Bladen Smart Start-A Partnership For Children Inc

Programs: Quality enhancement consultation and coaching: staff will provide consultation, coaching and training to gs-110, temporary, provisional and 1 - 5 star rated childcare facilities using recommendations from the environment rating scales or c. L. A. S. S. To assess childcare quality. Child care providers may be provided access to web-based and on-site training and coaching. Staff may collaborate with childcare providers and qualified agents to develop quality improvement plans related to program standards and professional development plans related to educational standards and may work to develop systems and trainings that address compliance with child care rules and regulations. Staff may give guidance and coaching to facilities to address specific professional dispositions, skills and/or professional behaviors. Participants in this activity may be eligible for grants. Eligibility considerations may include facilities with 1 - 3 stars who are working on raising their star licensure levels and 4 - 5 star facilities who may need maintenance assistance on their rated license. Incentives provided for quality enhancement or quality maintenance will be correlated to developed quality improvement plans. Incentives may also be used for staff trainings that may include credits. Nominal non-cash grants and light meals may be a part of these trainings. Staff time may be allocated to this activity.

community outreach and development: bladen community outreach &development will build awareness of early childhood development and community resources. As an aim to build awareness, this activity will disseminate and coordinate information, activities and resources throughout bladen county through the outreach coordinator. The outreach coordinator will work collaboratively with the program manager and other key players in designing and implementing bladen's early childhood systems building initiative. This sytems building initiative will address needed connections for the development of bladen's early childhood infrastructure. This activity will also address the scale of early childhood implementation and practices so that quality access is equitable and broadly implemented throughout bladen county. These services may include community planning for week of the young child, hosting of meetings for bladen early childhood ambassadors (beca) and other services to enhance bladen's early childhood leadership capacity. Light meals may be provided through this activity.

raising a reader: a raising a reader (rar) community coordinator will implement raising a reader, a program that promotes improved literacy development through daily book sharing between caregivers and young children. The rar coordinator will hold a bachelor's degree in early childhood education or related human service field and is required to attend the rar national coordinator training prior to initial implementation. Coordinators will host two trainings for the site implementers that have been identified to participate in this project. Child care centers, child care homes, or other community sites with a high percentage of low-income children will be targeted and will loan identified families a book bag containing high quality developmentally appropriate childrens books. The books will be exchanged each week. Weekly shared reading sessions will take place at each rar site. Parents of the children in the project will be invited to participate in at least two parent workshops where they will learn book sharing strategies. At least one library event will be provided for rar participants and their families. Participants and their families will be provided with library information, library card application, and other community literacy resources. The program will be implemented with model fidelity as described above. Smart start funds may also be used for books for children, child care for participants, nominal non-cash grants, incentives for eligible participants, light meals and other contracted services.