ANNUAL REPORT. Making a Lifetime of Difference

Transcription

1 ANNUAL REPORT 2014 Making a Lifetime of Difference

2 A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY People often invest in young children because it feels like the right thing to do. At Child Care Associates, we invest in young children and their families because we know early childhood presents a unique window of opportunity. We know the first 2,000 days of a child s life is a period in which we can make a lifetime of difference. We laser focus on lower-income families in our communities and work to develop approaches that impact young children, for life. The highest rate of return in early childhood development comes from investing as early as possible, from birth through age five, in disadvantaged families. Starting at age three or four is too little too late efforts should focus on the first years for the greatest efficiency and effectiveness. James Heckman, Nobel laureate in Economics and Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago. Dec. 7, 2012 MISSION Assisting family successes through excellence in comprehensive early learning and development services In 2014 CCA served nearly 20,000 young children in North Texas, but the need is far greater. In Fort Worth alone, about three quarters of FWISD students live in poverty, and half do not attend preschool. Our goal is to impact those numbers. REINVIGORATING THE VISION (L to R ) Patricia Looper, Head Start Co-Director; Kara Waddell, President/CEO; Ty Mayes, Child Nutrition Coordinator Child Care Associates has advanced the vision of high quality early learning and family services for at-risk children in North Texas for 47 years. While we know every child needs effective early childhood supports, we also understand the least likely to receive them are at-risk children from disadvantaged homes. As we build connections and systems between organizations, schools, businesses and civic leaders, we are closer to delivering those supports than ever before. CCA is committed to focusing our vision in exciting new ways and redefining the role we can best serve in our community is a year for us to analyze, learn and modify. As we continue to deliver quality services to our lower income families and children, we are also using 2015 to develop a 2,000 Days Plan -- our roadmap for the areas of impact that will move the needle on outcomes for infants, toddlers and preschoolers through 2020." #2000DaysPlan #LifetimeOfDifference Child Care Associates has been a long-time partner agency of United Way. We ve experienced an organization that operates with innovation, efficiency and passion while also experiencing ebbs and flows across 46 years. We re pleased [with] the new leadership who are reinvigorating CCA s tradition of service, attracting fresh talent and focusing on child outcomes. Tim McKinney, President and CEO United Way of Tarrant County President/CEO Child Care Associates Reference: 3

3 NURTURING THE FIRST 1,000 DAYS Our brains are not fully developed at birth. Rather, they are built over time. The basic architecture is constructed through an ongoing process that begins before birth and continues into adulthood. Early experiences in the first 1,000 days of life affect both the quality of a child s brain architecture and development of a child s cognitive, emotional and social capacities. Early Head Start Early Head Start is part of a national program that serves infants, toddlers and their families from low income households. CCA operates 25 dedicated Early Head Start classrooms across Tarrant County strategically placed in high poverty neighborhoods. We work to enhance a child s physical, social, emotional and intellectual development while ensuring parents and adults caring for these children have the skills they need at home. CCA provides a 360-degree approach to working with families, helping more fragile families receive the community help they need. Services To Expectant Mothers (STEM) Program CCA s services for young children actually begin before they are even born. CCA s Early Head Start program works with expectant mothers to help access pre-natal and post-partum care and to encourage healthy delivery and care of infants. 4 The emotional well-being of young children is directly tied to the functioning of their caregivers and the families in which they live. When relationships are reliably responsive and supportive, they actually buffer young children from the adverse effects of other stressors. Jack Shonkoff, M.D. Director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard, Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children s Hospital. References: inbrief_series/inbrief_the_science_of_ecd/ resources/briefs/inbrief_series/inbrief_early_childhood_mental_health/

