ANNUAL PROGRAM REPORT

Program: North Central Missouri College/Green Hills Head Start
Grant Year: February 1 – January 31

Program Options:

Funded Enrollment:

212 Preschool Head Start children
15 Early Head Start children^
(^Effective 6/1/18, Early Head Start home-based services will be available to 27 children/families in six counties, reducing Pre-K home-based services to 47 children/families.)

Service Area:

Caldwell, Daviess, Grundy, Harrison, Linn, Livingston, Mercer, Putnam, and Sullivan counties

Funding Sources:

$2,108,396.00 allocated to ACF/Office of Head Start (2017-2018)
$ 414,860.00 allocated to ACF/OHS Facility Construction (2017-2018)*
$ 88,525.82 allocated to USDA/Child/Adult Care Food Program (2017-18)
$ 5,694.85 allocated to Donations(2017-2018)
$ 378,098.00 allocated to Non-federal/Local Matching Resources(2017-18)**

(*A request to carry-over facility construction funds ($414,860) to FY 2018 will be submitted in April 2018.)
(**NCMC has requested a waiver for portion ($149,000) of the required 2017-2018 non-federal match.)

Proposed Budget:

FY2018-Program Year #47-4:

Review Results:

Last on-site review was conducted December 2015. Due to past performance, the program qualified for the differential monitoring schedule, beginning with the Head Start Key Indicator Compliance (HSKI-C) review. Results of the HSKI-C review indicated NCMC/Green Hills Head Start was compliant with all monitored indicators. The program will continue to participate in the differential monitoring schedule, which includes a CLASS monitoring visit and a Focus Area 1 and/or 2 review. These reviews are expected to occur within the next twelve months.

Audit Results:

No Head Start findings.

Teacher Education:

MA/MS:
1 Classroom Teacher
1 Home Visitor

BS/BA:
6 Classroom Teachers
4 Home Visitors

AA/AAS:
2 Teachers (1 enrolled in BA/BS ECE program)
1 Co-Teacher
1 Home Visitor

CDA:
2 Home Visitors

Total:
9 Classroom Teachers (+ 1 Co-Teacher)
8 Home Visitors

NOTE: The following staff members have a CDA (Child Development Associate) credential: 7 classroom teachers; 8 home visitors; 10 teacher aides; 3 cooks; 7 management staff members. Several employees are actively working toward a CDA credential. Of the assistant teaching staff, 3 teacher aides have Associate degrees.

Enrollment:

2016-17:
Approval of Head Start-to-Early Head Start conversion for 15 home-based slots was received November 1, 2016. The program has maintained full enrollment (100%) each month for both Head Start(212 slots) and Early Head Start (15 slots) since receiving that conversion approval. However, enrollment for the center in Hamilton has been kept at a minimum due to a continued lack of qualified staff plus low numbers of income-eligible children.

2017-18:
Pre-K services offered by area public schools, including transportation, continues to affect Head Start recruitment efforts. A total of 406 applications had been submitted by the end of January 2018, 343 of which were applications for Pre-K Head Start. Of those applications, 53 were abandoned prior to classes/home visits, with some of those students deciding to attend public school pre-school instead of Head Start.

At the end of January 2018, the 2017-18 accepted/cumulative enrollment list consisted of low-income families (71%), foster families (5%), homeless families (1%), families receiving public assistance (7%), families with income between 101%-130% of poverty guidelines (9%), and over-income families (6%). Child count by age included: 122 children-ages 4 and older; 103 children ages 3-4; 21 children ages 0-3.

NOTE: The following staff members have a CDA (Child Development Associate) credential: 7 classroom teachers; 8 home visitors; 10 teacher aides; 3 cooks; 7 management staff members. Several employees are actively working toward a CDA credential. Of the assistant teaching staff, 3 teacher aides have Associate degrees.

PIR Data:

During the 2016-17 school year, NCMC/Green Hills Head Start served 238 Pre-K HS children and 15 EHS children. These children represented nearly 71% of the total Pre-K HS applicants and 35% of the total EHS applicants for the school year. The following table compares NCMC/Green Hills Head Start 2016-2017 performance data with national data for the same time period.

Training:

Head Start staff members participate in a rigorous annual training schedule designed to prepare them for the comprehensive nature of their responsibilities. Professional development planning considers the requirements outlined by Head Start Program Performance Standards, State of Missouri childcare licensing regulations, and results of a training needs assessment that solicits input from all staff members. Examples of in-service professional development activities during the past year include:I am Moving/I am Learning, First Aid/CPR, Positive Behavior Support (PBS) strategies, center-based curriculum/assessment, home-based curriculum/assessment, family engagement/in-kind, and Head Start Program Performance Standards training. Community of Practice sessions focused on transitions/working with public school, recruitment/enrollment, partnering w/parents, environmental safety & childcare licensing, and administration/handling of medication & food allergies. Online training topics included child abuse/mandated reporter training, safe sleep/SIDS, and disaster/emergency preparation. Education Specialists attended regional training specific to practice-based coaching.

NCMC Board training is scheduled annually, focusing upon Head Start regulations and procedures associated with governance responsibilities and the five-year grant. Policy Council orientation training occurs annually in October, with additional Head Start programmatic training scheduled at each meeting throughout the year.

Staff members needing a Child Development Associate credential continue to enroll in course work offered by North Central Missouri College, receiving financial assistance through NCMC and Head Start. Degree-seeking staff members also receive financial assistance with tuition, books, and fees, as funds allow. Continued formal education and life-long learning is a program priority.

