Where We've Been and Where We Are Going - EHS FCC Update 2 Transcript

Operator: This meeting is now being recorded.Sherrie: All right. And we'll get started.

Well good afternoon everybody. Welcome. We're delighted to be with you.I would say we're delighted to be with you again because last week we were actually with many of you in the first of our partnership team conference calls where we had an informal gathering of many people sharing information and asking questions.We're delighted to have you back with us again for the second in our series of four update webinars.Our update webinars are a little more formal than our partnership team call. So we have an actual agenda where we're going to look at where we've been and where we're going as we do on each of the update webinars.And then the highlight of the webinar, at least for me, is always the team sharing. And we are going to have five teams with us today to share their visions and some of their indicators and action steps.

And then in the next two update webinars that we're doing in August and September, those of you who have not yet had a chance to share your stories will have your turn. And then we will end with questions and answers.So that's what we'll be doing. And now I'm going to turn it over to Angie Godfrey who is actually in the room with us, much to our great delight and Dawn Ramsburg, who is on the phone with us, much to our great delight.Angie Godfrey: Thank you, Sherrie.This is Angie Godfrey from the Office of Head Start, and I just want to thank you all for being here today to participate in – I love that Sherrie called it a formal sharing. And I just can't wait to hear what you're doing informally.I hear so many wonderful things about this project. I – as I did cluster meetings around the country with our Early Head Start franchisees and the regional offices I met several folks from several of the programs and was so grateful to hear about the work that you're doing.I hear weekly from Betsi and the team up here about the work that's going on in the field, and it's just wonderful work. So thank you and I plan just to sit back and listen.Sherrie: So Dawn, are you on the line?

Dawn Ramsburg: Yes. This is Dawn. And I think I – and I'm with the Office of Head – or Office of Child Care.And I would echo everything that – that Angie just said. I mean we hear so many positive things, both from Betsi's staff and then through e-mails that you all send into her. We get those forwarded to us.And so we really are pleased with how everything is going, and we just want to be able – I think for Angie and I we want to be able just to sit here and listen in your – in your voice and in your words tell us some of the stories and how things are going. So I look forward to it.

Betsi: Great. Well, meanwhile I do have the pleasure of getting to see the e-mails and the photos that you send in, the stories that you're telling as they're relayed to me. And hopefully I'm getting a chance to see all of them because I certainly see a whole lot of good ones, and they're quite wonderful.In looking at the work plan, which many of you have updated recently, I've noticed that the teams are starting to sort of formulate into a little bit different categories than what we started with.When we started the project and any application we were sort of describing teams as those that are already implementing Early Head Start and family childcare, those that were considering moving towards this partnership, and then those that really weren't sure about what this was all about and were exploring what the opportunity might be.And since then a lot of work has happened in your communities. And they – your teams have started to look this way.And Tricia and I spend a lot of time sort of having conversations about what we're seeing. And what we've sort of come to is that we now have teams who are implementing early Head Start and family childcare, and are providing activities through this project that enhance their work with family childcare providers.Then we have a whole group of teams who are not implementing Early Head Start right now and family childcare, that are providing activities through this project to build their own capacity as staff, and the capacity of the family childcare providers in their community to eventually implement Early Head Start and family childcare.And many of you have already indicated that in your continuation grant you have written in for Early Head Start to begin its partnership in family childcare provider homes.And then we have a third group of teams, those that are either implementing Early Head Start and family childcare or not, who are using this project as an opportunity to build to the capacity of many family childcare providers in your community.And some of you have reached out to a very large number of providers. Others of you have stayed a little bit closer to a number that's a bit smaller.But in any case, we are seeing that across the country, family childcare providers are coming together, and their capacity to provide quality care and comprehensive services for families is really on the upswing.So those are sort of the new observations that we have as part of where we are now in the project.And I'm going to turn it over to Tricia, who's going to be able to give you the next steps in terms of the evaluation.

Tricia: Thank you, Betsi. Good afternoon. And I just want to first take this opportunity to thank all of you who participated in the telephone interviews for the project evaluation. I know June was a busy month, but we were able to talk to many of you during that time period. So thank you for your time and your openness during those calls.So I just want to let you know about some of the evaluation next steps. There're sort of three main things I want to talk about.The first is profiles that we're going to develop for each team. These will be based on information from your work plans, the administrative data that the CCTC's input, and the telephone interviews when applicable. And we'll use that information to create a profile about each partnership team that highlights the agencies that are involved, the key activities you're working on and the key partners that you're collaborating with in your community or state.What we'll do is share these profiles with each team for review. And we'd like to get your feedback on anything maybe we captured incorrectly. And so we're expecting to share those with you probably in September. And we will include those profiles as part of the evaluation report.We also are going to be working on developing information about key successes, challenges and lessons learned that have emerged across the interviews we conducted for the evaluation.And we'd like to share a document that summarizes them with each of you to give an opportunity for you to review these and provide your reflections and feedback to us. And this is a way we can hear from all of you, including those of you that we weren't able to interview as part of the evaluation. And again, that'll – we're aiming to send that out around September.And finally, for those grantees, those Early Head Start grantees that are currently implementing Early Head Start and family childcare, we ask you a number of questions during the interviews about the model that you use for your family childcare option and the providers you work with.And we're also interested in accessing some of the PIR data about the provider so we can learn a little bit more about their characteristics.So we'll be working on that throughout the summer, and we anticipate having a very full number of follow-up questions for you that we will be reaching out to you to ask. And that will probably happen, again, in August or September. But we'll provide additional information in August about our plans for that so that it doesn't come to you as a surprise. But again, it will be a small number – a small number of questions.So again I want to thank you for your ongoing contributions to the evaluation, and just let you know to never hesitate to e-mail me if you have any questions or concerns about the evaluation.Okay. I'll turn it back over to Sherrie?

Sherrie: Good guess. Thank you. There's no picture.So I'm just going to introduce or talk about the five teams that have generously agreed to talk today about their work on the project.Family Star, the Family Star team from Colorado; the HOPES CAP group from New Jersey, joined by another program from New Jersey, Center for Family Resources.New Jersey is one of the two states where we have more than one program. We have two teams from New Jersey with us today.One of the four California teams, Peninsula Family Services; and finally in Oregon, Oregon Child Development Coalition.So now I'm going to turn it over to Renee Joiner, who will introduce the team members from Family Star who are going to be able to be with us on the presentation today. Renee?

