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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 11-17-1998 - 8fORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: November 17, 1998 Action Agenda Item # H.; Subject: Request for approval to proceed with "Improving School -Age Quality Care Grant" Department: Orange County Cooperative Extension Public Hearing: Yes _X No Service — 4 -H Budget Amendment Required: Yes _X No Attachment(s): Draft: "Improving School -Age Quality Care Grant" Information Contact: Fletcher Barber, Jr., Ed.D. Iris W. Fuller, WA Telephone Numbers: Hillsborough 732 -8181 Durham 688 -7331 Mebane 227 -2031 Chapel Hill 967 -9251 Purpose: Permission for the Orange County 4 -H program to submit a proposal in the amount of $12,200 to the North Carolina 4 -H School -Age Quality Care program for funds to assist two elementary after- school programs (McDougle and Seawell Elementary) receive accreditation. The monies from this grant will be used to contract with Joint -Orange Chatham Community Action Agency to facilitate a two -year accreditation with two Orange County after- school sites. Background: School -age care has become a major issue across the nation, as well as in Orange County in the past five to ten years. Currently, there are approximately 1,500 youth ages 5 -12 enrolled in Orange County Public Schools Before and After School programs. Approximately seventy - three registered home day care providers are offering a total of 584 slots for school -agers in Orange County. Many of the programs offering care to school -agers are already considered quality sites. However, through this grant we hope to provide the opportunity to add some creativity in programming and to surpass the quality standards previously set, by having two sites participate in national accreditation and by providing educational offerings and professional development to home day care providers. This project is a two -year commitment with two phases. The first year commitment will consist of providing assistance to two after- school sites to improve the quality of programming. The second phase (second year) will consist of the application for accreditation process. 2 The Orange County 4 -H program, with State grant funds of $12,200 for the first year, will contract through Joint -Orange Chatham Community Action agency to hire a temporary Program Assistant to provide 20 hours a week for technical assistance to the sites participating in national accreditation. This person would also do site visits, evaluations, mailings, and phone calls, to help the sites with improvements required through accreditation. Orange County 4 -H has program activity in both Child Care (Cooperative Extension Service Major Program Area 5 - CEMP5) and Youth Development (CEMP20) areas. We hope to enhance the impacts in these areas by providing directions for improved quality of care. School -age youth at McDougle and Seawell Elementary will have the opportunity to participate in enriching activities in the summer and throughout the school year developing many social and developmental skills in a quality care environment. The first year funding of $12,200 will be contracted through Joint Orange - Chatham Community Action Agency ( JOCCA). Total monthly expenditures will be pre -paid to JOCCA for the allocation of payments for travel and salary only. A verbal agreement has been confirmed and a written agreement is attached. The Cooperative Extension Service will contract with JOCCA and Iris W. Fuller, 4 -H Agent will take primary responsibility for the oversight of program implementation by the program assistant. Recommendation: Board approval for the Orange County Cooperative Extension Service to submit a proposal to the 4 -H North Carolina School Age Quality Care division for implementation of this temporary two -year project contracted through Joint Orange - Chatham Community Action Agency. n.) ii 0 ins N DRAFT Improving School -Age Quality Care Grant Submitted By: Orange County 4 -11 Program Needs Statement School -age care has become a major issue across the nation, as well as in Orange County in the past five to ten years. Currently, there are approximately 1,500 youth ages 5 -12 enrolled in Orange County Public Schools Before and After School programs. Approximately seventy - three registered home day care providers are offering a total of 584 slots for school -agers in Orange County. Many of the programs offering care to school - agers are already considered quality sites. However, through this grant we hope to provide the opportunity to add some creativity in programming and to surpass the quality standards previously set, by having two sites participate in national accreditation and by providing educational offerings and professional development to home day care providers. This project is a two -year commitment with two phases. The first year commitment will consist of providing assistance to two after- school sites to improve the quality of programming. The second phase (second year) will consist of the application for accreditation process. Objectives With the assistance of the Child Development Funds, the Orange County 4 -H program, contracting through Joint -Orange Chatham Community Action agency (JOCCA), plans to meet the following objectives: A) To encourage and assist 2 school -age care programs to participate in national accreditation. (McDougle