What We Do
Adams County Communities for Kids has a mission for all early childhood partners to come together to explore, enhance, and improve childcare and educational programs in our county.
Our dream for Adams County Communities for Kids is to provide every child with access and affordable childcare. Our dream is to be a resource for the community and all organizations that are involved in the early childhood world. Our dream is to be a leader of change in our local and state government and be a voice for the smallest members of our community, bringing value and esteem to the early childhood world.
Early Childhood Community Coordinator
Our Committee
Our Communities for Kids Team is made up of individuals from all kinds of community organizations. The goal of Communities for Kids is to bring these programs together to use the resources in collaboration, benefiting Adams County with a wealth of resources.
Our Work
Our work is divided into three grants. Each grant has a sub-committee to oversee that work.
About C4K – Adams County
Spanish Speaking/Bilingual Child Care Support Initiative
Purpose:
To improve access to early childhood professional development and quality improvement activities for Spanish-speaking/bilingual child care providers (which may include licensed, licensed exempt, family, friends, and neighbors) serving children ages 0 to 5.
Project One Goal:
Identify and engage places where children are receiving care in the Spanish-speaking communities.
Work being done:
- Using community partners, being able to identify homes where children and being cared for allows us to train and prepare them for school readiness.
- Hiring a bilingual coach to go and work with children in 4 homes. Each home has a variety of ages that are Spanish speaking. The coach goes into the homes, trains the provider in age-appropriate activities, gives them toys to achieve the goals for the weeks and books to read in English and Spanish.
Project Two Goal:
Identify and provide training to Spanish-speaking individuals who would like to become a licensed home.
Work being done:
- Those same homes are individuals that are not currently licensed. Classes and the training available in their most comfortable environment and language are offered to them and to anyone else identified as possible people wanting to become licensed providers.
Project Three Goal:
Partner with childcare providers in hiring Spanish-speaking workers for their centers.
Cost and Affordability in Childcare
Early Learning Scholarships
Purpose
The early learning scholarships program is intended to support working families in the high cost of quality care for children 6 weeks to 6 years in a full day/full-year setting (not attending kindergarten) or attending the Program due to a need for care that extends beyond the hours provided by the publicly funded program (i.e wrapping hours around Head Start of Public Preschool
Project One Goal:
Identify the greatest need for a scholarship to support working families to help offset the high cost of quality care in children with a process through Central Navigation.
If you are interested in an application for a scholarship please contact Chandra Essex, Central Navigator at 402-461-8418 or navigator@unitedwayscne.org
Project Two Goal:
Develop a system to educate the community and child care providers on the scholarship funds available.
Project Three Goal
By educating the community, and demonstrating the vast need for scholarships, securing additional funds for scholarships making this fund sustainable for years to come.
Early Childhood Quality Enhancement and Capacity Building
Early Childhood Quality Enhancement and Capacity Building
Purpose
These activities will focus on increasing quality, availability, and access to excellent early learning programs. Communities are encouraged to develop strategies for this activity that can be included in their local C4K or other early childhood initiative work plans.
Two opportunities for early childhood funds:
1- Multi-year funding for long term projects
2- One-time funding of $32,800 for large-scale projects
Project One Goal
Develop Social-Emotional Curriculum that is children’s book-based and provide it free of charge to the area’s early childhood professionals.
One of the requirements of Step up to Quality is a curriculum that meets the needs of the social-emotional development of children. This curriculum is typically very expensive or requires a large amount of prep work. By developing a curriculum that is children book-based allows centers and homes to integrate this important piece to any curriculum they are currently working with.
This curriculum will be given to licensed providers free of charge and data collection will happen either in the center-based quarterly meeting or in the home provider meeting monthly Sept-May, in the form of verbal feedback. If providers do not attend the meetings, a survey can be sent to them for feedback. The curriculum will be a two-year curriculum, given to providers in 6-month increments.
If you are interested in this FREE curriculum, please fill out the form here:
Social Emotional Curriculum Application
Project Two Goal
Encourage participation in Step Up to Quality with the step up to Quality kits.
Participants will be encouraged to participate in Step up to Quality with Quality kits. Each kit will contain materials that will support the requirements of the next Step Up to Quality rating. Step Up to Quality Kits include board books, shirts, dolls, bassinet, blocks and play people, bookshelf, and a celebration when complete!
Interested in taking part in the Step Up to Quality Kits? Please contact Wendy Gwennap, Early Childhood Community Coordinator at 402-303-2136 or eccc@unitedwayscne.org
Project Three Goal
Use funds to help train more early childhood educators
Please contact the Early Childhood Community Coordinator if you are interested in help with licensing, funds, or resources to begin the process to become a licensed child care professional.
Spanish Speaking/Bilingual Child Care Support Initiative
Spanish Speaking/Bilingual Child Care Support Initiative
Purpose:
To improve access to early childhood professional development and quality improvement activities for Spanish-speaking/bilingual child care providers (which may include licensed, licensed exempt, family, friends, and neighbors) serving children ages 0 to 5.
Project One Goal:
Identify and engage places where children are receiving care in the Spanish-speaking communities.
Work being done:
- Using community partners, being able to identify homes where children and being cared for allows us to train and prepare them for school readiness.
- Hiring a bilingual coach to go and work with children in 4 homes. Each home has a variety of ages that are Spanish speaking. The coach goes into the homes, trains the provider in age-appropriate activities, gives them toys to achieve the goals for the weeks and books to read in English and Spanish.
Project Two Goal:
Identify and provide training to Spanish-speaking individuals who would like to become a licensed home.
Work being done:
- Those same homes are individuals that are not currently licensed. Classes and the training available in their most comfortable environment and language are offered to them and to anyone else identified as possible people wanting to become licensed providers.
Project Three Goal:
Partner with childcare providers in hiring Spanish-speaking workers for their centers.