A summary of the priority areas needs assessment survey completed by the Head Start, Early Head Start and Migrant Seasonal grantees in Georgia. Georgia Head Start Needs Assessment 2013-2014 Prepared by Janice Haker, Director Head Start State Collaboration Office Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning Georgia Head Start Association Needs Assessment March 2013 INTRODUCTION The Head Start Act (as amended December 12, 2007) requires each Head Start Collaboration Office (HSSCS) to conduct a needs assessment of Head Start and Early Head Start grantees. The assessment must include areas of coordination, collaboration, alignment of services, and alignment of curriculum and assessments used in Head Start programs with the Head Start Performance Standards, the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework and, as appropriate, Georgia Early Learning Standards. The purpose of the Needs Assessment is to develop a strategic plan for Head Start in Georgia that will best serve and support the interests of Head Start. The shared goal is to promote grantee's success in serving our children and families. The Head Start Needs Assessment Survey Template developed by a national work group coordinated by the Office of Head Start was used. Some revisions were made in order to meet the unique needs of Head Start in Georgia. Additionally, the priority area work groups, which are ad hoc groups of the Georgia Head Start Association (GHSA, reviewed and revised each section to reflect the on-going work in each priority area. The Georgia Head Start Needs Assessment is organized around the HSSCO national priorities and additional content areas as required by the Head Start Act of 2007 and includes Head Start/Pre-K partnership development. And Childcare Systems: The sections are: 1. Health Care 2. Services to Children Experiencing Homelessness 3. Welfare/Child Welfare 4. Child Care 5. Family Literacy 6. Services for Children with Disabilities 7. Community Services 8. Education m(school Readiness, Head Start/Pre-K Partnership Development 9. School Transitions and Alignment with Pre-K 10. Professional Development 11. Early Childhood Systems Development Head Start in Georgia Georgia has a total of 31 Head Start Grantees. Of these grantees, 11 have only Head Start Programs, three grantees only serve Early Head Start, and 21 have both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. There is one Migrant Head Start. There are no American Indian/Alaskan Native programs located in Georgia. Approximately 20% of the 28,100 children served in Georgia Head Start programs are located in the 13 Metro Atlanta Counties. Thirty-one out of 31 grantees (100%) responded. 1|P a g e Participating Grantees Baldwin County Board of Education Early Learning Center Burke County Board of Education Early Head Start Central Savannah River, EOA, Inc. Clarke County School District Office of Early Learning, Early Head Start & Head Start Clayton County CSA, Inc. Coastal Georgia Area CAA, Inc. Coastal Plain area EOA, Inc. Community Action for Improvement, Inc. Concerted Services, Inc. Easter Seals of North Georgia Emanuel County Board of Education Early Head Start Program Enrichment Services Program, Inc. EOA for Savannah Chatham County Area Family Resource Agency, Inc. Fort Valley State University Hancock County Board of Education Jasper County Board of Education Macon-Bibb County EOC, Inc. 2|P a g e McIntosh Trail Early Childhood Development Council, Inc. Middle Georgia CAA, Inc. Ninth District Opportunity, Inc. Partnership for Community Action, Inc. Putnam County Board of Education Randolph County Board of Education REACH Services, Inc. Sheltering Arms Early Education and Family Centers Southwest Georgia CAC, Inc. Tallatoona ACP, Inc. Telamon Corporation Migrant Head Start Program Washington County NB & PW Club, Inc. YMCA Overview of the Process The Georgia Head Start Needs Assessment was distributed to Georgia Head Start directors through survey monkey beginning February, 2014. Prior to the survey process, the survey was distributed as an electronic file so that the directors could work with their staff in consolidating responses. The survey completion ending date was February 28, 2014. The Georgia Head Start Collaboration Office worked with the Region IV Collaboration Office Directors to develop one instrument that could be used to assess the needs of Region IV Head Start programs. A Child Care Systems section was added to meet the informational needs of the Region IV Office. Because each of the eight states operates differently, some questions were not relevant, the question needed to be worded differently or new questions needed to be added. A "N/A" response was added to address the issue and capture all of the information. Please note that Georgia has no American Indian or Alaskan Native grantees. Those questions will be answered that there is no collaboration and should not be misconstrued that this is a deficiency. This document is organized by each priority area. Each area contains a graph of the responses and a bulleted list of comments for each section. Appendix 1 is the actual survey with responses. There is work to be accomplished in each area as Georgia Head Start strives to provide high quality services. The Georgia Head Start Association has working committees in each priority area. These committees meet at each association meeting in order to review the information generated through this assessment and to update the Georgia Head Start Strategic Plan. This makes the 3|P a g e Georgia Head Start Strategic Plan a working document that is regularly and thoughtfully revised. The needs assessment report is then distributed to all Head Start Directors and is placed on the Head Start page of the Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning web site, www.decal.ga.gov. The following information represents the results of the survey. Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number and based upon the number of responses for each question. 3.7% 2. Type of Agency 96.3% Grantee 100.0% 80.0% 60.0% 89.7% 3. Services 58.6% 40.0% 20.0% 0.0% 0.0% 3.4% Head Start Early Head American Migrant / Start Indian Seasonal 6. Number of centers total 301 ( 29 out of 31 responses) 7. Number of Head Start classrooms total 1085 ( 29 out of 31 responses) 8. Number of Early Head Start classrooms total 295 (29 out of 31 responses) 9. Health Care Programs could benefit from furthering partnerships with the medical profession regarding screenings, etc. Linking children to dental and medical homes continues to be problematic, especially in rural areas where there is a shortage of dental and medical providers. Transportation for parents inhibits keeping appointments and follow up visits. Enrolling children in Medicaid and keeping enrollment is difficult. . Many of children do not qualitfy for Obamacare because Georgia did not expand Medicaid and bilingual children have difficulty accessing health services. There is more work to be accomplished in assisting parents in effectively communicating with medical providers.Several programs have difficulty exchanging medical information with providers and securing full representation on the Health Advisory Committee 4|P a g e 9 A. Linking children to medical 32% homes 68% 9 B. Partnering with medical professionals on health-related issues (e.g., screening, safety, hygiene, etc.) 3% 45% 52% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 9 C. Linking children to dental homes that serve young children 13% 6% 39% 42% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 9 D. Partnering with oral health professionals on oral-health related issues (e.g., hygiene, education, etc 10% 3% 52% 35% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 9 F. Arranging coordinated services for children with special health care needs 39% 9 E. Getting children enrolled in CHIP or Medicaid or other 16% 48% Not at All Difficult Difficult 61% Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 35% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 5|P a g e 9 G. Assisting parents to communicate effectively with medical/dental providers 10% 39% 52% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 9 H. Assisting families to get transportation to appointments 1% 3% 29% Not at All Difficult Difficult 39% Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 9 I. Getting full representation and active commitment on your Health Advisory Committee 6% 3% 29% 61% 9 J. Obtaining data/information on children/families served jointly by Head Start and other agencies re: health care (e.g., lead screening, nutrition reports, home-visit reports, etc, etc.) 47% 53% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 6|P a g e 9 K. Exchanging information on roles and resources with medical, dental and other providers/ organizations regarding health 3% 3% 35% 58% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 10. Please describe any other issues you may have regarding health care for the children and families in your program. In rural Georgia, the availability of pediatric dentists is rare. Some dentists do not want to serve children younger than 3. The language barrier has made it challenging for parents to communicate effectively with medical/dental providers. Oftentimes, the providers do not have a Spanish-speaking person available to translate. Due to our season, there is often a gap in services for children with suspected disabilities. The schools close a month or so after our season begins. Many medical providers, particularly health clinics, are refusing to see the children without their parents being present and/or they are requiring that the children be on Medicaid. We are also experiencing difficulties obtaining the required hearing screenings in a timely manner. We have purchased an audiometer as a means to rectify the situation, but medical providers do not know how to use the machine and will not obtain training. It is difficult to assist expectant women to obtain dental services. Expectant women are not following through on attending their 6 week postpartum visit. Parents often report conditions like asthma on their enrollment paperwork but when the program obtains medical records, there is no evidence of such condition. Most often the child had a viral infection that caused 7bronchiolitis and not asthma. Parents often require extreme levels of support and reminders to get them to return to schedule and attend follow up health appointments for failed screens, asthma, and dental treatment. Many of the EHS/HS parents do not quality for Obamacare because Georgia did not expand Medicaid. 