Professional Development

The staff at Sheltering Arms is the backbone of the organization. They contribute their expertise and dedicate countless hours day in and day out working to make our classrooms and playgrounds safe, stimulating, functional, and aesthetically pleasing to the eye…worthy of the children. From building design to room arrangement, every detail commands special attention and careful planning from our staff.

Professional development is ongoing work at Sheltering Arms. A tremendous amount of time and energy is devoted to preparing our teachers to be the best. Training is regarded as an integral part of our operation. Teachers complete numerous hours of training and many enroll in school to further their education.

Sheltering Arms Georgia Training Institute equips our own staff and early childhood and family support professionals from throughout Georgia with the skills and resources necessary to be effective in working with children and their families.

Sheltering Arms Georgia Training Institute

Sheltering Arms Georgia Training Institute offers the following professional development services:

Child Development Associate Credential (CDA)
Family Development Credential (FDC), Issued by Cornell University
Leadership Training, to help administrators develop, retain, and manage a qualified workforce
CEU Credits
DHR-Approved Child Development Courses
Family Support & Parenting Seminars
Conference and Training Space Available to the Public
Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum and Assessment Tools for Purchase

Housed at Sheltering Arms Headquarters in downtown Atlanta, the Institute includes a 7,000 square foot training and conference center that includes a computer lab and meeting rooms with state-of-the-art audiovisual technology. Participants in early childhood training courses receive hands-on experience on-site at Sheltering Arms Model Teaching Center, an early education center serving 136 children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old.

2005 Training Outcomes

56 workshops on early childhood competencies were conducted by Sheltering Arms Georgia Training Institute. An additional 99 training sessions were held by local centers.
2,498 participants took part in Sheltering Arms Georgia Training Institute workshops.
8 six-hour CEU courses were offered.
111 participants earned CEU credits.
3 tracks including 120 hours of CDA (Child Development Associate credential) training were offered.
158 participants earned CDA training hours.
18 participants earned their FDC training hours.
345 participants in training represented other community child care programs.
23 units of Sheltering Arms curriculum and training materials were purchased by community child care programs.
86% of all 490 Sheltering Arms teachers, family support coordinators, and administrators held one or more of the following credentials: CDA, early childhood diploma, Associate’s Degree, Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree.
More than 68% of Sheltering Arms’ 581 employees have been with the organization for more than 5 years. Over half of the employees with less than 5 years’ tenure occupy new positions that were added due to program expansion in recent years. Sheltering Arms annual turnover rate is around 10%, compared to a turnover rate of 30% or more nationwide for the child care industry.
In 2005, 173 employees received awards for perfect or outstanding attendance.
Sheltering Arms employees earned more than twice the number of training hours required by Georgia Day Care Licensing regulations.

Quotes from Sheltering Arms Georgia Training Institute Participants

"You never leave a Sheltering Arms training session with any questions unanswered…you always learn something you can use on a daily basis as a teacher."

"Training is exciting and fun and a reminder to me of how I should make my lesson plans for the children."

"Sheltering Arms offers more than just the basics of early childhood development...they give you the real 'meat-and-potatoes.'"