Renee Joiner: Good afternoon, everyone. And I'm so glad that everyone was able to join us. And I have the distinct pleasure of introducing my team from Denver, Colorado, the Family Star team. Which today we have Diane Medina, who's the CCTC, and Emily Bustos who's the childcare partner. I don't know, is Lionel not able to join us today?

Diane Medina: No, I don't think so.Renee Joiner: Okay. So we'll let those two ladies present, and then we'll take it from there.So Diane, I'll turn it over to you. Did we lose Diane and Emily?Emily Bustos: This is Emily. I'm still here.Renee Joiner: Okay. Well, Emily are you going to present or is Diane going to present?Emily Bustos: She was going to kick it off and then I was going to pick up, but ...

Renee Joiner: I think we lost her.

Emily Bustos: Did we lose her? Okay. Then I'll jump in.

Renee Joiner: Okay. Thank you.

Emily Bustos: So I'm Emily Bustos and I'm the executive director with the Denver Early Childhood Council here in Denver. We are one of 30 early childhood councils around the state of Colorado.And we also act as the childcare resource and referral for city county of Denver, specifically for childcare provider resources.

And so we're a partner in this project because of that work we do and in working with Family Star and Diane on this project.So we – we previously to working on this project had not formally worked together, but more had just been in similar meetings, similar circles, that kind of thing. So this has been a really great opportunity for us to work together as partners. And really I think actually identify some sort of communication opportunities that there are locally to really have some good dialogue around what's happening with Early Head Start and family childcare providers here in Denver.

So the first indicator that we're going to talk about today is the Early Head Start and childcare partners across the community understanding the performance standards as they relate to this program option. And they're really – that was really a starting point for us because we – we knew that because we weren't already locally doing this – implementing this option that we needed to really do some knowledge building with our local partners.So one of the activities that we've been doing is actually identifying and then bringing together local stakeholders to help educate them about what the option is. And then specifically to look at the performance standards and see not so much crosstalk as just start that dialogue about how the performance standards relate to us as an option and also the licensing standards and how that all fits together.So we really were trying just to start the dialogue here locally because we are moving the direction of implementing the option. But we really just wanted to make sure that everybody was on the same page to begin with, and that really all the people that needed to be a part of this conversation were all at the table. So that kind of took a little while to make sure that was all happening.

Diane Medina: Emily, I'm here.

Emily Bustos: Oh, good, Diane. I just jumped in, you know. You know me.Diane Medina: I'm not sure what happened.

Emily Bustos: Do you have anything else to add on that, Diane?

Diane Medina: Well, because – because like Emily said this was not an option currently available in Denver, this bringing together of local stakeholders was very important. It seemed as though the folks that came to the table understood that this option could – could happen in Denver. But there was – there hadn't been any conversations to actually move it forward.And so once folks started to come to the meetings, listen to one another, talk about some of the – some of the things that they could contribute as a stakeholder group, they became a little – they became more comfortable with one another. Were able to start really talking about what their expertise is from their particular standpoint and how they could contribute to help move this forward. So it really truly is a team effort in trying to put all the puzzle pieces together.

Emily Bustos: And so, this is Emily again. I would just add we just met twice. We're going to have our next meeting actually next week. And really each meeting has been better attended than the last.So I think we are feeling pretty happy about how we've been able to engage these local stakeholders and partners, and also keep them coming back to the table to move the conversation forward.

Renee Joiner: Okay. Kate, next slide? There we go.

Diane Medina: Well, the next indicator is the Early Head Start staff and managers will look for ways to provide services to infants and toddlers through this option. And then articulate those benefits to family childcare providers for the children and the families that they serve.And so what has been very interesting to me is the Early Head Start partner has really tried to step up and kind of think outside of – of the box in ways where he could familiarize himself with family childcare providers, who they are, what kind of environment they work in, who they deal with on the day-to-day basis, their credentialing. He kind of had to look at everything that comprises a family childcare provider.And so what he has done is he has – he's had a couple of informational meetings where he has actually gotten the list from the CCR&R, and has called, e-mailed, mailed each of the providers on that list to invite them to his – his informational meeting.There were – there were not that many folks that came to the first one, but what we were really excited about is that everybody that was sitting around that table had a – had a very high interest in Head Start. They wanted to know how they could get started. They wanted to know what they needed to do first. So they were very, very interested in learning about that process.And so what has come about with this as well is that because the CCR&R

provides training to childcare providers in the city and county of Denver, they have agreed to add an expanding quality session, which is 48 hours of eight Saturdays, 6 hours each Saturday. They're going to come. And we've got probably 20 folks right now who are registered.So this – this expanding quality session will be to lay the foundation for the providers who are interested in looking into this option.Emily Bustos: And so I would just add that this expanding quality for infants and toddlers is a state sponsored curriculum through our Department of Education, and so we're providing that locally in the city and county of Denver as Diane said. But it's really a very good trajectory. Even though it's very intensive in 48 hours, it's actually a very hands on and a good introductory session that would be, I think, appropriate for family childcare providers.We weren't trying to sort of intimidate people right off the bat and say you should come to this really intense training. But really this is a great introductory training that we've had a lot of success with because of all the hands-on activities and the real life sort of examples that they use in this course.So it seemed like a very good fit with the targeted providers that we're trying to reach here locally.And I think that one theme that has really been going through the conversations as a small project team, but also at the stakeholder meetings, has been that we really need to be conscious of and intentionally think about the relationship building with family childcare homes from the get go. And that we are making sure that this isn't sort of put out there as a pilot effort that once the money's gone will go away.Because you know previously that has happened. And really we're trying to build a longer term relationship with family childcare providers, especially as the childcare research and referral for Denver. But really wanting to make sure we're very intentional about that in building trust and relationships. And then

