McCormick Institute for Early Childhood

09/03/2026

McCormick Institute Professional Learning team members Iris Corral and Barb Volpe attended Building Impact's final celebration in Indianapolis, IN. The McCormick Institute and Early Learning Indiana have partnered to offer the Building Impact leadership academy to early childhood leaders in Indiana.

Iris and Barb are pictured with Cathy Hartman, the Director of Educator Solutions at Early Learning Indiana. Dr. Ryan Flessner, Professor of Teacher Education at Butler University in Indianapolis, presented "A focus on mathematic: developing mathematical identities and data analysis provocations."

Congratulations to all of the Indiana early childhood leaders who have completed Building Impact!

09/02/2026

We're excited to share that Lindsay Miner, M.S., Report Review and Certification Specialist for the McCormick Institute, will be co-presenting, "Co-Regulation Strategies for Early Childhood Educators," an upcoming edWeb.net webinar!

She and Emily Grunt and Lisa Davis from the Center for the Collaborative Classroom will equip early childhood educators and leaders with both the research foundation and the practical tools to build regulation into their environments, routines, and relationships.

Learn more and register now for the September 23, 2026, webinar: https://home.edweb.net/webinar/earlychildhood20260923/

09/01/2026

⏰ Don't let your Aim4Excellence™ National Director Credential expire!

Your credential is valid for 5 years, and renewing it demonstrates your ongoing commitment to professional growth and leadership in early childhood. Start the renewal process 3–6 months before your expiration date to avoid a lapse.

👉 Check your expiration date and begin your renewal today: https://buff.ly/0QGR01k

09/01/2026

Taking the Lead is a nine-month professional learning community for Illinois family child care professionals who are ready to turn passion into a sustainable, high-quality business.

Learn more and apply now through September 10, 2026: https://www.mccormickinstitute.nl.edu/taking-the-lead

08/31/2026

Please join us in celebrating Catherine Rader’s promotion to Director of Quality Assessment! Since joining the McCormick Institute over 10 years ago, she has served as an Assessor & Training Specialist, Team Coordinator, and Report Review Manager on our Quality Assessment Team. Congratulations, Catherine!

08/28/2026

Ready to build a stronger, more profitable family child care business?

Building Better Business (BBB) is a leadership academy designed specifically for family child care professionals who want practical tools, expert guidance, and a supportive network to help their businesses thrive.

The academy meets once a month from October 2026 to January 2027 for 4 sessions:
📍 Your Place in History: Explore FCC's past, present, and future
💻️ Tackling Technology: Boost business with digital tools
💲 Your Financial Roadmap: Set goals, make a plan, and grow with confidence
💼 The Future Starts Now: Business plan basics

BBB costs only $15 for Illinois leaders. Learn more and apply now: https://www.mccormickinstitute.nl.edu/building-better-business

08/27/2026

Join our team!

We are hiring a Manager of Program Administration Scales to oversee the Program Administration Scale (PAS) and Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS) Certification and Reliability system, supporting the use of nationally recognized, research-based tools that define quality indicators for center-based and family child care administration.

Learn more and apply:

Who We Are: For 140 years, National Louis University has been driven by one core belief: education changes lives. Since our founding, we've stayed grounded in the values of innovation, access, excellence, and equity, and we've never wavered from the idea that education is the greatest lever for soci...

08/26/2026

Looking for ways to improve business systems, retention and, above all, program quality? Branagh Group has a suite of leadership tools designed for you!

📊 Evaluate leadership and business practices with electronic PAS™ & BAS™ assessments

📐 Measure staff climate and boost educator retention with the Early Childhood Work Environment Survey (ECWES)

🌱 Streamline your coaching, professional development, and continuous quality improvement (CQI) efforts with the LearnERS™ CQI platform

Learn more at branaghgroup.com/leadership-tools/

08/26/2026

08/25/2026

Start leading with confidence.

Ready to Lead is a leadership academy for new early childhood center directors designed to transform the demands of day-to-day operations into steady, strategic leadership.
Fall 2026 cohorts are available in Lisle, IL, and Bloomington, IL.

Learn more and apply before 11pm on Wednesday, August 26: https://www.mccormickinstitute.nl.edu/ready-to-lead