Western Kentucky University
Child Care Consortium
Head Start & Early Head Start Annual Report 2011
Western Kentucky University Child Care Consortium (WKU CCC) provides service at two sites in
Bowling Green, Kentucky – on the WKU campus and at the Housing Authority of Bowling Green’s
Bryant Way development. Services are provided through:
•
funding directly from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for
Children and Families, Office of Head Start for the preschool Head Start program,
•
a contractual arrangement with Murray Independent Schools for Early Head Start, and
•
private pay and state funding to provide child and family development services for clients who
are not income-eligible for Head Start/Early Head Start services as well as to offer extended
day and year-round programs for income-eligible children and families.
As a Head Start/Early Head Start program, WKU CCC’s primary mission is to provide comprehensive
early childhood development services for children birth to five. All children grow and develop in a safe,
nurturing environment in which they are given the opportunity to learn, experiment and experience
success. Additional supportive and developmental services are provided to children with special
needs and their families. The Consortium ensures that the children are provided with medical and
dental examinations, nutritious meals and mental health services. WKU CCC’s family development
focus ensures that families have the knowledge and skills to support their children in achieving school
readiness and school success and to strengthen their families as a whole to accomplish individual and
family goals and pursue their dreams.
Through delegate relationships, WKU CCC provides funding for Head Start services provided by
Audubon Area Community Services (http://www.audubon-area.com/) and Murray Independent School
District (http://www.headstart.murray.kyschools.us/). In turn, as noted above, WKU CCC is a delegate
of Murray Independent Schools for its Early Head Start services.
Program and Financial Reviews
Based upon the most recent Federal triennial review of WKU CCC Head Start and Early Head Start
(2009), the program is in full compliance with all applicable Head Start Performance Standards, laws,
regulations and policy requirements.
WKU CCC has had no audit findings in the last year. For more details please review at http://www.wku.
edu/ccc/financial_reports/wku_audit_2011.pdf.
The Child and Adult Care Food Program audit for years ending June 30, 2010 and 2009, cited no
findings. View the audit letter at http://www.wku.edu/ccc/financial_reports/cacfp_audit_2009-10.pdf.
WKU CCC’s website at http://www.wku.edu/ccc/ provides easily accessible, up-to-date information
about program activities and access to monthly and quarterly financial and programmatic reports for
committees and board members.
2010-11 Funding Facts
Total Agency Public and Private Funds (External Grants and Contract Awards)
Federal
$17,648,541
State
$3,459,078
Other
$1,848,183
WKU CCC
Federal Funds for Head Start Services and Training for WKU Child Care Centers
$772,063
Federal funds for Head Start Services and Training delegated to Audubon Area and Murray Head Start
$585,171
Matching Funds for Head Start Services
$339,309
Federal funds for Early Head Start Services and Training delegated from Murray Independent Schools
$203,020
Matching Funds for Early Head Start
$50,755
Funds from Child Care and Development Block Grant and Private Pay
Funds from USDA
$331,023
$72,958
WKU CCC Total All Sources
$2,354,299
Head Start Grantee Program Funding FY 2011
Head Start Total Funding FY 2011
Early Head Start Program Funding FY 2011
Customer Impact - 2011
WKU Head Start and Early Head Start
Total number of children and families served including drops and replacements
Head Start
94
Early Head Start
22
Funded Enrollment
Head Start
75
Early Head Start
15
Percentage of Eligible Children Served
Head Start
17%
Early Head Start
2%
Percentage of Available Children Served
Head Start
85%
Early Head Start
4%
Total number of Head Start children with health insurance
94
Enrolled in Medicaid/EPSDT
78
Number with private health insurance
14
Number of children up-to-date on a schedule of age appropriate preventive and primary health care
94
Dental Services
Number of Head Start children who have completed a professional dental examination during the
operating period or within 12 months
94
Of the children examined -- the children needing dental treatment
4
Head Start children who have received or are receiving treatment
4
The total number of Early Head Start children with health insurance
Enrolled in Medicaid/EPSDT
21
Number with private health insurance
1
Number of EHS children up-to-date on a schedule of age appropriate preventive and primary health care
22
Dental Services
Number of Early Head Start children who have received dental screenings
21
School Readiness
With the overall goal of preparing children and their families for transition to and success in school,
WKU CCC classrooms are pursuing the Kentucky School Readiness Goals and supplementing them
with local program goals which reflect the priorities that emerged from assessments of WKU CCC
children’s levels of achievement (see page 6). One of the many ways this is done is through ongoing
assessment of children, using the Teaching Strategies GOLD On-line Assessment System. The system
enables WKU CCC to collect Child Outcomes data in each of eleven domains:
•
Science Knowledge & Skills
•
Approaches to Learning
•
Social Studies Knowledge & Skills
•
Language Development
•
Physical Development & Health
•
Literacy Knowledge & Skills
•
Social & Emotional Development
•
Logic & Reasoning
•
Mathematics Knowledge & Skills
•
Creative Arts Expression
•
Cognition & General Knowledge
Teaching staff conduct child assessments three times a year. Throughout the year during home visits and
parent conferences, staff discuss the assessment results with families. The software generates reports
for each classroom and the program as a whole to track children’s progress and continuously develop
strategies to improve child outcomes and enhance staff capabilities to guide children’s development.
