Professional Development Days

Child care and out-of-school time programs often tell us the same thing: they want their staff to learn together. But bringing in a trainer for a full professional development day isn’t always possible. 

Starting Point is responding with a new initiative: Professional Development Days. 

These in-person training events are designed for child care centers, family child care homes, and out-of-school time programs in Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Lake, and Geauga counties. Programs can bring multiple staff members for a full day of hands-on learning led by experienced trainers — at no cost to the program. 

Each Professional Development Day includes two interactive sessions and at least 3 Ohio Approved (OA) hours for participants who attend the full day. Sessions focus on practical strategies educators can apply right away, along with tools and resources staff can bring back to their classrooms or programs. 

Administrators often tell us that training together is just as valuable as the training itself. When staff share the same professional development experience, teams build a common understanding of effective practices and are better able to apply new strategies consistently across classrooms or program settings. 

Professional Development Days were created with that team dynamic in mind. Programs may register their entire staff or select team members who would benefit from the training. 

The first sessions are scheduled for April and June 2026, with additional trainings planned throughout the year in different counties across Starting Point’s service area.