Early Childhood Advisory Council Charles County, Maryland In the - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Early Childhood Advisory Council Charles County, Maryland

In the earliest years of life the most dramatic development happens

Established ▪ The Maryland State Early Childhood Advisory Council was established in accordance with the provisions of H.R. 1429, Public Law 110-134: The Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007, Section 642(b). ▪ The local ECAC was originally established in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Race to the Top: Early Learning Challenge grant. The local ECAC submitted a grant application to the Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Early Childhood Development, that was approved and was subsequently funded for approval. The local ECAC was not sustained, however, but will be reconstituted under the provisions of the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five.

Purpose and Responsibilities ▪ Establish annual benchmarks of school readiness skills of children entering kindergarten and develop an annual action plan. ▪ Assess the local needs concerning the quality and availability of early childhood education and care to develop a local community plan. ▪ Identify opportunities for, and barriers to, collaboration and coordination among federally funded and state-funded child development, childcare and early childhood education programs and services, including collaboration and coordination among local agencies responsible for administering such programs;

Purpose and Responsibilities ▪ Develop recommendations regarding local professional development and career advancement plans for all professionals serving children Birth to 5 years of age. ▪ Align local family engagement practices with the Maryland Family Engagement Coalition. ▪ Support local library initiatives

Purpose and Responsibilities ▪ Coordinate and carry out local projects of early childhood initiatives and reforms, including the recommendations in the annual action plan and the local community plan and report progress or challenges to the Maryland State Early Childhood Advisory Council, as required. ▪ Actively seek out and secure funds for sustainability, ▪ Maintain and recruit members for the full council

Goals & Objectives ▪ By October of 2020 32% of students entering Kindergarten who have been cared for exclusively at home or in informal care will achieve a rating of Demonstrating Readiness on the state’s Kindergarten Readiness Assessment, a 2% increase over current levels. ▪ Increase school readiness of students cared for exclusively at home or in informal care by providing family engagement events to make members of our community aware of the developmental milestone’s students should achieve prior to entering Kindergarten.

Work Plan – Professional Development ▪ Audience: ▪ Parents ▪ Child Care Professionals ▪ Pre-K Teachers ▪ Conscious Discipline ▪ Math Curriculum ▪ Literacy Curriculum ▪ Learning Parties

Work Plan – Community Resource ▪ Develop a website ▪ Develop social media presence ▪ Attend community events ▪ County Fair ▪ Town of La Plata events ▪ Nanjemoy Heritage Day ▪ Blue Crabs games ▪ Early Childhood Day

Members – Filled positions ▪ The Early Learning Coordinator from Charles County Public Schools – Beth Sorsby ▪ The Region X Licensing Specialist of MSDE’s Office of Child Care – Mitzie Spawn ▪ The Region X Maryland EXCELS Quality Assurance Specialist – Thea Quible ▪ The Judy Center Partnership Coordinator – Jennifer Gimmel ▪ The Executive Director of the Charles County Public Library, or a designated representative – Abby Worden ▪ The President of the local Family Child Care Providers Association, or a designated representative – Wendy Dingus ▪ The Executive Director of the Promise Resource Center, or a designated representative – Sarah Sutherland

Members – Filled positions ▪ A representative of the College of Southern Maryland – Shaneeza Kazim ▪ The Executive Director of Southern Maryland Tri-County Community Action Committee, or a designated representative – Donna Montgomery ▪ A representative of Head Start - Carolyn Parkers ▪ Two representatives of the Department of Health, one from Maternal and Child Health – Uranus Mapson ▪ A representative of a nonpublic prekindergarten program – Julie Robbins ▪ A representative of Healthy Families Southern Maryland – Cheryl DeAtley ▪ A representative of the non-profit community – Patty Stine

Members - Vacancies ▪ The Charles County Administrator, or the Administrator’s designee; ▪ The Charles County Superintendent of Schools, or the Superintendents designee; ▪ The Director of Special Education from Charles County Public Schools ▪ The Early Intervention Coordinator from Charles County Public Schools ▪ The Coordinator of Project First Choice (the local MSDE Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Program), or a designated representative.

Members - Vacancies ▪ Up to two (2) representatives of community-based childcare centers ▪ A representative of the Parent-Teacher Association/Parent-Teacher Organization from an elementary school ▪ A representative of the business community ▪ One representative of the Maryland Association of Elementary School Principals; ▪ A representative of emergency services ▪ A representative of the local members of the American Academy of Pediatrics ▪ Up to 3 other representatives of early childhood serving agencies as determined locally, i.e., Tri-County Youth Services Bureau, Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland, Children’s Aid Society, Lifestyles, and Catherine Foundation

Leadership Team ▪ Community Connections and Outreach Chair – Patty Stine ▪ Proposal Writing and Reports Chair – Beth Sorsby ▪ Family Engagement Chair – Uranus Mapson ▪ Supportive Officers: ▪ Grant Financial Manager – Laura Gustafson ▪ Secretary – Sarah Sutherland

Purposefully putting early childhood issues on the top of the pile

Early Childhood Advisory Council Charles County, Maryland