7|P a g e Getting the roles and resources communicated to parents of the children we serve at the collaborative sites, which would allow them to be served more effectively. The centers are located in a rural community; therefore, there are difficulties locating specializations services for children and families. N/A We live in a very rural area therefore travel for special medical services is required. Bilingual families; undocumented families' difficulty with accessing health care services. Pediatric dentists are very limited in the counties we serve. None at this time. Health Services provided by the local hospitals are not recognized by Head Start in our 10% of enrolled children with disabilities. Example: Speech Parent participation Getting families to keep appointments for medical information Medicaid applications running over deadline dates due to DFCS staff shortage affects our 45/90 day health requirement due to children not having health insurance. Transportation is also a barrier for many parents. Some physicians and dentists take only some types of Medicaid, not all types. Parents not keeping up-to-date on well checks, physicals, and dental care Families not keeping appointments and then being taken off Medicaid. Our families use emergency room services when children are sick due to not being able to see doctors when children are sick. We really don't have enough doctors in our county at present. N/A Our program receives information from other agencies, however it would be beneficial to receive data from these agencies. 11. What is working well in your efforts to address the health care needs of the children and families in your program? Which of these efforts do you think may be helpful to other programs? Cooperation of Health Care providers/partners Transporting children to the provider and/or the provider coming to the facilities have worked well for us. Partnerships with UGA for assistance with screenings and internship opportunities. Receiving medical student interns from the GA Regents University / UGA Medical Partnership. Training on the importance of good organization skills. Maintaining your caseload from the registration period and gathering pertinent information at the beginning of the interactive time with families. Training and offering assistance in communication skills and forming a good rapport with the families and children we serve. 8|P a g e The efforts we have utilized are partnerships and collaborations with other healthcare providers in neighboring communities. Also, the agency has collaborated with Ray of Hope, non-profit organization that assists children and families with healthcare screenings and assessments. Several community based organizations for prevention services and training. Health Advisory Committee Health Services Advisory Committee(HSAC) ; Families within the community tend to see the same doctors for health care, and the provision of health information in Parent Committee Meetings appears to be helpful. Individual meetings with parents via home visits and phone conference to share health information (health education). We provide and review with our parents Grow Learn & Thrive information and discuss the importance regarding having a dental/medical home for their children. We discuss the importance of also keeping an open line of communication with their child(ren)'s dentist and doctor. We have community partners, such as the Colgate Van and Prevent Blindness of Georgia, assist families in obtaining free dental and vision screenings and to educate parents/children regarding their health. Right now many of my families are having issues with Medicaid. Medicaid is cutting their benefits and the families sometimes don't even realize it until they go to the Dr. and they're told that the child can't be seen because they no longer have coverage. The families have a hard time reaching their case worker and once they do they are told that they had an appointment and never showed up but the family never got any letter letting them know about any appointment. Health Advisory Meetings Participation in Heath Fair Parents getting their child's health screenings completed before the first day of school. Accessible to doctors on the Social Health Advisory Committee Maintaining a strong relationship with community healthcare providers is helpful in connecting these resources with families. With the 45/90 day health requirements, operating on a 30/60 time frame to meet deadlines is helpful. Staff have annual individual meetings with the health care providers in our area to discuss difficulties during the previous year and develop solutions. Each partner also provides information as to upcoming changes. We are serving on a new Emanuel County Partnership for Health initiative to identify county health issues/concerns and address problems with families having access to needed resources. We have good working relationships with our community partners. The resources that they provide to our children and families, helps our program to always stay in compliance with the Federal & State regulations. It also help us to provide timely services to our children and families. 12. Homelessness 9|P a g e Implementing policies and identification of homelessness is difficult or 22% of the grantees. Accessing required documents is difficult for 19% of the grantees. There is a need to coordinate better with the LEAs to developing efforts. More should be done to engage community partners in cross training and planning activities. Lack of resources and shelters, especially in rural areas is problematic. 12 A. Implementing policies and procedures to ensure that children experiencing homelessness are identified and prioritized for enrollment 16% 3% 3% 12 B. Allowing families of children experiencing homelessness to apply to, enroll in and attend Head Start while required documents are 3% obtained within a reasonable time frame 3% 13% 77% 81% Answer Options Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult Not at All Difficult Difficult Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 12 C. Obtaining sufficient data on the needs of homeless children to inform the program's annual community assessment 3% 3% 39% Not at All Difficult Difficult 55% Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 12 D. Engaging community partners, including the local McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison, in conducting staff cross training and planning activities 3% 3% 30% 63% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 10 | P a g e 12E. In coordination with LEAs, developing and implementing family outreach and support efforts under McKinney-Vento and transition planning for children experiencing 10% homelessness 23% 68% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 13. As an organization, we need to do better with partnering with our LEAs regarding training and planning activities. None N/A None. Small rural counties within our service area have minimal or no resources for homeless families unless domestic violence is a factor. We do experience problems identifying homeless families that are not in shelters or referred by our LEA's. Also not all of our counties have homeless shelters. None at this time. More resources are needed throughout the state. There are no additional issues. There is a lack of resources within the community to support homeless families. Identifying School Liaisons that are tracking children within the school systems It is sometimes difficult to obtain required documentation. Our biggest problem is in identifying the children/families who are homeless. They are not always forthright with the fact that they are homeless. Not being able to find adequate housing (homeless shelters in our areas. Lack of resources in the rural communities. Clayton County School liaison for Homeless children only have information for Elementary -High school families and not for 0-3 families. Shelters for homeless families do not keep record of families that they serve. Our issue is identifying those in need and connection with the LEAs 14. What is working well in your efforts to address the housing needs of the children and families in your program who are experiencing homelessness? Which of these efforts do you think may be helpful to other programs? 11 | P a g e Community partners who provide these services to homeless families. Partnerships with local homeless shelters and the local school district Homeless Education Program. Having a specific form to identify homeless families ensures effective monitoring of this area. Our community has several community organization that assist with homelessness such as Communities in School, Helping Hands, and Goodwill that serve families in need of services. The local LEA is willing to do whatever it takes to serve Homeless children and their families. Partnerships with homelessness organizations. Established partnership with agency which provides services to families experiencing homelessness. As a Community Action Agency we are able to complete interoffice referrals for homeless families in our CAP service area. Large Counties in our service area have resources to link families to necessary services. The Homeless Prevention program, located in one of our larger counties, helps families acquire housing, employment and financial stability. Our LEA's and the shelters refer families with young children to our Head Start program. Our training on homelessness with Family Support Advocates assists in ensuring quality and compliance. "United Way" is one of our partners that we make the referral to. Also, the "Emergency Shelter", downtown for women and children is called, on Howell Mill Road. It is called the "Women Union Mission". They will pick up the mother and her children and drive them to the shelter. (If the parent has a boy child that is older than 12, those children are housed in a different area away from the girls at the Shelter.) The efforts that the family Support staff make for the homeless families is that we really work with them concerning documentation. The agency works well with the local education agencies and Department of Family & Children services. Families are provided resources of available resources. Training also provided on how to access resources. The school district social worker works with local agencies and schools to ensure that homeless families have access to education and basic services as much as possible. Great partnership with the LEA and the Homeless Liaison for the school system. Concerns of housing and transportation We have a good relationship with local homeless liaisons. This could be helpful for other programs. making referrals to other resources Discussion of housing begins at time of application in an effort for staff to provide support, if needed, to stabilize the family's housing. We partner with school system homeless coordinator to insure families receive 12 | P a g e needed services. Linking them to community resources for immediate and on-going services. NA 15. Welfare/Child Welfare Grantees indicate that more could be done to share training and technical assistance opportunities and being involved in state level planning, as well as exchanging resources with other service providers. Improvement could be made in participating in state level planning and policy development. 