– and then helping to move providers from wherever level of quality and comfort with standards that they're at to – to the next level.So – so, that's really been a very intentional piece of the work so far. And it was really reinforced when we met with another group that is implementing this option in Colorado Springs who said that that's exactly how they started, which really was just working with providers, directly building relationship and then going from there. So that was really good to hear that we were hopefully on the right track with that.Renee Joiner: Okay. Do we have any questions for Diane or Emily about the Denver program at Family Star?Okay. Being none, I'm glad to say thank you for the work that you're doing. And I'd like to turn this over to Angela Fisher.Angela Fisher: Good afternoon, everyone. This is Angela. I am very excited to introduce the next two teams in my cohort.You know it's a great honor. Number one, I live in New Jersey and both teams are in New Jersey. So there's a special love between us.The first team is HOPES CAP. And the CCTC I'm happy to introduce is Lynn Troianelli. Her Early Head Start partner is Kim Johnson. And the childcare partner is Pat Manutti.So Lynn, would you like to give everyone the details of what's happening at HOPES CAP?Lynn Troianelli: Yes. Hello, everyone. Well, we've been very busy here at - with our project. And HOPES CAP is the Early Head Start program in Plainfield, New Jersey. And community – community coordinated childcare, is the CCR&R. And we've been working together as partners.Angela Fisher: Next slide, please? Lynn Troianelli: Our vision is to enhance the quality of care for infants and toddlers and family childcare provider homes in partnership with Early Head Start by incorporating the high standards of Head Start program performance standards.Okay. And the first indicator that we chose to elaborate on was Early Head Start staff becoming aware of the

experience of the family childcare providers in their communities. And we've had quite a few activities. We have a really wonderful group of family childcare providers in Plainfield. It's really getting to know each other.So the first activity that we had was an introductory dinner meeting with the current Plainfield providers, the childcare research and referral manager of family childcare, and the executive director and Early Head Start staff.So what we did at this first introductory meeting, the 4Cs family childcare manager reviewed the requirements for becoming a provider in New Jersey. And then the providers were able to share their background and experiences as registered childcare providers.And to start off the meeting one of the providers, one of her famous quotes is, we are not babysitters. We provide a curriculum and are well-trained professionals. And they are like amazing women that work in the Plainfield community.Some of their experiences as providers, we have some that are CDA certified or currently enrolled in the class to obtain the credential. We have some that are enrolled in the Professional Impact New Jersey Family Child Care Provider Accreditation Program.Several of our providers are currently enrolled in college courses in New Jersey in New Jersey Infant Toddler credential. And that's paid through scholarship funding through the local R&R.Some have participated in our New Jersey First Steps Infant/Toddler Specialist Initiative, which includes program for infant toddler care or PITC training, and also specialists going into their homes and actually doing one-on-one technical assistance.Let's see. Some of our providers have served on the board for the New Jersey Family Child Care Providers Association. And they also participate in the CCR&R trainings. They're very active in the national conference events. And they also participate in support group activities and other social activities that are offered through the local CCR&R.And after this meeting it was a really nice meeting, and I just remember the Early Head Start director commenting, wow, I'm really impressed and how the meeting ended.And so the next thing we did, we had a breakfast meeting for potential providers from the Plainfield community. We distributed a flyer throughout Plainfield to people that may be interested in becoming registered family childcare providers.And we did have an informational meeting. And again the CCR&R family childcare manager reviewed the requirements for becoming a registered provider. And then the Early Head Start manager shared information about the Early Head Start program in Plainfield.Let's see.

Current providers were also at this meeting so they were able to share their experiences with the potential providers. And as a result of this meeting we did recruit four new providers who did attend a full day training to become registered in New Jersey.And they also participated in something that we don't usually do as part of the registered family childcare provider training. But they took a tour – they had a tour of the homes of the current providers. They were actually able to see the homes of the current family childcare providers.After that we conducted a luncheon meeting for community partners. We sent out a flyer to community partners who had already worked with, or that the CCR&R has worked with, and new partners to introduce the project. Again, the family childcare manager talked about the registered family childcare program. The Early Head Start director talked about Early Head Start.And again the family childcare providers were there to share their expertise. After that meeting we distributed a survey to see how they could become involved in the project.We also sponsored our current family childcare providers to attend the New Jersey Family Child Care Association Annual Conference. And we also attended. Head start and I attended as a CCTC just to learn more about family childcare.And then we also sponsored the providers to attend the New Jersey Head Start Professional Development Annual Conference. And we presented – our team presented a workshop on the Early Head Start family childcare project, and the collaboration effort between Early Head Start and the CCR&R.Let's see. The CCTs, Michelle Barnea from the other New Jersey program, talking about a meeting that we had at this conference with the training and technical staff from the New Jersey Head Start Training Office.The family childcare providers really enjoyed the experience of Head Start. They got to know more about it. And they also were wonderful spokespeople for the option.They would share the work that they do with whoever they could, including the director of the New Jersey Art Association. And they really got to even know each other at that conference.Some of our future plans include right now we're working on a benefit, a family childcare brochure that we'll be able to distribute to CCR&Rs at trainings and at Head Start programs. And we're also developing a workshop with the help of the family childcare providers on the benefits of family childcare for presentations at CCR&Rs, parent meetings, childcare centers, trainings and at Head Start programs. That's our first indicator.Kim Johnson. Kim, are you on the call?

Kim Johnson: I'm in.

Lynn Troianelli: Hi. Kim?

Kim Johnson: Hi.

Lynn Troianelli: Hi, Kim. You were going to do the second one. Correct?

Kim Johnson: Okay. Here we go. So our second outcome is to develop skills to establish further relationships between Early Head Start and 4Cs as well as family childcare providers and families.Prior to the EHS/FCC project, the relationship between HOPES and the HOPES Head Start program and the local CCR&R was – was a good one. We had the 4Cs staff serve on the Education and Health Advisory Committee.Four Cs staff was training for pre service for Early Head Start as well as our Head Start program, as well as CDA programs – or CDA trainings for HOPES Head Start and Early Head Start staff.Since the collaboration for the EHS/FCC project 4Cs staff has been involved in sharing information on the New Jersey registered family childcare provider program with Early

