Collaborative for Educational Services, FY11 End of Year Report (July 1, 2010-June 30, 2011)
Programs The Early Childhood Department administers and coordinates grants that provide training, consultation and support to early childhood centers and family child care providers and parenting education and support in Belchertown, Easthampton, Hatfield, Monson, Palmer, Ware, Warren, and West Brookfield. Under the Department of Early Education and Care’s Coordinated Family and Community Engagement grant (CFCE) we provide the following services: • Provide financial support to Family Centers that serve the above communities as well as centers in Amherst, Cummington, Gateway, and Northampton. Centers provide playgroups for parents/guardians and children birth to Kindergarten. • Parent workshops on topics of interest to parents such as dealing with issues with sleeping, eating, toilet training, setting limits, dealing with challenging behaviors, sibling rivalry, co-parenting, and others. • Parent Child Home Program, an early literacy home visiting program for families whose children are at risk for poor literacy development serving children ages 18 months to three years residing in one of our communities. A home visitor makes two half-hour visits weekly to demonstrate use of a toy or book in developing literacy skills. Twenty-seven families were served. • Referrals to services for families with young children. • Referrals for professional development opportunities for early educators. • Home visits and support for parents of children with challenging behavior. • Transitions of children from program to program. • Early literacy activities such as community StoryWalks and weekly story hour at the Hatfield library. In 2010-11, CES was also a subcontractor for the EEC Regional Educator and Provider Support grant, providing professional development in all communities in Franklin and Hampshire Counties and the communities of Athol, Phillipston, Royalston and Petersham in Worcester County. Professional Development was provided for Early Childhood Centers and family child care providers with priority given to those serving high numbers of children with EEC tuition subsidies. CES’s Early Childhood Department also provided targeted coaching and mentoring for Centers and family child care providers focused on National Association for the Education of Young Children accreditation, Child Development Associate (CDA), or the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). CEU courses for parents and Centers included Math for Young Children, Cultural Competence, Selecting Appropriate Books, Assessment, Environments, Curriculum, Involving and Engaging Parents. CES worked with parents, Centers, and family child care providers in developing Individual Professional Development Plans and Program Development Plans. The Early Childhood Department managed the Western Massachusetts Leadership Network in Action (WLNA) with funding from Nellie Mae Education Foundation, Schott Foundation, and Davis Foundation. This Network provided two Wheelock College LEAP courses, sponsored Invisible Educator Day, held a Conference in Spanish for Latino Early Educators, and implemented other events to develop leadership skills in diverse early educators. Activities were open to all early and out of school time educators in Hampshire, Franklin, Hampden and Berkshire Counties. CES sponsored professional development focused on social/emotional development to include the Center for the Social/Emotional Foundation of Early Learning (CSEFEL); this was also open to all early educators in the region. The Early Childhood staff provided coaching for a CSEFEL demonstration site at Deerfield Elementary School, the full day preschool program. 20