15. A. Obtaining information and data for community assessment and planning 19% 81% 15. B. Working together with TANF, Employment and Training, and related support services to recruit families 20% 80% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 15 C. Implementing policies and procedures to ensure that children in the child welfare system are prioritized for enrollment 7% 3% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 15D. Facilitating shared training and technical assistance opportunities 3% 32% 87% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 65% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 13 | P a g e 15E. Getting involved in state level planning and policy development 17% 47% 15 F. Exchanging information on roles & resources with other service providers regarding family/child assistance 3% 23% 37% 74% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 16. Please describe any other issues you may have regarding the welfare/child welfare (family/child assistance) needs of the children and families in your program. Again, we just need to get more involved and do more outreach. Currently there are more than 100 foster children in Clarke County, but less than 20 foster parents. Therefore, most foster children are placed out of Clarke County making it impossible for children to receive EHS/HS services in Clarke County. None. Difficult making direct contact with DFACS due to online options. None at this time. Our biggest concern has been CAPS. Many of our families are scheduled for a re-newel, but their caseworkers are prolonging the process. Therefore, preventing many of our families from updating their CAPS information in time to continue using extended day services. CAPS or the qualifications changing. You can hardly physically see any one when you go into the office and calling seems like a lost cause as well HIPPA law prevents program from obtaining certain information that will allow us to provide needed services. State/County workers have such large caseloads that it can sometimes be difficult to communicate with them. We are faced with the problem of families not keeping their services such as TANF, SNAP, Medicaid, etc. current and updated. Limited DFACS staff to assist with services for families. N/A NA 17. What is working well in your efforts to address the welfare/child welfare (family/child assistance) needs of children and families in 14 | P a g e your program? Which of these efforts do you think may be helpful to other programs? DFCS Director serves on the Policy Council. EHS/HS staff attend Operation Permanency Meetings and Staffing. DFCS regularly refers children to the EHS/HS program. Joint trainings between DFCS and EHS/HS program. Community level "Safety and Community Stability Strategic Action Team coordinated by Athens Family Connection, chaired by the local Juvenile Court Judge, and attended by representatives from DJJ, Police Department, GA Conflict Center, Mental Health providers, school district social workers, EHS/HS, DFCS, UGA, and others. Access to Compass EOA Head Start/Early Head Start's participation in the state interagency coordinating council (ICC). We have a point systems for registration to address the neediest of the need. The use of our Family Strengths and Needs Assessment allows us to connect families with necessary resources to address their needs. Our Community partnerships also help us address children and family needs. Both the FSNA and partnerships are beneficial for programs. Foster children are referred to our Head Start program by the Department of Children Services and the Health Department. They also allow our staff members to post recruitment flyers in their waiting rooms. Our relationships and partnerships in the community is of great assistance. But the relationship that the family Support has with the parent is key because he or she will need to submit in a timely fashion, those documentations that are needed to speed-up the process to receive services most importantly. We have provided the parents with before and after school hours to assist with the child care needs of enrolled students. We also have provided the parents with information on how to apply for assistance from DFACS for childcare cost. Collaboration with partners on Social Health Advisory board and agreement with social service agencies. Developing relationships with employees of other agencies who serve low-income families. Family Service Workers assist families in getting re-certified for services including providing transportation. Strong collaborations Engaging families and allowing them to express what their needs are as they may change frequently. Having speakers to attend and address these issues during monthly parent meetings. Distributing flyers and other pertinent materials to families. NA 18. Child Care 15 | P a g e Grantees report a need to develop and link with child care partners. Recompetition has impacted partnerships because of the difficulty in maintaining Head Start standards. Many families cannot afford after care. Transportation rules make it difficult for child care providers to transport to their facility. Assisting families with full-day/full year care is challenging and braiding funding with child care funds is difficult. This has to do with policies. Grantees would benefit from more data sharing regarding assessments for children jointly served and exchanging information and resources from providers and organizations. 18 A. Establishing linkages/partnerships with child care providers 42% 3% 55% 18 B. Assisting families to access fullday, full year 6% 3% 32% 58% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 18 C. Capacity to braid, HS and child care funds to provide full day, full year services 13% 30% 17% 18 D. Aligning policies and practices with other service 17% 37% 40% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 47% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 16 | P a g e E. Sharing data/information on children that are jointly served 10% (assessments, outcomes, etc 27% 63% 18F. Exchanging information on roles and resources with other providers/ organizations regarding child care and community needs 10% 26% 65% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 19. Please describe any other issues you may have regarding access to child care services and resources. We are not licensed; therefore, we are not able to provide childcare services at this time. Concern that one licensing visit to a partnership child care center could cause the grantee to be placed into recompetition. Establishing partnerships is the easiest part; maintaining quality is difficult due to minimum BFTS Standards. None at this time Many of our Head Start parents cannot afford after care. None at this time. Funding is not adequate for this grantee to provide full-day or full-year services to enrolled children and families. This is a needed service for the community. Due to state requirements for child restraints, child care centers are no longer able willing to transport children to their location for extended day services. We have no child care partnerships. N/A The questions asked describe our issues. 20. What is working well in your efforts to address the child care needs of the children and families in your program? Which of these efforts do you think may be helpful to other programs? The willingness of some child care providers to coordinate the needs of families with our program. Information is shared with the MEP. 17 | P a g e Trusting, positive relationship between child care partner and grantee. Having EHS/HS Education Specialist at the child care partnership site at least 3 times / week; conducting classroom walkthroughs regularly by Education Manager, Safety Manager, Nutrition Specialist, etc. Having regular partnership meetings. Collaborative partnership with relevant community providers. Partnership meetings Utilizing the data obtained for our Community Assessment to ensure that we are providing services to meet the needs in the counties we serve. Partnering with community agencies to ensure that families receive adequate support services as needed. Collaboration with childcare agencies and local BOEs in our service area. Some of the child care centers have buses that pick up children at our Head Start center and transport them to after care. Conducting on-going, open and honest conversations and face-to-face meetings with parents, staff and collaborative agencies and continued observations. Georgia programs work really well to support one another We have provided the parents with before and after school hours to assist with the child care needs of enrolled students. We also have provided the parents with information on how to apply for assistance from DFACS for childcare cost. Program staff work in conjunction with the local Communities in Schools agency to assist parents in completing the necessary steps to apply for financial assistance for extended child care. We give priority to children who have a sibling already enrolled in the program. N/A Our program is working on a strategic plan to improve in this area. 21. Family Literacy Establishing partnerships with agencies serving English language learners as well as exchanging information and resources about the importance of family literacy and parent participation in literacy activities remains challenging. Transportation is a barrier. 