Claudette Barber has been with Child Care Resources (CCR) since July 2010 as the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Specialist. Prior to working for CCR, Claudette was a child care provider for 11 years. Claudette owned and operated her own family group home child care, which was accredited by the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC). She has completed numerous hours of early childhood training and nutrition related topics. Claudette also facilitates Food Program classroom workshops for providers in CCR's region.

Contact: claudette.cct@gmail.com

Facilitating the following course(s):

• A Better Approach to Feeding: Ellyn Satter's Division of Responsibility
• Around the Table
• Beyond the Belly: The How and Why of Food Variety
• Childhood Obesity
• Enhancing Your Child Care Business: 2015 CACFP Program
• High Energy with High Fiber
• I Don't Like That! A Guide to Picky Eating
• Vegetable Variety
• Save Money with Low-Cost, Nutritious Meals

Grace Decker, Professional Development Specialist with Child Care Resources, has worked in the early childhood field for over fifteen years. She graduated from Brown University with honors in Educational Studies, and has worked as a preschool, kindergarten, and youth music teacher in addition to serving as the founding director of the Missoula Community School. A level VI on Montana's Early Childhood Practitioner registry, she has presented workshops on early childhood curriculum development, behavior guidance, health science and children & nature.

Contact: gracedecker.cct@gmail.com

Facilitating the following course(s):

• Gettin' Out There: The How, Why, and Where of Field Trips
• Exploring Observation in Early Childhood Settings
• Mix it Up: Working with Mixed-Age Groups
• Montana Preschool Teacher Education Hybrid Course
• Pre-Literacy Skills for Young Children: Phonological Awareness
• Transition Magician

Lorie Eckhardt has been with Family Connections MT since 2010. Lori has been a Case Manager, LCP Processor and is currently a Program Assistant. Lori has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Montana State University and is the proud mother of 4 children.

Contact: lorie.cct@gmail.com

Facilitating the following course(s):

• LCP Orientation

Debbie Hansen has worked in the early childhood profession for over 25 years, earning her Bachelor of Science in Education (Special Education (P-12)/Elementary Education) and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. She was the Program Manager for the YMCA Child Development Center in Butte and then became the Director of Curious Minds, the NAEYC accredited preschool on the campus of the University of Montana Western. Along with being the Director of Curious Minds, Debbie also taught Early Childhood Education classes for the University of Montana Western. In May 2011, Debbie took the position of Early Childhood Systems Coordinator at the Early Childhood Services Bureau in Helena, Montana. One of the duties of this position was the Best Beginnings Advisory Council Coordinator. In May 2013, Debbie became a Program Specialist for the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

Contact: deborahansen@mt.gov

Facilitating the following course(s):

• FY15 Annual Director's Training

Deb Huestis holds Bachelor Degrees in Child Development and Family Relations and Cognitive Psychology from the University of Idaho. She has been involved in the Early Childhood Care and Education field for 19 years. She started her career as a preschool teacher and has worked her way through Education Coordinator of a Children's Museum, Early Childhood Core Instructor for UM Western, coordinator for Montana's Early Learning Guidelines Birth - 36 months, and is currently a PDS III for Child Care Solutions MT.

Contact: debh.cct@gmail.com

Facilitating the following course(s):

• Expressive Language in Early Childhood
• Explore the World - Science and Young Children
• Literacy-Rich Child Care Environments
• Montana Early Learning Standards
• STARS to Quality Essentials
• The Early Learning Environments: Floors, Ceilings and Walls

Char Jones joined the CCR team as the Childcaretraining.org Course Facilitator. Char is looking forward to working at Child Care Resources and loves working with child care providers, children and families.

Char became a certified Child Care Health Consultant in the fall of 2013 and is employed at Ravalli Head Start, Inc. as the Health & Nutrition Specialist. She previously worked for the Ravalli County WIC program as a nutritional counselor and also worked as a Provider Specialist at Work Family Resource Center, a CCRR agency, in Winston- Salem, NC.

Char and her husband Dave raised three amazing daughters in Hamilton. Char enjoys the outdoor life that Montana offers and is often hiking, biking and camping with friends and family. She also enjoys traveling outside of Montana to visit family, including two beautiful grandchildren, and loves to travel to faraway places.

Contact: cksjones62@gmail.com

Facilitating the following course(s):

• Healthy Smiles for Montana Children
• Medication Administration in Child Care - Part 1
• Medication Administration in Child Care - Part 2
• Medication Administration in Child Care Refresher

Christy Hill Larson has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Washington State University and has worked in the field of early childhood education in a variety of capacities for thirty-four years. Her experience includes working as a lead teacher in a private non-profit child care center, a Head Start teacher, a Head Start home visitor, the director of a child care center, an early childhood consultant and trainer, an early childhood advocate, and the Executive Director of the Montana Head Start Association. Currently, she is a special projects coordinator for the Early Childhood Project at MSU.

