St. Patrick's Day Raffle 2021! - post

What is the St. Patrick's Day raffle and how do I enter?

The St. Patrick's Day Raffle is a limited-time promotion that runs through Friday, March 26th. Entering the raffle is straightforward and supports your professional development: register for any paid course on ChildCareEd. To help you choose, our introduction examples include two highly relevant offerings: 45-Hour Child Growth and Development Buy Now $399.00 and Basic Health & Safety and Breastfeeding Awareness Buy Now $35.00$30.00, both of which align with state Core of Knowledge expectations and are popular choices for providers seeking certification and compliance. Registering for a paid course automatically enters you into the raffle; no additional form is required.

Who is eligible and what are the official rules?

Eligibility and procedural rules are designed to be simple and transparent. Entrants must:

1. Register (pay) for a ChildCareEd course during the raffle period.
2. Be the account holder who registers; prizes are non-transferable.
3. Comply with standard course cancellation and refund policies; those policies remain in effect for raffle entries.

Note: Weekend registrations are included; purchases made before midnight on March 26th (site time) are eligible for the final drawing on that day. Winners cannot transfer their free class to another user. For full policies, see our site footer and the refund/cancellation notes on the course registration pages. For details on refunds, rescheduling, and emergency exceptions for trainings, see our H&H refund policy.

When will winners be selected and how will they be notified?

Winners will be chosen by random selection on each Friday of the promotion: March 12th, 19th, and 26th. On each drawing day, three winners are selected; winners are announced in the next Monday weekly email newsletter. To be notified you must either be subscribed to our weekly newsletter or maintain an active account email address on file. If a winner cannot be reached within five business days via the account email, an alternate winner will be selected.

How does prize redemption work and what restrictions apply?

If you win, redeeming your free class follows these steps:

1. Await the announcement in the weekly newsletter and an individual email confirming your prize.
2. Follow the redemption instructions in the confirmation email to select a class and schedule.
3. Complete any additional registration steps required by the chosen course (some in-person trainings require ID or a minimum enrollment).

Restrictions to note: the free class is for the winner’s use only and cannot be exchanged for cash or transferred to another person. Standard course prerequisites and attendance rules still apply (for example, in-person Medication Administration Training requires government-issued ID on arrival). If you cancel your paid registration before the raffle draw, you forfeit that raffle entry per the standard refund policy.

Which courses make good raffle entries and how should I choose?

Choose a course that advances your licensure or professional goals. Popular selections include full-length credentials and state-approved health & safety trainings. Consider these options on ChildCareEd:

• CDA Family Child Care Credential Buy Now $400.00$300.00 – a 120-hour, self-paced program that supports CDA application requirements.
• 45-Hour Infant and Toddler Methods and Materials Buy Now $399.00 – useful for providers working with very young children.
• Abuse and Neglect: Signs and Reporting Buy Now $25.00 – fulfills required reporting training and strengthens mandatory reporter competence.

If you are deciding between courses for licensure or continuing education, review state-specific guidance and consider pairing a health/safety course with a curriculum or growth-and-development course to meet multi-topic competency requirements.

How will this raffle affect licensure, certificates, and course completion?

Registering for a paid course during the promotion window has the same administrative and transcript implications as any other paid registration: the course appears on your ChildCareEd account, and course completion yields the standard certificate or certificate of completion used for licensure, credentialing, or in-service records. If you win a free class, the prize simply covers the fee for an eligible course; winners must still satisfy course-specific prerequisites (for example, background checks, pre-course reading, or photo ID for in-person medication-administration sessions) and complete the course to obtain a certificate. Child care program directors should note that won classes that carry state credit still count toward staff training hours only when the participant completes the course and the provider retains the certificate per program recordkeeping rules.

For transparency, full raffle rules and the official drawing schedule are documented in the raffle announcement (see the official raffle post). The raffle prize does not alter refund or cancellation policies: if you cancel a paid registration before the draw you forfeit that entry under standard policy; similarly, winners who do not meet course prerequisites may be required to select an alternate class that meets the prize terms.

What should Minnesota providers know when choosing a course for licensure?

Minnesota providers should ensure selected trainings meet Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) requirements for the specific credential or licensure pathway they pursue. A practical first step is to compare the course learning objectives and clock-hour totals against your state-approved training list; for CDA candidates and family child care providers, the ChildCareEd guide "The Ultimate Guide to Earning Your CDA Credential in Minnesota" explains common state expectations and how particular ChildCareEd courses map to them. Always retain course completion certificates and cross-check with any supervisory or county licensing recordkeeping standards your program must satisfy.

Note: this article references the raffle terms, but Minnesota-specific statutory or rule citations are maintained by Minnesota DHS; consult your licensing specialist or the DHS website for regulatory text and definitive approval confirmation before relying on a course for mandatory licensure hours. (ChildCareEd resources linked above provide practical mapping but are not a substitute for regulator confirmation.)

Where can I find related resources and activities to use with children?

While the raffle awards free training, you may also want classroom-ready activities or context for holiday-themed learning. See these related ChildCareEd articles for activity ideas and program-level guidance:

• St. Patrick’s Day Activities for Kids: Fun, Educational, and Easy Ideas for Parents & Teachers
• Shamrock Fun! St. Patrick’s Day Activities for Kids
• Irish American Heritage Month Activities for Preschool and Daycare
• What's the latest news for child care providers in Alabama? (examples of how local news impacts programming)
• Free Online Early Childhood Education Training in North Carolina: Earn a Certificate (examples of state training access)
• The Ultimate Guide to Earning Your CDA Credential in Minnesota (credentialing guidance)

Summary: What should I do next?

To participate, register for any paid ChildCareEd course before midnight on March 26th. Two popular, state-aligned choices we recommend are 45-Hour Child Growth and Development Buy Now $399.00 and Basic Health & Safety and Breastfeeding Awareness Buy Now $35.00$30.00. Winners are selected on March 12th, 19th, and 26th; announcements appear in the following Monday newsletter. Keep your account email updated so we can contact you, and review course cancellation/refund terms before purchasing. Good luck, and thank you for investing in professional learning that benefits children and your program.

#raffle #training #ECE #certification #safety

Reference: Official raffle post and policy details are on our site: St. Patrick's Day Raffle 2021! - post.