4 We recognize a key component of quality programs is the quality of the teacher. Recruitment, education, preparation and retention of early childhood professionals is extremely difficult. Nationally, staff turnover averages 31%. Programs that assist our community to develop a pipeline of qualified, early learning professionals are essential to ensuring every child has high quality early learning opportunities that support school readiness and elementary school achievement. STRENGTHENING EARLY LEARNING SUPPORTING PARENTS - CHILD CARE Quality interactions between qualified teachers and children support strong outcomes for children. Our community needs a robust supply of qualified early childhood professionals to teach in programs such as those offered by Child Care Associates and other community child care and prekindergarten programs. Degreed early childhood professionals are critically needed throughout Texas, yet many professionals in early learning lack college degrees and developmentally appropriate classroom skills. Parents of young children have a difficult role. For low-income, working parents - often single mothers the challenges faced as parents are only multiplied. Child Care Associates coordinates the child care subsidy assistance program for Tarrant County and for 19 other counties in West Central Texas. Lower-income parents who need help covering the cost of child care in order to work or attend school may apply for this state funded program. Beyond covering the cost of child care, CCA also helps families find affordable, quality child care. For parents, the program supports their work needs with care and early learning for their children. For children, their developmental needs can be met when accessing a high quality, early learning program. For child care professionals, they not only receive state subsidy funding that supports their small business but also can access training, materials and support to improve the quality of their program. CCA works with early childhood professionals in diverse ways across our community: Child Care Management Services (Tarrant County)* Assisting and funding CCA professionals to acquire Child Development Associate (CDA) credentials and Associate Degrees and Bachelor Degrees in early childhood education. Assisting and funding local child care professionals to acquire a CDA credential and access needed professional development trainings in partnership with Workforce Solutions of Tarrant County. Coaching early childhood professionals through monthly classroom visits in partnership with Texas School Ready! (130 coaching hours monthly). Providing professional development classroom training and formative child assessments in partnership with Texas School Ready! Nancy Jones, President, Community Foundation of North Texas Total Number Served in Program Year 13-14: 12,917 children (serving an average of 5,502 children) Total Number of Providers Served: 780 Child Care Services (West Central Texas - Abilene and the 19 surrounding counties)* Total Number Served in Program Year 13-14: 3,170 children (serving an average of 1,584 children) Total Number of Providers Served: 96 *(Program year Oct. 1, Sept. 30, 2014) CCA Child Care In order to support the work needs of parents, Child Care Associates provides direct child care services and co-locates child care services in various CCA child development centers across Tarrant County. Some children already in Head Start services have parents that need additional hours in the early morning or evening. Child care tuitions are paid for by parents, or perhaps are assisted with payments through the child care subsidy program. Others are generously supported through the Tarrant County United Way or by the City of Fort Worth Community Development Block Grant funding. Total Number of Children Served in 2014: 450 Reference: 7

5 PREPARING FOR KINDERGARTEN - THE FIRST 2,000 DAYS The path to a great education and career starts early. High quality early learning from birth to age five supports a child s ability to enter kindergarten ready to learn and thrive in elementary school and beyond. Positive early childhood experiences also build the foundation for a skilled workforce, a responsive community and a vibrant economy. Research supports that children attending a Head Start program have enhanced cognitive abilities (including reading and math scores) and social competence as well as reduced attention problems. Child Care Associates currently operates 155 Head Start classrooms in CCA centers in high poverty neighborhoods or in local elementary schools. CCA builds on the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework which identifies the developmental building blocks most important for a child s long-term success. CCA uses research based curricula that ensure progress is made in all areas of child development and early learning. To bridge any gap between home and school, we work closely with parents, engaging them as equal partners in their child s education. CCA Head Start classrooms are a part of a mixed delivery system for preparing children for kindergarten - some classrooms in CCA Centers and some classrooms in local elementary schools. CCA has formal partnerships with many Independent School Districts (ISDs), including Fort Worth, Arlington and HEB ISDs, to support kindergarten readiness and educational alignment. Some Head Start classrooms are in local elementary schools in partnership with local ISDs. Children spend a half-day with a school district Pre-K teacher and a half-day with a Head Start teacher. This approach provides the benefits of receiving Pre-K in a future elementary school while also ensuring the strong child and family supports critically needed for at-risk children. Some Head Start classrooms are in neighborhood level centers that provide integrated 0-5 services. Some classrooms integrate school district Pre-K teachers to ensure quality early learning that connects with the child s upcoming elementary education. Working parents and children alike benefit from before and after care for an extended day of care options. CCA employs staff who deliver the Texas School Ready! (TSR!) program in our area. TSR! is part of a birth- to- five initiative across Texas that addresses the factors that shape development trajectories including ideal child environments, classroom coaching supports, research based professional development and resources. Child Care Associates works hard to partner directly with our school district and works to ensure alignment of curriculum, assessment and classroom best practices. FWISD and CCA have been longterm community partners in helping support low-income children arrive ready for success in school. Dr. Patricia Rangel, Director of Early Academic Success & Acceleration, Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) 8 References:

