March 12, 2003

TO:                  Steering Committee Members

                        Early Success – Right from the Start

FROM:             Karen Schneider, Director

RE:  Minutes of the March 12, 2003 Steering Committee Meeting

Attendance:                 

Karen Schneider, Joan Lowis, Andi Strickler, Becky Johnson, Julie Vanhala, LouAnn Gregory, Michelle Gabalis, Diana Bongard, Shirley Vetter, Betsy Cope, Amy Peasley, Linda Myers, Paulette DeVries, Jeanette Fleury, Pam Forbes, Sherry Marks, Brenda Kailing, Stan DeVoir, Joyce Harmsen, Cindy Maans, Darcy Lokers and David Borth.

I.          Chair, Dr. Myers, opened this session with a welcome and asked each person to introduce themselves with their name, agency and title. 

II.         Update: Schneider reported:

a.       Budget.  Budget cuts have affected many of us working with families and their children within our community.  Through documents and news articles, it is evident Senator Granholm is committed to the education of our youth and we must keep good faith that the economy will turn around in the near future and funding will once again be available.  In the mean time, Early Success – Right from the Start is restructuring as a means to keep the program active.

b.       Personnel Changes.  The number of coordinators will be reduced to two.  Moreno will be retiring the end of June, 2003 and Marks will resume her former position as a teacher with Chippewa Hills Public Schools.  The office assistant positions will also be reduced to two.  Stanley will return to her a position with Chippewa Hills Public Schools and Blunt’s contract will not be renewed. 

This leaves us with Bongard and Gregory as coordinators over the home visitors and parent educators working within the MOISD’s five school districts.  Lowis and Hayes will resume duties as office assistants, working with Bongard and Gregory.

Home visitors (approximately 20) will contract through W.I.S.E. for a minimum of 5 families and a maximum of 35 home visits, one per child per month.

Parent educators (four) will also contract through W.I.S.E. and, along with the home visiting piece, will be responsible for planning, facilitating and evaluating program events (i.e. family fun nights, playgroups, teen groups, etc.), including promotion and outreach.

DeVoir commended Schneider in her effort and success in creating a restructuring plan, causing little change in service to families, yet keeping the program active through June, 2005.

c.       District Reports:

1.             Morley Stanwood:  Lowis reported the success of February’s “Healthy Habits” family fun night.  Staff and students from Ferris State University’s Dental program were on site, promoting the importance of proper dental care.   March’s family fun night theme is “puppets” and will highlight a drawing for Alice and Wonderland Bits and Pieces Theater tickets donated by Y-102 radio station.

2.             Big Rapids:  “Boxes” and “Hats Off to Parents” were the themes for our March family fun night (March is Parenting Awareness and Reading Month).  Children enjoyed the many activities created with boxes (cars, tunnels, etc.).  Personnel wore the Early Success – Right from the Start visor during the course of the evening, which were then given as door prizes to parents.  Children were able to select a book to take home.

The Big Rapids office is offering child care services at the various kindergarten roundups in the Big Rapids School District.  Classes in Love and Logic and 1,2,3,4 Parents have taken place and were very well received.

Bongard stated that she has personally acknowledged the referrals to Early Success – Right from the Start services by our local agencies.

3.             Reed City/Evart:  Gregory stated that “Mystery Dinner Theater” was the theme for Osceola County’s February’s family fun night in the Reed City and Evart school districts.  Children and parents had to determine “who ate the cookie?” while enjoying food, friends and other activities. March’s theme of Western Roundup will bring Mid-Michigan’s Early Head Start and Kindergarten teachers together to share kindergarten roundup, enrollment and screening information.

Local agencies are in the process of working together in presenting a parade in celebration of the “Month of the Young Child”.

4.             Chippewa Hills: April’s family fun night “Messy Play” will bring families together for some messy fun!  Hopefully the theme will indicate to them that play cloths are a must. “Mud” will be made from toilet paper, Ivory soap and water for a clean fun activity.

Early Success – Right from the Start staff in the Chippewa Hills district has organized a monthly story hour at the Weidman library.  Weidman was the only community in the district that did not have a story hour.

Parents referring parents to the program is increasing caseloads within the district.

Marks expressed how rewarding it has been for her to work in the education of the zero to five population.  She hopes the financial situation will turn around so the program can continue its good work.

III.               Committee Reports:  

1.             Evaluation: Schneider stated that the next report for legislature is due May 15, 2003.

2.             Advertising/Project Promotion: Schneider reported that Y-102’s Diane Scarpelli is creating a new commercial featuring family testimonials taken from Big Rapids’ March family fun night. These will be aired with the Be Their Hero statewide campaign jingle and aired on Y-102. Her (Y-102’s) work with us in promoting the Month of the Young Child (MOYC) has been very much appreciated.

5.             Advocacy. Collaboration and advocacy in the Michigan Coalition for Children and Families, the Head Start State Collaborative Advisory Board, the Zero to Five Advocacy Network, the Michigan Child Care Task Force not only keeps us updated on state-level legislation but helps us to keep issues regarding young children on legislative agendas.

IV.       “Good News” from the Home Front:  Parent educators attending this meeting shared with us…

            Peasley:  I have added four families since the beginning of the year, all with new babies.  They range from first time parents (or single parent) to a family having a second child 15 years after the birth of their first child.  It is so exciting to hear the questions coming from these parents at each visit and to see how I, as a parent educator is making a difference in the care these babies are receiving from their parent(s).

            Vetter:  An update on a child she referred to PPI, indicates this child has greatly improved in his speech.  Secondly, a professional, first time mom had not realized a possible vision problem in her baby.  Through “Bright Starts”, a free vision screening offered by Ferris State University’s Optometry Clinic, a screening was made and the baby will be monitored.  Another one of my families has many needs, and through the collaboration of local agencies and Early Success, this families needs are being met.

            Strickler:  I have a family where the uncle is taking care of his grand niece.  This uncle contacted Early Success – Right from the Start for help.  The child’s father is now involved and spending quality time with his daughter.

            In addition, Gabalis, a steering committee “parent” shared with us the work her parent educator and Early On has committed to help her two-year-old son to talk.  He is now using two-word sentences.

V.        Other Issues:

Schneider stated:

-          A form documenting a child’s involvement in Early Success – Right from the Start services will be placed in the child’s CA60 as a permanent record

-          A grant application has been submitted to the Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan to fund “grand parenting”

       classes in Love and Logic

-     It has become evident that family fun nights are important to our community. Approximately 450 people attend these functions each month. We are in the process of submitting paperwork requesting funds from the MSU Consumer Food Safety Mini Grant to cover some of the expense involved in holding the family fun nights.  Local businesses and agencies will also be contacted to underwrite these events. 

-     Eleven agencies, parents and staff are represented as attending the Thursday evening workshops. (DeVries stated that these workshops have been a wonderful opportunity for her staff.  There are very few other opportunities available for her staff to attend.)

Marks informed us that Granholm stated that reading to a child just ½ hour a day from birth to age five equates to one year of school. Reading should include interaction with the child and the story.

Maans reminded all of the Early On Conference coming up April 11 at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Big Rapids.  Registration is limited, so register early.

Adjournment:  9:45 a.m.

The next Executive Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 3, 2003 at the Early Success - Right from the Start office (North end of the Alternative Education Building of the MOISD), starting promptly at 8:30 a.m.

The next Steering Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 11, 2003, Miller Wing, starting promptly at 8:30 a.m.

Original signed by Karen Schneider

Distribution:  All Committee Meeting Members