DuPage County needs affordable, quality, curriculum-based education programs for all children starting at birth.
Beginning from birth every child needs quality care and education that will propel them on a course of lifelong learning and opportunity. To achieve this goal, it’s imperative that we have affordable, quality, curriculum-based childcare and education programs available for our youngest DuPage residents in order to prepare them for success in a formal K-12 education. Ultimately, we want to see that children, regardless of their economic status, arrive at kindergarten prepared to learn. Research shows that early language and comprehension skills are strong predictors of future school achievement. Therefore, providing opportunities for children to develop key early literacy skills is vitally important to the overall development of each child.
The quality of an early childhood program is closely tied to professional development opportunities for administrators and staff. Additionally, continuing education opportunities that are convenient and relevant to classroom needs rank high as a priority for those who work in this setting.
The DuPage Community Foundation has partnered with Positive Parenting DuPage and the YWCA Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR & R) to help build the capacity and improve the quality of early childhood care and education programs in DuPage County. The most promising opportunity that the Foundation identified and has pursued was to build the capacity of providers around quality measures.
Going forward, The DuPage Community Foundation has established measurable goals for improving the quality of child care and school readiness.
Action
The DuPage Community Foundation granted $15,000 for a joint initiative between Positive Parenting DuPage and the YWCA CCR & R to support the implementation of an early child care project designed to raise the overall quality of early childhood services and increase the capacity of programs to pursue grant funding. - Positive Parenting, in conjunction with CCR & R, held educational workshops to assist child care providers to pursue grant funding from the state. While the general workshops were beneficial for some, it was clear that future grant-writing sessions must be specifically targeted to individual providers.
- Four mentors have been trained to implement Creative Curriculum at four child care sites.
- The goal of Creative Curriculum is to help care givers and teachers structure their classrooms in a manner that positively fosters the development of each child.
- CCR & R is in the process of identifying four child care centers to serve as the pilot sites for Creative Curriculum implementation. In January 2009, each mentor will be paired with a center and will train administrators and staff on the Creative Curriculum program. Mentors will continue to observe and provide on-going critical feedback after the new curriculum is in place.
- After full implementation of Creative Curriculum at the four childcare sites, Positive Parenting and CCR & R will assist them to become established on the Illinois QRS (Quality Rating Scale) or, if already established, move up one star on the QRS. Implementing Creative Curriculum positions providers for accreditation, movement in the state of Illinois’ QRS (Quality Rating Scale) and increased access to new funding streams. As centers move up the QRS, they are able to receive larger financial reimbursements from the state. Ultimately, the children benefit from this structured, researched-based curriculum which provides on-going assessment of students’ progress.
Creative Curriculum Outcomes |
Educare in West DuPage
Additionally, The DuPage Community Foundation is partnering with the team which is leading the effort to establish Educare of West DuPage in West Chicago. The Foundation has convened key individuals, provided staff resources and has helped connect interested parties together to create this research-based early childhood education program.
More about Educare
How You Can Help
Your financial commitment will help us to create lasting solutions to help build the capacity and improve the quality of early childhood care and education programs in DuPage County.
Grand Victoria Foundation has given us $2.12 million in support of Communityworks. As part of this commitment, they have also challenged us to raise an additional $2 million in new and increased gifts which they will match dollar for dollar through October 2011.
For further information, please contact Barb Szczepaniak, Foundation Director of Grants at (630) 665-5556 or click on the link below to make a gift.
