Q&As for Required Ready by Five Trainings
Q: Who should attend training?
All direct professional staff and supervisors funded by the Ready by Five Millage at .5 FTE or higher. Direct professional staff are defined in each service partner’s contract under the budget section.
Q: How do I know who counts as a Ready by Five-funded professional?
All direct positions included in the current service provider agreement that is listed as .5 FTE or higher should attend. If an indirect position directly supervises one or more of these positions, they should attend the Supervisor Learning Cohort.
Q: What trainings are being offered? (Click the link to learn more!)
- Training Cohorts and Lunch and Learns both by Family Futures
- Health Net West Michigan – Care Model Training
- Health Net West Michigan – Supervisor Learning Cohort
Q: If I completed the Care Model or Supervisor Learning Cohort training in 2023, do I need to attend the training again in 2024?
No. If you have completed the Care Model Training or Supervisor Learning Cohort training previously, please attend the Understanding Trauma training series.
Q: I am new in my position, which training should I attend first?
If you have not attended any of these trainings, please select one of the trainings that meets the needs of your position. It is not expected that anyone will be attending both trainings at the same time (unless they choose to).
Q: Am I expected to complete both training at the same time?
It is not expected that anyone will be attending both trainings at the same time -- unless they choose to.
Q: I attended a training that was very similar to this training. Should I attend this training as well?
Individuals may be waived from required training hours if the Service Partner can verify that the employee received equivalent training within the past 12 months.
Q: Why is training required?
With the significant reach of children and expecting parents in Kent County, First Steps Kent sees an opportunity to further cultivate the “Kent County Way.” This is a network that is responsive to the needs of families and young children in Kent County as well as professionals in the network.
These training series were selected by the Resident Proposal Review Board as they offered important information that is relevant to all professionals who support families. The parents on the Ready by Five Resident Proposal Review Board felt based on their personal experience within programs, and the experiences of other parents, a deeper focus on understanding trauma should be a priority for 2024.
Q: How do I find out when trainings are offered?
Information about upcoming training dates and times will be sent to the program lead of each Ready by Five funded program. Information will come from Health Net of West Michigan and Family Futures.
Q: What documentation is required by my program to track?
Records that detail dates of training, attendance, and topics covered are to be maintained and made available during the annual assessment process. Confirmation of attendance should be sent to you by the agency providing the training to keep on file.
Q: I have been a supervisor for many years and am very experienced! Should I still attend the training?
Absolutely! The Supervisor Learning Cohort is about bringing professionals of all levels of experience together to learn from one another. The Understanding Trauma series is information that would be beneficial for all professionals who are working in programs that support families. Please do attend!
Q: Could subcontractors or additional early childhood professionals who are not funded by Ready by Five attend trainings?
If there is additional space in the training session(s), yes!
Q: Are there additional trainings that will be offered through the Ready by Five network?
Based on feedback from partners and the Ready by Five evaluation process, training may be modified, and additional opportunities may be added.
We also want to remind everyone that each of the Ready by Five Translation and Interpretation providers offer in-services for requesting agencies. This is an opportunity for professionals to learn about cultural considerations as they serve families and children from specific cultural groups. While these are not required, we highly encourage you to use these services.