The Child Care Coordination Office compiles this list of workshops and training events 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 upcoming live and virtual workshops listed below to continue your professional development or parent education journey.
To view a list of recorded webinars and self-paced online training modules, as well as additional resources, please visit our On-Demand Training and Resources page.
April
Foster and Kinship Care Education
A variety of over 30 online classes are offered during the month of April for families, caregivers, parents, and community, including:
- Positive Discipline for Preschoolers
- Managing Meltdowns
- Navigating the World of Autism
Organization: Saddleback College Foster & Kinship Care Education Program
Audience: Families, caregivers, parents and community involved with foster children
Location: Virtual via Zoom
Date: Click here to view entire April class schedule
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to view flier and click on Register Here! link to register. Registered participants receive a confirmation email about joining the class.
Learning Link Activity Center
Includes activities for parents or caregivers to do with their children. Parent educator available to answer questions regarding general development, parenting, cognitive/academic, and social/emotional development. Also includes community resources and referrals.
Organization: IUSD Early Childhood Learning Center (ECLC)
Audience: Parents or caregivers and their children 0-5 years old
Location: ECLC, 1 Smoketree Lane, Irvine, 92604
Dates: Mondays and Wednesdays, 8:45-10:45 a.m. or 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Fee: Free
Information: Click here for more information and to sign up. Participation requires parent to complete the District Volunteer Program online form. Check in at Room 1 at ECLC with your photo ID ready to be scanned. Email SchoolReadiness@iusd.org for more information or call 949-936-5890.
Baby/Toddler Storytime & Sensory Play
Recommended for children 0-3 years old and their caregivers. Join for stories, songs, rhymes, and fun!
Organization: Irvine Heritage Park Library
Audience: Parents or caregivers and their children 0-1 years old
Location: Irvine Heritage Park Library, 14361 Yale Avenue, Irvine, 92604
Date: Wednesday, April 24, 10 a.m.
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to view flier for all April English Storytimes at Heritage Park Library.
Registration: No registration required. Call 949-936-4040 for more information.
Play & Learn
Children of all ages have an opportunity to learn through play.
Organization: Irvine Heritage Park Library
Audience: Parents and caregivers with children 1-3 years old
Location: Irvine Heritage Park Library, 14361 Yale, Irvine, 92604
Date: Thursday, April 25, 10:20 a.m.
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to view flier for all April English Storytimes at Heritage Park Library. Call 949-936-4040 for more information.
Toddler Storytime
Children 1-3 years old and their caregivers enjoy stories, songs, and rhymes!
Organization: Irvine Heritage Park Library
Audience: Children 1-3 years old and their caregivers
Location: Irvine Heritage Park Library, 14361 Yale, Irvine, 92604
Date: Thursday, April 25, 10 a.m.
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to view flier for all April English Storytimes at Heritage Park Library. Call 949-936-4040 for more information.
Preschool Storytime
Children 3-5 years old and their caregivers enjoy stories, songs, rhymes, and fun!
Organization: Irvine Heritage Park Library
Audience: Children 3-5 years old and their caregivers
Location: Irvine Heritage Park Library, 14361 Yale, Irvine, 92604
Date: Thursday, April 25, 11 a.m.
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to view flier for all April English Storytimes at Heritage Park Library. Call 949-936-4040 for more information.
Neurodivergent Family Night
Formerly known as Autism Family Night, happening twice a month. Join families with children and their parents, siblings or caretakers in an environment designed to be sensory-friendly. Socialize with other parents and meet community partners who specialize in supporting the neurodiverse community.
Organization: Pretend City Children’s Museum
Audience: Families with children of all ages from the neurodiverse community and with other disabilities
Location: Pretend City Children’s Museum, 29 Hubble, Irvine, 92618
Date: Thursday, April 25, 5-7 p.m.
Fee: Free
Information: Pre-registration required. Click here to RSVP. Click here for more information.
Origami Hour
Bring your children for an hour of origami. Learn how to fold a paper whale
Organization: Irvine Katie Wheeler Library
Audience: Children of all ages
Location: Irvine Katie Wheeler Library, 13109 Old Myford Rd., 92602
Date: Saturday, April 27, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to view flier. No registration required. Visit ocpl.org/libraries/irvine-katie-wheeler or call 714-669-8753 for more information.
Kindergarten Readiness Storytime
Introduces and reinforces basic reading, math, and social skills. Fun stories, songs, and more. Meet new friends and stay for a craft. Siblings are welcome.