18 | P a g e 21 A. Incorporating family literacy into your program policies and practices 13% 21 B. Educating others (e.g., parents, the community) about the importance of family literacy 19% 3% Not at All Difficult Difficult 87% Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult Not at All Difficult Difficult 77% Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 21 C. Establishing linkages/partnerships with key literacy providers (libraries, literacy council, foundations, community colleges) 20% 3% 77% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 21 D. Securing family participation in family literacy services, as available 10% 48% 42% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 21 E. Establishing partnerships with providers of programs for parents whose primary language is other than English 19% 3% 45% 32% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 21 F. Exchanging information with other providers/organizations regarding roles and resources related to family 23% 6% 71% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 19 | P a g e 22. Please describe any other issues you may have regarding family literacy services and resources. Lack of programs that provide information in Spanish. There are multiple family literacy services and resources in the area, but transportation is a barrier, especially to those whose legal status prevents them from obtaining a driver's license. None. There are minimal resources in the diversity of language development for non-English speaking families in several of the counties we serve. A literacy curriculum that our Family Advocates are comfortable facilitating for parents would be helpful. Not all counties have literacy programs other than those offered at libraries and colleges. None at this time. No real issues, we do have a few centers that are very diverse in their nationalities and that we may not always have the literature in their first language. There is a lack of service providers for families whose primary language is not English. Limited resources and limited transportation in our area Funding for services has decreased and programs such as RIF and ESL local services have stopped. N/A NA 23. What is working well in your efforts to address the literacy needs of the families in your program? Which of these efforts do you think may be helpful to other programs? Cooperative attitude of community partners. At the center level, we facilitate several literacy events per year. In addition, we partner with local libraries to address the literacy needs of families. Partnership with Athens Literacy Council. Mentor coaching Partnership and family/parent meetings; collaborations with local libraries and participation in literacy grants Although family participation is low, our community partners are willing to provide training and education services/support for the families we serve. We schedule trainings in conjunction with our parent meetings to ensure that parents receive literacy information. Our FSWs address literacy needs during intake and throughout the year via establishing Family Partnership Agreements. Others programs may benefit from any of the listed efforts. We are strategic in our planning and focus via the PFCE framework. The agency has a lending library in each center, provides books to children through Reading Is Fundamental and First Books Foundation. Family Advocates work with parents to encourage them to get a library card from the local libraries and the students visit the libraries monthly; parents are invited to attend. The technical colleges provide literacy/GED training to parents. Our annual Jump Start project is coordinated with male engagement as the focus objective. It is very effective role modeling for children to see male's engaged in literacy and reading activities. 20 | P a g e Community partnerships formed as a result of the Baldwin County Literacy Team. Participation in community-wide events to promote literacy. Great community partnerships. Collaboration with local public libraries and other agencies has worked very well. Teaching staff partner with parents to support literacy from school to home through parent conferences, home visits, individualized goal setting and using the parent take home reading kits. Literacy Corner for parents in the resource room in each center, consisting of books and magazines. Parents can come in and read and check out books to take home. Family Literacy Surveys are assisting in measuring increases in family participation as well as a way to assist in educating parents in the importance of family literacy activities. Creating family literacy enhancement plans has assisted with bringing all into an awareness of their part in enhancing family literacy. Family Engagement Coordinator carries out multiple family literacy activities and events for families. Partnering with the Local Library for weekly library visits. Sites visits from the local library to the classrooms. On -site book fairs annually. Record keeping of families that visit the local library. We have a family literacy initiative and work with parents. 24. Disabilities Grantees still have some difficulty obtaining Part B & C evaluations and coordinating referral services and data sharing for both. Response to Intervention poses challenging for some. Funding cuts for special services have been cut. And insurance does not always cover some disabilities, e.g. speech. A24 . Obtaining timely Part C (early intervention) evaluations of children 19% 45% 24 B. Obtaining timely Part B/619 (preschool special education) evaluations of children 32% 48% 35% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 19% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 21 | P a g e 24 C. Having HS/EHS staff attend IEP or IFSP meetings 16% 3% 24 D. Coordinating services with Part C providers 3% 58% 81% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 24 E. Supporting the referral process to Part C providers/agencies for children identified under CAPTA (Child Abuse Prevention & Treatment Act) 3% 3% 29% 65% 39% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 24 F. Coordinating services with Part B/619 10% 29% 61% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 24 G. Sharing data/information on jointly served children (assessments, outcomes, etc 13% 19% 24 H. Exchanging information on roles and resources with other providers/ organizations regarding services for children with disabilities and their families 20% 7% 68% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult Not at All Difficult Difficult 73% Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 22 | P a g e 25. Please describe any other issues you may have regarding services for children with disabilities and their families. The RTI System continues to impede the process of obtaining IEP's for children in our program. Due to timing, children often have a gap in services due to the closing of the LEA and the opening of the season. Typically, the centers open in April and the LEA close in May/June. As a result, many of the children are not diagnosed before they migrate. Identifying children for Part C (the EHS/HS program refers, but children are often not deemed eligible). The process of the referral system is slow and limits the time needed to serve the children in the program. There are problems with partners regarding being informed of what /when meetings occur. RTI is a requirement for local BOEs prior to the completion of evaluations. When the RTI process is extended it delays the possibility of obtaining the evaluation within a timely manner. The RTI process is time-consuming (3-12 months) and results in delayed screenings and full evaluations. None at this time. Time frame of obtaining needed information from parents is a concern with our program. Sometimes communication with Part C providers can be difficult, as well as scheduling transition meetings with the school system at 2.5 year Limited resources within the community. Funding cuts have decreased the numbers of staff employed to provide special services to identified children. This makes coordinating schedules and providing release time difficult when planning meetings. The response to intervention plans varies, sometimes as long as 12 weeks. Often the LEA will take a long time to see our referred children. It is very difficult to get services for three year olds. Wellcare does not cover speech services as of February 1st, and parents are now required to switch to Amerigroup in order to continue to be eligible for speech services. N/A 27. Community Services Grantees seem to be working well within their communities. Outreach to military families could definitely improve. 