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• EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEM
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Public Engagement

Goal: Public Engagement

The MECC Public Engagement Action Team will increase awareness and knowledge of the components and importance of our local early childhood system. The level of public awareness for the importance of developing and maintaining an effective, culturally relevant early childhood system (ECS) will increase.

Definition of Goal:

The Montelores Community will increase understanding and support for a high-quality early childhood system that promotes healthy families and children. Both parents and providers will have an increased awareness of available services for families and young children across domains and how to access those services. The community at large will increase understanding of the importance of a comprehensive early childhood system, including the economic impact to the community.

Strategies:

· Create a Speakers Bureau for presentations to agencies, service organizations and community stakeholders.

· Create and disseminate a Resource Directory, coordinated with Collaboration Action Team.

· Develop and conduct a Resource Fair, coordinated with Collaboration Action Team.

· Develop Montelores Early Childhood Council logo, website and brochures.

Collaboration and Coordination of Services

Goal: Program Availability

The MECC Collaboration and Coordination of Services Action Team will improve the coordination of services to children and families to ensure effective access and comprehensive continuum of support.

Definition of Goal:

MECC will convene local organizations to identify gaps and duplication of services. MECC will encourage collaboration and information sharing among service providers.

Strategies:

· Conduct a comprehensive assessment of current child and family resources available in each county.

· Collaborate with families, providers and service agencies to address identified gaps and duplication of services.

· Map services and client access to services (i.e. diagram how consumers move through a resource/service system).

· Convene service provider meetings two times per year to share information and address accessibility, gaps & duplication.

· Research best practice in child and family collaborative services with the purpose of identifying specific strategies to implement best practice in providing services and resources.

Professional and Workforce Development

Goal: Professional and Workforce Development

The MECC Professional and Workforce Development Action Team will design a professional and work place development plan.

Definition of Goal:

MECC will advocate for, coordinate and advertise professional development opportunities for ECE professionals to increase the quality of care and services for young children and their families.

Strategies:

· Conduct an annual survey of ECE professionals to identify training and development needs.

· Offer a wide range of professional development opportunities that include flexible, accessible workshops and college level courses (MECC will coordinate with colleges who serve our area). To include, at lease one 48 hour EQIT training with coaching per year.

· MECC will provide, with community partners, a series of Leadership trainings for Directors.

Goal: Professional Development

The MECC Professional and Workforce Development Action Team will develop a Professional Development Incentive Plan.

Definition of Goal:

MECC will advocate for ECE professionals to obtain college credit to enhance the quality of services to children and families.

Strategies:

· Develop an incentive program for ECE professionals to increase participation in college courses.

Goal: Program Quality and Standards

The MECC Professional and Workforce Development Action Team will improve the quality of licensed homes and centers.

Definition of Goal:

MECC will promote strategies and partnerships to improve standards and promote high quality childcare experiences.

Strategies:

· MECC will continue current partnerships with CDHS division of Licensing, Qualistar, and School Readiness program and develop new partnerships when appropriate to promote quality improvement of homes and centers.

· MECC will offer at least one 40 EQIT training per year.

Goal: Program Availability

The MECC Professional and Workforce Development Action Team will recruit and retain qualified center and licensed home childcare staff.

Definition of Goal:

MECC will develop new strategies to recruit and retain highly qualified staff at centers and homes.

Strategies:

· MECC will make presentations to high school and college students regarding careers in the early childhood care and education fields.

· MECC will disseminate information about professional development plan and incentive plan to local newspapers, MECC members, partners and community.

Goal: Program Availability

The MECC Professional and Workforce Development Action Team will increase capacity of quality care for infants, toddlers and preschool children.

Definition of Goal:

MECC will advocate and coordinate the effort to solicit community support for an increase of center and licensed home provider childcare slots.

Strategies:

· MECC will solicit community support to develop and provide a grant program for additional licensed home providers to become licensed to care for at least 2 children under 2 years old.

· MECC will seek opportunities to develop a partnership with the Early Head Start Program (if that becomes available), The Piñon Project Family Resource Center and the local Department of Social Services to increase the capacity of care for all children 0-8 years old.

Parent and Family Engagement

Goal: Health and Mental Health

The MECC Parent and Family Engagement Action Team will engage health professionals to increase integration of health domain in our local early childhood system.

Definition of Goal:

MECC will use this planning grant and planning period to engage additional health partners, specifically oral, physical health, and mental providers.

Strategies:

· Conduct 4-6 planning meetings with key stakeholders to accomplish following goals.

· Determine need for topic-specific agendas and/or one on one meetings with key stakeholders.

· Recruit key stakeholders.

Goal: Health Integration

The MECC Parent and Family Engagement Action Team will document gaps in local early childhood health services.

Definition of Goal:

MECC will use information gathered to document and make a plan to mitigate gaps in health services.

Strategies:

· Create and conduct a survey for service providers and families to identify existing services and gaps in services.

· Hold key stakeholder interviews for the same purpose.

· Determine need for additional community assessments to identify gaps.

Goal: Health Integration

The MECC Parent and Family Engagement Action Team will complete a targeted health System Integration Plan.

Definition of Goal:

Create a Colorado Trust Implementation Proposal and Budget.

Strategies:

· Coordinate CDPHE training and TA for MECC Health Integration Committee.

· Create a proposal to implement MECC's Health Integration Plan.

Goal: Parent and Family Engagement

The MECC Parent and Family Engagement Action Team will engage and partner with parents and families in Montezuma and Dolores counties to encourage participation in all four domains of our early childhood system.

Definition of Goal:

Families are an essential resource and partner in the Council work. Families provide insight by sharing direct and honest feedback to MECC about the strengths and weaknesses of child and family services in Montezuma and Dolores counties.

Strategies:

· Provide family forums four times per year that include dinner and childcare to enable families to attend.

· Recruit family and parent participation among all domains.

· Develop family phone and e-mail listserv.

· Promote inclusion of family feedback to forums, meetings and other MECC Activities.

Goal: Parent and Family Support and Education

The MECC Parent and Family Engagement Action Team will support and coordinate community services which provide support and education to families.

Definition of Goal:

MECC will strengthen coordinated efforts of providers and stakeholders to meet the identified support and education goals of families.

Strategies:

· MECC will strengthen and support family leadership through effective training models.

· MECC will promote and help develop more resources and trainings to assist parents in continuing their children's learning experiences in the home.

· MECC will increase families awareness of ability to identify and select high-quality early childhood services and supports in all four domains.

· MECC will encourage providers to plan education opportunities at times and places convenient for families.