Helping children develop to their full potential. Early Head Start Head Start Raising A Reader

Transcription

1 Helping children develop to their full potential Early Head Start Head Start Raising A Reader Fiscal Year

2 Contents Our Story Mission Background Focus Areas School Readiness Parent Support Community Partnerships Programs Early Head Start Head Start Raising A Reader Who We Are Executive Director/Board of Directors Policy Council Management Teams Program Staff Financial Resources & Expenditures Proposed Budget Funding Received - FY ended 8/31/2012 Budgetary Expenditures - FY ended 8/31/2012

3 Our Story Mission Child Start supports the educational, social and emotional development of children, from birth to age 5, by providing high-quality, comprehensive and family-focused early childhood services in partnership with the community. Child Start was initially established to be the legal entity to oversee Head Start programs in Napa and Solano counties. Incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in March 2000, Child Start received tremendous support for our vision of establishing a directservice agency focused solely on enhancing early learning initiatives for young children and their families. Child Start works toward our mission by providing Early Head Start, Head Start and Raising A Reader programs to young children and their families. These programs are operated in an effort to achieve all three of our strategic goals in school readiness, parent support and community partnerships. In accordance with research about early childhood development, Child Start programs are designed to: Assess children s learning abilities and challenges Create healthy, supportive environments for learning Address the specific needs of each child Engage parents in their children s learning and development Child Start honors parents as a child s first and most important teacher. We work with families of children enrolled in our programs to address the families needs, involve parents in our programs, and extend the learning environment from the classroom to the home. Child Start works in partnership with more than 80 local agencies to provide services in the areas of nutrition, health, child care and development, literacy, education, family support, disabilities, mental health, parent education and teacher training. These partnerships are a major factor in the continuing success of all Child Start programs. More than 1,000 families participate in Child Start programs each year. In 2011/12, we served 216 children in Early Head Start and 989 children in Head Start. This capacity reflects a three-fold increase in the availability of Early Head Start services (from 64 spaces to 176 spaces) that occurred in 2009/10. Raising A Reader served all the children in Early Head Start and Head Start programs, as well as an additional 790 children through partnerships with 16 agencies in Napa County. 1

4 Focus: School Readiness Strategic Goal: Promote school readiness for all children through high-quality programming. Child Start offers high-quality learning resources and support to children and families n Napa and Solano counties to prepare children for success in school. All three Child Start programs - Early Head Start, Head Start and Raising A Reader - include components to provide learning resources, including school readiness information, skills development, and materials for teachers, parents and young children. Early Head Start and Head Start programs also screen children for medical, dental and mental health concerns that may interfere with early learning, and ensure all appropriate immunizations are received. Child Start implements an annual professional development plan to continuously improve staff performance and program quality. Child Start has worked to increase the education and training levels for Head Start staff, and now all lead teachers have a minimum of an Associate s degree (AA), and over 50% of them have a BA degree. Child Start has also implemented the use of the Desired Results Developmental Program to assess children s progress across a spectrum of developmental milestones. This helps align our program results with California Department of Education learning foundations for children age 0-5 years. Learning to Love Learning Raising A Reader is a nationally recognized program that is provided locally to all children participating in Early Head Start and Head Start, as well as preschool children served by partner agencies in Napa County. Raising A Reader has been effective in encouraging children to develop a love for books and learning. When comparing Head Start children who had not participated in Raising A Reader with those who had, the latter group was more likely to ask to look at books five or more times per week. And Raising A Reader five-year-olds in Head Start scored 69% higher in pre-reading and 59% higher in book knowledge than other Head Start children five years or older. School Readiness Progress Measurable gains in children s language and literacy development, understanding of numbers, and social and problem-solving skills. Improvements in the educational levels and language-teaching capacity of staff. Increases in the number of times parents read with their children each week. 2

