Click on the topic at the left to see FAQ's and their answers.
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| About online learning |
| Do I have to be a new provider to benefit from taking the online courses? |
| No. The online courses are ideal for providers new to the family child care business, those that have been in business for a couple of years, seasoned providers interested in a review, and providers who can't make it to a face-to-face training for a variety of reasons. |
| Is online learning for everyone? |
| Not necessarily. There are many different learning styles. Online learning takes a self-motivated, self-directed individual with good reading and comprehension skills. When taking an online course, you do not have anyone there to make sure you are doing the work. Consider your learning style carefully before committing to an online course. |
| How much interaction is there with other providers taking the online course? |
| The level of interaction with other providers taking the online course will vary depending on the interest of the students. There is a bulletin board available for students to post questions to each other. We encourage students to share their experiences with each other. |
| How much interaction is there with the instructor? |
| The level of interaction with the instructor will vary depending on the interest of each student. The instructor will e-mail students weekly to get feedback, check on progress, and ask questions pertaining to the online course. You are welcome to e-mail the instructor at any time with questions and concerns. |
| Who monitors the online course? |
| Every online course has a facilitating instructor. |
| Can I skip around within the modules of the course I'm taking? |
| No. You must complete each modules in sequence. However, after completing a module you may return to it at any time. For example, module sequence 1,2,3,2,4 is possible but modules sequence 1,2,4,3 is not possible. Within a module you must complete the pretest and introduction before doing the exercises. The exercises can be completed in any order and all exercises must be completed before you can start the next module in the sequence. |
| How many modules are in each online course? |
| Record Keeping and Taxes for Family Child Care consists of seven modules, Contracts and Policies for Family Child Care consists of seven modules, Marketing Your Family Child Care Business consists of eight modules, Legal and Insurance Guidelines for Family Child Care consists of eight modules, and Money and Retirement for Family Child Care consists of seven modules. |
| How long to I have to finish the online course? |
| You have the entire time period of the online course offering (three to eight weeks, depending on when you registered) to complete the course. |
| Getting started |
| Where can I find the online courses? |
| Click here to be connected to the Business Series of online courses. |
| Do I have to be really skilled at using computers to take these online courses? |
| No. You do not need to be really skilled at using computers to take the online courses. However, basic computer knowledge is needed. |
| What do I need to take an online course? |
| 1. Access to the Internet. 2. Access to a computer. 3. Registration for the online course. |
| What system requirements are needed? |
| The recommended browser for PC is Internet Explorer 5 or better. The recommended browser for Macintosh is Netscape 6. However, the courses will work with other browsers, including AOL. |
| Courses and schedule |
| When will I receive the online course materials? |
| After registering for the online course, you should receive your course materials within five to seven business days. Your materials will include a welcome letter indicating your username and password for each online course as well as a reminder of the start and end dates for the course. In addition to the online portion, each course has a corresponding textbook or collection of articles written by Tom Copeland to read. |
| Do I have to take the online courses in a specific order? |
| No. |
| Why do the online courses have a specific start and end date? |
| Communication between you, the course instructor, and the other providers is an important part of your Learning Center experience. To encourage communication between students and the instructor during the online course, we assigned a beginning and end date to each online course session. |
| What online courses are currently offered? |
| The online Business Series courses include five online courses: Record Keeping and Taxes for Family Child Care, Contracts and Policies for Family Child Care, Marketing Your Family Child Care Business, Legal and Insurance Guidelines for Family Child Care, and Money and Retirement for Family Child Care. |
| How long will it take to complete each online course? |
| The length of time to complete the online course will vary from provider to provider. However, our follow-up survey to providers who tested the course indicates that the online portion of the course takes approximately 15 minutes per module. In addition to the online portion, each course has a corresponding textbook or collection of articles written by Tom Copeland to read. |
| Registration and cost |
| What if I am unable to begin the online course after I have enrolled? |
| If you cannot begin the online course in which you originally enrolled, e-mail us at info@resourcesforchildcare.org or call 651-641-6613. You can re-register for the same online course in the next available session for no additional charge. The re-enrollment offer applies only to the session immediately following the original online course you enrolled in. If after this re-enrollment period you want to re-enroll in the online course, you will need to pay a new registration fee to take the online course. |
| If I don't finish the online course, can I retake it free? |
| No. Each online course is made up of a series of 15-minute modules. You have the entire time period of the course offering (three to eight weeks, depending on when you registered) to complete the course. If you do not complete the course in the allotted time period, you will need to re-enroll and pay a new registration fee to take the course again. |
| How do I register for an online course? |
| You can register for online courses by visiting www.redleafpress.org, by calling our customer service staff at 800-423-8309, by faxing your order to 800-641-0115, or by mailing your order to Redleaf Press, Customer Service, 10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117. |
| What is the price of the online course? |
| Each online course costs $40, which includes all learning materials, shipping and handling charges. Members of Redleaf National Institute receive a 20% discount on the course price. |
| Do I have to pay shipping and handling charges on the online course materials? |
| No. All shipping and handling fees are included in the online course cost. |
| Do I have to pay sales tax on the online courses? |
| No. The online course fee is not taxable. |
| Are the online courses a tax-deductible business expense? |
| Yes. One hundred percent of the cost is a business deduction. |
| If I decide not to take the online course after I signed up, can I get a refund? |
| No. Consistent with Redleaf Press' non-refundable policy for electronic products, the Business Series of online courses are non-refundable. |
| Am I eligible for any discounts? |
| Yes. Members of Redleaf Institute are eligible for a 10 percent discount on the price of the online course. |
| Credit for courses |
| Can the online courses be used toward by CDA credential? |
| Yes. The Business Series of online courses is sponsored by Resources for Child Caring (a resource and referral agency) and qualify for the CDA credential. Course descriptions and outlines for the Business Series are available. |
| What if I don't pass the final exam? |
| The final exam may be taken three times. If you do not pass the final exam on the third try, you will need to re-enroll in the online course and pay a new registration fee to take the course again. |
| Can the online courses be used toward my NAFCC accreditation? |
| Yes. The Business Series of online courses are sponsored by Resources for Child Caring (a resource and referral agency) and qualify for the NAFCC accreditation. Course descriptions and outlines for the Business Series are available. |
| How many in-service hours will I receive? |
| Each online course qualifies for 4 in-service hours. |
| How are the in-service hours calculated? |
| Each online course is tested with providers across the nation. A follow-up survey is given to the providers with detailed questions about their experience and the length of time needed to complete the course. The results are used to calculate the amount of time it takes to complete the course. |
| Do I receive a certificate for completing the online course? |
| Yes. When you complete and pass the online course, you can download a temporary certificate from the Web site. After completing the course survey, a signed, formal certificate will be mailed to you. |
| Can the online courses be used toward my in-service training hours? |
| Yes. The Business Services of online courses are sponsored by Resources for Child Caring (a resource and referral agency) and qualify for in-service training. Please contact your local licensor or regulator for more information. Course descriptions and outlines for the Business Series are available. |
Click on the topic at the left to see FAQ's and their answers.