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November 2006
Great Start Collaborative
Birth to Five Subcommittee Meeting
Birth to Five/ Power of We Subcommittee Vision Statement:
“Every Ingham County child ready to succeed in school and life”
AGENDA
Wednesday, November 8, 2006
1:30 Introductions - All
1:40 GSC Budget, ECIC updates - Michelle Nicholson
1:50 Community Needs Assessment – 6 small group discussions
Treat
Report Card indicators as “Las Vegas” data; What questions does the data
raise?
What else do we need to know (and where to go to find it)?
Consensus and write-up questions
2:50
Agency Spotlight: Ingham MSU Extension – Pat
Lamison
Breastfeeding Initiative, Building Strong Families, EFNEP, Better Kid Care trainings
3:00 Power of We, School Readiness Indicator - Michelle Nicholson
3:10 Parent Liaisons Updates
3:15 Advisory Sub-Groups – Updates
Great Parents Great
Start, Early On, Jump Start
3:20 Workgroups - Updates (see written reports)
Literacy Coalition Beany Tomber
Public Awareness Mary Clark
Safe Sleep/Infant Mortality Lisa Chambers
Quality Initiatives Michelle Nicholson
Kindergarten Transition Bev Phillips/Lucy McClintic
Parent Education Michelle Nicholson
Operations Committee Michelle
Nicholson
3:20 Updates – All
3:30 Meeting ends
Next
Meeting will be December 13, 2006, 1:30-3:30 at
the Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 549 E.
Mt. Hope in Lansing (1 block East of Cedar).
Child Care will be available by Reservation Only - Call 371-1347.
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Great Start Collaborative (GSC)
MEETING MINUTES - Wednesday November 8, 2006
Members
Present: Lori Brasic - OYC, Nancy Bujold - CADL, Lisa Chambers - Jump Start,
Joelle Crist - DHS, Maureen Dillon - Sparrow Hospital, Malcolm Echols - Parent,
Shera Emmons - Parent, Mary Ferranti - Circuit Court, Barry Kaufman - CEI/CMH,
Pat Lamison - MSUE, Jessica Lonjo - CAYA, Lucy McClintic - CACS Head Start,
Lynne Martinez - Consultant, Amanda Masters - CAUW, Michelle Nicholson - IISD,
Stephanie Peters - IISD, Sharlina Pye-Mack - Parent, Ken Sperber - Community
Rep, Beany Tomber - MSU/WKAR, Diana Torrez-Hrit - CAYA, Diane Weinberger -
CEI/CMH
ECIC Updates
Michelle Nicholson chaired the meeting and began with ECIC updates. Michelle recapped that we submitted the revised GSC budget and workplan at the end of September to the ECIC and still have not received final approval. Because the extension of GSC services overlaps two fiscal years, and the State DHS is having a hard time balancing its budget, DHS has asked for some unspent funds back from ECIC. The State Treasurer is working with the ECIC to see if cuts will really be necessary to the GSC funded projects (at the local level it may mean that we might have $12k less of funds to spend on the GSC project). ECIC is providing technical assistance to the GSC through conference calls, webinars and TA meetings around Community Needs Assessment, Data Reports and Parent Involvement.
Community Needs Assessment
The Operations Committee suggested that we take time at this Birth to Five meeting to break into small groups and discuss the Data Reports in six areas: Physical Health, Community Conditions, Social Emotional Health, Parent Education & Family Support, Early Care & Education, Basic Needs, Economic Security & Child Safety. Each group reviewed the data in the ECIC template collected by OYC and tried to answer a few questions – What does the data tell us? What other questions does the data raise? What else do we need to know? Michelle asked that each of the small groups treat the data and discussion as they do in “Las Vegas” (what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas). Each small group met and reviewed the data sheets for their area. The small groups discussed the data and wrote out their feedback and questions on large sheets of paper. Lori offered to take the sheets and transcribe the information for our continuing discussion at our next meeting. The data sheets were collected back from the participants. Michelle let the group know there is an ECIC Webinar on Nov 15th, which should provide some additional technical assistance on working with the data and the Community Needs Assessment.
Agency Spotlight: Ingham County MSU Extension
Pat Lamison from MSUE summarized three in-home family education programs offered through Ingham MSU Extension.
BUILDING STRONG FAMILIES
Building Strong Families (BSF), a Michigan State University Extension program, helps parents and care givers develop skills to assist young children in reaching their fullest potential. The target age for the child is up to 36 months with children in their first year a priority.