5 Focus: Parent Support Strategic Goal: Expand parents capacity to support their child s development. More than 1,000 families participate in Child Start programs each year. Most of these families are living in economically vulnerable situations and many are working toward education, job training and employment goals. In order to qualify for Early Head Start and Head Start programs, families must meet the federal poverty guidelines. For a family of four, this means earning an income of no more than $22,050 per year. Training and Services Parent training and support services assist parents to provide the best for their children. The most common support we provide is information about health and parenting. Other frequently requested areas of support include job training, education, and assistance in meeting basic needs. Kindergarten Transition Support Child Start staff works with parents to identify the most appropriate next steps for their children. Children often transition from Early Head Start to a Head Start classroom to continue the support services they have been receiving. When children are age-eligible to enter kindergarten, staff creates a transition packet for each family that contains developmental information about the child that a parent can share with the kindergarten teacher. Parent Volunteer Opportunities Child Start incorporates volunteers into its Early Head Start and Head Start programs. Parents are also encouraged to participate in the Policy Council, which makes important decisions about how Child Start programs are operated. Male Involvement Child Start programs include parent involvement components, and male involvement is specifically encouraged. Males are defined as fathers, grandfathers, uncles and/or male friends involved in the child s life. Parent Support Progress Increased utilization of adult education, ESL instruction, and job training opportunities. Families were assisted as their children transitioned to kindergarten. Increase in the number of parent volunteers. Increases in male participation in family activities. 3

6 Focus: Community Partnerships Strategic Goal: Develop partner alliances and engage the community to improve program quality and outcomes for families. Child Start works with families whose children are enrolled in our programs to identify needs that can be addressed through the use of community resources. Accessing and utilizing community resources can be a confusing and overwhelming experience for families. Child Start assists families as they begin to navigate available services. Early Head Start and Head Start partner with more than 80 community organizations in Napa and Solano counties to address health, mental health, nutrition, disability, parenting, housing and/or financial concerns. Staff Provide Connections to Community Services Child Start trains staff on the Bridges Out of Poverty framework to help address poverty in a comprehensive way through community and family partnerships. Staff work with parents to create Family Partnership Agreements that outline family needs and goals. Staff members then help families connect with community resources by providing advocacy training to help them navigate support systems for education, jobs and disabilities. Motivational interviewing is used to assist families in the goal-setting process in financial education sessions with community partners like American Canyon Family Resource Center and Travis Credit Union. Community partnerships with Early Head Start enable infants and toddlers with, or at risk for, diagnosed disabilities or developmental delays to receive Early Intervention Services under the North Bay Regional Center as the lead agency. Head Start supports children with disabilities and their families through partnerships with Local Education Agencies (LEAs). Head Start also coordinates with seven local school districts to ensure parents have access to kindergarten transition services. Raising A Reader is implemented in all our Early Head Start and Head Start programs, as well as 16 partner agencies in Napa County. Raising A Reader also works with local libraries to encourage parents to bring their children to the library as often as possible to discover the many wonderful books and learning resources available there. 4 Community Partnerships Progress Homeless families were able to find housing. Enrolled children had a medical and dental home, were up-to-date on their immunizations, and received preventative dental care. Children diagnosed with a disability or chronic health condition received needed treatment and services.

