The Child Care & Development team compiles this list of workshops, training events, and resources for individuals caring for children in order to support all areas of children’s development from birth through elementary age. These events are organized by third-party organizations, unless otherwise noted, and are not managed by the City of Irvine.
Please see the resources and upcoming live and virtual workshops listed below to continue your professional development or parent education journey.
Resources
Parenting Resources
The Child Care Coordination Office has compiled a list of resources to support you on your parenting journey from birth through the elementary years. Whether you’re wondering how to support your child’s learning, address a specific challenge, or just figuring out your child-raising approach, time invested in developing your parenting skills will help you achieve all of the above.
California Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECHMC)
Delivers support, resources, and training activities for early learning and care center-based program staff, family child care providers, and family, friend, and neighbor caregivers. Services include a toll-free help line, monthly open-door sessions held virtually and virtual communities of support. To learn more, click here. Please note: consultation services for child care providers in Orange County, California are provided by StartWell OC.
Start Well Mental Health Consultation for Early Care and Education
Are you or your staff overwhelmed by children’s challenging behaviors? Do you or your staff often call parents to pick up their children due to their challenging behaviors? Is behavior a ‘hot topic’ amongst your teachers and parents? Start Well can help and is available to work with YOUR program! Start Well is the local Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation provider. Start Well provides in person consultation for early learning and care center-based program staff, family child care providers, and family, friend, and neighbor caregivers located in Orange County, California. To learn more, click here.
Help Me Grow Orange County
Help Me Grow connects children and their families to developmental services to enhance the development, behavior and learning of children birth through eight years. By calling the toll free number 1.866.GROW.025, (1.866.476.9025) or using the online link, parents, caregivers, child care providers, early educators, and health care providers have a point of access to developmental services for all young children who live in Orange County.
Inclusion Pathway
This free online self-paced, self-study tool is a one stop shop for early childhood classroom teachers and caregivers and administrators. Whether you are new to the concept of “Inclusion”, want to learn about the newest resources and information to refine your inclusive practices or are looking for resources specific to supporting children with challenging behaviors, this is the place for you! Start by completing the self-assessment to help you determine which area of the self-study tool to begin with. No matter where you are now, each step you take in this educational journey will improve the experience of all children in your program and will help ensure that your program is open to, and truly accessible for all children, no matter their individual needs.
December Calender
Foster and Kinship Care Education (FKCE)
A variety of online classes are available in December for families, caregivers, parents, and community.
Organization: Saddleback College FKCE
Audience: Orange County resource parents and kinship caregivers
Location: Virtual via Zoom/In Person
Dates: Click here (aqui para español) to view flyer with class schedule
Fee: Free
Information: Click above to view flier and click on registration links to register. After registering, participants receive a confirmation email about joining the class. Call 949-582-4884 or contact scfkce@saddleback.edu or for more information.
Engaging Exchange Online Conference: Protecting Play
"Childhood is no longer the sanctuary it once was, and child-led play is no longer recognized as the cornerstone of healthy growth. Instead, play is often viewed as a mere respite from learning rather than the biological necessity it truly is, on par with food, shelter, and safety," declared Deb Lawrence, President of the International Play Association USA in the introduction to a white paper on the importance of play.
Years of extensive research affirm that providing time, space, and appropriate adult support for children’s play leads to optimal learning and development. Yet, over the past decades, children’s play has been under threat as the focus on adult-directed activities has increased, time in nature has decreased, and educators feel increasing pressure to meet rigidly imposed learning standards.
Organization: Exchange Press
Audience: Early childhood educators and professionals
Location: Virtual
Date: Friday, December 5, 2025, 9 AM – 1 PM (12PM – 4 PM EST)
Fee: Free
Information: Registration is now open. Click here to register. For questions, please contact Exchange Press at 800-221-2864 or email info@exchangepress.com.
Neurodivergent Family Night
Join us for a free evening where children and caretakers are invited to play in a sensory friendly neuro-affirming environment! We encourage the whole family to attend, and therapists can join as well.
Neurodivergent Family Nights are held on the second Tuesday and fourth Thursday of each month from 5-7 pm (after we close to general admission). On these nights, we dim lights in the museum, turn off sounds, and offer a limited capacity of 250 guests. Staff are happy and ready to assist with providing various materials including noise-cancelling headphones, fidget toys, sunglasses and weighted materials for your convenience.
Organization: Pretend City
Audience: Orange County families, kids, caregivers, and therapists.
Location: 29 Hubble, Irvine, CA 92618
Dates: Tuesday, December 9, 5 PM – 7 PM
Thursday, December 18, 5 PM – 7 PM
Fee: Free - *Registration is required and opens two weeks prior to each event.
Information: Click the above dates to register. For questions, please contact Pretend City at 949-428-3900 or email them at info@pretendcity.org
Active Parenting First Five Years Course
Join this course to build strong, healthy relationships with your children, address children’s problem behavior, minimize problems that disrupt family life, and raise responsible, caring children. During this four- or five-part series, discuss such topics as:
- You and your child
- Preventing problems
- Encouraging positive behavior
- Preparing for school success
Organization: Olive Crest and OC Health Care Agency
Audience: Parents and caregivers with children ages 0-5 years old
Location: Virtual via Zoom
Dates: Tuesdays & Thursdays. December 2, 4, 9, 11, 16, and 18, 5:30 – 7:30 PM
Mondays, December 8, 15, 22, January 5, 12, and 26, 7:15 – 8:45 PM
Monday & Wednesday, December 15 and 17, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
*Please click on dates above to view flyer
Fee: Free
Information: Pre-registration required. Click here to view flier and registration information or call 714-361-4381.
