate access to the supports and services needed by the child.
Comprehensive System for Professional Development
The Comprehensive System for Professional Development (CSPD) defines who is qualified to provide services to infants and toddlers with developmental delays, ensuring that personnel are appropriately and adequately prepared and trained. River Valley acts as the fiscal agent to this statewide system.
Child Development Centers
River Valley administers two child development centers in Cabell County. These include Norman Gray Early Learning Child Development Center and Enterprise Child Development Center. These centers provide a- high quality, developmentally appropriate environment in which infants, toddlers and preschoolers can explore and learn. Children receive daily opportunities to make decisions, problem solve, interact with peers and develop other crucial skills while participating in a nurturing environment. In addition to all centers maintaining high levels of quality two of the three are currently accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
In 1998, the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, in collaboration with NAEYC, established the Program Recognition Project. Growing out of work by NAEYC’s Program Panel of Quality, Compensation and Affordability, River Valley Child Development Services was selected as one of ten “Exemplary Programs” nationwide.
River Valley helps develop positive eating habits for young children in family day care homes. Eligible early care providers are reimbursed for serving well-balanced, nutritional meals based on standards set by the U. S. Department of Agriculture and the WV Department of Education. The family day care providers receive training in nutrition and meal planning.
Resource and Referral Agencies
Three regional programs serve a 20-county area and provide training to parents and early education providers. These agencies also work with businesses and community organizations to promote the availability of quality child care services in the area, provide parents with childcare referrals and information on evaluating quality child car, provide resources on parenting issues and facilitate support service for new or established programs.
River Valley operates after-school programs for elementary students who need supervised care between the close of the school day and the beginning of family time. The after-school programs are located in county elementary schools. A daylong childcare program operates throughout the summer break. These school-age programs offer recreational and enrichment activities.
Traveling Resource and Informational Library System
T.R.A.I.L.S. is a system for bringing childcare resources into a provider’s home, a facility or center. The program offers technical assistance, answers childcare questions and distributes childcare resources such as books, educational tapes, videos, games, educational toys and early childhood educational curriculum materials.
WV Early Childhood Training Connections and Resources
This statewide program, WV Early Childhood Training Connections and Resources, is designed to provide professional development opportunities for the early care and education community. Through an extensive network of information, training and technical assistance, resources and collaboration, WVECTCR strives to improve the quality of early education services for young children and their families.
WV State Training and Registry System
The mission of the WV State Training and Registry System (S.T.A.R.S.) program is to improve the quality of care and education for young children and their families in West Virginia by enhancing the skills and career opportunities for all those who care for and educate our youngest citizens. Its key components are core knowledge and core competencies for early care and education professionals to facilitate child learning and development; career pathway to provide a framework to encourage higher levels of skills, credentials and wages; registry and credentialing system to track and recognize professional accomplishments; trainer approval and registered training system to ensure trainer qualification and quality of trainings; and coordinated training system to ensure trainer qualification and quality of trainings; and coordinated training system to make training available and accessible at all levels in a variety of settings.