Post on 10-Nov-2014
description
1
Investing in Lincoln and Gaston Counties’ Youngest Citizens and
Future Employees
2
The Partnership for Children of Lincoln and Gaston Counties is…
Your local Smart Start Initiative
The lead agency for More at Four in Lincoln County
The Child Care Resource and Referral Agency (CCR&R) for families in Lincoln and Gaston Co.’s
The technical assistance and training agency for improving child care in Lincoln and Gaston Co.’s
Your resource for information about young children and families in the counties you represent.
3
PFCLG is Your Local Smart Start
Initiative. What is Smart Start? North Carolina's nationally recognized and
award-winning early childhood initiative.
Smart Start is a public-private initiative that provides early care and education funding to all of NC’s 100 counties.
Smart Start funds are used to improve the quality of child care, make child care more affordable and accessible, provide access to health services and offer family support.
Smart Start funds are administered by local nonprofit organizations called Local Partnerships.
4
What does the Partnership for Children and Smart Start do for Lincoln and Gaston Counties?
We are the local system that brings together all the people involved in a young child’s life - families, teachers, doctors, caregivers, social workers, and many others - to ensure every child has what they need for healthy growth and development.
The Partnership for Children is the convener.
5
How is PFCLG Funded?
North Carolina General Assembly
Division of Child Development (DCD)
North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC)
Partnership for Children of Lincoln
and Gaston Counties
Local, State and Federal Grants
In-House
Activities
Direct Service
Providers
6
The Science Behind Our Investment
7
Putting the Investment in Perspective
85% of a child’s brain development occurs in the first five years of life.
“If a child enters the child care setting at six weeks of age and continues
through age five, he/she will spend more time in those five years of child care than they ever spend in school
during the next 12 years.”- Judsen Culbreth
Editor-in-Chief Scholastic Parent Publishing
8
The Return of Investing in Young Children
Investing in early
childhood learning
generates a lifetime
of returns as it
provides both the
traction and
foundation for
future learning and
the acquistion of
skills.
9
The Return of Investing in Young Children
The earliest years of childhood are critical. Experiences during this time literally shape the structure of the brain.
“All aspects of adult human capital, from work force skills to cooperative and lawful behavior, build on capacities that are developed during childhood, beginning at birth.” - Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University and the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (2007)
10
Why Smart Start in North Carolina? Business owners, employees, and job seekers rely
on Smart Start for high quality, reliable child care. The average working parent misses five to nine days of work
per year because of child care problems, costing U.S. businesses $3 billion a year in lost productivity.
Smart Start is an incredibly effective and efficient public/private partnership. Ninety-two cents of every dollar goes directly to ensuring
that children and families have the experiences they need to thrive.
Our future workforce are today’s babies. Building a strong and productive labor force depends largely on how we invest in children today. U.S. Chamber of Commerce Report: “Early childhood
education has a tremendous impact on the national security and the viability of the American dream.”
11
Cost of Child Care for North Carolina’s Labor Force
If a child enters child care in North Carolina at 6 weeks of age and stays until he enters kindergarten, the parent will pay the equivalent of tuition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill…..
TWICE
12
Results of Investment in Early Care and Education
Number of Child Care Centers by Stars2001 - 2009
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
1Star2Star3Star4Star5Star
13
How does PFCLG invest it’s Smart Start Funds?
Healthy Child Care Health
Consultant – Gaston
Child Care Health Consultant – Lincoln
Early Intervention Services
Family Support Adolescent Parenting
Program
Family Resource Center
VIP – Parenting Program
Ready Individual Professional
Development Program
Parent Resource and Referral
Quality Enhancement
Quality Sustainability
WAGE$
Subsidy – Lincoln and Gaston
14
Responding to Trends to Improve the lives of Children
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
1971-1974 1988-1994 1999-2000 2003-2004
Total Boys Girls
Currently, 26% of US 2-5 year old children are classified as either overweight or obese. This is astounding knowing the possible health risks facing them, not only as they become adults, but also as children.
15
Who Provides Your Smart Start Programs?
Partnership for Children of Lincoln and Gaston Counties
Gaston County Department of Social Services
Lincoln County Department of Social Services
Gaston County Health Department
Lincoln County Health Department
Community Health Partners
Communities in Schools – Lincoln
NC Cooperative Extension - Gaston
16
PFCLG Priorities and Results - FY 2009 – 2010
1. Help families find quality child care. Provided assistance to find quality licensed
child care to 655 families.
2. Help child care facilities achieve and maintain higher standards of care.
Technical Assistance targeting health, nutrition, sanitation and safety was provided to 86 child care facilities.
3. Support the education of child care providers. 155 Child care providers in 71 child care
facilities earned professional development supplements from PFCLG for earning college credit towards a degree in early childhood education.
17
PFCLG Priorities and Results - FY 2009 – 2010
4. Help parents improve their parenting skills
Provided parenting classes ranging from one-time workshops to intensive court-ordered parenting classes to 198 families.
5. Helped improve awareness and enrollment in health services.
Training on the use of screening tools to identify children with special needs at the earliest age possible was provided to staff of 36 medical practices.
18
Thank you for investing in the future of
North Carolina.