7 Early Head Start Launched in 1995, Early Head Start provides support to low-income infants, toddlers, pregnant women and families. Three Early Head Start teams serve the Napa/St Helena, Vallejo, and Fairfield/Vacaville areas through home-based and center-based Early Head Start programs. Services are offered through partnerships with a broad range of agencies serving Napa and Solano counties. Early Head Start Highlights Early Head Start expanded center-based services from one location serving 16 children from birth to age 3, to include three new toddler centers serving 48 children age months. 99% of Early Head Start children had a medical home and 98% had a dental home by the end of the enrollment year. Early Head Start programs enhance children s physical, social, emotional and intellectual development; assist pregnant women in accessing comprehensive prenatal and postpartum care; support parents efforts to fulfill their parental roles; and help parents move toward self-sufficiency. Our services focus on enhancing parents knowledge, skills and behaviors, and highlighting the strengths of each family. The Early Head Start home-based program is designed for families in which the home is the child's primary learning environment, providing culturally competent child development and parent support services with an emphasis on the role of the parent as the child's first and most important relationship. Participants in the Early Head Start home-based model receive weekly home visits and participate regularly in scheduled group events to promote connections among families. 83% of Early Head Start children received all the age-appropriate immunizations by the end of the enrollment year. In 2011/12, 100% of Early Head Start children with a diagnosed health condition received needed treatment. The most common chronic condition was anemia. Approximately 10-15% of Early Head Start children were diagnosed with a disability (primarily speech and language impairments) that qualified them for an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) or an Individualized Education Program (IEP). 100% of these children received the services outlined in their IFSP/IEP during the enrollment year. Visit our website at for a list of Early Head Start locations. 5

8 Head Start Established in 1965, Head Start is a federally supported preschool program that promotes school readiness for children age 3-5 in low-income families by offering educational, nutritional, health, social and other services. These services enhance the social and cognitive development of children enrolled in Head Start and their families. Head Start actively engages parents in their children s learning, strengthening their capacity to teach their children by supporting parents progress toward educational, literacy and employment goals. Parents are also strongly encouraged and supported in getting involved in the administration of Head Start programs. Head Start provides full- and part-day preschool classes. Children are screened for medical, dental and mental health concerns that may interfere with learning. After the completion of Head Start, families are more prepared to support their children, and children have the skills they need to enter kindergarten. Head Start is operated in five locations in Napa County and 17 locations in Solano County, with a total of 52 classes. Head Start partners with more than 80 agencies in Napa and Solano counties to meet the needs of children and families. Head Start Highlights % of children in Head Start received all the age-appropriate immunizations by the end of the enrollment year. In 2011/12, 100% of Head Start children with a diagnosed health condition received needed treatment. The most common chronic conditions included asthma, overweight, vision problems and anemia. Approximately 10-15% of Head Start children have been diagnosed with a disability that qualified them for an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) or an Individualized Education Program (IEP). 100% of these children received the services outlined in their IFSP/IEP during the enrollment year. Speech and language impairments were the most frequently identified disabilities. Assessments of 4-year-old children in Head Start show their progress toward schoolreadiness goals in social/emotional development (83%), language/literacy (72%), cognition and general knowledge (72%), and approaches to learning (81%). Visit our website at for a list of Head Start locations. 6

9 Raising A Reader Raising A Reader is an internationally recognized early literacy program created in 1999 to engage parents in a daily routine of reading with their children. Focused on children from birth to age 5, Raising A Reader encourages parents to book cuddle with their children to foster healthy brain development, parent-child bonding and early literacy skills critical to success in school. Raising A Reader Highlights Nationally, Raising A Reader has been shown to be effective in increasing the number of times per week that parents read with their children. with significant increases in family literacy behaviors linked to school success, including sharing books with their children more frequently, visiting the library more often, and establishing a regular routine for sharing books with their child. Raising A Reader is implemented in all Early Head Start and Head Start classes as well as 16 agencies in Napa County. Raising A Reader provides parents with information about the importance of early literacy through classroom training, written and video materials, and a rotating supply of age- and language-appropriate books exchanged weekly in a bright red book bag. The book bag exchange supports the efforts of early educators to develop a home-to-school connection to engage parents as full partners in their child s development. Raising A Reader emphasizes the role of parents as teachers and encourages them to use the library and maintain their reading routines as their children transition into kindergarten. Key independent evaluations point to positive outcomes for children s oral language and early literacy skills, interest in books and reading, and book knowledge and comprehension. Our Raising A Reader program created a suite of original, creative bookmarks with reading tips to build parents confidence in reading with their children. These materials were received by both parents and children with enthusiasm. They are now being piloted in other Raising A Reader programs in the Bay Area. Raising A Reader research resources: Please visit for a list of Raising A Reader partner agencies. 7

