Free Professional Development Opportunity for Arkansas Child Care Providers
Arkansas childcare providers are encouraged to take advantage of the many free professional development opportunities and resources available across the state. These trainings are offered at no cost by the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in partnership with the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education and the Professional Development Registry (PDR).
The 2026 Best Care training is scheduled for Saturday, February 28, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The in-person, all-day event will be held at the Howard County Extension Homemakers Educational Center, located at 425 Second Street (behind the courthouse) in Nashville, Arkansas.
Participants are asked to bring their own lunch, and light snacks will be provided throughout the day.
The registration deadline is February 20.
This face-to-face training will provide only five Best Care hours, which is a change from previous years when ten hours were offered. Topics covered during the training will include Art Experiences, Circle Time Tips, Literacy, Professionalism, and Outdoor Learning-The World Is Our Classroom.
For more information or to register, childcare providers may contact Family and Consumer
Sciences agents Janet Cantrell in Sevier County at 870-584-3013 or jcantrell@uada.edu, Eva Langley in Pike County at 870-285-2161 or elangley@uada.edu, or the Howard County Extension Office at 870-845-7517.
Additional training options are also available. While Guiding Children Successfully is no longer
offered, Best Care Connected continues to be available and provides 15 hours of online training.
Early childhood professionals are encouraged to take advantage of these valuable learning opportunities, and organizers look forward to seeing participants in February.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity institution. If
you require reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact the Sevier County Extension Office as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.