Head Startstaff and policy council. Early Head Start staff has been involved in sharing information about HOPES Early Head Start as well as the FCC/EHS project.Plainfield family childcare providers were invited to attend Early Head Start trainings. They were recently attending our Healthy Eating Webinar series offered to Head Starts.HOPES Early Head Start invited their parents to participated in registered childcare provider training offered through 4Cs. And Plainfield childcare providers are participating in the 4Cs CDA classes.New Jersey infant/toddler specialist activities, including TITC training, interventions, the FCC/EHS assessments and our funded materials and scholarships for New Jersey infant/toddler credential.Probably the most exciting – I'm just going to skip to the end. The most exciting thing for us in the future is that we are – HOPES Early Head Start has incorporated the family childcare option into our continuation grant, which is something that we're really thrilled about. But we're also ordering materials and setting up a resource library that will be located at the Early Head Start location in Plainfield.We're conducting a full-day training by Tom Copeland, who is a family childcare expert. And we're going to invite family childcare providers as well as the Early Head Start staff. The Plainfield childcare provider will continue to be invited to participate in the activities of the New Jersey Infant/Toddler Specialist Initiative Project and Early Head Start training.And I think that's it.Angela Fisher: Thank you so much, ladies. And we're excited that you included the option in your new grant as well as a continuation. So that's very, very exciting.Are there any questions for HOPES CAP?Thank you so much. If there're no questions for HOPES CAP, I am going to introduce Michelle Barnea who is the CCTC for the working with the Center for Family Resources. And Jennifer Santana, who is the Early Head Start partner. And Marge Zarkowski, who is their childcare partner.So I will turn it over to you, Michelle.

Michelle Barnea: Okay. Good afternoon everybody. I believe our program falls into the third category that Betsi mentioned. Our team is already implementing – Center for Family Resources is already implementing the Early Head Start/family childcare option.

And it was our goal to increase the capacity of providers within Passaic County.So I just want to give Jenn a chance to talk about her unique way of implementing the project and the number of providers and children that she's serving.

And then give Marge a minute to talk about what 4Cs Passaic County does as a CCR&R.Jenn?Jennifer Santana: Hi, it's Jennifer. We – our agency – the Head Start program implemented family childcare option. We have three providers who are employees of our agency, and they take care of three kids each. So we have a total of nine Early Head Start children being served in family childcare.So they only – so they're essentially like an additional site for us. They – they only take the Early Head Start kids. And we supply them with pretty much everything they need to do the family childcare option out of their home. And we pay them a salary and give them benefits and things like that.Michelle Barnea: Thank you, Jenn.And Marge, can you just talk about what the 4Cs does for family childcare providers?Marge Zarkowski: Sure. Well, we're a resource and referral agency. So we are the sponsoring organization for family childcare registration in Passaic County. That's where we're located.We recruit providers, train them, monitor their home. And we have about a total of around 260 providers. The majority are Hispanic, so my staff basically needs to be bilingual. And I would say of the 260 approximately 80 or 90 have infants and toddlers in care.But what is interesting about family childcare registration in the state of New Jersey is that it is voluntary. It is not mandated for them to register. So we also do have many unregulated caregivers taking care of children in their home. But we have been trying to mandate registration, but it's always a problem as far as the fiscals go. So hopefully maybe one day.But we do have quite a large majority of providers for our county. We're urban. Most of them are in the city. And we're very pleased to be part of this project, anything to improve the quality of care in the home.

Michelle Barnea: Thank you, Marge.And that brings us to our shared vision, which is to provide high-quality, comprehensive care through professional development and support through this partnership. What's been really exciting about the partnership is that Early Head Start has become much more involved with some of the CCR&R efforts and initiatives that are there, including the first steps initiative that Lynn mentioned in her program, and we'll talk about before the end of the hour.And 4Cs had a wonderful experience in taking on the self-study process based on their experience working with Early Head Start. So it's been a really nice sharing and a great partnership.And if you could go to the next slide.Our first indicator was to motivate and provide skills to family childcare providers that would enable them to provide comprehensive services. So we aligned them with the program performance standards of Head Start. And have provided four workshops.We actually just had our last workshop on July 11th. And we did our first one on dental care. We tried to pick four standards that would be something that could be implemented by the family childcare providers, but are not currently mandated under event he voluntary regulations of family childcare in New Jersey.So we picked dental care, we picked safety, we picked developmental assessment, and we picked emergency preparedness.And Jenn, if you could just talk a little bit about how we got our trainers and how Early Head Start has been involved. Again, we had about 40 family childcare providers come out to each of our trainings, which is really exciting.And then Marge is going to talk a little bit about the resource kits and materials that we distributed.

Jennifer Santana: So for each of the trainings that we had, the dental one was the first one we had. And staff here from Early Head Start that had been trained in a dental curriculum for teach staff to use in the classroom with infants and toddlers as well as preschool, but they geared it toward the, you know they did the infant toddler ones.Our staff had attended the National Head Start Conference and did this. Did the train the trainer type thing. It really wasn't train the trainer, but they were trained to teach staffs about doing dental care in the classroom. So they did that training for the providers. And we did all of our trainings we did in both English and Spanish. So we had two trainings going on at the same time.And then we had safety one. And then for the age and stages and the emergency preparedness we had one of our Spanish infant toddler teachers come and help do the – help do the Spanish workshop for the – for the Spanish providers.One – one little note that the other night one of the providers who's not the providers that work for us, the community providers, with the training that we did on the developmental assessment. I was really surprised through the whole process that was what they were most excited about was that one.When Marge is going to talk about the resources that they got, but from that one they got Ages & Stages to use. And she came to me and said that she used that Ages & Stages and is working with the parents who referred the child. The child is turning three, so she is going to be going to the child study team in her town so this child can get some extra support. So it was really nice to be able to see that.Michelle Barnea: And I just want to mention that we brought in stakeholders when we did these last few trainings. The Ages & Stages we had a representative from Part C come and actually do the training for us.And at our emergency preparedness we had someone from the Department of Health and Human Services in New Jersey provide the workshop for us. So they're also becoming ...Jennifer Santana: He was from the Office of Emergency Management.

Michelle Barnea: Yes. And he's

– these people were then also educated about the project at the same time. So that was a nice give and take.Marge, did you want to talk briefly ...

Marge Zarkowski: Sure.

