Childrens Coalition For Northeast Louisiana

Programs: Healthy living: al's pals: kids making healthy choices (nedhsa, regional health contracts): al's pals is a life skills program for 4 and 5 year olds. The bi-weekly program serves pre-k and kindergarten students in 41 schools with 97 classrooms, as well as 4-year-olds in nine child care centers in ouachita, morehouse, and union parishes. Funding for this program was initially through the louisiana department of health and hospitals - office of behavioral health, but authority for contracting and funding was transferred to the northeast delta human services authority in 2014. School readiness tax credits also support the program in 12 family child care homes and 11 pre-k classrooms in caldwell parish, and regional health contracts with the union school board for additional classrooms in union parish. U-act (lapfs, samsha, nedhsa): funded by the louisiana partnership for success as part of a substance abuse and mental health services administration (samsha) grant, and administered by the northeast delta human services authority (nedhsa), u-act is a community coalition based in union parish that works together to develop a 5-year plan that will address underage drinking and prescription drug abuse. Generation rx (cardinal health): building on the work already being done in union parish as part of u-act (lapfs), generation rx is a collaboration with ulm school of pharmacy students and a media campaign to educate youth about the dangers of prescription drug abuse. Defy (tfl): funded by tobacco free living, this prevention program focuses on empowering youth to examine the ways in which tobacco is marketed to youth in union parish. Young drivers safety initiative (lhsc): the la highway safety commission (lhsc) provided funding to purchase the equipment and to provide the personnel to implement a virtual driving program to address distracted and impaired driving among high school and college students.

early childhood education and early head start: northeast louisiana child care connections (ldoe): currently funded through the louisiana department of education through child development block grant funds, this initiative was originally funded through the department of children and family services (dcfs). Child care connections is the child care resource and referral agency for 11 parishes in northeast louisiana and provides: consumer education and referral services, training for child care providers and staff, and technical assistance in child care centers and in family child care homes. A major focus in the past year has been assisting childcare centers and consumers to navigate the changes in the system as part of the implementation of act 3 of 2012. As the resource and referral agency for northeast louisiana, the children's coalition is eligible to receive louisiana school readiness tax credit funds from businesses and corporations. These funds are used to support quality in and awareness of early care and education. Early childhood curriculum certification reimbursement (ldoe): as part of the work done by child care connections, the louisiana department of education provided partial funding to type iii child care centers to purchase approved early childhood curriculum. Centers applied to child care connections for 80% reimbursement from the state for curriculum purchased. Ouachita parish early head start (acf, cacfp, uw): funding from the office of head start - administration for children and families (acf) provided sixty slots for infants and toddlers in three centers and home-based care in ouachita parish. Early head start (ehs) targets low-income pregnant women and families with children from birth through age 3, most of whom are at or below the federal poverty level or who are eligible for part c services under the individuals with disabilities education act in their state. The program provides early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development and family support services. Funding from the cacfp feeding program is used as a supplement for food costs, and a grant from united way for formula and diapers is part of the non-federal match. Ouachita parish early head start expansion/partnership (acf, cacfp): funding from the office of head start-administration for children and families (acf) expanded the early head start by 40 slots for infants and toddlers in five new classrooms, and 32 slots for infants and toddlers in partnership with type iii child care centers, kiddie garden and living way. Early head start (ehs) targets low-income pregnant women and families with children from birth through age 3, most of whom are at or below the federal poverty level or who are eligible for part c services under the individuals with disabilities education act in their state. The program provides early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development and family support services. Funding from the cacfp feeding program is used as a supplement for food cost. Mental health consultation (tulane): funding from the tulane institute for infant and early childhood mental health provides a mental health consultant to child care centers for up to six months. The program is made possible by a grant from the louisiana department of education (formerly from the louisiana department of children and family services). Ouachita parish early childhood network (ldoe, lead agencies, lead agencies-idea): in its fifth year with funding from the louisiana department of education, the children's coalition shifts from a "pilot" to lead agency for all publicly funded early childhood programs in ouachita parish: type iii child care centers, public school pre-k, nsecd, head start and early head start. The lead agency is charged to coordinate enrollment and assessment as part of the full implementation of the louisiana early childhood act (act 3 of 2012). Morehouse parish early childhood network (ldoe, lead agencies, lead agencies-idea): in its fourth year with funding from the louisiana department of education, the children's coalition shifts from a "pilot" to lead agency for all publicly funded early childhood programs in morehouse parish: type iii child care centers, public and charter school pre-k, and head start. The lead agency is charged to coordinate enrollment and assessment as part of the full implementation of the louisiana early childhood act (act 3 of 2012). Richland parish early childhood network (ldoe, lead agencies, lead agencies-idea): in its third year with funding from the louisiana department of education, the children's coalition is the lead agency for all publicly funded early childhood programs in richland parish: type iii child care centers, public school pre-k, head start and early head start. The lead agency is charged to coordinate enrollment and assessment as part of the full implementation of the louisiana early childhood act (act 3 of 2012). Class pilot (ldoe): this grant was administered through ouachita parish early childhood network/lead agency, to provide training, stipends, and support for three early childhood teachers that piloted a new coaching model from class/wingspan. Pre-k expansion classrooms (ldoe): louisiana was one of 13 states awarded by the department of education (doe) to expand high-quality preschool programs in targeted communities that would serve as models for expanding preschool to all 4-year-olds from low- and moderate-income families. Ouachita parish was one of six community networks chosen by louisiana department of education to implement the pk-expansion grant in monroe city schools. The grant is a four-year award that provides 50 pk slots to families with at-risk children in a quality early learning center with a credentialed teacher who receives coaching and professional development. The grant is in its second year of implementation. Ancillary teaching certificate/believe and prepare (ldoe): this is a pilot program to develop and implement curricula in support of early childhood educators who are pursuing their ancillary teaching certificate and national cda certification. The ancillary teaching certificate implementation is funded by pathways scholarships for a cohort of 20 early educators which will begin fy 2016-2017; however, start up and curriculum development funding from a one-time believe and prepare grant began in spring of fy 2015-2016. Early childhood comprehensive systems (eccs) morehouse kids 1st (hrsa, ldh): this is the first year of a five-year award from health resources and services administration (hrsa) through the louisiana department of health (ldh). Children's coalition is one of two agencies working with the state in a national collaborative to build capacity for and test the validity of innovative strategies that increase school readiness for three-year-old children in morehouse parish.

youth development: s. O. S. - signs of suicide (living well, regional youth contract): an evidence-based program, signs of suicide provides the education and screening for students in monroe city and ouachita parish middle schools to identify signs of depression, self-injury and suicide in themselves and others and respond effectively. Funding for this program was initially through the louisiana department of health and hospitals - office of behavioral health, but authority for contracting and funding was transferred to the northeast delta human services authority in 2014. Funding was cut suddenly at the beginning of fy 2015-2016 and a small grant from living well with matching funds from schools participating in the project allowed the program to continue. Matching funding from union parish school board, bastrop high school, lee middle school, and ouachita jr. High enabled the program to be delivered to middle school students in union, morehouse, and ouachita parishes. Literacy plus (mha, leh): an early literacy program that provides out-of- school activities for children and families who reside within the monroe housing authority, literacy plus is funded in part by the monroe housing authority. As part of a housing and urban development (hud) grant, the housing authority supports a 75% staff member at the coalition to coordinate services and provides pass-through funds for a pre-k - 2nd grade after-school and summer program at berg jones elementary school, which borders on a housing authority community. Additional funding from the louisiana endowment for the humanities provides support for the primetime family literacy nights at berg jones elementary school. These programs require 50% participation by monroe housing authority residents in adjacent communities. Mapping adolescent health (lphi): funded by louisiana public health as part of a larger capacity-building initiative to address adolescent reproductive health, this initiative collected and analyzed local data from three sectors (medical, educational, and community-based organizations) to examine gaps and redundancies in adolescent reproductive health care and education in ouachita parish. Lphi is funded in part by a grant from the packard foundation that supports this work. Ouachita youth leadership summit (community donations): this was a one-day summit in october 2016 for middle and high school youth from 34 public and private schools in ouachita parish. Students were selected by school counselors to attend. Next step scholarships (community donations): this fund was established in 2015 by a community member who wished to fill the gap caused by cuts to tops scholarships. Scholarships are tied to youth-related programs in health living (u-act), youth development (ouachita leadership summit), and parenting (jus4me). Participants in these programs are invited to apply for 2- and 4- year college scholarships ranging from 1,000 to 3,000.

parenting initiative: jus4me teen parenting (uhc, lctf): funded by louisiana children's trust fund and rollover funds from a 2015 united healthcare grant, the jus4me teen parenting program serves pregnant and parenting teens in three schools in ouachita and morehouse parishes. The program uses an evidence-based parenting curriculum in weekly sessions held on the school site to provide support for healthy pregnancy outcomes, connection to community services, including quality child care, and high school graduation for teen mothers. Family resource center for northeast louisiana (dcfs): beginning february 1, 2016, ccnela was awarded a 20-month contract for a family resource center for the monroe area by the department of children and family services. After that time an ongoing contract will be awarded if the ccnela in in compliance. The family resource center works closely with dcfs to support families in their system who are in the reunification process. The center provides parenting classes, case management, visit coaching, and supportive services such as life skills and peer-parenting.