2017 HCHRA Annual Report

PRESIDENT & CEO’s MESSAGE Dear Fellow Stakeholders, I begin this letter with a sense of pride. As I look back on 2017 — in fact, the last four decades — it is remarkable how well Hinds County Human Resource Agency (HCHRA) has developed. Not only have we had strong financial performance, but our agency has accomplished much to help our clients, customers and communities all around the area. Ours is an exceptional company with an extraordinary history of service and a promising future.

We continue to make excellent progress around technology, risk management, strengthening controls, innovation, service diversity, and reduced bureaucracy. We helped communities – large and small — by doing what we do best, investing in our Hinds County families. We creatively expanded flagship programs, focused on people appreciation, organized more community celebrations and events, developed more efficient ways to deliver opportunities, and applied our successful outcome-driven multigenerational family model to neighborhood revitalization efforts.

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF HELPING FAMILIES, STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES

Throughout a period of profound political and economic change around the world, our agency has been steadfast in our dedication to the clients, communities and county we serve, while focusing on a fair social and economic return for our stakeholders. In 2017, we realized record results across many measures for our agency. We reached more families and provided more opportunities per person than ever before; and we earned four new grants from different funding sources, reflecting strong underlying performance across our entire organization. We have confidence that we will deliver even greater results in the future.

To HCHRA, effectiveness is a community matter where the need to remain highly competitive is strengthened by our efforts to accelerate the development of more

efficient solutions to produce outcomes for our families. Our production efficiency improved significantly and we exceeded the targets in our improvement programs, while we continued to deliver good results.

We entered 2018 in the midst of an agency operation and paradigm shift. We are well prepared to continue to change in order to provide the greatest opportunities to our families. As we continue this shift, I am happy to share the results of our 40th year of operations, here in our 2017 annual report. You will find that we have had another year of major impact. However, the best is yet to come.

Sincerely,

Kenn Cockrell President & CEO

40 YEARS LATER, THERE ARE MANY BLOCKS OF HISTORY THAT MAKE US WHO WE ARE TODAY

OUR 40 YEARS OF OPPORTUNITIES 2

IN THE BEGINNING In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared an unconditional war on poverty in America. He described poverty as a national problem requiring improved national organization and support, but understood that to be effective, the attack must also be organized at the state and local level. And so, the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 was born. Its purpose was to eliminate poverty, expand educational opportunities, increase the safety net for the poor and unemployed, and tend to health and financial needs of the elderly.

As part of the War on Poverty, the Economic Opportunity Act authorized the formation of local Community Action Agencies to carry out its mission at the local level.

In the summer of 1967, Community Services Association was created to serve the citizens of Hinds County. This agency was discontinued in 1975 and reborn as Hinds County Human Resource Agency (HCHRA) in 1976. We began operating as a public nonprofit organization in 1977. The Hinds County Board of Supervisors became the sponsoring agency, providing financial and other support. The City of Jackson donated space and resources.

Since its inception, HCHRA has successfully operated as the only Community Action Agency in Hinds County, uplifting citizens, helping families, building and strengthening communities, block by block, as illustrated here in our 2017 annual report.

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

NEW COMMUNITY NEEDS WERE IDENTIFIED

IMPACT & GROWTH

From the start, HCHRA administered a wide range of programs to assist those in the county who most needed help. In the beginning, families and youth were primary focal points. The first programs offered included Head Start, Neighborhood Youth Corps, youth development, summer recreation, family planning, legal services, comprehensive health, emergency medical and food services, and alcohol abuse services. As new community needs were identified, programs were tailored to help meet them. These included flood disaster relief, transportation, energy crisis assistance, weatherization of homes, a food bank, the Hunger Coalition, a tutorial program for youth offenders, day care, and rental assistance.

HCHRA’s mission is to empower disadvantaged Hinds County citizens to become self-reliant and realize their full potential.

Since its creation, HCHRA has worked methodically to lift families and communities out of poverty into selfsufficiency.

COMMUNITIES STRENGTHENED

MOVING FORWARD

The War on Poverty had two central objectives: First, to provide jobs and training, especially for young people growing up in poverty and increasingly condemned by lack of economic opportunity to repeat the cycle over again.

Second, to bring the entire resources of a community to bear on the specific problem of breaking up the cycle of poverty in that community. For the past forty years, that’s exactly what HCHRA has done.

Very often, a lack of jobs and money is not the cause of poverty, but the symptom. HCHRA’s aim is not only to relieve the symptoms of poverty but to cure it—and above all, to prevent it.

As prescribed by the War on Poverty, HCHRA has attacked the roots and consequences of poverty by creating job opportunities, increasing productivity, and enhancing the quality of life. Our aim has not been to end poverty, but to eradicate the principal causes of it.

Total Volunteer Hours:

721,068

Led by President and CEO Kenn Cockrell, HCHRA employs approximately 400 individuals. A 15-member Board of Directors representing the public, private, and poor sectors provides oversight and establishes policy for the Agency. This year, HCHRA served more than 20,000 citizens through the Agency’s three Neighborhood Service Centers, twelve Head Start centers, two Head Start satellite sites, and four Early Head Start facilities.

HCHRA’s vision is to become an agency that is able to successfully coordinate and integrate all available resources and services for the impoverished and disenfranchised citizens within Hinds County, and to employ those resources to change the trajectory of lives—to move people from repeating cycles of poverty to achieving goals and climbing to higher levels of stability and success.