Portfolios are maintained on each Head Start child. They include children’s work completed during
both small group and individual activities that reflects milestones in their development. Developmental
progress is also tracked through anecdotal notes so that individual goals can be updated to address
needs and developmental stages of each child.
Transition Activities
Special transition activities are conducted each year to assist families
moving from Head Start to the schools. Information is given regarding
telephone numbers for public schools which their children will attend,
procedures for Kindergarten registration, and skills that children will
need to be successful during this transition time.
The teaching
staff perform transition activities in the classrooms and the parents
practice at home to ease the movement of their children into the
next setting. Information is also shared with families regarding
communication between them and the public schools, and what
they can do to support their child during this time. Along with
individualized activities, parent meetings regarding Kindergarten
preparation are held and arrangements are also made for
families to visit the school their child will be attending. One
of the hallmarks of getting children ready for school is getting
the family involved in the child’s education. WKU CCC has
accomplished this through a variety of parent involvement
and family engagement activities.
Parent Involvement Activities and Family Engagement
The parent/program partnership is at the core of WKU CCC’s child and family development initiatives.
Parents and staff work together to enhance children’s school readiness. Staff support parents in
establishing and pursuing individual and family goals in areas from completing college to securing
reliable transportation. Teachers and Family Services staff meet regularly with parents to encourage
and support their involvement in the program and in the community. Below are some examples of WKU
CCC’s partnership with parents.
Through partnerships with the LEAs and Parent
Committee Meetings, WKU CCC worked with
families on school readiness and transition to
Kindergarten as it affects the entire family.
The role of families in children’s literacy was
strengthened through collaboration with the
National Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) project.
RIF funds were used to purchase three books
for each child and WKU CCC staff encouraged
family literacy efforts at home.
Staff focused throughout the year on
increasing parent participation in program
activities, specifically the Policy Council,
Health Services Advisory Committee, parent
meetings and training. In addition, parents
consistently volunteer in the classrooms.
WKU CCC engaged parents electronically in the program and improved delivery of services to families
by developing a website that is more user-friendly, especially for our growing student population.
The Barren River District Health Department’s commitment to WKU CCC is evidenced in its wide
variety of primary care, including well-child checks, counseling, and nutrition education services
coordinated through the program that support WKUCCC families and involve them directly in their
children’s health.
Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education graduate interns organized a clothing and toy exchange for
all WKU CCC families.
Consistent with the Head Start culture, at WKU CCC food brings us together! During a luncheon
provided by WKU CCC for our families, a local mental health consultant shared information on behavior
management and helped parents cope with challenging behaviors. A holiday celebration luncheon was
provided for all families, offering a great opportunity for parents, teachers, and children to spend quality
time together as 2011 drew to a close.
WKU CCC School Readiness Goals
Physical Development and Health
•
Kentucky Program School Readiness Goal – Children will demonstrate control of large muscles for
movement, navigation, and balance.
•
WKU CCC Goal – Children will demonstrate fine-motor strength and coordination utilizing fingers and
whole arm movements to manipulate and explore objects.
Social and Emotional Development
•
Kentucky Program School Readiness Goal – Children will develop and demonstrate positive
interactions and relationships with adults and peers.
•
Kentucky Program School Readiness Goal – Children will develop and demonstrate the ability to
recognize and regulate emotions, attention, impulses, and behavior.
•
WKU CCC Goal – Children will establish and sustain positive relationships with adults
and make friends with peers.
•
WKU CCC Goal – Children will be able to accurately
identify basic emotional reactions of others and their
causes.
Approaches to Learning
•
Kentucky Program School Readiness Goal – Creative
Arts Expression: Children will demonstrate an interest in
and participate in a variety of visual arts, dance, music and
dramatic experiences.
•
WKU CCC Goal – Children will explore and gain an interest
in visual arts, musical concepts and expressions, dance
movements and concepts, and drama through actions and
language.
Language and Literacy
•
Kentucky Program School Readiness Goal – Literacy Knowledge
and Skills: Children will be able to demonstrate knowledge of
print and develop the awareness that print conveys meaning.
•
WKU CCC Goal – Children will demonstrate knowledge of print and its uses by: interacting during
read-aloud and book conversations, showing an appreciation of books, and orienting books correctly
by turning pages from front to back and indicating where to start reading and the direction to follow.
Cognition and General Knowledge
•
Kentucky Program School Readiness Goal – Logic and Reason: Children will find multiple solutions
utilizing symbolic representation to questions, tasks, problems and challenges by using reasoning
skills.
•
Kentucky Program School Readiness Goal – Mathematics Knowledge and Skills: Children will use
math in everyday routines to count, compare, relate, pattern and problem solve.
•
Kentucky Program School Readiness Goal – Social Studies Knowledge and Skills: Children will
engage in exploring their family and community, its history and events, and interacting with people
and the environment.
•
WKU CCC Goal – Children will observe and imitate problem solving skills by seeking teacher and/or
peer assistance and implementing a solution.
•
WKU CCC Goal – Children will verbally count to 10 and count up to five objects accurately using one
number name for each object.
•
WKU CCC Goal – Children will demonstrate a basic understanding of people and how they live.