Organization: Irvine Katie Wheeler Library
Audience: Children 3-5 years old and their caregivers
Location: Irvine Katie Wheeler Library, 13109 Old Myford Rd., 92602
Dates: Every Tuesday, 11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to view flier. No registration required. Visit ocpl.org/libraries/irvine-katie-wheeler or call 714-669-8753 for more information.
Best Practices for Supporting Educators to Address Children’s Behaviors that Challenge Adults
Join this webinar to understand:
- The meaning behind children’s behavior and discuss positive behavioral supports to address challenging behaviors.
- That children’s behavior is a form of communication and learn developmentally appropriate strategies to support inclusion of all children.
- Best practices to use to support California’s youngest learners from preschool through third grade and avoid exclusionary discipline practices.
Organization: California Department of Education (CDE)
Audience: Preschool through Third Grade educators, caregivers, and community partners
Location: Virtual
Date: Tuesday, April 30, 3:30-5 p.m.
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to register. For more information email P-3-Alignment@cde.ca.gov.
May
The Basics of Mindfulness
Join this session to learn about the concept and definition of mindfulness, its benefits and how to incorporate it into your every-day life. During the session, you will also have an opportunity to experience mindfulness exercises as well!
Organization: Behavioral Health Training Collaborative
Audience: Parents, adults, caregivers
Location: Virtual
Date: Wednesday, May 1, 8-9 a.m.
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to register.
Active Parenting School-Aged Course
Grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings, and anyone who impacts the lives of children are welcome to join. During this five or six course weekly series discuss common parenting challenges including:
- Cooperation and communication
- Responsibility and discipline
- Building courage and self-esteem
- Understanding and redirecting misbehavior
Wednesdays, May 1 – June 5, 9-11 a.m.
Mondays, May 6 – June 17 (no class May 27), 6-8 p.m.
Thursdays, May 9 – June 6, 5-7 p.m.
Thursdays, May 30 - June 27, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Organization: Olive Crest
Audience: Parents and caregivers with children ages 6-17 years old
Location: Virtual
Dates: See date links above
Fee: Free
Information: Pre-registration required. Click on date links above for flier and registration information. View contact information on flier for more information.
Co-Regulation or Compliance? Supporting teachers’ use of co-regulation strategies with children
Learn how to play a pivotal role in shaping the emotional well-being of both teachers and students. Explore the transformative power of co-regulation, emphasizing its significance over traditional compliance-based approaches.
Organization: Early Childhood Investigations
Audience: Early childhood professionals
Location: Virtual
Date: Wednesday, May 1, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to register. If unable to attend live webinar, all registered participants receive a link to the recording when it is ready to be viewed.
Simple and Effective Strategies to Support Executive Function Skills in Young Children
Children rely on executive function skills to learn, play, and socialize throughout the school day. Children with strong executive function skills are better at problem solving, socializing, and completing schoolwork successfully. Learn strategies and activities to start using right away to help all children develop strong executive function skills.
Organization: edWeb.net
Audience: Early childhood educators
Location: Virtual
Date: Thursday, May 2, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to register. All registered participants receive an email with a link to the recording the next business day if unable to attend live session.
Support Young Children’s Language Learning and Pre-Literacy Skills with Music
Explore how and why the content and process of developmentally appropriate music activities naturally support young children’s language and literacy development. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how to use music to holistically support important areas of language and literacy development, including print awareness and motivation, vocabulary development, narrative skills, letter knowledge, phonological awareness, and active listening skills.
Organization: edWeb.net
Audience: Early childhood educators
Location: Virtual
Date: Thursday, May 2, 1-2 p.m.
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to register. All registered participants receive an email with a link to the recording the next business day if unable to attend live session.
Designing Nature-Rich Spaces That Support Community Connection and Change
In this webinar, participants will:
- Understand the features and benefits of nature-rich outdoor classrooms for fostering community and a sense of belonging.
- Learn how programs around the world have applied a clear set of design principles to create outdoor spaces that each uniquely reflect and support their communities.
- Consider Four Attainable Steps to tackle existing challenges and barriers to implementing a nature-rich outdoor classroom. These include (1) building community engagement, (2) designing with an intentional framework (3) cost-conscious decision making, (4) planning for long-term success.