23 | P a g e 27 A. Establishing linkages/partnerships with law enforcement agencies 16% 3% 27 B. Establishing linkages/partnerships with public resources (state, county, city, etc.) regarding prevention/treatment 26% 81% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 27 C. Establishing linkages/partnerships with private resources (e.g., faith-based, foundations, business) regarding prevention/treatment services 29% 3% Not at All Difficult Difficult 74% Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 27 D. Partnering with service providers on outreach activities for eligible families 3% 26% 68% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 27E. Obtaining in-kind community services for the children/families in your 19% program 3% 74% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 27 F. Sharing data/information on children/families served jointly by HS/EHS and other agencies re: prevention/treatment 3% 30% 74% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 67% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 24 | P a g e 27 G. Exchanging information on roles and resources with other providers/ organizations regarding community 13% 27 H. Establishing linkages/partnerships with providers of services to military 3% 3% 28% 87% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 66% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 28. Please describe any other issues you may have regarding community services for the families in your program. We have found that more than a few agencies are reluctant to assist the families that we serve. There are many resources in our service area, however, parents do not have time to uptake all needed services. Parents often will not disclose if they are receiving drug treatment services. Parents often will not uptake mental health services for previously identified emotional needs. Parents often do not adhere to their counseling and medication treatment plans and fall into crisis which is an ongoing cycle for them. Limited resources in the rural counties Community linkages and new verbiage. ex. CAPTA Although there is awareness of community resources there is no systematic way of sharing information of available services unless a need is identified. Health Departments no longer have the staff to provide training as they have done in the past. Some of our counties work with us better than others. None at this time. Limited resources in all areas. HIPPA Law prevents or limits exchange of info. We have great community partners that are ready and willing to help. Some private providers are nervous about sharing information. N/A NA 29. What is working well in your efforts to address the community services needs of the families in your program? Which of these efforts do you think may be helpful to other programs? 25 | P a g e Establishing and maintaining partners and other collaborative relationships with providers of these services. Partnership with DFCS, Mental Health Professional, UGA, Family Connection, and other agencies. Utilize Board & Policy Council members in establishing linkages and partnerships and exchanging information. Advisory meetings with the community; attendance in community meetings. Participation in Community Meetings/Forums is an effort to bring awareness of program services and gain awareness of additional community resources. Allowing Community Service organizations to participate in parent meetings and/or program events. Interagency referrals to our community service division of the CAP agency. Community partners are usually willing to come to the centers for children. Constantly connecting with community partners (i.e. doctor/dental offices). Many of our parents work for our local dental/doctor offices and are often open to providing services (i.e. dental health education classes) to our parents. The agency has staff that attends meetings provided by Family Connection in each county as well as County Extension. Law enforcement agencies are invited to events at the centers. Partnerships that has been developed with community partners. Maintaining a presence and participation in community events helps to recruit support for families. The local faith-based community is extremely active and supportive of the program and other schools. We have several community partners that come and speak about their services and/or provide training at parent meetings. Also, several partners provide opportunities to parents to access services (parents are being offered garden plots in the community gardens, along with free plants, for participating in nutritional services). Attending County Collaborative meetings and networking with other providers there. Health Manager serves on Interagency Council which addresses needs and resources available to at-risk families. We have good working relationships with our community partners. The resources that they provide to our children and families, helps our program to always stay in compliance with the Federal & State regulations. It also help us to provide timely services to our children and families. NA 30. Education ( School Readiness, Head Start/Pre-K Partnership Development) Grantees report educational activities including curricular objectives and dissemination of access information for preschool services are not difficult. Opportunities for staff joint training remains challenging. Providing services to meet the needs of working parents is somewhat difficult. The provision and use of facilities is difficult for 23 % of Georgia 26 | P a g e grantees. Transportation issues remain an obstacle. 30 A. Educational activities, curricular objectives and instruction 3% 3% 30 B. Information, dissemination and access for families contacting Head Start or other preschool programs 7% 3% 93% Not at All Difficult Difficult NotApplicable Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 30 C. Selection priorities for eligible children 3% 3% 93% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult NotApplicable 90% Not at All Difficult Difficult NotApplicable Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 30 D. Service Areas 7% 3% Not at All Difficult Difficult NotApplicable 90% Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 27 | P a g e 30 E. Staff training, including opportunities for joint staff training 7% 3% 20% 70% 30 F. Joint/shared technical assistance (e.g., on mutual needs; to develop partnership agreements) 7% 3% 73% Not at All Difficult Difficult NotApplicable Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult Not at All Difficult Difficult NotApplicable Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 30 G. Provision of services to meet needs of working parents, as applicable 7% 24% 30 H. Communications and parent outreach for transition to kindergarten 13% 3% 69% Not at All Difficult Difficult NotApplicable Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult Not at All Difficult Difficult NotApplicable 83% Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 30 I. Provision and use of facilities, transportation, etc. 3% 3% 7% 10% 77% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult NotApplicable 28 | P a g e 31. Please describe any other issues you may have regarding partnership development with Georgia Pre-K, school systems, and private child care providers in your service area. We tried to obtain assistance from the school system to assist with transporting children to our facilities, it didn't happen. Merging and meeting requirements, obtaining documentation School Systems- HS should coordinate these efforts with MOUs through the state; provide guidance on available supports to increase teacher capacity levels. None at this time None at this time. Alignment Issues: It was somewhat difficult to design a daily schedule that would comply with the requirements of the new GA Rated/Quality Rated Scoring Instrument System, GA Pre-K Operating Standards, and Head Start Performance Standards. none When the LEA opens a new Pre-K class they recruit our enrolled Head Start and Pre-K children. Geographic size of program and large number of LEAs has caused some issues in coordination. Different assessment systems used in GA Pre-K and HS N/A Transportation is a necessity for our program and it would be beneficial to be able to partner with our LEAs. 32. What is working well in your efforts to develop partnerships with Georgia Pre-K, school systems, and private child care providers in your service area? Which of these efforts do you think may be helpful to other programs? Collaborative activities with school system regarding transition activities, training facility usage, etc. We developed a School Readiness Advisory Committee which consists of staff from the LEAs, HS staff and parents. The SRAC meets quarterly. Grantee is the LEA for both HS and Pre-K which works well. Pre-K provides excellent source for in-kind for the HS grant. Field trips, curriculum, and dental hygiene Keeping strong collaborations so that all partners are empowered and aligned. We are a part of the process additional funding and training works well. We have a great partnership with GA Pre-K. Our Consultant works diligently with program staff to ensure that our blended classrooms meet all requirements. Partnerships with private child care providers allow us to utilize space in their facility and extend our training to their staff. Training in all areas is enhanced due to both partnerships. Partnering with the local school systems allows us to provide a co-teaching environments for students with special needs. Flexibility Representatives from our LEAs located in our center service areas attend monthly 29 | P a g e Head Start Parent Meetings. School Readiness Aggregated Data is shared with the LEAs. School board is our grantee. The school district coordinates Literacy Team as well as Kindergarten Transition Team meetings that include all providers. Good partnership with Coweta County Pre-k. Staff attend Pre-k training with Coweta County school system. Sharing of space in facilities, sharing of providers for enrollees with disabilities Being knowledgeable of rules and guidelines. Partnerships to provide after school care. Pre-K webinars School system built new facility for Early Head Start and Pre-K with local SPLOST funds, and programs moved to new site this school year. The meetings and trainings provided to our staff to better serve and communicate with our families. See questions. 33. School Transition and Alignment with Pre-K Grantees report a need to better coordinate transportation with LEAs and coordinating other services for children and families. Grantees experience challenges in working with parents with limited English proficiency and coordinating these services. Exchanging information with LEAs could be improved and more work needs to be done on aligning curriculum and assessment practices. Joint training is a need and release time is an issue. 