Contact: christyl.cct@gmail.com

Facilitating the following course(s):

• Introduction to the Pyramid Model

Chauntel Lucier has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Family Science/Child Development from Montana State University - Bozeman and has worked in the early childhood field in Montana for over 20 years. Chauntel is currently worked for the Early Childhood Services Bureau as a Child Care Policy Specialist. Chauntel started her career working for the Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies both in Bozeman and Great Falls before going to work as a Child Care Licensor in Missoula prior to working with the Early Childhood Services Bureau.

Contact: clucier@mt.gov

Facilitating the following course(s):

• Eligibility Basics

Lucy Marose has been with Child Care Resources since 2005. Lucy works for CCR as the Infant/Toddler Coordinator, an Inclusion Specialist, an Early Childhood Specialist, and a Professional Development Specialist. Lucy has worked as a Contract Program Evaluator and an Accreditation Observer for the National Association of Child Care Providers (NAFCC), and an Early Childhood Project-Longevity Clause Observer. Lucy holds a B.A. in Social Work, a Master's of Education in Early Childhood and Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Special Education. She also completed the Graduate Preparation Project through Child Care Plus+ and the University of Montana. Lucy currently teaches classroom and online courses for the University of Montana-Western. Early on in her career, Lucy taught in a Head Start classroom for several years, and, when her children were young, did in-home child care. In her free time, Lucy is a hospice volunteer and a quilter.

Contact: lucym.cct@gmail.com

Facilitating the following course(s):

• Functional Assessment in Early Childhood Settings
• Positive Guidance in Early Childhood Settings
• Tips, Tricks, and Strategies for Working withTemperaments

Nicole Peterson works as a Professional Development Specialist for Child Care Resources. Nicole has been in the early childhood field for almost 14 years. She has taught children ages from birth to five in Taiwan, South America and here in the States. In addition she has been an early childhood specialist coach for five years. Nicole holds a Bachelor’s degree in Family Studies Child and Human Development from Arizona State University. She loves being a part of the early childhood field and being an advocate for children.

Contact: npeterson@childcareresources.org

Facilitating the following course(s):

• Making Math Count
• Montana Moves
• Montana Early Learning Standards

Lauralea Sanks has been in the Early Childhood Education field for over 20 years, working with children from the age of two weeks to eight years old. Lauralea holds a Bachelor's degree in Social Work, an Associate's degree in Early Childhood Education and a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education with an emphasis in Special Needs. More than half of her career has been spent working exclusively with infants and toddlers. She and her husband are both Infant/Toddler Certified and operate their own National Association for Family Child Care accredited infant and toddler program in Missoula, Montana. She has been a mentor in Child Care Resources' Infant/Toddler Mentoring Program and Accreditation Mentoring Program for the past seven years. She loves learning and reading about new ideas or perspectives, and plans to work in the Early Childhood Education field all her life.

Contact: lauralea.cct@gmail.com

Facilitating the following course(s):

• Receptive Language - The Ability to Comprehend Information
• Shattered Spectrums - The Complexities of Autism
• Terrific Twos: A Survival Guide

Marisa Schmidt has been in the Early Childhood field since she was old enough to work as a childcare aid. Marisa attended MSU-Billings where she pursued a Bachelor in Child and Family Studies. Throughout the college years she taught children working in both group and center settings, as well as, an ABA therapist for a child with Autism. After college, Marisa became an Early Childhood Specialist for the Child Care Resource and Referral in Billings, Montana. Her work included developing and providing training and coaching to childcare providers as well as becoming involved on several boards devoted to early childhood efforts. Marisa's experiences with the CCR&R helped her to discover a passion for advocating for children by helping others understand and appreciate the precious little people of our world. In 2010, she decided to further her education and studied for her Masters in Early Childhood at Concordia University, St. Paul. Today, Marisa is back in the classroom working with preschoolers.

Contact: marisa9677@gmail.com

Facilitating the following course(s):

• Child Abuse and Neglect: Mandatory Reporting in Child Care
• Safe Sleep in Child Care
• The Environment Rating Scales (ERS)

Jennifer Swartz works as a Professional Development Specialist for Child Care Resources. Jennifer has worked in early childhood education since 1997. Her experience varies from family home child care provider, Assistant Director of NAEYC accredited Montessori preschool, to Quality Coaching, parenting class coordination, professional development coordination, conference planning, work in both the Language Arts and Math classrooms of Adult Basic Education, and a thorough knowledge of the Pyramid Model (CSEFEL). Jennifer has worked with children with special needs ranging from both physical and cognitive delays to learning differences and behavior challenges. Jennifer earned a B.A. from the University of Montana and achieved a Level VI on the Child Care Practitioner's Registry through the Early Childhood Project at Montana State University-Bozeman. She also is a member of the Trainer Registry.

Contact: jennifer.cct@gmail.com

Facilitating the following course(s):

• Focus on Curriculum - The Learning Cycle
• Going City Green
• How to Handle Bullying
• Play is Children's Work
• Print in Preschool
• Read a Book
• Spice It Up With Spanish