Michelle Barnea: ... about the resources we gave?Marge Zarkowski: Sure. As Jenn and Michelle had said earlier, we basically targeted four areas. And each area we provided a 2 hour workshop.So for the dental – for all of these workshops resources were also provided for the providers to use in their home to follow up on. The dental we put a kit together in a clear plastic bin that consisted of toothbrushes, toothpaste. We had a timer in there for how long to brush the teeth, a few pairs of gloves. And they also received a book to read to the children on dental care. And for record keeping a chart so that they could track the tooth brushing while they were in the home with children.And for health and safety we concentrated – our second workshop we concentrated on SIDS and hand washing. And as a resource the providers were given sleep sacks and a whole box of gloves inaudible. And they also received a book to read on hand washing to the children. And charts to maintain a record keeping of how often they were washing hands and also on sanitation in regards to the home.For the third training on Ages & Stages, each provider received a master copy of the ASQ, which consisted of social and emotional and the developmental. And the English providers received it in English and the Spanish in Spanish nicely placed in a binder in plastic cover sheets so they could use over and over again. And they also received books that were bilingual. One was entitled I Can Learn and one was on family.Before I get to the last one I want to mention that literacy was always behind all of these workshops. We're really trying to promote literacy at the same time.Our last workshop that Michelle mentioned that we held, as a matter of fact we held this week on Monday on emergency preparedness. Each provider was given a ghost stack, which consisted of well-maintained first aid kit and a shakes flashlight. That was the first time I've ever seen them and I think they're ideal because you don't have to worry about batteries or plugging them in. And they also received a book to read to the children on how to call 911.What I would like to say about these workshops also, the attendance was wonderful. We didn't know how this was going to go in the beginning. Sometimes, to be honest, to get our providers to come out to training is like pulling teeth. But this series of workshops we had no problems getting attendance.And what I think is to be noted too, our Hispanic providers are almost like two-to-one when they come out. So it was great that all of these workshops were in English and were in Spanish. And the providers kept coming. Almost the same crew, once they started with the first workshop, which was on the dental, almost the same people kept coming for the other three. And we added a few more along the way. So I'm more than pleased at the training that the providers wanted to attend.

Jennifer Santana: Too I just wanted to mention as part of some of the things that they got were – because we knew that this project was supposed to be mathematic, they're doing research on it. So we wanted to have some documentation of where they implementing these performance things that we're talking about.So if they did – if they kept a dental record and they came to the next training and brought it back just to show that they did it, they got like they got another little prize, so to speak. So they got a book to go home with.For the safety, if they kept a record of like cleaning schedules and stuff, if they were doing the cleaning schedules and they brought them back that they did that, they got something for that. The same with the other – the other trainings as well.

Michelle Barnea: So we built in an application activity that enabled them to keep the process going and we'll be able to hopefully report back on some of that from Mathematica as well.And we can do our next slide.The last one was just to inform professionals in our local communities and stakeholders about the project. And I'm going to go through this one really quickly.We've had the pleasure and honor of being able to provide trainings at inaudible the

Family Child Care Professional Association's conference, also at the New Jersey Head StartConference. And we'll be providing one at the New Jersey AEYC annual conference that's coming up in October.We also have provided presentations and explanations about the project at a variety of statewide meetings. And our – both Jenn and Marge hold positions in various organizations and have been extremely vocal and on the record and in the minutes of those organizations, which has been really wonderful.The last thing I just want to mention before closing is that we had a wonderful sharing of time because we're in New Jersey with another program. And together they're our first step enhancement grants that are out there that bring materials to family childcare providers. And Early Head Start providers in Jenn's program were able to take advantage of those grants.There is also NAFCC accreditation support grants in our state. And those projects are going to be accessing those dollars to help put some family childcare providers through that process.And that's all.Sherrie: Thank you so much, Michelle. And Jenn and Marge, as everyone can tell all of you guys have been really, really busy. And we definitely appreciate all of the hard work.Are there any questions for ...Laura: Angela, this is Laura from Connecticut. I do have a question.Angela Fisher: Yes. Go right ahead, Laura.Laura: Sure. What is the salary that you pay your family childcare providers?Jennifer Santana: We pay them $23,000 a year. And then that's – they also get medical benefits for themselves. They get life insurance and all the like little you know sick days and things like that, benefits ...Laura: And where does the funding come from for that?Jennifer Santana: It comes from Early Head Start and then it also comes from some seed daycare funding.Laura: Great. Thanks very much.Angela Fisher: Any other questions for the Center for Family Resources?If there are no more questions, ladies, thank you so much. Thank you to both my New Jersey teams.And at this time I will turn it over to Kim Stice. Kim?Kim Stice: Thank you, Angela.Yes, and once again we've saved the best for last. Of course we save the West for last.So I am so proud to share with you two of my programs today. The first is the Peninsula Family Service team in California. And Kim Bonnema is going to introduce you to Boris Alvarado and I believe Chester Solomon. The Early Head Start partner couldn't be here today.If I'm wrong, Kim, then introduce her as well. But, Kim, why don't you tell us about the Peninsula program.Kim Bonnema: Thanks, Kim. This is Kim. And Chester couldn't be here today, but she says hello to everyone. And I will be letting you know a little bit here about Peninsula.Peninsula Family Service is a non-profit corporation that has a lot of – that is a first-time ever grantee with ARRA money. And they – they have 72 slots, 52 are center based and 20 are in the home-based option.Peninsula Family Service already had under their umbrella the mental health, therapeutic inaudible. Also senior programs as well as courts visitation programs and counseling programs, and low-income car loans called Ride to Work. And just a variety of other programs before they received the ARRA funding.With the ARRA dollars now they are participating with Shelter Network, which is a homeless agency here in San Mateo County. And they operate two of the Early Head Starts at the homeless shelters. And then another one is at a teenage pregnancy program here in San Mateo County, a little south of here.It is a suburban area, and in Mateo proper there is about 93,000. But in the county there are communities like Hillsborough, which is one of the richest communities in the nation. And Pacifica and inaudible on the coast, and Stanford's here; there's just a lot going on.However, there is a very high homeless population due to the beautifully mild climate. So that's why the partnership works well with the ARRA grant.They are considering implementing the EHS family childcare option. We'd love to do it, and we'd like to – you know because here in California there's been a 35% overall cut of funding, at this time it's not feasible to take any that are in the center based or home-based option and put in family childcare option. But the team here is prepared to do so if the opportunity arises.And with that, I also wanted to mention that the neighborhood childcare program, which Laura is the partner from, operates 15 family childcare homes serving 90 kids here in the county. And they are actually employees of Peninsula Family Services.Okay. And this is Boris Alvarado. Boris?

