2026 DFSS PreService: Full Schedule

Welcome to the 2026 3-Day DFSS PreService

📍Palmer House Chicago
17 E Monroe St, Chicago, IL 60603

Breakfast and Registration open at 8:00am
Conference programming from 9:00am -4:10pm

You will be able to validate your attendance (Check-In to sessions) using your personal schedule.

9:20am CDT

Getting Started with CLASS (Sp)

LIMITED

Tuesday August 4, 2026 9:20am - 10:20am CDT

Salon 6

Limited Capacity seats available

Designed for educators who are newer to CLASS concepts,
this session offers CLASS basics and describes how educators,
leaders, and coaches can use them to develop better, more
meaningful interactions with children.

Moderators

Alisha Bourque

Teachstone

Bibi Rahim

Teachstone

Speakers

Monica Barrera

Teachstone

Tuesday August 4, 2026 9:20am - 10:20am CDT
Salon 6

Teachstone

11:10am CDT

Making the Most of Transitions

LIMITED

Tuesday August 4, 2026 11:10am - 12:10pm CDT

Salon 6

Limited Capacity seats available

This session builds on what educators already know to make transitions
as comfortable and as smooth as possible while also finding and
nurturing learning opportunities.

Moderators

Alisha Bourque

Teachstone

Bibi Rahim

Teachstone

Speakers

Liana Ondra

CLASS Specialist, Teachstone

Liana has over 10 years of experience working in Early Childhood. She earned a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education from Liberty University and has worked in classrooms in both private and public ECE programs. She has also worked as an Instructional Coach with Head Start and... Read More →

Tuesday August 4, 2026 11:10am - 12:10pm CDT
Salon 6

Teachstone

1:20pm CDT

Differentiating Language for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers: Tiny tweaks to create meaningful interactions

LIMITED

Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:20pm - 3:00pm CDT

Salon 6

Limited Capacity seats available

We all know that language is important for children at all stages of life, but how do we know what’s most meaningful for the youngest children? It doesn’t have to be big, sweeping changes. Using the theories of language development and research-based tools, come discover how small changes in your interactions can maximize language opportunities for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

Speakers

Sharmeen Reyes

Assessor and Training Specialist Center for Early Childhood Leadership., NLU

Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:20pm - 3:00pm CDT
Salon 6

McCormick Institute for Early Childhood at National Louis University

3:10pm CDT

Safety Manager

LIMITED

Tuesday August 4, 2026 3:10pm - 4:10pm CDT

Salon 6

Limited Capacity seats available

Early Head Start - Safe Environment Facility Assessment and Water Sampling

Speakers

Milosz Nowicki

Director of Technology Services, Globetrotters Engineering Corporation

Tuesday August 4, 2026 3:10pm - 4:10pm CDT
Salon 6

Globetrotters Engineering Corporation

9:20am CDT

Lets Talk about the 1st 45 Days and Health Services

FULL

Wednesday August 5, 2026 9:20am - 10:20am CDT

Salon 6

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

Participants will learn about health compliance indicators within the 1^st 45 days of a child's enrollment.

Speakers

Beatrice Nichols

Director, Children's Services, CSD

Wednesday August 5, 2026 9:20am - 10:20am CDT
Salon 6

11:00am CDT

An Overview and Refresher of DFSS Recruitment Plan Template

LIMITED

Wednesday August 5, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT

Salon 6

Limited Capacity seats available

This PDM training is designed to assist agencies in the development of marketing strategies for your program(s). As our work today involves more families with young children, there is an obvious need to reach out and network within Chicago’s communities to accommodate such needs. Providing services for a greater number of families who need Early Childhood Education programs and supportive services is an important goal. This includes meeting or exceeding enrollment targets for your program(s)

Speakers

Ken McGhee

Engagement Manager, Claridgigm Inc.

Wednesday August 5, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Salon 6

Claridigm

2:10pm CDT

Observation-Ready: Preparing Programs for High-Quality On-Site Assessments Aligning Staff, Practices and Environments for Success

LIMITED

Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:10pm - 3:45pm CDT

Salon 6

Limited Capacity seats available

"This workshop is designed to strengthen teacher leaders and administrator capacity to effectively prepare staff, learning environments, and organizational systems for successful on-site observations. Participants will explore strategies for creating a culture of readiness, aligning practices with observation expectations, and utilizing standardized tools to ensure consistency and efficiency throughout the preparation process.

Through guided discussions, practical examples, and collaborative planning, administrators will learn how to support staff, and establish systems that promote confidence and success during on-site visits. By the end of the workshop, participants will leave with actionable tools and a clear framework for preparing their teams and environments for high-quality observations and continuous quality improvement."

Speakers

Katie Gaul

Assessor and Training Specialist, McCormick Institute for Early Childhood at NLU

Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:10pm - 3:45pm CDT
Salon 6

McCormick Institute for Early Childhood at National Louis University

9:20am CDT

Basics to Understanding Developmental Delays and Disorders in the EHS Classroom

FULL

Thursday August 6, 2026 9:20am - 11:00am CDT

Salon 6

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

This training will provide a basic foundation of understanding various developmental delays and disorders common for children birth to 3 years old. The training will review the definitions of these delays/disorders and discuss strategies and interventions to support children diagnosed or suspected of a developmental delay or disorder. This knowledge will provide guidance on best practices for engaging children, individualizing, and lesson planning

Speakers

Pamela Stutzman

Infant Toddler Inclusion Project Consultant, Erikson Institute

I'm a former school social worker and administrator. I have 20 years of experience working in public schools with a focus on early childhood and early childhood special education. I am excited to be a part of the Infant Toddler Inclusion Project (ITIP) as a Consultant at Erikson Institute... Read More →

Thursday August 6, 2026 9:20am - 11:00am CDT
Salon 6

Erikson Institute

11:10am CDT

Redirecting and Reframing Misbehavior

FILLING

Thursday August 6, 2026 11:10am - 12:10pm CDT

Salon 6

Limited Capacity filling up

We’ve all had students who push limits, struggle to manage their feelings,
or constantly demand attention. This session provides a variety of tools
and strategies for proactive responses, misbehavior prevention, and
modeling desired behaviors.

Moderators