The BSF curriculum has four modules: How Kids Develop addresses the stages of development for children 0-36 months; Helping Kids Behave teaches positive discipline alternatives; Playing to Learn promotes positive parent-child interaction; Smart Living facilitates parental development through goal setting.
Two MSU trained paraprofessional instructors provide the in home program to the parent(s) and care givers at a mutually agreed upon time. Home visits last approximately one hour per week for approximately eight to twelve weeks.
Pre and post evaluations document results. Evaluation studies, 1995-2005, show statistically significant changes for such outcome measures as: parents promote their child’s social, emotional, cognitive, language and physical development; use positive discipline, interact positively with their children and have fewer substantiated child abuse and neglect referrals.
Two instructors with a caseload of 16 families each serve about 100 families each year. For more information about BSF call 887-4590.
THE MOTHER TO MOTHER BREASTFEEDING PROGRAM
The goal of the Breastfeeding Program is to encourage women to breastfeed, empower mothers to solve breastfeeding problems, support and encourage breastfeeding women, and help women feel like great mothers to their babies. The Michigan State University program trains peer counselors who are mothers with practical breastfeeding experiences.
The peer counselor meets mothers in the hospital, in their home and also in the WIC office. The focus is on Food Stamp eligible women and WIC clients. Ideally, the counselor makes contact with women when they are pregnant so she can be available from the start after the baby is born. She is well trained to assist women but also to recognize when to refer mothers to other providers. Peer counselors wear pagers to be accessible at critical times with mother may experience difficulties. MSUE-Ingham County employs one peer counselor, Lee Anna Hatley, to serve a target of 45 families. The program is focused on low-income families and is now serving 57 mothers. For more information call 887-4580.
THE EXPANDED FOOD AND NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAM
This Michigan State University program (EFNEP) provides food and nutrition education to families with children. (A Food and Nutrition Education, FNP, program is similar but is funded to provide information to adults.) The program included education on basic nutrition, making the most of food resources, and recommended food safety practices. Staff collaborates with other agencies to coordinate efforts and refer families to local community services. There are eight staff in Ingham County.
The target audience is food stamp eligible families. EFNEP is free of charge, and is often taught in the clients’ home where the lessons can be tailored to the specific needs. Hands on cooking is often done. Group lessons are also provided in the community. There are approximately eight lessons to complete the full series of educational objectives. Ten staff with a caseload of 20 each, are planning on serving 200 families this year. For more information on EFNP lessons or possible group presentations call 887-4588.
School Readiness Indicator
The Operations Committee recommended to the Birth to Five committee that the GSC approve “the number of children repeating Kindergarten (those attending Kindergarten more than one year)” to be used as an indicator of School Readiness in the Power of We Report. Michelle will be working with the school districts and MDE on the data – to clean up or separate out those children attending Developmental K and pre-K programs and then Kindergarten programs so they are not included in the repeating Kindergarten count. The GSC reached consensus that this cleaned up “repeating kindergarten”
number should be used in the Power of We Report for the School Readiness indicator.
GSC Proposals
The Operations Committee reviewed all the proposals submitted to the GSC in the areas of Parent Liaisons & Coordination, Business initiatives, Faith-based initiatives, and Staff to the Committee.
The GSC reviewed, considered and approved the recommendations from the Operations Committee on the proposals. For the Business Proposals it was approved that the prospective contractors be encouraged to meet and collaborate on a joint or coordinated proposal, to then be re-submitted. For the Faith initiative some funds are to be reserved to be used with the Lansing Mayor’s Office on Community and Faith-based Initiatives, and some funds were approved for Sharlina Pye-Mack to serve as a Faith-based Liaison. For the staff to the Committee position, the GSC approved of the proposal submitted by Ken Sperber. Michelle will follow through with seeking the necessary formal approvals from the Ingham ISD Board (the fiscal agency for the GSC grant) for the contracts. After some discussion the GSC decided to defer a decision on the Parent Liaison and Coordinator proposals.