Boris Alvarado: Hello. Yes, Kim is right. Hello, everybody.So our mission is really to work together to assume higher quality family childcare for infant and toddlers in the community. What exactly we are doing here is we are working with 15 home daycare providers right now just to be sure they keep all the quality for our infant and toddlers and preschoolers too.One of the things how we started this program, we were doing some little kind of brainwash here for us and see how actually we can implement it to our providers before the community providers in the community right now.So what we did is we start thinking about it where our providers right now, they're employees for Peninsula Family Service. They already know very much you know about health and safety. They already went to the community care licensing standards. They already have their CPRs. They already went through our workshops that we're having all the time regarding about you know brushing teeth, about regarding the safety of the kids, curriculum.So we tried to figure out how we can make it actually more inviting for them and they can be interested in becoming Early Head Start home daycare provider. So what we decide to do is we decide to come over a – provide them with seven workshops between – starting on July until all the way to November.So there're seven workshops. Each workshop will – the topic will be regarding about reference of you know cultural competency, have to be more cultural sensitive between the child, the parent and themselves. How actually the can improve their

own home daycare providers to give more quality care not only to the child, also to the family.Because at the same time giving these workshops to the provider, really try to give also workshops to parents, so and expose them to the community. So our first workshop it was actually for the parents on July 8th.And it was open for the public, even for our parents. And the maximum capacity that we say right now with they can be there it was like 20 times. But we got the capacity of 21 parents. We were overcapacity. And still we getting phone calls that they want actually enroll in these workshops.So everything they studied was a great success, even for providers. Our first workshop that we did it was on July 6th. And we're expecting at least 20 providers, however 14 did show up for us is actually very positive because they were showing up a lot of providers from the community.And the good part of this is each workshop the providers are leaving with some material so they can implement in their own home. And the times for childcare inaudible too they are leaving with their own material.So what is going to happen is we're working very close with the Department of Education here in San Mateo, and they are the people who are providing the workshops right now. They – what we're doing is the providers and the parents, they're working together right now in these workshops.So the providers will be having a better understanding what exactly the providers are doing in their house with the kids. And also the parents will be having a better understanding what exactly the Early Head Start for infant and toddler mean.So we are educating the parents. At the same time we are educating our providers in a different prospective way than everything else.We start already with event of the community. We started on July 1st. It was a great success. We have 20 people from the community attending, which it was very surprising for us. But you know it including people from 4Cs here in San Mateo, from Early Head Start, for Head Start and for the Shelter Networks, from the Department of Education.So a lot of people in the community showed up. And like I said before, we are giving all these trainings. The trainings are being done in English and in Spanish. And the good thing about it is these trainings goes specifically for the providers for the Early Head Start performance standards.Why we decide to do that? Because most likely our providers who are ready. They are already having ECD unit. And so once they have already assistant teacher permits and other ones have a teacher permit, and other ones have site director permits here.So which means is we're trying to pretty much promote them. Not really to you know not do more classes because they already have that, but we are going more for the Head Start performance standards. Which means is they can implement it in case if here by February or March we get some spaces available for Early Head Start for infant and toddlers the providers already will be with the Early Head Start performance standards.The Peninsula Family Service and ourselves and pretty much the president of the agency inaudible ourselves, we're looking this one has a good project. We continue doing it even though after the inaudible program ends and continues doing the workshops, continue doing the quality care that we're doing right now.And that's actually right now what we're even thinking in our vision will be just to keep actually the quality care for the infant and toddlers in our community.Most likely the people that we're helping right now in our home daycare providers, they are low-income families, and they are very struggling. So that's why we decide to start doing – going with the workshops with the Early Head Start performance standards.I don't know if you need to add anything else, Kim.

Kim Stice: I think the next slide.Kim Bonnema: There's Boris.Boris Alvarado: So what you guys are seeing over there is the fact that you know we cannot see the rest of the people there. But, I will actually explain.That was in the event committee that we have on July 1st – June 1st, I'm sorry. So we were having over there. And with the PowerPoint I was telling 4C, the Early Head Start and Head Start and everybody else in the shelter and everybody else who was present over there in the community. I was giving it to them in the slide, but you cannot see it. It's pictures of the providers that we are working right now.One of the things that we were showing them is you know like at the area because they're using the inaudible actual environmental reading scale. And at the same time we are showing them what exactly the kids are doing, what activities and what exactly that we need to do and how the pilot program for the Early Head Start will help us to keep more quality care for our kids and our parents.And I guess that's pretty much it. Any questions?Only Kim had something else.Kim Bonnema: I'll give it back to Kim.Kim Stice: Thanks so much, Kim and Boris, for sharing some of the great work that you've been doing to help pull the community together and enhance the family childcare services in the community. I know you feel really good about the success you've had so far.Does anyone have any questions for Boris or Kim?Laura: This is Laura. It's not a question so much it's a comment that I just love that whole proactive thinking and preparing those family homes for the possibilities of having a – you know being prepared for a possible placement in the future rather than waiting until there's a slot and then playing catch up. That just really struck me as so proactive. I just wanted to share that.Boris Alvarado: Thank you.

Kim Bonnema: Thank you.

Jennifer Santana: I have a question. This is Jenn from Center for Family Resources.

Boris Alvarado: Hi, Jenn.

Jennifer Santana: I was just curious. I – I may have misunderstood you. Did you say you're doing the Early Head Start option right now in family childcare?

Boris Alvarado: Well, we're doing right now – no. What we're implementing right now in the home daycares, but we are not having funding from Early Head Start. It's our funding is a state funding program.

Jennifer Santana: Okay.

Boris Alvarado: Yes. But what we're doing is they have already a state funding program. Pretty much we follow our rules and procedures what they are. And we following our proceduresSo pretty much what we're doing is the providers are ready to become Early Head Start providers.

Jennifer Santana: Oh, okay.Boris Alvarado: The only thing is we don't have the funding. And these workshops and the funding for the pilot programs, what we are doing is we actually preparing the providers already in case it is a possible funding they will be already ready to take the kids with the Head Start performance standards

...Jennifer Santana: Oh, okay.