6 KNOWING THE NUMBERS Family involvement is designed to support positive parent-child relationships - a key predictor of success in children s early learning and healthy development. Through creative events and activities with their parents and teachers, young children learn important life skills such as managing their emotions and behaviors, solving problems, adjusting to new situations and resolving conflicts. Each child s cultural heritage and background are also planned and celebrated in CCA classrooms. In 2014, parent engagement activities included: Donuts with Dad Ready Rosie Reading with Mom or Dad Muffins with Mom Teddy Bear Picnic Dr. Seuss Day Healthy Heart Bags Red, White & Blue Bicycle Parade Family Luau Field Day Splash Day BUILDING UP PARENTS We know both instinctively and from extensive research that supportive, nurturing parents are critical to a child s success in school and life. Our Head Start and Early Head Start programs provide quality early learning for young children, and also significantly invest in the overall family. Families share responsibility for the learning and development of their children and commit to active involvement in the classroom. Families serve on center councils at each CCA center - helping advise on policies and giving their input on activities. Parents from across Tarrant County form a policy council to be active in the governance of Child Care Associates - voting on policies and key decisions, reviewing fiscal information and taking an active role in their child s education. Families also commit to identify their parental and family goals and needs with a designated Family Service Advocate (FSA). FSAs help ensure low-income families are accessing the services and supports they need to be successful and that they avoid the pinball effect some families experience in being bounced from program to program. With more fragile families, extra supports and services are a needed component of ensuring a child s educational success. SPOTLIGHT: A PARENT'S STORY Effective relationships between parents and staff are a critical part of children s educational success. Through working to build strong parent relationships, staff can often identify and help resolve a family situation that would otherwise severely impact a child s development. Moe s story is a wonderful example. The staff at CCA first met her when she came to enroll her 4-year-old daughter, Mimi, in Head Start about three years ago. Moe and her family immigrated to the United States from Myanmar as refugees. Moe had family issues while in Myanmar that came with her to the United States. As a young mother of two small children, she faced the challenges of motherhood in a new country, a new language, and dealing with a troubled marriage. The CCA center s Family Service Advocate (FSA) recognized Moe was having problems and linked her up with another FSA who spoke Burmese. While working with the family, the FSAs recognized signs of domestic problems. Moe confided with CCA staff that her husband s abusiveness had escalated along with her fears for herself and her children. CCA immediately connected Moe with a variety of resources - counseling, legal aid, residency assistance services, English classes and even helped her secure local employment. Today, Mimi is thriving in first grade and Moe grins ear to ear remembering the teacher comments about how Mimi is quite intelligent and way ahead of the other children in her class. Moe is thriving as well and CCA is glad to have her back in a Head Start classroom - this time as Teaching Assistant in a CCA center, helping other families and children find their pathway to success. It means so much to be strong and able to give back to other families. I am very grateful for how CCA has helped Mimi be successful in school and for the help given to me to be a good parent." Parent Volunteers : Head Start Parent Volunteers: 1,235 parents and 613 hours Early Head Start Parent Volunteers: 146 parents and 59 hours Moe is a former Head Start parent and now a Teaching Assistant at CCA. 11

