Vision & Mission:
Vision: All children (age 0 – 5) living in Tama
County will be healthy, have a safe, secure, nurturing home and childcare
environment, and be ready to succeed in school.
Mission: To enhance the quality of life in Tama County
by promoting strong, healthy families.
Barriers will be overcome and programs and services coordinated through
community collaboration.
Purpose: To ensure the collaboration within our community
will provide our families with children
0 – 5 years old, the resources and opportunities necessary for their
children to be healthy, safe, and secure, and ready to succeed in school, have
available affordable, high quality child care, and access to a preschool
opportunity.
The Tama County Empowerment Area partners are committed to working together and collaboratively developing a family centered support and service delivery system for children and families to help citizens lead happy, healthy and productive lives.
Tama County Empowerment Area is pleased to offer funding to
qualified organizations/agencies/groups.
Proposals for funding must be targeted for 0 – 5 year olds.
The applicant must be willing to sign a contract, complete required reports and provide a copy of their Certificate of Liability Insurance showing coverage of:
General Liability – One million dollar per occurrence
Workers compensation as required by Iowa law
Automobile Liability – Two million dollar per occurrence, if transporting children
Tama County and Tama County Empowerment Board must be listed as additionally
insured.
These funds are to be used to enhance quality child care capacity in support of parent capability to obtain or retain employment.
Examples of the type of activities allowable are as follows:
· Developing capacity for regular child care including recruitment of providers
· Developing capacity for mildly ill child care
· Developing capacity for second or third shift child care
· Developing capacity for infant care
· Providing training to center and home based providers to improve the quality of care
Training focus may include developmentally appropriate curriculum and activities, health and safety considerations, child development, nutrition, child abuse detection and prevention, guidance and discipline, cross-cultural competencies
· Assist providers in meeting licensing, registration or accreditation standards
· Enhance linkages with Head Start, Early Head Start, child development programs and child care programs
· Provide information in assisting parents to select a quality child care environment (comprehensive consumer education)
· Limited facility expenses are allowable to do minor remodeling to meet health and safety standards required by licensing or registration, ie: purchase of equipment, such as cribs for infants, installing required sink in infant room
·
Funds cannot be used to supplant child
care stipends to eligible recipients
School Ready Funding Guidelines
The School Ready Funds may be utilized to support a comprehensive school ready children plan designed by the local empowerment boards.
Examples of types of activities allowable are as follows:
· Comprehensive services for children ages birth to five may include but are not limited to:
o Preschool services
o Parent support and education services including home visitation
o Child development services
o Child day care services
o Children’s health and safety services
· Emphasis on striving toward 60% of the funding to focus on home visitation and parent support programs
· Funds cannot be used to purchase real estate or construction
Tama County Empowerment Funding Priorities are:
Identify Needs for 0 – 5 Year Old Population
(Priority number is identified behind need)
*Transportation/Isolation – 1, 2, 3, 4 *Dental Health – 1
*Child Abuse – 1, 2, 3, 4 *Teen Pregnancies – 1, 2
*Tobacco Use – 1, 2, 4 *Substance Abuse – 1, 2, 4
*Child/Parent Education – 1, 2, 3, 4 *Poverty – 1, 2, 3, 4
*Preschool/Child Care – 3, 4 *Childhood Obesity – 1
*Lead Poisoning – 1 *Minorities – 1, 2, 3, 4
Current
Priorities
*Healthy Children *Children Ready to Succeed in School
*Safe, Secure Nurturing Families *Safe, Secure, Nurturing
Childcare
Priority #1 - Healthy Children – which include:
Priority #2 – Children Ready to Succeed in School – which include:
a. Increase preschool slots and attendance,
b. To provide opportunity for all three year-olds, in Tama County, with a socialization experience and all four year olds with a preschool experience
c. Preschool and respite scholarships
d. Standardized assessment tool
a. Home Visit Providers are encouraged to be trained in Parents as Teachers and /or the Healthy Opportunities for Parents to Experience Success (HOPES) programs or credentialed. Providers are to encourage parents to be involved in their children’s early development & education.
b. 60% of the funding to be utilized toward home visits and parent support services.
c. Increase parent education opportunities outside of the home setting.
a. Children will have access to quality childcare in nurturing, stable and safe environment within their home/community.
b. Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) will collaborate with Health Consultant, Nurse Consultant, Home Consultant and Child Care Providers.
c. Consultant will recruit licensed/registered childcare providers.
d. Collaboration will assure quality childcare in centers and homes throughout the County.
e. Increase licensed and/or registered childcare providers
f. Increase alternative daycare
Indicators Tracked for Performance Measures
|
Result |
Indicator |
Source |
|
Healthy
Children |
ü Immunization Compliance
% ü # of children tested for
lead ü # of children with high
lead levels ü Low Birth Weight Rate ü % of Obese/Overweight
Population |
FACITS: Iowa Department of
Public Health |
|
Result |
Indicator |
Source |
|
Children Ready to Succeed in School |
ü # enrolled in preschools
ü # with a preschool/Head
Start experience |
SETA: Office of Social & Economic Trend Analysis & the local
School Districts Department of Education & local preschools, obtained after school
starts in the fall |
|
Safe & Nurturing Families |
ü Incidence of Founded
Child Abuse ü # of Births to Teens |
Prevent Child Abuse Iowa FACITS: Iowa Department of
Public Health |
|
Safe, Secure & Nurturing Childcare Environments |
ü # of licensed and/ or
registered childcare providers ü # of providers
participating in a Quality Improvement Plan ü # of slots available |
Child Care Resource & Referral |
Proposal
will be awarded funding based on guidelines, Tama County’s priorities, and
availability of funds.
Proposal
requirements:
a.
Services
will be provided in the Tama County area.
b.
Target
children 0 – 5 years old.
c.
Address
which Tama County Empowerment priority or priorities for which funding is
requested.
d.
State
need/purpose/proposed goal
e.
State projected
timeline for program
f.
Include
a detailed 12-month project budget narrative, (budget form included in
application).
g.
Application form must be utilized when requesting funding (electronic copy of
the application available)
Deadline
Proposal will need to be submitted in writing by Tuesday, June 23,
2009 at 4:30 p.m. No applications will
be accepted after this deadline. No
verbal applications will be accepted.
Empowerment Grant Funding Contact:
Lori Johnson, Coordinator
Tama County Public Health
& Home Care
129 W. High Street
Toledo, IA 52342
(641) 484-4788
or
E-mail: ljohnson@tamacounty.org
Grant Process
After your written application is received it will be sent to the Funding Committee.
The Funding Committee will make recommendations to the Empowerment Board, and the Empowerment Board will make the final decisions.
If awarded funding, provider/agency will be required to sign a contract and provide a Certificate of Liability Insurance listing Tama County and Tama County Empowerment Board as additionally insured.