Of the volunteer hours contributed by the community,

That’s an average of

hours were donated by low-income individuals to Community Action

additional full-time employees a week

720,519

346

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

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OUR GOVERNANCE 4

2017 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ms. Ann Burton, Chairman City of Jackson • Representative for the Poor Sector – District II Attorney Trent L. Walker, Vice Chairman Lee & Associates • Representative for the Private Sector Attorney Gayla Carpenter-Sanders, Secretary Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project • Representative for the Private Sector Mr. Frederick Casher Retired Educator • Representative for the Poor Sector – District I Mr. DeJohn K. Hampton Mississippi Department of Transportation • Representative for the Private Sector Ms. Chera Harper New Way Mississippi, Inc. • Representative for the Poor Sector – District IV Mrs. Kelli Hart New Hope Christian School • Representative for the Public Sector – District I Ms. Carla Johnson Independent Insurance Agent • Representative for the Poor Sector – District III Ms. Clarisse Jones Advance Auto • Representative for the Poor Sector – District V Dr. Laurie Smith Lawson Clinton Community Christian Corporation • Representative for the Public Sector – District IV Ms. Mickie Parker Hinds County • Representative for the Public Sector – District II Mr. Henry Thomas Jackson State University • Representative for the Public Sector – District IV Dr. Joeann Williams Jackson Public School District (Retired) • HCHRA Head Start Liaison Ms. Venti Williams Jackson Public School District • Representative for the Public Sector – District III

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

2017 POLICY COUNCIL Ms. Angel Carter Edwards Head Start Center

Ms. Teneshia LeBran Oak Forest Early Head Start Center

Ms. Shonna Clark St. Thomas Head Start Center

Ms. Kimberly Loings Martin Head Start Center

Mr. SirBryon Bailey Welcome Head Start Center

Dr. Andrea Montgomery Community Representative

Ms. Veronica Brinson South Jackson Head Start Center

Ms. Ebony Jenkins Owens Edwards Early Head Start Center

Ms. Valencia Gray Mary C. Jones Head Start Center

Ms. Aquinta Palmer Annie S. Smith - Tougaloo Early Head Start Center

Mr. DeJohn K. Hampton Community Representative

Ms. Shamsie Ruffin Community Representative

Ms. Rose Hardaman Community Representative

Ms. DeAnna Thomas Oak Forest Head Start Center

Ms. Fanicia Houseton Eulander P. Kendrick Head Start Center

Ms. Ruby Washington Community Representative

Ms. Shmeetra Hoskins Richard Brandon Head Start Center

Dr. Joeann Williams Community Representative

Ms. Jennifer Jenkins Westside Head Start Center

Ms. Tenika Winters Willowood Developmental Center

Mr. Dennis Jones The Della J. Caugills Early Head Start Center

Ms. Ella Wooten Community Representative

Ms. Catina Lake Community Representative

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

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6

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

1

Della J. Caugills 3383 Terry Road | Jackson, MS

3

Oak Forest 3023 Ridgeland Drive | Jackson, MS

2

Edwards 105 Williamson Avenue | Edwards, MS

4

Annie S. Smith – Tougaloo 132 Vine Street | Jackson, MS

HEAD START CENTERS 5

Richard Brandon 5920 N. State Street | Jackson, MS

11

Midtown 134 E. Fortification Street | Jackson, MS

2

Edwards 105 Williamson Avenue | Edwards, MS

3

Oak Forest 3023 Ridgeland Drive | Jackson, MS

6

Gertrude Ellis 7293 Gary Road | Byram, MS

12

St. Thomas 3850 S. Norrell Road | Bolton, MS

7

Isable Elementary School (Satellite Head Start Classroom) 1716 Isable Street | Jackson, MS

13

South Jackson 3020 Grey Boulevard | Jackson, MS

8

14

Mary C. Jones 2050 Martin Luther King Drive | Jackson, MS

Welcome 2873 Old Adams Station Road | Utica, MS

15

Eulander P. Kendrick 642 Morgan Drive | Terry, MS

Westside 1450 Wiggins Road | Jackson, MS

16

Willowood Developmental Center (Satellite Head Start Classrooms) 1635 Boling Street | Jackson, MS

9

10 Martin 555 S. Roach Street | Jackson, MS

OUR FACILITIES

EARLY HEAD START CENTERS

NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE CENTERS 1

Edwards NSC 105 Williamson Avenue | Edwards, MS

2

Laura E. McNair – Shady Grove NSC 2118 Ridgeway Street | Jackson, MS

3

Fannie Jackson NSC 205 Brown Street | Terry, MS

HCHRA CENTRAL OFFICE

Mailing address for HCHRA facilities: P.O. Box 22657 Jackson, MS 39225-2657

258 Maddox Road | Jackson, Mississippi | 601-923-3930 HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

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OUR OPPORTUNITIES

COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT To complete the 2017 Community Strength & Needs Assessment (CSNA), HCHRA gathered and analyzed current demographic community data; collected feedback from clients, community partners and stakeholders; and identified strengths and assets that already exist throughout Hinds County.

First, we sifted through demographic data such as the U.S. Census Bureau Reports and the American Community Surveys to better understand who our customers are and what resources they lack. This first step gave us both quantitative and qualitative data identifying our population’s demographic composition and allowed us to better understand their different levels of education, employment, housing, health, and nutrition deficiencies.

Knowing more about our customers, we then sought their maximum feasible participation to ensure that our lowincome customers had a voice in identifying the biggest problems they face, the programs and services they identify as most needed to attain self-sufficiency, and identifying which of those same programs and services they find unavailable in their local community. Almost 600 surveys were collected and analyzed last year, providing a complete picture of our low-income customers’ experiences and circumstances of living in poverty.