Boris Alvarado: ... already inaudible.Jennifer Santana: Thank you.

Boris Alvarado: Sure.

Kim Stice: Any other questions for Boris and Kim?Okay. If not, then thanks to both Boris and Kim for sharing what you're up to.

Kim Bonnema: Thank you.

Boris Alvarado: Thank you.

Kim Stice: Next we're going to swing over to Oregon where we have Chaundi Price, the CCTC for the team. And Patty Wilson, childcare partner for the team. And I believe Jackie Brown, our Early Head Start partner couldn't be with us today. Is that correct? But hopefully Chaundi and Patty are there.

Chaundi Price: We're here.

Kim Stice: Oh, good. Good. Well, Chaundi, I'm going to hand it over to you.

Chaundi Price: Good afternoon. I'm the CCTC for this project, working with the Oregon Child Development Coalition, which is a Migrant Seasonal Head Start program. The OCDC is serving 12 counties in Oregon, and Jefferson County is focused project.Right now they have 48 children on an EHS center based program grant. Of those 48 children that also includes the parents, the pregnant parents. And it's a 46-week program.Neighbor Impact Child Care Resources & Referral as an information and referral service for families, childcare providers, employers and communities. It's one of 13 in Oregon. And it serves a tri-county area, including Jefferson County.We're in a rural agriculture environment, hence the Migrant Seasonal Head Start Project.

Kim Stice: Next slide?

Chaundi Price: Our project vision was to increase the number of family childcare providers with the capacity to provide quality childcare in Jefferson County. At the time that we wrote the grant there were two certified licensed providers in Jefferson County. And we wanted to focus on the quality of birth to three years to increase the non-licensed childcare providers to be licensed providers.And the second part of the vision was to raise the level of education through professional development, to support providers in implementing the Head Start program performance standards. So we did that by utilizing the trainings that existed with Early Head Start, as well as collaborating with trainings with childcare resources and referral and then offering additional courses and trainings to the family childcare providers that were focused on the service areas in Head Start.Patty Wilson: Okay. This is Patty Wilson. I'm the program manager of childcare resources. And we're the local childcare resource and referral agency.So the indicator – one of the indicators we're focusing is a plan – is in place for identifying family childcare providers in communities within our EHS service area. So what we did was we developed a recruitment flyer, and we worked with our agency, the R&R, OCDC. And then we pulled in the local childcare licensing specialist.So the recruit for our project and our main goal was to prepare family childcare providers so that they could if Early Head Start slots became available. So they would be at a level of quality to be able to accept those children.So we did a lot of recruitment. And we held our first orientation meeting for potential providers. And out of that meeting had about 26, 27 potential providers that attended. Out of those they all applied to be in the program.We identified 12 providers to work with. And so we ended up with eight exempt, which are non-licensed, non-regulated providers in the state of Oregon, and then four registered family childcare providers.So the licensing standards go exempt, which is unregulated, and they can only care for three or less children. And then our next level is registered family childcare providers. And then in the state of Oregon we also have certified family providers.So as a result of our program and our training we have moved one of our exempt providers to registered and one of our registered providers to certified. So we're pretty excited about that.So with these 12 providers each of them have their own professional development training track. So they can focus on education. So the majority of them are really focusing on either attaining their CDA in family childcare. We have a few that do not have a United States high school or GED or equivalent. So we have some that are working on that track.And then in addition to their CDA, Oregon has a professional development registry called the Oregon Registry. So we're working to move all the providers to get them on the registry and them move them up the steps of the registry.Our second track is quality improvement. So we're performing on the providers that are actively doing care, the family childcare environmental rating scale. We have one, two mentors of providers in their CDA. One which we're in the process of contracting with, which will really focus on those onsite visits, factors, assessment, training and technical assistance support.And then we're working on quality indicators. Oregon has a quality indicator program that measures the level of quality. So we're doing extra training in that, as well as the Head Start program performance standards.And then again we're also focusing on licensing, either getting them licensed or increasing their step of license.So next slide? Yes.

Chaundi Price: The next indicator was a community recognizing family childcare providers as an appropriate option for caring for infants and toddlers. This project came together, has been represented at an early childhood development meeting that meets in Jefferson County on a monthly basis.They're also very involved in other local committees and serving on advisory boards. This existed prior in the positions that each part of the team participated in. But as the team came together now it's also being represented in the family childcare project.I thought it would be good to be recognized in local events. So the EHS for family childcare was represented in the Weekly Young Child event, at the local fairs.

They're involved in the Central Oregon chapter for OEYC, participated in the local conference at that level.Also together a promotion for the project in terms of a media packet, which would include a brochure as well as a media presentation that could be presented at stakeholder meetings, to local businesses and the Economic Development Council in Jefferson County. This hopefully will be available for meetings inaudible and state partners to help with our sustainability.One of the other pieces is recognizing the providers with their accomplishments in the projects. So at the end of our projects we're going to have a celebration to just really reflect on what the providers were aware, what they what their accomplishments were, and to show the community the outcome of our projects.

Patty Wilson: So this is Patty again.So some of the training, we've really stepped up the amount of training that's been provided for family childcare providers in Jefferson County. So the areas we've been focusing are the Head Start performance standards and the Oregon licensing standards for registered and certified providers.We're focusing on the additional inclusion training for the providers, early literacy, math and science, art and music, and health and nutrition. And some of these we've already completed. Some are on the agenda for future months. And they are provided in both English and Spanish.Now, at each of the trainings the providers that are in what we've developed as a provider network, they go home with take homes and materials and supplies in each of these areas to use with the children that are currently caring for and future Early Head Start slots.And then about half of these extra trainings are open to the other providers in the area. So not only are we raising the standards of quality with the specifically 12 providers we're working with, but we're also raising the level of all the providers of Jefferson County.Is that all of our slides? I can't remember.

Kim Stice: That's the last slide.Thank you so much Chaundi and Patty. I know that you all have done so much work creating an entire infrastructure of a program that's going to continue years down the road. And I know that you feel very good about the progress that you've made. And I really appreciate that you were willing to share so much of it with us today.Anyone have any questions for Patty or Chaundi?

