Children s Futures. A Community Partnership Model. Beth Ann Gardiner, Project Director. Improving Quality in Child Care Initiative

Transcription

1 Improving Quality in Child Care Initiative Children s Futures A Community Partnership Model Beth Ann Gardiner, Project Director

2 Children s Futures Public-private partnership Focus on improving child health and development outcomes Primary funding: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Evaluation: Public/Private Ventures

3 Children s Futures Vision: To ensure every child in Trenton enters pre-school healthy and ready to learn Mission: To improve child health and development outcomes for children birth to 3 yrs. in Trenton

4 Core Strategies Improve access to prenatal care/birth outcomes Improve quality in child care Strengthen effective parenting Integrate community supports

5 Primary Structure Four parent/child centers Fatherhood program Quality child care project Behavioral health initiative

6 Children s Futures Initiative A Community Partnership Model Lead Administrative Partners: Children s Futures, Inc. City of Trenton-Division of Health Trenton Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB)/(CNJMCHC) Community Agency Partners: Capital Health System Child Care Connection Children s Home Society (North Ward) El Centro/Catholic Charities (South Ward) Family Guidance Center Greater Trenton Behavioral HealthCare Henry J Austin Health Center Mercer Street Friends (West Ward) Mercer County Board of Social Services Planned Parenthood Association of the Mercer Area Robert Wood Johnson University Hosp at Hamilton St. Francis Medical Center (East Ward ) Union Industrial Home for Children Womanspace Funding Partners: Children s Futures, Inc./Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Four Parent/Child Centers (PCC), Healthy Families (HF), Mental Health, Fatherhood, Childcare and Domestic Violence City of Trenton - Public Health Nurses and Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) HRSA Maternal & Child Health Bureau, Healthy Start Grant Central Intake, PCCs/HF and NFP NJ Department of Health & Senior Services PORSCHE Grant (Public Health Nurses/NFP) NJ Department of Human Services - Healthy Families and TANF Initiative for Parents (TIP) March of Dimes/Central NJ Chapter Perinatal Outreach Plus in-kind services and supports from other CF partners

7 Children s Futures Initiative Parent / Child Centers One in Each Ward of Trenton North, South, East and West Union Industrial Home Fatherhood Support Services Mercer County Board of Social Services TANF / TIP Program Food Stamps Housing Rental Assistance Transportation Job Training Emergency Assistance And more... Immigration Services BIBS Mentors Concerned Pastors Mt. Zion AME Capitol Corridor CDC Education GED / Adult Literacy Home Visiting Healthy Families Model Family Support Prenatal & Parent Education Health Education & Guidance Infant/Child Development Early Literacy Case Management Child Protective Services DYFS PARENT/CHILD CENTERS Interagency Partnership FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES Center Activities FAW / FSW / Partners Family Fun Nights Pregnancy Classes Fatherhood Groups Family Health Education Breastfeeding Support Other Activities Special Child Health Services / Early Intervention Family Guidance Center Substance Abuse Greater Trenton Behavioral Health Mental Health Womanspace Domestic Violence Child Care Connection Early Head Start Abbott Centers Family Daycare Health Care NJ FamilyCare Medical Care Dental Care WIC Specialty Care (e.g. HIV)

8 Quality in Child Care Initiative CHILD CARE CENTER COMPONENT Five infant/toddler centers Professional development for center directors and staff On-site technical assistance, individual and small group training Equipment grant funds for needed materials Utilization of a high quality written curriculum Program assessment using the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale

9 Center Results 7 Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale Scores Baseline Final 1 0 Overall SUB 1 SUB 2 SUB 3 SUB 4 SUB 5 SUB 6 SUB 7

10 ITERS SUMMARY Score Increases: Overall (5.04) Space and furnishings (4.87) Personal care routines (4.72) Listening and talking (5.64) Activities (4.57) Interactions (6.04) Program Structure (4.32) Parents and staff (5.32)

11 Family Child Care Component Network of 20 family child care providers Professional development and training opportunities On-site technical assistance Equipment grant funds distributed as training benchmarks are reached Program assessment using the Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale

12 Family Child Care Network Results Family Day Care Rating Scale Increases Overall (5.16) Space and Furnishings (5.5) Basic Care (5.65) Language and Reasoning (5.2) Learning Activities (4.5) Social Development (5.19) Adult Needs (5.7)

13 Ongoing Challenges Staff turnover teachers/directors Financial resources of centers limited Director burnout Competition for qualified early childhood teachers Limited scope of project

14 Initiative Successes Quality improvements demonstrated Professional development increased Trusting relationships built Director/provider leadership capacity strengthened Better understanding of quality child care

15 NJ Quality Rating and Improvement Pilot Project Pilots beginning in Trenton and Camden Rating tool developed by BUILD NJ Project oversight by the Association for Children of New Jersey Private funding through Children s Futures by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Trenton) Using PAS, ECERS and ITERS for further assessment