Minutes of the September 12, 2001 Steering Committee Meeting

In Attendance:                                    

Cindy Bay-Barron, Mike Bell, Diana Bongard, Betsy Cope, Stan DeVoir, Jeanette Fleury, Pam Forbes, Sherry Franklin, Michelle Gabalis, LouAnn Gregory, Joyce Harmsen, Tom Hogenson, Liza Ing, Brenda Kailing, Laura Leach, Shannon Lindquist, Sherry Marks, Trish McHugh, Leona Moreno, Linda Myers, Denise Robinson, Karen Schneider, Sharon Thorp, Charlotte Thompson, Julie Vanhala 

The meeting was opened by Fleury followed by introductions.

Item I.     Project status reports were provided by the five district coordinators, indicating that home visits are in progress with very positive feedback from both the parent educators and the families being visited.   

1.                    Morley Stanwood currently has five parent educators. 

                -Parent educators love what they are doing and have found their families to be very excited to have them visit.

-Referrals continue to come in on a daily basis.

-A playgroup was held at Stanwood Elementary with 13 children and 11 parents attending. 

-A parent educator is involved with the “Parents as Teachers for Teenage Parents (TAPS) group in the Morley Stanwood school district.

-Family Fun Night will be held on Thursday, September 27 at the Stanwood Elementary School gym from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. 

2.                    Chippewa Hills currently has five parent educators and foresees the need to hire at least one more in the near future (the grant allows for three more for this district).

-Networking within the school district is underway in hopes to form a TAPS group.

-Referrals continue to come in daily as people are discovering the program through news-paper and radio ads and through word of mouth.

-Family Fun Night is set for Tuesday, September 25 at the Mecosta Elementary School from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. 

3.                    Evart currently has three parent educators with one of these transferring to the Reed City school district. With the current 114 referrals, coordinator feels it will be necessary to hire an additional parent educator for this district.

-District reported they are currently seeing 16 families with 22 children. New parent educator for area has seven visits scheduled.

-Group participated in the Evart Elementary school open house where literature and balloons were passed out.

-The school board is concerned that if a family signed up for this program, would their child still be eligible to attend pre-school?   The child can do both.

-This area has three sets of twins enrolled with one more set being seen this week and a possible two more sets in the area. Hope to start up a PATS group within the district.

-Family Fun Night is scheduled for Thursday, September 13 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.  Approximately 60 families are signed up to attend with more signing up daily. 

4.                    Big Rapids School District has six parent educators.

-They are keeping very busy not only with home visits but have scheduled four ‘family’ events with Ferris State University and have made connections with the WIC center.

-The team has a parent educator specializing in families of twins and one specializing in families where abuse and neglect is evident.  One of this district’s parent educators is currently visiting 22 families and is on the Mecosta County Children’s Council.

-The district also hopes to establish a TAPS group as there are currently three teens with babies and seven more pregnant.

-The Family fun Night was postponed from September 11 to the September 18 and will be held at the Hillcrest Elementary School from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.  Over 200 people have signed up to attend.

5.                    Reed City School District has three parent educators (one has left the program).  A parent educator from the Evart District will be transferring over to Reed City.  With more families participating in the program, the need for another parent educator will soon be realized.

-District is currently seeing 29 families with 36 children.

-Family Fun Night is scheduled for Tuesday, September 18 at the Hersey Kindergarten Center from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

 Question was raised as to whether the grant specified working with teenaged pregnancy.  A Parents as Teachers (PAT) program for teens is available.  However our parent educators have not been trained. 

Item II.    Common Intake/Referral Form:  We are currently using the form created by Brenda Kailing of the Mecosta County Health Department.  The form meets the needs of all agencies in Mecosta County and will be taken to Osceola County for their approval.  Cindy Bay-Barron of the Central Michigan Health Department will place this item before board.

 Item III.  Copies of the home visitor “blue books” were passed out and reviewed.  Approximately 600 of these books have been put together and are placed in the homes of families being visited. The purpose of the books is to help monitor what went on during the visit and what other agencies may be visiting with the family.

                Approximately 97 families were seen (85 enrolled and 12 attending play groups).  Of these families 52 have been transitioned to the Early Success - Right from the Start program.

                 It was noted that interested families not residing within the MOISD have been referred to other  ISDs and PAT programs. 

IV.                 Workgroup needs were discussed and people were encouraged to sign up a group and prepare for meeting.  The revised list is attached.

 V.                   Schneider reported on the following items: 

A Vision and Hearing meeting was held in Lansing.  The program will work through the Lions Club for vision and hearing testing.  It was noted that should a test be provided, it is important that follow-through takes place to see that the child obtains proper treatment.

 The September Regional ISD meeting was held in Traverse City on Tuesday the 11^th.  She observed the difference in the structure of the programs.

 The Early Success - Right from the Start program here will have an internal as well as the State-required evaluation.

 Discussion on parent educators making visits to day care centers followed.

                -Harmsen asked if surrogates could be provided to watch over children while day care person is being trained. 

                -Ing believed her TOT’s Place students may be able to help. 

                -Gregory stated that some day care providers want actual home visits with the day care provider and child, as some children spend more time with the day care provider than they do with the parent.

                -Harmsen stated that there is a new program out providing subsidies for providers to be trained.

 Meeting closed 10:00 a.m.

 Next Executive Meeting:  October 3 at the Early Success - Right from the Start Office (Alt Ed Building) Starting promptly at 8:30 a.m.

Next Steering Committee Meeting:  October 10 at the Miller Wing, South.  Meeting to begin promptly at 8:30 a.m. and ending promptly at 10:00 a.m.

 Original signed by Karen Schneider

 Early Success - Right from the Start

Steering Committee Meeting

Workgroups