33 A. Coordinating with LEAs to implement systematic procedures for transferring Head Start program records to school 23% 3% 33 B. Ongoing communication with LEAs to facilitate coordination of programs (including teachers, social workers, McKinney Vento liaisons, etc.) 30% 73% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 70% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 30 | P a g e 33 C. Establishing and implementing comprehensive transition policies and procedures with LEAs 23% 3% 73% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 33 E. Aligning Head Start curricula and assessments with Head Start Child Outcomes 13% 33 D. Linking LEA and Head Start services relating to language, numeracy and literacy 27% 73% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 33 F. Aligning Head Start curricula with state Early Learning 10% 87% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 33 G. Partnering with LEAs and parents to assist individual children/families to transition to school, including review of portfolio/records 20% 80% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 90% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 33 H. Coordinating transportation with LEAs 6% 7% 27% 60% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 31 | P a g e 33 I. Coordinating shared use of facilities with LEAs 17% 3% 80% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 33 J. Coordinating with LEAs regarding other support services for children and families 33% 67% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 33 K. Conducting joint outreach to parents and LEA to discuss needs of children entering kindergarten 20% 80% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 33 L. Establishing policies and procedures that support children's transition to school that includes engagement with LEA 10% 90% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 33 M. Helping parents of limited English proficient children understand instructional and other information and services provided by the receiving school 6% 3% 53% 37% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 33 N. Exchanging information with LEAs on roles, resources and regulations 24% 3% Not at All Difficult Difficult 72% Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 32 | P a g e 33 O. Aligning curricula and assessment practices with LEAs 24% 3% Not at All Difficult Difficult 72% Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 33 P. Organizing and participating in joint training, including transitionrelated training, for school staff and Head Start staff 3% 33% Not at All Difficult Difficult 63% Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 33 Q. Developing MOUs with LEAs regarding school readiness 17% 3% 79% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 34. Please describe any other issues you may have regarding Head Start transition and alignment with K-12 for the children and families in your program. This area does not relate to the Early Head Start program. N/A We need to established general language with HS & LEAs to create a common language regarding expectations. In a few cases it was hard obtaining the written IEP once the evaluation was complete. None at this time. Helping our parents understand the impact attendance has on their children's learning (short/long-term). School systems transition does not align with Head Starts expectation. It is difficult to get some childcare providers to participate more actively in 33 | P a g e kindergarten transition activities. Activities that require staff release time are difficult to schedule. Sequestration limited field trips for this year. Working with 23 LEAs which have different requirements and transition processes. N/A see above questions 35. In your efforts to address the education/Head Start transition to school needs of the children and families in your program, what is working well? Which of these efforts do you think may be helpful to other programs? Long term cooperative collaboration with LEA. Grantee is the LEA; all instruction is standards based. Education staff works to align assessment (GOLD) with framework and state standards (GELDS). We have developed school readiness goals and work strongly with LEA's in our area. Our outcomes are very successful through this collaboration. Visiting Community/Local schools to establish partnerships and open discussions Transition works well for HS. It would help to be included in the transition meetings. Partnerships with local BOEs. Transition plans for children and families transitioning to school. Conducting transition meetings/forums and field trips for children and families. Allowing families to serve on committees and governing boards while enrolled in HS. Linking families to feeder schools. All efforts can be beneficial. Address the importance and the impact of attendance on learning during enrollment interview, orientation, PLO meetings, and parent transition meetings with the kindergarten chairperson and social worker, and Kindergarten Transition field trips to our local feeder schools. All LEAs in our service areas have received Head Start communication in a very positive manner. The LEAs have expressed a desire to continue this communication to keep our agency connected to the needs of the children and families being served by both Head staff and the LEA. Collaboration with families Team meetings that include each elementary school and all childcare providers is beneficial. Having uniform documents designed by the team that are submitted from childcare providers to schools is a tremendous help to elementary schools in planning for student success. Visiting the site to which children are transitioning prior to the move We have a "Crayon Pals" project between our HS classes and kindergarten classes to facilitate communication between children and staff with parental input. Joint meeting with LEA about transition. 34 | P a g e Transition plans including parent workshops Disability services are held onside at many of our centers. Local school readiness committees. School system is fiscal agent for Early Head Start. Communication! Communication!! Communication!!! 36. Professional Development There still remains issues regarding the transference of credits among public institutions and community access. Some areas are experiencing difficulties accessing T & TA. There is some difficulty accessing financial support. Release time for professional development remains difficult. There is great improvement in the ability to access on-line opportunities. Grantees would like more opportunity to participate in mentor coaching activities. They need more information on resources for professional development. 36 A. Transferring credits between public institutions of learning 3% 3% 36 B. Accessing early childhood education degree programs in the community 30% 40% Not at All Difficult Difficult 53% Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 70% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 35 | P a g e 36 C. Accessing T & TA opportunities in the community (including crosstraining) 3% 3% 17% 77% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 36 D. Accessing scholarships and other financial support for professional development programs/activities (e.g., T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood, Scholarships & Incentives 3% 3% 40% 53% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 36 E. Staff release time to attend professional development activities 3% 10% 43% 36 F. Accessing on-line professional development opportunities (e.g., availability of equipment, internet connection, 10% 7%etc 43% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 83% Not at All Difficult Difficult Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 36 G. Exchanging information on roles and resources with other providers/ organizations regarding professional development 17% 3% 3% 36 H. Becoming involved in a mentor coaching activity 7% 46% 76% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult 47% Not at All Difficult Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult 36 | P a g e 37. Please describe any other issues you may have regarding professional development activities and resources. Articulation agreements between technical colleges and universities only core courses like Math and English and exclude ECE courses. Does not apply to Early Head Start Funding for training on mentoring and coaching It is difficult to allow staff release time for professional development during instructional hours due to limited subs and budget cuts. Additional funds are needed for a Mentor Coach program. Not at this time. We have observed that the formal education received by our teachers are not transitioning to the Head Start classrooms at the level of expectations of education administrative staff. It has been necessary to provide continued support to address developmentally appropriate practices in the early childhood classroom. More funded training time is needed for staff. Access to ECE degree programs is difficult for staff who must continue to work during the daytime. As we are in a rural area, not all of our counties have a college/technical college, making it a challenge for some staff to continue their education. QR State requirements for training can be difficult due to budget and needing GA State approved trainings to meet requirements. N/A 38. What is working well in your efforts to address the professional development needs of your staff? Which of these efforts do you think may be helpful to other programs? Providing a variety of professional development opportunities for staff to ensure that individual needs are met while adhering to state and Head Start regulations. Developing Professional Development Plans (per HS Act) on data and child outcomes. Professional learning is then targeted to those areas. Providing opportunities and assistance, sharing information on professional development activities, allowing staff to make suggestions and request training/technical assistance that would be beneficial, and enhance their job performance, attaching academic credits to training whenever possible. Currently, working along with the local LEA, Bright from the Start and RESA has help us in providing quality and needed professional development. utilizing professional development plans to guide training; quality of training at conferences( sometimes successful) Training at Pre-Service and continued training throughout the year is working well for us. The CCR&R agency has been available to assist with meeting required PD hours, new state requirements, GELDS and QR. Webinars are available in different subject areas. All Counties served have a local Technical College or University within 45 minutes of travel. Follow the State plan and make use of all the PD perks in this state. 