Whereas the CSNA report focuses on the needs or deficits of the community to better identify and address the root causes of poverty, it also focuses on assets and strengths — the resources the community does have available. The CSNA not only surveyed the community and empowered the voice and participation of its residents, but it also focused on identifying community assets and resources and showing how they could be harnessed to meet community needs and strengthen the community as a whole.

The CSNA allowed us to capture the entire composition of a community and identify specific causes, affects, solutions, and prevention steps to help fill the gaps throughout Hinds County.

The final step in the CSNA process was using the data we gathered to determine how to prioritize programming and continue to help HCHRA align its focus to eradicate poverty within communities.

8

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

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It’s very rewarding to see lives be completely transformed. When you see the work you do move someone from an unstable state of financial insecurity to a place of self-reliance, it lets you know that your work is meaningful and worthwhile.

Cornelius Beasley Assistant Vice President, Community Programs and Services

COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT (CSBG) The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) is the backbone of HCHRA. It provides funds to alleviate the causes and conditions of poverty in communities. CSBG funding allows HCHRA to address needs through three levels of engagement: family, community, and agency. Through CSBG, we provide opportunities that address employment, education, better use of income, housing, nutrition, safety, emergency services and health. These services and activities have measurable outcomes and a major impact on increased self-reliance and improved living conditions.

CSBG Outcomes

Funding Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the MDHS Division of Community Services

19 112 116 1,598

obtained skills/ competencies required for employment

were without a job and obtained employment

obtained and/or maintained safe and affordable housing

obtained health care services for themselves and/or family members

YOUTH PROGRAMS Hinds County Human Resource Agency (HCHRA) partnered with Ask for More Jackson, also known as Parents for Public Schools of Jackson, in its summer internship initiative called “Engage, Enlighten, Employ,” also known as E3. The E3 Leadership Academy program provided students the opportunity to develop a mindset for personal success in life. Each E3 Leadership Academy participant constructed the “Well-Being Promise” Plan, which emphasized wellness, leadership, collaboration, communications, and problem-solving skills for career readiness and overall well-being.

The problem-solving component is considered the bedrock of the leadership academy, because the interns used this concept throughout all activities to develop personal goals and empowerment strategies to fulfill their goals as promises they made to themselves to improve their individual lives and their communities, while becoming advocates of their own learning and growth.

73

interns completed the 2017 program

33

of 64 attempted to use their E3 experience to obtain employment (9 interns could not be reached for follow-up)

of the 33

28

were successful finding employment

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

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SHARE THE WARMTH

$56,323.60 kept

HCHRA partnered with Atmos Energy through their Share the Warmth program to assist clients with their Atmos Energy bills.

Funding Source: Atmos Energy

$47,000 assisted

99 residents

191

customers safe and warm

EMERGENCY SERVICES GRANT HCHRA partnered with the City of Jackson’s Department of Human and Cultural Services to administer the Emergency Services Grant to assist residents with water and sewer emergencies. Funding provided by the Emergency Services Grant enabled HCHRA to redirect CSBG funds to assist more Hinds County residents with housing, employment, and education.

Funding Source: City of Jackson

CONGREGATE SITES Designed to promote the general health and wellbeing of older individuals, HCHRA’s Congregate Meals program provides seniors with a hot “sit-down” style meal at gathering sites throughout Hinds County.

This service is intended to reduce hunger and food insecurity, promote socialization, and delay the onset of adverse health conditions. In addition to serving healthy meals and providing opportunities for social engagement, the program gives seniors information on healthy aging and meaningful volunteer roles.

Funding Source: Mississippi Department of Human Services, Division of Aging and Adult Services through the Central Mississippi Area Agency on Aging; and CSBG

7,411 25,100

congregate meals served

home meals delivered

HOME DELIVERED MEALS HCHRA delivers five nutritious, well-balanced and easy-to-prepare meals each week to elderly citizens and to people with disabilities who reside in rural Hinds County that are unable to leave home without assistance.

Funding Source: Mississippi Department of Human Services, Division of Aging and Adult Services through the Central Mississippi Area Agency on Aging

10

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT (ESG) The Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program was designed to prevent homelessness and to support people experiencing homelessness in moving steadily toward independent living. Funds awarded to HCHRA by the City of Jackson through the Office of Housing and Community Development are used to provide housing relocation and stabilization services, and pay for rental arrears, as necessary, to assist in rapidly re-housing homeless individuals or to place families into permanent housing.

Funding Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administered through the City of Jackson, Office of Housing and Community Development

$103,704.81 prevented

82

families from being homeless

VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE (VITA)/EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT PROGRAM (EITC) VITA provides tax preparation services for low- to moderate-income wage earners in Hinds County at no cost. Individuals who utilize this service are allowed to retain 100% of their refunds, eliminating expensive charges from tax preparers and leaving families with more funds to address household obligations, establish savings accounts, and become more self-reliant.

LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHEAP) The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps keep families safe and healthy. Designed to assist low-income households with paying household energy bills, LIHEAP offers special provisions to reach and serve those who are homebound, the elderly, and citizens with disabilities in Hinds County.

Funding Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the MDHS Division of Community Services

9,882 7,689

working individuals or family members received fuel and utility assistance

seniors, disabled and care givers received LIHEAP assistance

293

home, health and safety measures were addressed throughout Hinds County HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

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Clients Served Through HCHRA Community Programs and Services

1%

1% 11%

5%

Single-Parent Female / 39% Single-Parent Male / 1%

FAMILY TYPE

43%

39%

Two-Parent Household / 5% Single Person / 11% Two Adults No Children / 1% Other / 43%

2% 7%

14%

27%

AGES

11%

12

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

5%

27%

7%

0-5 / 14%

24-44 / 27%

6-11 / 27%

45-54 / 5%

12-17 / 11%

55-69 / 7%

18-23 / 7%

70+ / 2%

HCHRA is the community action agency for Hinds County, Mississippi.

We have provided services to low-income citizens for 40 years.

By continuing to develop opportunities for success, HCHRA works methodically to lift families and communities out of poverty and into self-reliance.

8%

17%

0-8 / 8% 9-12/Non-Graduate / 29%

29%

EDUCATION

High School Graduate/GED / 25% 21%

12+ Some Post-Secondary / 21% 2 or 4 Year College Graduate / 17%

25%

2% 1%

White / 2%

RACE

Black or African American / 97% Other / 1%

97%

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

13

RURAL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION Offering safe, reliable and accessible transportation to citizens of rural Hinds County is the primary goal of this program. HCHRA provides demand response, fixed route and contractual services for medical, shopping, education, recreation and employment needs in accordance with its grant agreement with the Mississippi Department of Transportation. HCHRA’s rural transit system has a fleet of 17 vehicles, including buses and vans that are ADA accessible. With its flexibility and affordable rates, it has become a preferred method of transportation for seniors, persons with disabilities, and the general public.

Funding Source: Federal Transit Administration through the Mississippi Department of Transportation

TITLE IIIB TRANSPORTATION The Title IIIB Transportation Program helps elderly residents in Hinds County maintain their independence and mobility by providing them with transportation to obtain goods and services, which include medical and dental treatment, social and community services.

Funding Source: Mississippi Department of Human Services, Division of Aging and Adult Services through the Central Mississippi Area Agency on Aging

14

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

HCHRA generated over

$137,516

in additional revenue for contractual services with the Jackson Medical Mall Foundation to transport customers to nutrition, medical and social destinations

â??

Our transportation opportunities are vital to the people we serve. We are the lifeline that connects people to services and opportunities they may not otherwise readily have access to.

Patricia Slaughter Rural Transportation Project Coordinator

11%

2% 3%

TRIP DATA 43%

35,741 trips taken

13%

Nutrition / 43% 11%

Employment / 13% Social Service / 28% 28%

PASSENGER DATA

Education and Training / 3% Shopping and Personal / 2% Medical / 11%

47%

41%

38,347 passengers

Other / 0%

General Public / 11% Elderly/Disabled / 47% Other / 41%

On a budget of $598,790 a total of

That’s equivalent to making

miles was traveled

roundtrips from Mississippi to England

378,911

43

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

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HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START HCHRA’s Head Start and Early Head Start programs provide comprehensive child development services to preschool children in Hinds County.

HCHRA Operates

Funding Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. The Mississippi State Department of Education, Child and Adult Care Food Program also provides reimbursement for the operation of child nutrition services.

16

12

Head Start Centers

7

satellite classrooms

serving toddlers ages three and four

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

and

4

Early Head Start programs which serve eligible expectant mothers and children from birth to age three

Staff Attended to the Developmental Needs of These Children in

for

and

classrooms, five days a week

days (for Head Start children)

days (for Early Head Start children), for a minimum of six hours each day

118 172 201

A total of

2,221 908 children were served, including

56

of our 4-year-olds were developmentally ready to enter kindergarten in 2017

who received special education/ disability services

Head Start and Early Head Start Enrollment Data Early Head Start

990

Head Start

1,035

Early Head Start:

Head Start:

Under 1 / 34

2-year-olds / 70

1-year-olds / 37

3-year-olds / 990

2-year-olds / 24

4-year-olds / 1,035

3-year-olds / 0

2,095

126

Total Enrollment

Pregnant Women / 31

Total Enrollment: Head Start / 2,095 Early Head Start / 126

85% 73% 704,896 average monthly enrollment

income-eligible children served

meals served to children throughout school year

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

17

CHILD AND FAMILY DATA Children in our Head Start and Early Head Start programs represent diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Ethnicity/Race of Head Start and Early Head Start Children 46

12 22

1

2

Black or African American / 1,986

Black or African American / 125

White / 22

HEAD START

EARLY HEAD START

Multi-Racial / 46 Other / 2

Multi-Racial / 1

Hispanic / 12 125

1,986

Head Start and Early Head Start Parent/Guardian Data 98

178 Not Attending Job Training /School / 1,867 Attending Job Training /School / 178

303

Advanced Degree or Baccalaureate Degree / 98

TRAINING/ SCHOOL

EDUCATION LEVEL

Associate Degree, Vocational School, or Some College / 991 High School Graduate or GED / 652

1,867

652

Less than High School Graduate / 303

Total Head Start and Early Head Start Families 245 810

1,235

18

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

1,800

Employed / 1,235

Single Parent / 1,800

Unemployed / 810

Two Parents / 245

991

By the Numbers

Funded Enrollment:

Families Served:

Enrollment Below Federal Poverty Level:

Head Start

Head Start

Head Start

Early Head Start

Early Head Start

1,834 1,938 104 107

1,512 109 Early Head Start

ADDITIONAL CHILD SERVICES

1,788 1,959

Additional Child Assurances

In addition to many other HCHRA Head Start services, medical and dental screenings and care was provided to over 90% of children after enrollment.