10 Who We Are Executive Director Debbie Peralez Debbie has been an executive with Child Start for 17 years, serving as Human Resources Director, Deputy Director, and now as Executive Director. She has a deep-rooted passion for early childhood development and a commitment to strengthening Child Start s impact through development and enhancement of strategic community partnerships. Board of Directors Child Start works under the leadership of a dynamic Board of Directors comprised of experienced, talented community leaders from Napa and Solano counties. Board members bring to our organization valuable expertise in health, social services, business, law, human resources, child development, community action and child advocacy. We are proud to present our 2011/12 Board of Directors and their key areas of relevant expertise: Bob Stalker, Chair - Law/Housing/Mental Health Alicia Fernandez, Vice Chair - Children s Health/Family Services Beth Chamberlain - Early Childhood Development Policy Council The Child Start Policy Council and the Board of Directors provide joint governance for Head Start. The Policy Council is elected annually and is comprised of 39 parents of children enrolled in Head Start. The Policy Council supports Child Start by participating in discussions and decisions regarding program planning and program performance as well as program policies and procedures. Management Teams The Executive Director and management teams are responsible for the daily operations of the agency. The current executive management team consists of six members and the management team includes an additional 11 members. Program Staff Trained and qualified staff are critical to providing high-quality services and positive outcomes for children and families. With the expansion of Early Head Start in 2009/10, Child Start increased staffing of Early Head Start teachers, home visitors and supervisors from 12 to 33. We also hired more bilingual staff to address the high percentage of children speaking Spanish in our programs. In 2011/12, Child Start employed over 225 people in Napa and Solano counties, including teachers, family services staff, and administrators. Brett Edwards - Parent Representative Laurence Fletcher - Business/Banking Gabriele Peniche - Parent Representative Maria del Rosario Lopez - Parent Representative Patricia Wyrick - Child Care and Development/Child Welfare 8

11 Financial Resources & Expenditures Our Head Start and Early Head Start programs are funded primarily through federal grants. However, to obtain these funds, we are required to raise matching funds, approximately $2.5 million annually in non-federal dollars. We deeply appreciate the additional public and private financial support we receive each year. We would not be able to provide Head Start and Early Head Start programs without this additional support. Raising A Reader is a locally funded program, supported by gifts from individuals and grants from foundations in Napa and Solano counties. Public and Private Funds Received - FY ended Aug. 31, 2012 Head Early Start Head Start ARRA Total Federal Funds $7,701,547 $2,206,926 $471,676 $10,380,149 CCFP/USDA 400,386 76, ,650 CCFP State 22,460 4,278 26,738 Solano First 5 175, ,662 Napa First 5 34,838 34,838 Health Educ. Council 1,678 1,678 Total $8,301,733 $2,287,468 $506,514 $11,095,715 Budgetary Expenditures - FY ended Aug. 31, 2012 Proposed Budget - FY Head Early Start Head Start ARRA Total Direct Services $8,206,397 $2,512,121 $10,718,518 Non-Federal In-Kind Match 2,051, ,030 2,679,629 Total $10,257,996 $3,140,151 $13,398,147 Head Early Start Head Start ARRA Total Direct Services $7,679,547 $2,206,926 $9,886,473 Children s Meal Prog. 422,846 80, ,388 Full-Day Services 140, ,562 Behavioral Health 35,100 35,100 Tots Breathe Freely 20,000 20,000 Head Start Garden 2,000 2,000 HEAL 1,678 1,678 Infant Toddler Training 34,838 34,838 EHS Expansion 352, ,282 Early Learning Mentor Coaches 119, ,394 Total $8,301,733 $2,287,468 $506,514 $11,095,715 9

12 For the children and their families Devlin Rd. Napa, CA PH: (707) FX: (707) WEB: