West Central Minnesota Communities Action Inc

Programs: Head startwcmca's head start program is a comprehensive child development program design that supports the growth of young children within the family and the growth of family within the community. One of the unique qualities of head start is that we are one of the first and only programs to adhere to the principle that parents are the first teachers of their children. We believe parents are the primary nurturers, educators, and advocates for their children. This family centered approach works to produce high quality early childhood services. Areas of service include: health, nutrition, social service, parent involvement and education. Program services are provided through center based (classroom) and home-based (home-visit) approaches. We implement evidence-based research that supports parent engagement activities that make a difference in families lives and in children's learning outcomes. The staff of our head start program are implementing evidence-based research strategies in the classroom and during home visits to promote positive, sustained child outcomes. We are especially proud of the positive child outcomes in literacy and language development. This has been achieved by providing young children the language-rich, stimulating environments they need to develop strong vocabularies. A dual focus of the program is to strengthen family development. This is accomplished through intentional scaffolding of support to meet individual needs. Community resources are matched with parent/family needs to achieve goals toward self-sufficiency. An additional unique part of head start is the policy council and parent committees. Policy council members oversee the delivery of the program services to children and families. Policy council is comprised of parent representatives from each of the head start centers and the early head start home-based programs. The parents at each center elect the representatives and the community representatives submit letters of interest. Policy council approves the community representatives. Through policy council, parents and community representatives share actively in making decisions about the program. Local parent committees provide each parent of an enrolled child with the opportunity to assist in the development of activities that support the education and health development of their children. This program is designed to serve low-income children. The number of children served: 427.

weatherization and conservation improvementwcmca's weatherization program is funded through the us department of energy, health & human services, and the conservation improvement programs, which are funded by the local utility companies. These programs help households with lower incomes cut their heating costs and improve the comfort level of their homes by making energy saving home improvements. Some of these improvements include: insulation, caulking, and weather-stripping. To be eligible, households must have incomes that are at or below 200% of poverty. These programs have a priority system to target the neediest. The priority system consists of: households of elderly, high consumers, disabled individuals, and families with children. Some of these programs are available to homeowners as well as renters. Wcmca staff complete an energy audit of the home to determine the improvements allowed. This is accomplished through the use of weatherization computer software. Local contractors are then hired to make improvements. The average weatherization cost per home is $7,103. The number of households served: 209

energy assistancewcmca's energy assistance program helps low-income people meet their home energy needs. Eligible households receive grants to help pay energy costs. Energy consumption is reduced through heating system audits, retrofits, conservation, and repair activities. Crisis assistance gives immediate help to those in emergency situations. Energy related repairs provide heating related repairs for emergencies. Actual heating costs from the previous heating season and household income determine the amount of assistance that is received. All payments for primary heat ($2,500,000) and crisis ($706,000) are generated from the state of mn through the e-heat system, energy related repairs payments are generated in-house. Households served with primary assistance: 4,559, crisis assistance: 1,623, and energy related repairs: 212. Additionally, funds are provided by companies and donations from individuals to provide crisis payments on behalf of the clients: 90

the faim program enables minnesota's low-income wage earners to build assets through the purchase of a home, pursuit of higher education, or the launching of, or expansion of, a small business. Wcmca contracts with 22 community action agencies, and various other agencies. Wcmca is currently operating two faim programs: faim v, which will end 12/31/17, and faim vi, which will operate until 4/30/21. The participants will place monthly savings up to $40 into bremer bank, which will be matched at a 3 to 1 rate. To be eligible for the program, participants must be at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, have assets of less than $10,000 (this excludes a residence), and one vehicle per household. Participants must complete financial management classes, as well as asset-specific training. The us department of health and human services, mn department of human services, participating organizations, otto bremer foundation, and inver hills community college have provided funding for the faim program since it's inception. Faim enrolled a total of 1,611 participants, 567 of which have purchased their assets and 491 are actively saving. The family and community services department operates a variety of programs to serve the low-income, which includes emergency services, homelessness, income tax preparation, foreclosure prevention, family assets for independence in mn (faim), parenting time and exchange center, transitional housing and permanent supportive housing. Number of participants served: emergency services - 70; tax preparation - 467; homeless assistance - 114; housing counseling - 19; foreclosure mitigation - 17; permanent supportive housing - 2; transitional housing - 12; faim - 26; financial literacy classes - 25; budgeting classes - 16; parenting time & exchanges - 289; and parent resource program - 101. The housing department oversees the building of new homes, the contract for deed homes, the rehabilitation of homes, and lead testing services. Number of participants served: new homes - 4; contract for deed homes - 34; lead testing services - 88; and housing rehabilitation - 31. Wcmca operates various other programs to serve the low-income, which enables them to become independent and achieve their goals towards living a life out of poverty. Some of these programs are: applications for health insurance - 754 participants assisted and 496 applications submitted; snap - 756 participants, in home - 59 participants, and ready ride - 59 participants and 170 rides. Additionally, wcmca does referral, outreach, and advocacy.