Chaundi Price: And we do have in the fall in OCDC's budget – I'm speaking for Jackie. She couldn't be here. But we do have in their budget to actually place four – up to four Early Head Start slots.Kim Stice: And I know that that is an amazing accomplishment. So many of you have managed to do it in such a short amount of time. We're so impressed.Any questions from anyone?If not, I will thank both my teams Peninsula and OCDC for your hard work and for sharing with us today. And I will hand things back over to Sherrie.Sherrie: Thank you. And before I talk about the upcoming project, I just want to say that every time that I listen to you, whether on a webinar or a team call or as the note taker, I feel like I've been an eavesdropper on some of the calls that – that – all of the calls actually that our project has been making.I'm really in awe of the work you're doing. And I'm so struck by how many of you have talked about how the project has really exceeded your expectations by the impact that you're having on the community in terms of changing attitudes towards family childcare, building partnerships and getting participation from stakeholders, and the enthusiasm that the provider community has brought to being part of this project. Almost – almost everybody has talked about how in the past maybe they had professional development opportunities and they weren't so sure how many people would come. And suddenly they're just flooded with people who want to be part of it. So it’s really exciting to listen to.So I will just talk about some of the upcoming dates that are going to happen. We have two more of these webinars coming up on August 4th and September 20th. And then we're – we have two more conferences that we are a part of next week.If anybody would like to go to Las Vegas in the summer, we're going to be part of a NASCC conference. And our presentation is on Saturday, July 23rd from 10:45 to 12:15. I actually know that some of you will be there. So be sure to join us. I know you will.And then we're going to have our project showcase here in Washington, D.C. on December 8th, our culminating activity where we will be able to celebrate and say goodbye to each other.We're also about to have in the next couple of weeks our second pick sheet for providers and for administrators, which is about seamless service delivery. And our news brief, our second news brief, which includes more updates from teams about how they have been working toward that behavior outcome on our framework.So we have questions, quickly. And then I know that Angie and want to say goodbye. Actually, we have a few minutes for questions.Kate Sanders: Are those questions? Do you want me to read them?

Sherrie: Yes.Kate Sanders: All right. We had a few come in from people typing.One is from somebody that asks are the professional development modules just for the 12 selected FCC providers? And I'm not – I think that would be Oregon. That'd be for Oregon.Chaundi and Patty, can you answer that? Do you need me to repeat the question?

Chaundi Price: Yes. I'm sorry. Our phone cut out while I was placing us back on speaker. So I only heard half the question.

Kate Sanders: We think this question is for you. It asks are the professional development modules just for the 12 selected FCC providers?

Chaundi Price: Three of them have been and the other three are open to all of the childcare providers in the tri-county area. And mainly because of the two – the distance between counties, mostly it's the Jefferson County providers that are signing up for those.

Kate Sanders: And then there's a question that

    came in pretty early on that asks, for all developing efforts by teams will there be a check-in with those interviews related to recent developments in reference to program implementing EHS/FCC projects inaudible that support beyond October would be beneficial? And inaudible challenges. Is there any possibility of such an activity or process?

Sherrie: I'll try to answer that. The project officially ends at the end of December. And we are going to be spending November

    excuse me – and December on the evaluation and the final reports and making sure that we wrapped up whatever loose ends are still hanging out there.But we are still around. So please do contact us if you have questions, comments. We're here and all of the staff will be available through December. So you can certainly contact and have communication with us as you need. Or if there's anything we can do to support you we're here to do that as well.I hope that answers the question.

Kate Sanders: And then the last question we have written in is, is the date of the next webinar August 4th or August 20th?The next webinar is August 4th. The 20th is of September. Our September webinar will be the 20th.If anyone has any other questions to write in or to star 6 un-mute yourself and go ahead and ask.

Laura: Hi. Yes, this is Laura from Connecticut again. With regards to the evaluation, when you'll be sending out the team profiles and lessons learned for us to review. What will be the turnaround time on that for us?

Tricia: This is Tricia and I can take that one. I don't think we've fully decided yet, but we'll be sure to give at least two weeks and maybe – maybe longer if we can.

Laura: Longer would be better, Tricia. Thank you.

Tricia: Okay. We'll keep it in mind.Angie Godfrey: Oh, good. Thank you. You know, it was interesting as I was listening I was just so gratified that I could not always tell who was talking from childcare, who was talking from Early Head Start. One of our – one of the visions for – from the Office of Head Start and from the Office of Child Care for this project was as literally collaboration was a focus on what families and a community need. And I just see this coming alive on these calls.And the work that you're doing, the way that you're working together, the families you're serving and how this, just the seamlessness to the work that you're doing is just wonderful. So thank you for having me here with you today. And thank you to all of you for the work that you're doing, particularly those of you that presented. But to all of you who have or will be presenting in the future. It's just wonderful for me to be here. So thank you.And Dawn?I'm not sure if Dawn stayed through the end. I think she had a meeting. But I'll thank you on behalf of inaudible ...

Dawn Ramsburg: I'm here.

Angie Godfrey: She's there. Good.

Dawn Ramsburg: But no. I think what Angie said, again, I feel like I'm repeating you. But I think – I think from – from both of our office's point of view you know this – we had a vision in what we were trying to learn.And we wanted this to be a demonstration project, meaning you know that we kind of got to – we got to do some work. You know you all are getting to do some work. But it's a chance for us to kind of reflect and learn upon it. And so that's what I – as you all are talking, that's what I try and do is kind of reflect kind of in the big picture way.So I think Angie hit it right on the head is that we don't hear kind of the distinctions, which is what we wanted. So I really appreciate that.I think that is – I think that is – yes, that's what I would say.

Betsi: Okay.

This is Betsi, and not that I get the last word, but I also am just so appreciative of the work. And I enjoy each time I get to talk to the cohort leaders about the work that you're doing in your communities. Not only is there excitement on your front, but there's excitement from them as well as they share your stories and share the progress that you've made.So I also have – and continue to really enjoy being a part of this project. It's one that's fast moving, but it's probably, as Diane Medina said, even though it's like a fast moving car where you have to change the tires while they move – while the car is moving. It's a visual I hold with me. But boy, you've been able to change all those tires as the car keeps moving and it's really terrific.So thank you so much. And we'll sign off now. Goodbye.

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