Updates
Michelle shared the following Workgroup Reports summarizing GSC Workgroup activities during October 2006
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GSC, Birth to Five Workgroups Summary Report
October 2006
Kindergarten Transition |
Questions/Clarifications/Comments |
Lori Brasic reported that staff reductions have occurred at OYC and they may not be able to send a representative to all of our meetings. Vicki Shannon reported that the Early Childhood Special Education count is 224, which is up 33 students from last year. Vicki will also try to access the number of students who could have gone on to kindergarten, but stayed in her program and also if we know how many went to kindergarten and should have stayed in the program. Lucy McClintic reported that Head Start still has some openings at Elmhurst. Transportation has been reinstated at Elmhurst on an as needed basis. We reviewed the data that OYC tallied from our pre school experience forms. We will update the forms for next year based on the existing programs. Discussion focused on whether our community is meeting the needs of our 4 year old population. Lucy is initiating a dialogue with the LSD MSRP program staff and Head Start to be sure the neediest of the needy is being served and look at any gaps. Bev will follow up with Sergio Keck. Discussion on whether our LSD MSRP students are staying in the district. Bev will check with Tom Mumby on the possibility securing that data. Kindergarten Steering Committee met at Maplehill for their first meeting. Suggestion for future meetings could also include a visit to Harley Franks which would allow a visit to MSRP and special education classrooms. Pauline stated she would not be continuing on as a co- chair for the Kindergarten Steering Committee, but will be a teacher rep for our transition meetings. The next steering committee meeting is at Mt. Hope.
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For more information contact Bev Phillips at 517-755-2810 or |
Literacy Coalition |
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The Nov. 4 Literacy Kick-Off meeting at the Library of Michigan was very successful. All performers and activities were well received and enjoyed by participants who attended. There were lots of infant/toddlers and preschoolers having a great time. The events continue through the next two weeks at individual agency sites throughout Clinton, Ingham, Eaton and Shiawassee counties. The next meeting of the Coalition is Nov. 21, 8:45-10:30 at the East Lansing Public Library. The main agenda item will be evaluation of all events.
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For more information contact Beany Tomber at 517-432-3120 Ext 406 or
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Parent Education |
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Has not met. The purpose and coordination of the group is being reviewed to determine future direction.
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Public Awareness |
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The translation work for the articles for Business and Faith Toolkits is underway. The November focus for Public Awareness will be physical health – holiday stress or childhood obesity and for December the focus will be safety – again on toy safety. An update of the ECIC grant was given and web site discussion centered around the number of hits and how we can interface the Great Start web site and the CACVoices web site. A business tool kit was presented to IBM and Mary will follow up.
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For more information contact Mary Clark at 517-319-2121 or
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Quality Initiatives |
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The literacy kick-off, Laying a Foundation of Literacy in the Early Years, was held on 10/27 to further efforts for transition, joint PD & understanding of developmental sequences in emerging literacy. Participants earned 6 SB-CEUs for teachers and training hours for child care providers. There was a keynote on literacy competencies, 2 breakout sessions with a choice of 7 topics and a luncheon speaker on community and professional resources. It was also an opportunity to share competencies and alignment of infant/toddler benchmarks and preschool standards with the Kindergarten GLCEs (Grade Level Content Expectations).There were 91 in attendance from a variety of settings and even outside of Ingham County.
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For more information contact Michelle Nicholson at 517-244-1384 or mnichols@inghamisd.org
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Safe Sleep/Infant Mortality |
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The Safe Sleep Coalition has discussed ways to increase their connection to Birth to Five and the GSC. Safe Sleep has requested time to present the KISS toolkit at the December Birth to Five meeting. The Safe Sleep coalition successfully sponsored the Safe Sleep Walkers in the Lansing Baby Walk as a fund-raiser for Tomorrow’s Child/ Michigan SIDS.
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For more information contact Mary Adkins at
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Operations Committee |
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The committee met twice in October, once to discuss how to move forward with our data collection and strategic review, discuss ECIC contract, workplan and budget revisions and plan for the 11/8 Birth to Five meeting. It was decided to break into small groups at Birth to Five to generate questions and identify additional information that might be needed in reviewing the data collected so far.
A second meeting was held to review contract proposals for Staff to the Collaborative, Parent Coordination, engaging business leaders and the faith community. Recommendations have moved forward to Birth to Five.
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For more information contact Michelle Nicholson at 517-244-1384 or mnichols@inghamisd.org
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The next Birth to Five, Ingham GSC meeting will be on Wednesday, December 13th from 1:30pm – 3:30pm at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 549 E. Mt. Hope, Lansing. Childcare will be available on-site with advance reservation before 12/6/2006 at the Family Growth Center 371-1347.
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