ACES Middlesex County Early Head Start Partnership Mission Statement & Purpose

The mission of the EHS Partnership is to ensure that the cornerstones of child development, family development, staff development, and community building are in place for Middlesex County's income eligible expectant families or families with infants and toddlers through age three.

The purpose of the EHS Partnership approach is to utilize existing family and child services, and to expand their capacity to provide the comprehensive array of family and child supports unique to the Head Start experience.

Early Head Start Goals and Objectives

The goal of this program is to promote the development of 70 infants and toddlers and enable their parents to fulfill their roles as parents and move toward self-sufficiency. ACES will accomplish this by providing early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development and family support service. Project objectives are organized around ACES organizational capacity and the services to be provided by Early Head Start: A comprehensive child development program serving the child in the context of the family.

Data Management Objectives

1. To establish and maintain an EHS program database to track and monitor process and outcome and qualitative and quantitative measures of EHS program success.
   
   
   1. This has proven to be more challenging than expected. We have chosen a web based software system CAP60 that has proven useful for some data needs and we continue to look for ways to use other systems to capture the qualitative feedback we are looking for to monitor family and child outcomes. The Parents as Teachers Visit Tracker and the Creative Curriculum Gold are two additional systems we are using in the Community Classroom option.

Staffing Objectives

1. To recruit EHS staff that meet all project performance requirements and have the demonstrated competency to perform assigned functions; and


1. We are fully staffed and have found exceptionally dedicated professionals who have the credentials required. They have diverse backgrounds and complement each other's skills and knowledge. Working with community partners to implement the Community Classroom option has resulted in highly credentialed teachers who are adding Head Start expectations to their knowledge base.


2. To establish and implement a professional development, supervision, and support plan for each EHS staff member that will foster his/her professional growth and capacity to provide high-quality services; and


1. We have dedicated significant time during the past year to the professional development of staff. There is a weekly training or interdisciplinary case consultation meeting , weekly supervision for home visitors, and Professional Development plans for each staff member. There has also been resources to participate in PITC training, Zero to Three Training Opportunities, regional and local training through OHS, and other CT Association for Infant Mental Health.


3. All EHS staff will demonstrate capacity to:


1. Plan and implement learning experiences that advance the intellectual and physical development of children;


2. Establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment;


3. Support the social and emotional development of children;


4. Encourage the involvement of families in the EHS Program;


5. Support children and families who are dual language learners; and


6. Support and fully include children who have disabilities in all EHS activities.


7. We continue to support staff in building their capacity across these domains of service. You will find references to most in the Program Improvement Plan that is part of this application.

Enrollment Objectives

1. To enroll 70 eligible infants, toddlers, and families from Middletown, Clinton, Cromwell, Portland, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook, Connecticut in the ACES Early Head Start program, including at least 7 infants and toddlers with disabilities.
   
   
   1. We are presently fully enrolled. A wait list has been started as children will transition out by September 2011

Developmental Objectives

1. Home Visitors will screen enrolled infants and toddlers according to the Ages & Stages Questionnaire for developmental milestones, including Ages & Stages SE, and will make referrals as indicated by initial results and will continue follow-up screenings at regularly scheduled intervals thereafter; Here is an example of one data point for the objective of screening for developmental concerns from our self assessment. Seven children were identified as needing follow up, and four were eventually determined eligible for CT Birth to Three services.


2. Home Visitors will assess the development of infants and toddlers enrolled in Early Head Start according to the Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum Assessment Toolkit for Infants, Toddlers, & Twos and to monitor infants' and toddlers' development according to these instruments at regularly scheduled intervals thereafter;
   INPROGRESS – Transition to Creative Curriculum Gold June 2011


3. 85% of enrolled infants and toddlers, including infants and toddlers with disabilities, will attain age-appropriate development according to the Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum Assessment upon transitioning from Early Head Start to Head Start or other support programs.
   INPROGRESS – Transition to Creative Curriculum Gold June 2011

Family Objectives

1. Home Visitors will collaboratively create service plans for each enrolled family;


2. 100% of enrolled families will meet two of the goals on their service plans;


3. Enrolled families will be connected with other services and support providers to attain needed services, including adult education/high school prep, English language classes, employment assistance, and health care and mental health care providers.


4. Infants, toddlers, and families in need of mental health intervention will be linked with providers of mental health services.

Health Objectives (including Mental Health and Dental Health)

1. 90% of enrolled infants and toddlers will have a medical and dental home;


2. 90% of enrolled infant and toddlers will be up-to-date on all screenings and immunizations and will remain up-to-date through transition from Early Head Start;


3. Each infant, toddler, and family will have a referral and follow-up plan in place to connect them with other health care service providers; and

Nutrition Objectives

1. 100% of enrolled infants, toddlers, and families will have nutrition plans developed in collaboration with Home Visitors and WIC staff;


2. 75% of enrolled families and children will adhere to nutrition plans while enrolled.

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