To further meet their health needs, mental health and disability services were made available to children/families we served—assuring their overall health and well-being. The chart to the right shows how many of our children already had access to health care services when they enrolled in Head Start, compared to the level of access that was made available to them as part of our Head Start program services. HCHRA increased and improved the access to health care services for its children in all areas except well-child check-ups. The decrease can be attributed to the number of parents HCHRA encouraged to visit the doctor to have their children’s check-ups completed prior to enrollment.

Health Insurance

Medical Access

1,965 1,968 Well-Child Check-Ups

2,104 1,993 Dental Services

1,378 1,909

At Enrollment

End of School Year

To help aid parents/guardians with reliable transportation to school, HCHRA transported

329

Head Start children daily HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

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To ensure our children are prepared when they transition, the classroom staff at HCHRA is meeting the needs of all children by providing unique lesson plans, individualizing activities based on students’ needs and assessing each child using Teaching Strategies GOLD. LaTessa Long, Ed.D Director of Children’s Services

PREPARING OUR CHILDREN FOR THE FUTURE HCHRA partners with Jackson, Hinds County, and Clinton Public School Districts through an Interagency Partnership Agreement. This pact ensures open lines of communication and collaboration, which are critical as we work in tandem to promote kindergarten readiness.

Classroom staff visit kindergarten classrooms and attend other events to become familiar with the various public school activities.

HCHRA’s Children’s Services Division assesses four-year-olds twice a year in alphabet knowledge, numbers, shapes, colors, name identification and writing. Classroom teachers receive assessment score sheets and prepare individualized activities and experiences as further assurance that every child is prepared for kindergarten.

ng

di

e ce

Ex

g

tin

ee

M

HCHRA uses Teaching Strategies GOLD to further ensure that the learning domains match the competencies in the “Mississippi Early Guidelines for Four-Year-Old Children,” which is developed through the Mississippi Department of Education. This technology is utilized three times yearly to assess all children.

This process helps not only to determine a child’s present achievement level, but also to develop learning plans as needed for each child. w

lo

Be

Child Outcomes in Domains of Learning Social-Emotional

Cognitive Literacy

PERIOD 1

Physical Language

Mathematics Social-Emotional

Cognitive Literacy

PERIOD 2

Physical Language

Mathematics Social-Emotional

Cognitive Literacy Mathematics

20

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

PERIOD 3

Physical Language

FAMILIES AS LIFE LONG EDUCATORS Parents and families observe, guide, promote and participate in the everyday learning of their children at home, school, and in their communities. HCHRA provides several activities and opportunities to encourage parental involvement and ongoing support.

Activity: At-Home Curriculum Support Activity Calendar Parent’s Role: Share time each day of the month with children doing various outlined activities.

Activity: Parental Educational Continuum Request Form Parent’s Role: Document input on the specific skills they wish to be implemented in the classroom/curriculum.

Activity: Teaching Strategies GOLD Parent’s Role: With teacher, review information issued as a guide to measure and track children’s skills status and as a tool for sharing skills that parents would like for their children to learn.

Activity: Volunteer Opportunities Parent’s Role: Attend/Assist on field trips, including transitional field trips—those taken as children transition from Head Start to public schools.

Parental Involvement Cycle of Support

Supporting Your Child’s Education Workshop

Parenting Support Group

Child Abuse Prevention

Leadership Development Financial Resources for Higher Education

OTHER PARENT INVOLVEMENT ACTIVITIES Governance Training

Resources & Opportunities Workshops

GED Classes

Parent Education Field Trips

Parent Newsletters

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

21

FAMILIES AS LEARNERS Families are always learning. Parents or adult caregivers learn about their child, their role as parents, and ways to keep their families safe and healthy. They also learn to manage the important relationships in their lives. As learners, they are always teaching. When they share their experiences and knowledge within their families and communities, they help others gain new understanding. Head Start not only prides itself on educational instruction, but also on empowering families.

In addition to providing an education to our children, HCHRA provided assistance with

English as a second language, adult education, job training, health education and parenting education to

166

Head Start Families and

8

Early Head Start Families

The family services component of Head Start is an organized method of assisting families to assess their needs, develop a sense of direction, and then provide services that will build upon the individual strengths of families to meet their needs and resolve conflicts in their lives from environmental pressures. The final component is to continue active and ongoing partnership with families and follow-up to determine if the services provided actually met the needs of the families or if a different course of action is needed.

The focus of staff is on providing support. Families make their own decisions concerning which alternatives within the family services network they choose to utilize. The interpersonal relationships established between staff and family members provide the vehicle through which effective decisionmaking takes place.

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HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

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In Head Start, we address the needs of the family holistically. Not only is it important for the children to be successful, but it’s also important that the Head Start child’s family succeeds. If the family is successful, the children will be successful.

Chelsea Luster Associate VP, Head Start & Early Childhood Programs

Staff-Family Interaction Is Based on the Following Principles:

The goal of All families need SUPPORT

Each family is UNIQUE

Healthy

working with

Families benefit

families is to

most from

STRENGTHEN,

FAMILY-CENTERED

not substitute

support and

for, family

services

responsibilities

families do not live in isolation; they are PART OF LARGER SYSTEMS

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

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FAMILY WELL-BEING Parents and families have better results when they are safe, healthy, and have increased financial security. HCHRA uses an assessment-based data system that measures which core needs must be met for our families to be successful.

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

9.14

To ta l

Av er ag e

Assessment 2

Assessment 1

7.64

7.95

Assessment 2

9.03 6.97

Assessment 1

• 0-2 In Crisis • 3-4 Vulnerable • 5-6 Stable • 7-8 Safe • 9-10 Thriving

24

Assessment 2

7.5 Assessment 2

6.88

7.55 6.69

Assessment 1

Assessment 1

5.77 Assessment 2

Assessment 1

En er gy /U til iti es M an In ag co em m Be ha en e vi t or al H D e is ab alt ili h tie s

H ou si ng

5.48 Assessment 1

Fo od /N ut rit io n

Ch ild ca re

Tr an sp or ta tio n

Assessment 2

9.04 Assessment 2

6.53

9.04 8.39 Assessment 2

Assessment 1

8.31 6.94 Assessment 2

Assessment 1

6.96 Assessment 1

7.9 Assessment 2

Ed uc at io n

Assessment 2

H ea lth ca re

Assessment 1

Em pl oy m en t

Family Performance Results by Element

5.57

6.16

Assessment 1

7.76

Each family is assessed at the beginning of the school year and then once again later in the school year after interaction with family services staff. The following graphs show the growth of our families during the school year, as well as the average results of both the first assessment and the follow-up assessment. This data, when properly and consistently collected and studied, paints a vivid picture of progress of our families.

Sm ith

EH S

C. Jo ne s

M ar tin

M id to w n O ak Fo re O ak st Fo re st Ri ch EH ar S d Br an do So n ut h Ja ck so n St .T ho m as W el co m e W es ts id e W ill ow oo d

M ar y 6.63

7.74

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

Assessment 2

Assessment 1

6.36

6.27

7.98

7.87

Assessment 1 Assessment 2

7.84

Assessment 1 7.07 Assessment 2

6.99

6.69 Assessment 2

Assessment 1

Assessment 1 6.92 Assessment 2 7.02

Assessment 1 7.73 Assessment 2 7.68

Assessment 1 7.08 Assessment 2

emergency/crisis intervention, housing, mental health services and substance abuse prevention to

5 Assessment 1 7.39 Assessment 2 7.6

7.07

Assessment 1 7.67 Assessment 2 8.01

Assessment 1 8.02 Assessment 2 8.39

Head Start Families and

Assessment 1 6.56 Assessment 2

Assessment 1 Assessment 2 6.12

7.77 7.76

7.9

Assessment 1 8.27 Assessment 2 8.13

Assessment 1 Assessment 2

Assessment 1 7.46 Assessment 2

7.41

7.22

7.15

Assessment 1 6.8 Assessment 2 6.94

Assessment 2

Assessment 1

Assessment 1 6.74 Assessment 2

Family Average Performance by Center

49

Is ab le

J. Ca ug ill s Ed w ar ds Ed w Eu ar ds la nd EH er S P. Ke nd ric Ge k rt ru de El lis

D el la

An ni e

In addition to providing an education to our children, HCHRA provided assistance with

Early Head Start Families

• 0-2 In Crisis • 3-4 Vulnerable • 5-6 Stable • 7-8 Safe • 9-10 Thriving

25

OUR ACCOUNTABILITY 26

STAFFING PATTERNS HCHRA employs a talented group of hard-working individuals who are well-trained and competent in their roles.

In addition to hiring qualified individuals, HCHRA offers ongoing training and support to ensure quality performance and the best possible outcomes for the children and families we serve.

11

HCHRA employs

full-time case managers;

34

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

10 with baccalaureate degrees

family services workers; associate degree and

27 with baccalaureate degrees; 1 with an

6 with advanced degrees.

Head Start Teacher/Teacher Assistant and Early Head Start Teacher Qualifications Advanced Degree

7

Baccalaureate Degree

12

Associate’s Degree

Head Start Teachers Advanced Degree 32 Baccalaureate Degree 60 Associate’s Degree 13

32

60

12

60

Teacher Assistants Advanced Degree 1 Baccalaureate Degree 12 Associate’s Degree 60

13

Early Head Start Teachers Advanced Degree 7 Baccalaureate Degree 12

Teacher Data

106 99 Head Start Teachers

Head Start Teacher Assistants

Race

19

Early Head Start Teachers

223 1 Black or African American

White

HCHRA leadership staff has an average of over

18

years of community action and Head Start experience.

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

27

â??

In order to successfully achieve service excellence and customer satisfaction, we must never stop assessing, planning, implementing, achieving, and evaluating our results. Most importantly, we must monitor our progress throughout the entire process, ultimately, ensuring accountability.

Roger Lutrell VP, Planning and Development

QUALITY ASSURANCE Established in 2017, the Quality Assurance Division is a service function organized and operated primarily for the purpose of conducting audits in accordance with HCHRA Head Start and Early Head Start policies and procedures. The evidential matter gathered from these audits attest to the adequacy of internal control, the degree of compliance with established policies and procedures, and/or their effectiveness and efficiency in achieving organizational objectives.

With an increasing call for transparency, HCHRA felt it was critical to be able to show evidence of our commitment to quality to our partners, customers, potential employees, volunteers, funders, stakeholders, and the general public.

The Quality Assurance Division gives us real-time perspective on how well our plans are working, and if policies are being interpreted and implemented as we intended. Ongoing monitoring helps us to identify any operational gaps and potential weaknesses, and allows us to provide more specific training and resource allocation in order to improve outcomes and strengthen efficiencies.

Comprehensive Reviews Were Conducted at 7 Head Start and Early Head Start Centers, Covering Four Content Areas

Health, Nutrition & Safe Environments

Education, Disabilities, & Mental Health

28

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

Family Partnerships, Parent Involvement, & Community Engagement

Enrollment, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment & Attendance

AGENCY DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT Community needs and resources, agency data

PLANNING

EVALUATION Analyze data, compare with benchmarks

Use agency mission statement and assessment data to identify results and strategies

The Results-Oriented Management and Accountability Cycle

ACHIEVEMENT OF RESULTS Observe and report progress

IMPLEMENTATION Services and strategies produce results

HCHRA recognizes that as a community action agency, we have some choices concerning how we relate to poverty, both among people (low-income individuals and families) and place (the communities in which they live).

For Hinds County Human Resource Agency, focusing on the future is critically important as we navigate through turbulent times locally, and in our state and nation. We are committed to innovation and quality improvement, which by their nature, keep the agency focused on the future in an ever-changing landscape.

HCHRA understands that to be successful in this environment, community action agencies such as ours must have the capacity to plan for results, to clearly measure the outcomes of their work, and demonstrate how programs and services contribute to these outcomes.To meet the challenges of what lies ahead, we had to envision where we want to be and decide how to get there. To do that, we asked the Hinds County community to engage in a collaborative strategic planning process that resulted in a three-year strategic plan to provide a bright future for the agency and for our people. Last year was our second year into our strategic plan. It was the year of accountability. To be more accountable and have better outcomes, we made use of new technologies and new models of funding and delivering education that were not previously available. As a result, 2017 has proven to be the strongest year in our comprehensive agency development.

A copy of Hinds County Human Resource Agency’s strategic plan can be found online at www.hchra.org under Reports & Plans.

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

29

STAFF AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Each school year begins with rigorous pre-service training, and in-service training is held throughout the year. This is to ensure that staff is properly trained on updated Head Start Program Performance Standards and equipped with the knowledge and tools to provide the best possible environment for the children and families who are a part of the Head Start program.

Listed below are some of the various topics covered during training:

GENERAL

NUTRITION, HEALTH & SAFETY

• Joining Forces: What Makes a Team

• A Healthy You: Menu Planning

• Positive Discipline Techniques

• The Importance of Health in the Preschool Classroom:

• It’s Not What You Say: Effective Communication in the Workplace

Cavity Free • Playground Safety

• Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect

• Ensuring Health and Safety Through Active Supervision

• Supporting Families of Children with Disabilities

• Promoting Responsive Care in Early Head Start Through

• Family & Community Engagement

Reflective Supervision

• Family Engagement/CLASS

• Active Supervision: Safe Transition Practices

• Behavior Management in the Preschool Classroom

• Environmental Health and Safety Protocol

• Goal Setting with Families

• Fire Safety

• Class-Instructional Support

• An Overview of the New Head Start Program Performance

• HCHRA Personnel Policies and Procedures • Understanding Challenging and Disruptive Behaviors in Preschool Classes • Class Focus: Classroom Organization • T.A.K.E.- Teaching Action Knowledge Energy • Parent, Family and Community Engagement (PFCE) Framework

Standards on Health and Safety • CSCFP Latest Updates • Meal Patterns • Food Allergies, Food Production/Buying Guides and Food Safety • CPR/First Aid Certification Training

TRANSPORTATION

• Goal Setting with Families and Making Referrals

• Duties of a Bus Driver

• Creative Make and Take Activities for Young Children

• Reporting Accidents/Incidents

• Predatory Lending/Financial Literacy

• Reporting Times

• COPA Training: Does Our Data Tell Our Organizational Story?

• Field Trips and the Driver’s Responsibilities

• School Readiness: Training for Excellence in Early Childhood

• Pick-up and Drop-off

• Attendance: Engaging Families to Promote Regular

• Pre/Post Trip Inspections

Attendance for Children • Human Resources Development Update • Update: Head Start Program Performance Standards

• Railroad Crossing Procedures

FACILITIES • Lead Poisoning Prevention • The Importance of Lead Safety in Head Start Facilities • Environmental Health and Safety Walk-Through (Hazard Assessments) • Facilities Manual and Procedures

30

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

2017 Expenditures

2018 Budget

2017 Expenditures

2018 Budget

Personnel Costs

$730,029 $761,393

Fringe Benefits

$231,810 $266,488

Travel

$2,681 $2,000

Supplies

$33,668 $33,937

Space Costs

$17,849 $23,500

Equipment Lease

$7,783 $8,700

Facilities/Maintenance

$13,331 $10,000

Contractual Services

$19,231 $17,485

Food & Meal Costs

$27,224 $18,500

T&TA

-0- $32,182

Indirect Costs

$216,847 $183,876

Grantee In Kind

$189,061 $343,232

Other

TOTAL

FISCAL DATA

Early Head Start 2017 Expenditures and 2018 Budget Comparison

$39,762 $14,867

$1,529,276 $1,716,160

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

31

FISCAL DATA

Head Start 2017 Expenditures and 2018 Budget Comparison

2017 Expenditures

2017 Expenditures

2018 Budget

Personnel Costs

$6,137,005 $6,919,857

Fringe Benefits

$1,980,820 $2,492,362

Travel

$17,284 $10,750

Supplies

$334,826 $401,013

Space Costs

$376,697 $473,100

Equipment Lease

$717,749 $25,000

Facilities/Maintenance Contractual Services Food & Meal Costs T&TA

$1,081,856 $333,049 $526,197 $542,600 $76,701 -0$127,515 $159,560

Indirect Costs

$1,812,909 $1,671,145

Grantee In Kind

$9,666,322 $3,421,177

Other

$1,055,104

TOTAL

32

2018 Budget

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

$656,273

$23,910,985 $17,105,886

2017 Expenditures

2018 Budget

2017 Expenditures

2018 Budget

Personnel

$334,783 $390,160

Fringe Benefits

$137,607 $136,064

Food Cost

$750,484 $806,750

Supplies (Food Service Only) $52,703 Equipment Rental Indirect Cost Other

TOTAL

FISCAL DATA

Child and Adult Care Food Program 2017 Expenditures and 2018 Budget Comparison

$82,700

$22,158 $26,000 $114,977 $78,241 $25,098

-0-

$1,437,810 $1,519,915

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

33

FISCAL DATA

â??