Highlights:

• SCHOOL READINESS:

  Child outcomes results for 2016-17 indicated child growth/progress as well as adequate scores in most areas. However, language/literacy, math, and science knowledge & skills remained lower than expected. Domains that continued to see growth from the previous two years included: (1) Perceptual, Motor, and Physical Development; (2) Approaches to Learning; and (3) Social and Emotional Development. In an effort to support the teaching staff, classroom staff participated in Creative Curriculum and Teaching Strategies assessment training. Home Visitors adopted a new curriculum(Growing Great Kids) and received on-site training throughout the summer.Recent donations from community partners have allowed teachers and home visitors to purchase materials that will enhance science, math, and literacy learning areas. Professional development, practice-based coaching, and peer support are planned for the upcoming year in efforts to increase positive child outcomes in all developmental areas.

• ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT:

  North Central Missouri College President, Dr. Lenny Klaver, as well as Board of Trustees representatives regularly attend Head Start Policy Council meetings. Additionally, a Head Start representative attends monthly NCMC board meetings and administrative council meetings, sharing current Head Start information. Regular communication between NCMC and Head Start facilitates a positive partnership and effective program governance of the Head Start program.

• COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS:

  Engaged community agencies, public schools, professionals and volunteers partner with Head Start to effectively serve area children and families. With the assistance of local school district personnel, Parents-as-Teachers educators, Department of Social Services-Children’s Division employees, and community action agency staff, Head Start teachers and home visitors work to identify eligible children and families in the nine-county service area. County health departments host summer health screening events where Head Start children receive physical exams, required immunizations, and lead screenings. Local dental professionals reserve appointment slots that allow Head Start children to receive dental exams and follow-up care. In close partnership with public school districts, Head Start ensures that children receive necessary evaluations and disability services if required. Preferred Family Healthcare connects with staff, children, and families to offer mental health services and supportive resources when appropriate.

  Local businesses have recently partnered with Head Start to offer donated materials and monetary support. These donations have allowed teachers and home visitors to purchase much-needed materials and supplemental learning resources to be used in classrooms and on home visits. Expected results from these newly formed partnerships include: (1) greater community awareness of Head Start goals and successes; (2) additional financial resources; (3) additional human resources in classrooms and playgrounds; and (4) long-term, local non-federal resources.

• FAMILY ENGAGEMENT:

  A program-wide effort to increase family engagement has resulted in positive outcomes. More parents and family members are attending Family Day activities which are scheduled every4-6 weeks, usually at the end of each curriculum unit. Parents and grandparents are encouraged to visit the classroom where children proudly display completed projects, share learned concepts, and participate in a learning activity with their family. Home-based parents are encouraged to attend group socialization event search month to share classroom activities with their children. Preliminary observational data indicates more consistent involvement by parents during the2017-18 school year than during previous years when parent meetings were rarely attended.

  More parents are regularly participating in weekly home learning activities assigned by Head Start teachers and home visitors. Each activity is designed to extend the classroom/home-based curriculum into the home environment, engaging parents in the learning process. According to the most recent report, 299 parents have engaged in home learning activities and cumulated more than 36,000 hours of parent-child time since February 2017.All of these parent-child home activities contribute to the program’s non-federal match requirement.

  Head Start families receive continuous support from staff throughout the year. Teachers and home visitors regularly conduct home visits and parent/teacher conferences with parents/guardians. Family Engagement specialists meet with families, providing support to parents/guardians as each family works toward family goal achievement and engages in school-readiness activities at home. During the 2017-18 school year,parents were given PBS home kits, enabling families to extend Positive Behavior Support strategies from the classroom into the home environment. Head Start staff members also offered resource information and community connections in efforts to address educational, financial, mental health, and nutritional needs.

  Leadership opportunities are offered to parents/guardians through active involvement in Head Start Policy Council or the Health Advisory Committee. Additionally, parents are invited to training events as appropriate to their interests. Grant funds are budgeted to assist families with travel and babysitting expenses if necessary to ensure their participation in leadership roles.

Looking Ahead:

As NCMC/Green Hills Head Start enters Year 4 of the 5-year federal Head Start grant, evaluation of existing service options, review of community assessment data, and planning for potential program changes becomes significant. In the current 5-year plan, introduction of center-based Early Head Start services is indicated by the end of 2019-2020. Additional federal funding is not expected with a Head Start-to-Early Head Start conversion. Therefore, current budget structure and service delivery methods must be examined to identify best options for funding a possible conversion to infant/toddler center-based care.

Beginning June 1, 2018, an additional 12 children will be served through Early Head Start home-base, totaling 27 EHS slots. Five Home Visitors will serve children ages 0-5 in Caldwell, Davies, Grundy, Linn, Livingston, and Putnam counties.

Efforts to construct two replacement center facilities in Trenton and Brookfield are on-going. Original plans forecasted student occupancy at the beginning of the 2018-19 school year. Disruption of student attendance is a major concern and steps to avoid inconveniences to families are a priority.

NCMC/Green Hills Head Start submitted a non-federal resource waiver request for FY 2017, in the amount of $149,000. Totaling less than a similar waiver in FY 2016($260,000), it
must be noted that it is the second year NCMC/Green Hills Head Start required a waiver. However, strategies to increase local non-federal matching resources have been successful (i.e., donations from business partners,increased parent-child home activities, etc.). It is expected local resources will adequately amount to the required match for FY 2018.

For further information, review the program website at greenhillsheadstart.org or contact Green Hills Head Start, 205 W. 18th Street,PO Box 177, Trenton, MO 64683, phone (660) 359-2214.