37 | P a g e The use of the CLASS (Classroom Scoring System) instrument has helped in confirming to teachers what really matters in early childhood education. It has provided concrete interpretations of the high level of the teacher-child interactions that provide school readiness for all children. Many online PD programs are used to add flexibility to schedules and to better individualize for needs. Online training has been very helpful, as well as being able to have in-service training approved for conference credit. Having on-line resources readily available through ECLKC and other Birth-5 websites. ECLKC would be helpful to other programs as well as NCQTL. State approved trainers are located in each of our centers. Collaboration with local colleges for ECE degree program. N/A Please the questions 39. Early Childhood Systems Development Grantees report that there is some difficulty participating in Quality rated. Although open to all, one grantee is unaware that this option is available. There remains some difficulty participating in the state unified data system. Although all have authorized data agrees, two grantees were not aware they had done so. There has been some director turnover. Grantees need more information on MIECHY. They could benefit b more technical assistance on how to implement Strengthening Families and Head Start Parent, Family and Community Engagement. More work is needed in outreach to military families. 39. A. Receiving information about and providing input to state advisory councils 3% 3% 30% 63% Not at All Difficult Difficult Not Applicable Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 39 B. Participating in state Quality Rating and Improvement System (called Quality Rated in Georgia) 13% 3% 3% 50% 30% Not at All Difficult Difficult Not Applicable Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 38 | P a g e C. Participating in state efforts to unify early childhood data systems (example: through integration with ChildPlus and state Pre-K) C. Participating in state efforts to unify early childhood data systems (example: through integration with ChildPlus and state Pre-K) 32% 6% 68% 23% Not at All Difficult Difficult Not Applicable Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 39 D. Receiving information about the State Early Learning Standards alignment 32% 6% 10% 81% Not at All Difficult Difficult Not Applicable Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 39 E. Obtaining State Child Care license 13% 13% 45% 29% Not at All Difficult Difficult Not Applicable Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 39F. Receiving and participating in the State Infant Toddler Network (BFTS training in GA 30% 47% 7% 7% Not at All Difficult 10% Somewhat Difficult Difficult Extremely Difficult Not Applicable 39 | P a g e 39 G. Receiving information about the Georgia Home Visitation Initiative (Great Start Georgia) though the Governor's Office of Children & Families and MIECHY (EHS only) 33% 50% 3% 3% 10% Not at All Difficult Difficult Not Applicable Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 39 I. Implementation of Strengthening Families 3% 3% 31% 62% 39 H. Implementation of the Head Start Parent, Family, Community Engagement 32% 61% 35% Not at All Difficult Difficult Not Applicable Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 39 J. Partnering with the military to serve military families 13% 3% 3% 47% Not at All Difficult Difficult Not Applicable Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 23% Not at All Difficult Difficult Not Applicable Somewhat Difficult Extremely Difficult 40. Please describe any other issues you may have regarding partnerships with early childhood systems efforts in your state. LEA's do not automatically receive information about state level efforts. Regional Office & State need to meet more often, so that issues/concerns can be addressed. State infant toddler network -not readily made available to program; how to access needed training and support; conferences?; military to serve military families- unaware of this service one at this time B. We have had a difficult time getting our staff leveled in the PDR. E. Some of our facilities prevent us from being licensed. 40 | P a g e None at this time. We have had to discontinue our door to door transportation services to our families. Specific licensing regulations regarding preschoolers should be created rather than applying those designed for infants and toddlers. The fingerprint laws, rules, process has been very confusing with conflicting information being given. This process needs to be streamlined and clarified. N/A See above questions 41. What is working well in your efforts to partner with early childhood systems initiatives in your state? Areas? Which of these efforts do you think may be helpful to other programs? Numerous resources are available to develop and implement various initiatives. Partnership with Family Connection. State provide training to our Pre-K teachers Attending Ga. Pre-K training and Quality Rated Technical Assistance Participation in TA for Quality Rated through the CCR&R of SE Georgia. Direct linkage to the HS Collaborative Director. Support from State and Regional HS Association. The GA Rated/Quality Rated Scoring Instrument System has provided funds to purchase quality classroom materials for enhanced learning. The Head Start Collaboration Office has continued to be an effective voice for childcare programs. The Director is very knowledgeable about Head Start and GA Pre-K which helps maintain strong partnerships. The Director is an assertive advocate for all children and families around the State. Recruitment and participating in the Striving Reader's Grant with Pre-K in one of the counties we serve. We are located at a primary school and share a facility with Pre-K which allows open communication with staff and families. Information that we received. See above questions 42. Are you participating in the State Data Integration System (in Georgia, data sharing agreements have been signed with ChildPlus/DECAL)? Although grantees reported that 83% participate in the state data sharing agreement, 100% of grantees have signed authorization. Two programs not using ChildPlus are currently in the process of developing a system to share their data. 41 | P a g e 42. Participation in State Data Integration System 16.7% 83.3% Yes Yes No No N/A N/A Why or why not? It will provide an opportunity for CSRA EOA, Inc. Head Start to follow & track students' progress. We are using Easy Trak as our data collection system. Confidentiality We believe in the value of shared data. Required/system used New interim director...no one on staff knew what this was... Looking forward to our program being able to access the data and track our children. Feel it will strength relationship with LEA Use COPA and this is still pending 43. Are you participating in the Quality Rating System? Although 70 % are participating in the Quality Rated System, it is apparent that a few grantees do not understand that being part of a school system or not being licensed is not a requirement. Most who have not made application are getting ready to apply. Georgia grantees feel that being part of the Quality Rated System is very important. 42 | P a g e Response Percent 6.7% 23.3% 70.0% Yes Yes N/A N/A No No Why or Why Not? We are in the initial stages of reviewing the application process, which will be completed and submitted within the next 30 days. Registered for orientation and the orientation was cancelled due to inclement weather. Waiting for the next orientation to take place. So that the community can recognize quality service and so that teachers are recognized for their quality and quantity of work. We are planning to participate for the school year 2014-15 To follow state guidance regarding quality standards; however, exceed through Head Start Performance Standards and NAEYC Accreditation/ Standards We believe in an integrated mechanism to assist parents in selecting care along with the quality improvements which can be realized. To provide enhance training and quality learning environments for all children and families. funding Program in transition...not ready for QRS yet. The process will improve the services to children and families and further verify that we do provide quality services. Have just begun the process. Will provide further evidence to the community that Head Start is a high quality program. We are not licensed as part of school system. 44. How many centers have applied to Quality Rated? 24 grantees reported that at least 121 centers have completed an application. 45. How many centers have received a rating? 23 grantees report that 25 centers total have received a rating and the remaining are in process 46. How many centers received a 1 Star Ratings? 3 47. How many centers received a 2 Star Ratings? 9 43 | P a g e 48. How many centers received a 3 Star Ratings? 