Organization: Early Childhood Investigations
Audience: Early childhood educators
Location: Virtual
Date: Wednesday, May 8, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to register. If unable to attend live webinar, all registered participants receive a link to the recording when it is ready to be viewed.
Bilingual Korean Storytime
Children and families of all ages enjoy stories, songs, and fingerplays in Korean and English.
Organization: Irvine Heritage Park Library
Audience: Parents with children
Location: Irvine Heritage Park Library, 14361 Yale, Irvine, 92604
Date: Wednesday, May 8, 3:30 p.m.
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to view flier. Call 949-936-4040 for more information.
Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Learn why ACEs impact people’s lives, and what we can all do to dramatically improve health and resilience for this and future generations.
Organization: Behavioral Health Training Collaborative
Audience: Parents, adults, caregivers
Location: Virtual
Date: Wednesday, May 8, 1-3 p.m.
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to register.
Coffee & Conversation Saturdays: Making a Difference Supporting Family Child Care
Learn how to support family child care. Network with other early childhood professionals.
Organization: Orange County Association for the Education of Young Children (OCAEYC)
Audience: Early childhood professionals and caregivers
Location: Virtual
Date: Saturday, May 11, 10-11 a.m.
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to register.
Resilience: The Biology of Stress & the Science of Hope
Join us for healing, hope and insight as we advance awareness of toxic stress and how it impacts the brain development of children and can be predictive of a lifetime of physical and mental illness.
Organization: Behavioral Health Training Collaborative
Audience: Educators, parents, and caregivers
Location: Virtual
Date: Tuesday, May 14, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Fee: Free
Information: Pre-registration required, click here to register.
Creating Safe Spaces for LGBTQI+ Children, Youth and Adults
Attend this training to:
- Learn about LGBTQI+ individuals throughout history
- Review terminology
- Increase knowledge about important risk factors of LGBTQI+ individuals' mental health
- Learn about the 'coming out continuum'
- Learn tips to provide family, school and community support for LGBTQI+ individuals
Organization: Behavioral Health Training Collaborative
Audience: Parents, adults, and caregivers
Location: Virtual
Date: Wednesday, May 22, 4-5:30 p.m.
Fee: Free
Information: Pre-registration required, click here to register.
Resilience and Hope
Learn practical strategies, tactics, and tools to bolster mental health and emotional resilience. .
Organizations: Behavioral Health Training Collaborative
Audience: Parents, adults, and caregivers
Location: Virtual
Date: Wednesday, May 29, 10-11 a.m.
Fee: Free
Information: Pre-registration required, click here to register.
Active Parenting First Five Years Course
Join this six course weekly series to discuss such topics as:
- You and your child
- Preventing behavioral problems
- Encouraging positive behavior
- Preparing for school success
Organization: Olive Crest
Audience: Parents and caregivers having children 0 - 5 years old
Location: Virtual via Zoom
Dates: Thursdays, May 30 - July 11 (no class July 4), 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Fee: Free
Information: Pre-registration required, click here to view flier and registration information. Call 949-764-8100 or email NewportMesaFRC@factoc.org for more information.
June
Cultivating Creativity: Leveraging Process Art + Play to Prioritize Agency, Flow and Belonging
In this presentation, participants will:
- Reflect on your practice in inviting and supporting open-ended art and play.
- Understand the differences between guided/directed art and play and experiences that prioritize choice and agency.
- Recognize the benefits of process art and play for the whole child.
- Plan for an open-ended experience with everyday materials in your classroom.
- Embrace a flexible mindset and belief that children are capable and full of creative potential.
Organization: Early Childhood Investigations
Audience: Early childhood educators
Location: Virtual
Date: Wednesday, June 5, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to register. If unable to attend live webinar, all registered participants receive a link to the recording when it is ready to be viewed.
Building Blocks for Supporting all Children in Inclusive Settings
Discuss updates to the book The Building Blocks for Teaching all Children in Inclusive Settings and share specific tools for using this framework in your setting. In this workshop, participants will:
- Analyze a child’s participation to determine which supports might be the most useful.
- Identify several different types of curriculum modifications to promote the participation, engagement, and access for children who need additional support.
- Create plans for supporting at least one child in their setting, using tools from Building Blocks.
Organization: Early Childhood Investigations
Audience: Early childhood educators
Location: Virtual
Date: Wednesday, June 12, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Fee: Free
Information: Click here to register. If unable to attend live webinar, all registered participants receive a link to the recording when it is ready to be viewed.