Active Parenting School-Aged Course
Gain help on how to build strong, healthy relationships with the children in your life. Join this six- or seven-part weekly series to discuss such topics as:
- The active parent
- Cooperation and communication
- Responsibility and discipline
- Building courage and self-esteem
- Understanding and redirecting misbehavior
- Active parenting for school and graduation
Organizations: Olive Crest and OC Health Care Agency
Audience: Parents and caregivers having children 6-12 years old
Location: Virtual via Zoom
Dates: Mondays & Wednesdays. December 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, and 17, 9:00 – 11:00 AM
*Please click on date above to view flyer
Fee: Free
Information: Pre-registration required. Click here to view flier and registration information or call 714-361-4381.
How Teachers Can Teach Without Taking Over: Scaffolding Learning in Preschool Classrooms by Amy Chiu, MSEd
What does it really mean to support children’s learning without doing the work for them?
In this session, presented by early childhood consultant Amy Chiu, M.Ed., from The Work of Play, you’ll explore the art and practice of scaffolding - one of the most essential tools in early childhood education. Scaffolding helps bridge the space between what a child can do independently and what they can accomplish with guidance. But it’s more than a strategy - it’s a mindset rooted in trust, observation, and responsiveness.
Organization: Early Childhood Investigations
Audience: Early childhood educators and professionals
Location: Virtual
Date: Wednesday, December 3, 11 AM – 12:30 PM
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to register. If unable to attend the live webinar, all registrants receive an email with the recording link the next business day after the live presentation.
Understanding Challenging Behaviors: What’s Behind the Behavior? by Susan Lewis, M.Ed.
What if we stopped labeling children as "challenging" and started asking deeper questions about what they’re trying to tell us?
In this eye-opening and reflective session, Susan Lewis, M.Ed.—a former preschool special education teacher and the Founder & CEO of Early Childhood Education Professional Development (ECEPD)—invites educators and leaders to rethink how we understand and respond to children’s behavior. With over two decades of experience as a classroom teacher, program leader, coach, and mentor at both state and university levels, Susan brings real-world insight and practical strategies grounded in empathy, connection, and equity.
Organization: Early Childhood Investigations
Audience: Early childhood educators and professionals
Location: Virtual
Date: Thursday, December 4, 11 AM – 12:30 PM
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to register. If unable to attend the live webinar, all registrants receive an email with the recording link the next business day after the live presentation.
No Child Left Behind: Observation & Assessment Made Simple – A Practical Guide for Early Years Educators by Clare Devlin
What if the key to better planning isn’t doing more—but seeing more? Join the Founder of Clare Devlin - Education Consultancy, in this engaging and down-to-earth session where you’ll discover a practical, no-nonsense approach to observation, assessment, and planning in early childhood education.
This isn’t about checklists or paperwork overload—it’s about truly seeing your children, understanding what their play and behavior are telling you, and using that insight to plan meaningful experiences.
Organization: Early Childhood Investigations
Audience: Early childhood educators and professionals
Location: Virtual
Date: Wednesday, December 10, 11 AM – 12:30 PM
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to register. If unable to attend the live webinar, all registrants receive an email with the recording link the next business day after the live presentation.
Language Nutrition Swaps to Boost Language Learning and Growth by Jennifer Adams Oppenheimer, MA, CCC-SLP
Creating a classroom where every child’s voice is heard, valued, and nurtured starts with how we talk, listen, and connect. In this session, Jennifer Adams Oppenheimer, M.A., CCC-SLP, Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and President of SpeakJoy Center for Development, introduces the powerful concept of “language nutrition”—the nourishing blend of words, tone, and intentional interaction that fuels a child’s communication and cognitive development during the critical early years.
Organization: Early Childhood Investigations
Audience: Early childhood educators and professionals
Location: Virtual
Date: Thursday, December 11, 11 AM – 12:30 PM
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to register. If unable to attend the live webinar, all registrants receive an email with the recording link the next business day after the live presentation.
Understanding the Science of Reading Through Child-Led Play by Laura Shea, M.S.Ed
In this engaging and practical session, Laura Shea, M.S.Ed., early childhood educator, adjunct-professor, and founder of Little Stories That Stick, will show how the Science of Reading can complement—not compete with—child-led play. With over a decade of experience in literacy development and play-based learning, Laura will unpack what the research truly says, how children build foundational reading skills before decoding begins, and why oral language, storytelling, and play are powerful tools for building brains ready to read.
Organization: Early Childhood Investigations
Audience: Early childhood educators and professionals
Location: Virtual
Date: Thursday, December 18, 11 AM – 12:30 PM
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to register. If unable to attend the live webinar, all registrants receive an email with the recording link the next business day after the live presentation.