13 49. What are the challenges of Quality Rated? It is very time consuming. Length of operation. The conflict in requirements and standards, obtaining required data, meeting training requirements. We are also in the NAYCE accreditation process as well. Trying to complete both programs at one time is too much for staff. We will work in 2014-2015 towards Quality Rated. Time for training and the additional funding needed to implement the program. Also the quality rated program losing information while submitted. Funding and supplies; PDR leveling when there is staff turnover We have had a hard time getting our staff leveled in the PDR. The process is slow. The staff time and resources required to undergo the process. Alignment of GA Pre-K Operating Guidelines with GA Rated, License, and Head Start Performance Standards. Standard one getting all staff in PDR is very difficult. The length of the visit can be very uneasy to some. Visit appeared to be very bias and subjective to the staff One of the biggest challenges of Quality Rated is the time demanded in the SPOD segments. Between the amount of time classes spend attending to routine tasks and in SPOD, there is very little time left in the day for any-teacher directed instruction. Kindergarten teachers express great dissatisfaction with the daily schedule model required to meet QR. The schedule exacerbates the difficulties students have making the transition to typical kindergarten classrooms where the structure is mostly teacher-directed. Preschool teachers feel that they cannot adequately prepare children in the cognitive areas or for the expectations they will experience in kindergarten while under the QR model schedule. The QR model schedule also presents some conflicts with GA Pre-K Guidelines and licensing regulations. Many children experience more behavioral difficulties with the excessive time they have under SPOD for student free choice of activities required for QR. The QR portfolio contains some requirements that are inferior to those observed by Head Start programs but that are so specific that they require unnecessary duplicate efforts. I am in the process of reorganizing the program. We will be ready in the fall. None Time 44 | P a g e The policy to only accept DECAL approved training. Time for the process. Getting the advanced trainings ITERS/ECERS Federal rules vs state standards None - staff have been very helpful. We are part of school system and have just moved to a new facility. N/A Making sure the school calendar allows for 20-consequetive days. We are not rated as of yet! 50. What are the strengths of Quality Rated? Resources and TA received. Stamp of quality to the public. It is another tool that can be utilized to take a close look at the strengths and weaknesses of programs. It also provides opportunities for strengthening identified challenges. It will provide best practices to our program thus ensuring more quality to children and families. Parent knowledge; increase program quality in minimum childcare settings Enhanced program quality, Child care resources, additional training for teachers, high standard rating system, support from CCR&R, public awareness of program quality Continuous program improvement and focus on quality. High quality improved teaching and learning environment. Technical assistance answered in a timely manner. You are able to make as many changes as possible to complete a standard efficiently. The online portfolio is very user friendly. It is a credible public relations measure of quality for programs to share. I know it will be helpful to our program and will he Technical Assistance Great program for continuous improvement, great rewards for center and staff It helps to have other Early Childhood professionals observe our classrooms and provide feedback based on their perspectives. Additional trainings at no cost. to promote high quality care Willingness of DECAL staff to assist. Stamp of quality for programs serving young children. N/A It is a requirement of Head Start and positions our program as a quality program. 51. What are your plans to serve the 0-3 population over the next 5 years? We are serving that age group and plan to increase the number of children served in EHS. 45 | P a g e We are currently serving 0-3 as a migrant program. We would like to convert some EHS slots to HS threes slots, but it is not currently allowed. Continue seeking grants to expand. The agency is investigating possible partners to enable the 0-3 population to be served in its target areas. We plan to increase the number of Early Head Start children that we are currently serving and reduce the number of Head Start children that are being served. We are partnering with our child-care providers to - to begin align trainings, practices and assessments We serve them and plan to expand. unknown/undecided We anticipate expanding our EHS services We plan to apply for Early Head Start when the opportunity is available as well as apply for the Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership. We hope to expand our service of 0 to 3. Obtain training relating to providing services for this population. Business as usual, serve in EHS, tuition and scholarship slots. Research options We plan to continue to serve 3-year olds under the Head Start model. Although there is community need and interest as well as Board Professional Development for all staff regarding 0-3 population Partnership with those child care facilities who may have a high rating in QR We would like to begin the QRS process for our program. We would also like to expand our EHS services. We hope to take advantage of additional funding to expand in this area. To continue our service of 0-3 and add more classrooms. We will be expanding to serve more infants/toddlers Exploring ways to partner with child care centers. Now serve only 0-3 children. We are excited and ready to improve the educational quality of children 0-3 in our county. Apply for EHS grant, partnerships and home visits 46 | P a g e 52. Are you participating in licensing your centers? 10.0% 26.7% Yes No N/A 63.3% Why or why not? All centers are licensed with the exception of one EHS site. The licensing process of this center will occur this year. We will be submitting applications soon for licensure. 1 out of our 5 locations is a private child care partnership site. The other 4 locations are within the LEA. Efforts are being made to obtain licensure for facilities that meet State requirement. The center allowed license to lapse. In coming Director is researching securing the license again. Cost To show quality or meeting minimum state standards We plan to in the future. A distinction of quality. All 5 of our Head Start Centers are already licensed by the State of Georgia. Health & safety, quality, and funding perks Funding Facility issues... Continuous improvement efforts and great educational incentives for staff All centers are licensed except for the collaborative classes with the school systems because we share children. We chose to license centers to show our commitment to quality and for staff to receive the scholarships/stipends through BFTS. School system Our program is exempt because we are a State institution and need guidance on how best to address this issue with our program and get getting board approval. 47 | P a g e 53. Do you receive any money from your state for Head Start? ( Georgia does not receive state funding, only lottery dollars. Check "No" in Georgia). 3.2% Yes No 96.8% 54. Difficulty obtaining MOUs with childcares providing State funded Pre-K in your service area 9% 91% Very Simple Simple Somewhat Simple / Somewhat Difficult Difficult Very Difficult 48 | P a g e 55. Do you receive funding from Georgia's Lottery funded Pre-K? 16.1% Yes No N/A 83.9% 56. What are the benefits of blending head Start and Pre-K? 93.1% 86.2% 4 89.7% 82.8% 34.5% Wrap around services are provided beyond the scope of Pre-K Wrap around services are provided beyond the scope of Pre-K Staff receive more professional development without additional cost Staff receive more professional development without additional cost Full utilization of funding Full utilization of funding Enhances school readiness Enhances school readiness Serve more three year olds Serve more three year olds Other (please specify) Other (please specify) Other N/A Assist with Nonfederal share More heterogeneous groups of 49 | P a g e children Provides a center with children from a mixed socio-economic groups 57. What are the challenges in blending Head Start and Pre-K programs? Check all that apply 59.3% 63.0% 4 Assessment tool Assessment tool 74.1% 25.9% 48.1% 0.0% Different reporting requirements Different reporting requirements Additional paperwork Additional paperwork Cost allocation Cost allocation Parent confusion regarding programs Parent confusion regarding programs Signing MOUs with State Pre-K providers. (N/A for Georgia) Signing MOUs with State Pre-K providers. (N/A for Georgia) Other (please specify) Other (please specify) Other Obtaining data from partner sites None N/A WSO only generates reports for two collection periods and HS needs 3. 58. Number of 4 year olds in Head Start/Pre-K blended classrooms: Reported 3,841 total 59. Number of classrooms that are Head Start / Pre-K blended Reported 248 blended classrooms 61. If Yes, how many state Pre-K children are not counted in your Head Start enrollment? 3 programs report 664 62. How many new Pre-K slots were you awarded this year? 50 | P a g e 330 63. How many Pre-K slots did you lose this year? 128 64. What is the total current number of Pre-K slots for 2013-2014? (include all children funded by Pre-K) 6,386 65. How many classrooms are state Pre-K only? 191 66. How many 3 year olds did you serve last school year (2012-2013)? 10,532 67. How many 3 year olds are you serving this school year (2013-2014)? 9,690 68. Do you provide extended care? 20.0% Yes No 80.0% 69. If no, do you have arrangements for other child care providers to provide extended care? 33.3 % Yes 66.7% No 70. If yes, how many children do you serve in extended care? 1,030 71. How many staff did you lose due to specific effects of sequestration? 156 (23 grantees responded) 72. How many children did you lose due to specific effects of sequestration? 917 (23 grantees responded) 73. Additional issues/comments: How can Pre-K and Head Start better support each other? No Allow HS / Pre-K classrooms to use a tool other than WSO. The EHS/HS grantee's assessment tool is TS Gold. They need to use the same classroom and reporting requirements. More efforts should be made to collaborate with State and Regional officials to ensure less problems. 51 | P a g e Provide collaborative training; include Head Start staff regardless of Pre-K status to increase /build capacity-several benefits Current partnership is strong. A common assessment tool would be helpful. Share professional training opportunities with each other. Head Start provides training to all Blended Head Start/GA Pre-K teachers, GA Pre-K does not provide training to Head Start (only) teachers. Continue collaborating and striving for best practices in every arena Agree on student assessment tool to be used. Same assessment tool would be very helpful. Streamline paperwork, assessment, and reporting requirements if possible Pre-K can stop taking children enrolled in Head Start programs. Utilization of the GELDS as a measure of assessment of school readiness rather than a particular assessment tool. Having more blended services to increase quality education of children, especially does that will be transitioning to kindergarten. It the goal is provide partnerships in the future, allow allotted spots for the Head Start programs in all Head Start service areas. 52 | P a g e