HCHRA operates at the highest level of integrity and fiscal responsibility. Since 1996, we have consistently received a clean audit.

Al Junior Chief Financial Officer

Hinds County Human Resource Agency strives to ensure that its operations are carried out in a highly ethical, transparent and trustworthy manner. For 22 consecutive years, auditors have reviewed our financial statements and found our records to be accurate, complete and in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

HCHRA Revenues and Expenditures

Revenue

Expenditures

Federal (19,586,130)

Head Start (25,435,711)

In Kind (9,876,983)

LIHEAP (1,813,373)

Other Grants/Contracts (543,524)

Child & Adult Food Program (1,437,810)

Donations/Investments (26,734)

CSBG (818,710)

Local Government (234,034)

Rural Transportation (532,773)

State (8,887)

City of Jackson Utility Program (152,690)

Fund Raising (92,970)

Home Delivered Meals (112,253)

Program Income (222,232)

Other (86,579) Congregate Meals (61,896)

Print Shop (7,492)

Total

$30,598,986

Title IIIB Transportation (41,103) Fund Raising (53,850) Print Shop (5,048)

Total

34

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

$30,551,796

SUCCESS STORIES

JENNIFER COLE

Jennifer Cole, a mother of five, was struggling by the time she sought the assistance of HCHRA in 2015. After obtaining her GED in 2013, she began to pursue a degree at Hinds Community College, but due to difficulties at home and in her marriage, her GPA suffered and she had to leave school.

In 2015, while expecting her youngest child, and still very much determined to further her education, Ms. Cole enrolled at Belhaven University to bring her GPA up so that she could enroll in a CNA program at Hinds.

However, she unexpectedly delivered her daughter early and was forced to withdraw from school again, which left her with an outstanding school debt. Though she tried everything, she was unable to find a job or a means to repay the debt, ending her chances of returning to school, or so she thought. The overwhelming feeling of hopelessness began to set in until a family member suggested she contact HCHRA to see what opportunities were available to her.

Ms. Cole came to HCHRA and met with a case worker. She explained that she felt stuck since she couldn’t take the class necessary to pursue her CNA certificate without first clearing her name at Belhaven. She also needed to find care for her children as she pursued her education, and ultimately needed to get back into the workforce to provide for her family.

Ms. Cole began filling out paperwork and writing essays to try to get back into school and receive assistance from HCHRA. Several months passed while she waited to find out if she would be accepted into school. All the while, Ms. Cole received assistance from HCHRA and encouragement from her case manager. The CNA instructor at the Jackson Medical Mall would call her every week to get an update on her status, right up to the day she was accepted into the CNA program.

In addition to opportunities and encouragement, Ms. Cole says that HCHRA provided her children with a quality education by placing them in the Head Start Program; adding that her CNA training would not have been possible without HCHRA. In December of 2016, Ms. Cole took and passed her final CNA exams, and was hired soon thereafter at Lakeland Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, where she is presently employed.

When an acquaintance confided in Ms. Cole that she was experiencing some struggles and wanted to return to school but couldn’t afford the classes, Ms. Cole shared her personal experience and immediately pointed her friend to HCHRA so that she too could get the assistance she needed to help create a better life for herself.

BRITTNEY KNOX

When Brittney Knox told the director at her children’s daycare center that she was going to have to pull one of her daughters out of the program to afford to keep the other daughter enrolled, the director posed a question — “Why isn’t your oldest daughter in Head Start?”

Hearing about Head Start, Ms. Knox went to HCHRA and explained her situation. Family services staff guided her through the application process, and before long, her oldest daughter was accepted and enrolled in the Head Start program. Because all of the slots in the Early Head Start program were already full, Ms. Knox was not able to enroll her youngest daughter in the program, but at least now, she could afford to keep her youngest in daycare while she continued to search for a job that would allow her the financial freedom to go beyond living paycheck to paycheck.

In addition to utilizing the services offered at the WIN Job Center as part of her job search, Ms. Knox was informed by her HCHRA family services assistant about a job opportunity with the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department. She immediately went to apply for the position and was hired. After four weeks of training, she became a detention officer.

Ms. Knox says Head Start was a tremendous benefit to her and her daughter. Head Start was key in preparing her daughter for success in school, and it allowed her to offset the cost of daycare for her youngest child. Knowing that both children were taken care of during the day, allowed her to ultimately find and start a new job. In the words of Ms. Knox, “Head Start helped me to progress towards self-sufficiency. I also learned how to create a stimulating home environment and to do more learning activities with my children.”

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

35

2017 ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS

Head Start Disabilities Awareness Fair

New Head Start Signs Installed 36

HCHRA 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

Employee Fun Day

Fannie Jackson NSC Relocated

Employee Appreciation Luncheon

Community Action Partnership Banquet Senior Awards Day

Annual Awards & Recognition Gala

Home Energy Assistance Day

Smorgasbord Luncheon

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF HELPING FAMILIES, STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES

HINDS COUNTY HUMAN RESOURCE AGENCY 258 Maddox Road | Post Office Box 22657 | Jackson, MS 39225-2657 601.923.3930 | www.hchra.org