7 KNOWING THE ORGANIZATION Child Care Associates is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization formed in The organization was formed out of a recognized community need. With the help of the United Way of Tarrant County, community leaders envisioned a nonprofit organization in Tarrant County to help ensure low-income children arrived ready for success in school as well as lead the way in supporting high quality, affordable child care. Today, CCA not only operates direct programs, it also connects with early learning, school district and cross-sector partners to help form a community system of early learning from birth to early elementary grades. As a public policy issue, early learning is ripe for impact and change. Accordingly, 2015 is a formative year for CCA to laser focus on the areas that move the needle on outcomes for young children and to identify, in partnership with traditional and nontraditional partners, the specific role we can best fulfill Fiscal Report Statement of Activities For the Year Ended on December 31, 2014 REVENUE: CCMS, Tarrant County 34,345,127 US Dept Of Health And Human Services 22,095,598 CCS, West Central Texas 5,196,804 Indirect (Administration Services) 2,535,552 Texas Dept of Human Services (USDA) 1,621,496 Program Service Fees (Child Care) 1,002,718 University of Texas (TSR!) 139,260 United Way 129,476 City of Fort Worth 32,426 Contributions 23,925 Investment Income 319 TOTAL 67,122,701 EXPENSES: Child Care Services 1,471,369 USDA - Day Homes And Centers 1,621,496 Early Head Start/Head Start 22,095,598 Texas School Ready 139,260 CCMS, Tarrant County 34,345,127 CCS, West Central Texas 5,196,804 Administrative Services 2,539,423 TOTAL 67,409,077 The fiscal report above represents unaudited numbers and estimated final expenditures for Dec Audited financial statements are available on our website and are provided by an independent accounting firm. 12

8 70% of Americans support increased public funding for prekindergarten (Gallop 2014). Early learning is an issue of broad support in the U.S. and increasing support in Texas. Child care remains unafforable to low-income parents. Half of all infant care options cost more than $8,000 per year, more than the average annual cost of college in Texas ($7,745). A low-income parent in Texas spends over 21% of their income on child care costs. KNOWING THE NUMBERS Children served in 2014: 19,534 Early Head Start = 290 Head Start = 2,707 Child Care = 450 Subsidy Assistance: 3,170 (CCS)+ 12,917(CCMS) = 16,087 Early Head Start Average Early Head Start monthly enrollment: 100% Number of EHS Classrooms: 25 Total number of children served in 2014*: 290 infants & toddlers Total number of families served in 2014*: 224 families Percentage of income elibile children enrolled in EHS: 95% Percentage EHS enrolled children who received Medical Exams: 65.6% (155 children) Percentage of EHS enrolled children who received Dental Exams: 51.6% (122 children) Head Start Average Head Start monthly enrollment: 95% Number of Head Start Classrooms: 155 Total number children served in CCA Head Start in 2014*: 2,707 3 and 4 year olds Total number of families served: 2,588 families Percentage of income eligible children enrolled in Head Start: 95% Percentage of Head Start enrolled children who received Medical Exams: 77% (2,083 children) Percentage of Head Start enrolled children who received Dental Exams: 71% (1,932 children) CHARTING THE WAY FORWARD - 2,000 Days Plan A window of opportunity is a short time period during which an otherwise unattainable opportunity exists. The 2,000 days from conception to kindergarten represent a window of opportunity, and a unique chance to impact the trajectory of a young life. Child Care Associates is in a unique period of opportunity. As one of the largest child development organizations and nonprofits in North Texas, Child Care Associates is using 2015 to fine-tune and introduce a 2,000 Days Plan. The 2,000 Days Plan will introduce specific, focused efforts that move the needle on outcomes for young children. We ll measure our efforts as an individual organization and in collaboration with others. And we ll communicate our progress, and change course if we re not seeing the impact needed. *2014 represents the program year of October 1, 2013 September 30, 2014 References:

9 Head Start Early Head Start Child Care Family Services Child Care Subsidy Assistance Quality Improvement Making a Lifetime of Difference Child Care Associates 3000 E. Belknap St. Fort Worth, TX