Elementary and Seawell Elementary). B) To build support and provide assistance for Family Child Care Providers who care for school -age children in their homes. C) Under the leadership of the Cooperative Extension Service the program will reach a minimum of 180 youth between the ages of 5 -12 in established programs that will be participating in national accreditation to improve the quality of their care. 4 10 D) Will work with the 4 -H Advisory Committee, Chapel Hi1UCarrboro Community Schools District Advisory Committee and the designated schools Assessing School -Age Quality Teams (ASQ) and site -based advisory committees to generate and discuss ideas and suggestions for creative programming, training topics, and other areas concerning standards for national accreditation. E) Will work with Orange County Day Care Services to reach private family child care providers and collaborate to provide training for staff working with school- agers in these programs. Plan of Action The Orange County 4 -H program, contracting through JOCCA, would like to hire a Program Assistant to provide 20 hours a week for technical assistance to the sites participating in national accreditation. This person would also do site visits, evaluations, mailings, and phone calls, to help the sites with improvements required through accreditation. The program assistant would also be responsible for doing monthly reports and publicity to keep the county and state updated on progress of the sites participating. The program assistant would also attend set trainings and encourage staff at designated after- school sites to attend the necessary trainings to improve the quality of school -age care. Coordination with site -based after- school teams will be on -going in each of the two sites and the program assistant will assist the site directors with the first phase (year one) of improving the quality of school -age care. The program assistant will be responsible for working with the local and regional offices of Child Care Development and the department of 4 -H Youth Development school -age care project to provide trainings and technical assistance for the family child care providers. Orange County 4 -H has program activity in both Child Care and Youth Development areas. We hope to enhance the impacts in these areas by providing directions for improved quality of care. School -age youth at McDougle and Seawell Elementary will have the opportunity to participate in enriching activities in the summer and throughout the school year developing many social and developmental skills in a quality care environment. Plans are to utilize a variety of 4 -H curricula and kits to improve after- school programming by using identified resources to improve upon health, safety and nutrition, human relations, indoor - outdoor environment, and special interest areas. In addition, training will be offered to staff of the designated after - school sites and all of Orange County licensed home day care providers. Trainings will include topics on child development, health and safety, behavior management, program ideas/activities, and supervisory skills. The trainings will be advertised through fliers, newspapers, newsletters and intra- agency, networking efforts. Assistance with meeting the State license requirement for staff development and assistance with providing other school -age care trainings as identified during the accreditation process. Staff will also have the opportunity and be encouraged to attend the State School -Age Care Conference and other areas of professional development trainings and/or associations. his W. Fuller, 4 -H Agent, will oversee the program, with immediate responsibility of program implementation by the program assistant. The program assistant will plan, coordinate, and implement many of the activities with the assistance of the 4 -H advisory committee, 4 -H staff, agent and after- school site staff. The program assistant will be responsible for all decisions relating to activities and services provided to school -age care programs and will be advised by the 4 -H agent, 4 -H school -age care project as well as report directly to the Orange County 4 -H agent. STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA ORANGE COUNTY AGREEMENT BETWEEN ORANGE COUNTY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE (hereinafter referred to as OCCES) and JOINT ORANGE CHATHAM COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY (hereinafter referred to as JOCCA) WHEREAS, OCCES has been entered a contract with North Carolina State University (NCSU) to serve as lead agency in implementing the goals of the North Carolina School -Age Quality Care Grant in Orange County, North Carolina; and WHEREAS, the services of JOCCA are needed to achieve these goals NOW THEREFORE; the parties mutually agree to enter a contract on the following terms: Article 1. Statement of Work JOCCA will serve as a channel for payment of salary and travel to the OCCES School -Age Care Grant employee. OCCES will provide JOCCA with total compensations 10 -15 days prior to payment(s) being rendered to employee throughout the contract period. Article 2. Period of Performance The work under this agreement shall be performed during the period of January 1, 1999 through September 30, 1999. No costs shall be incurred under this agreement prior to the start date nor subsequent to the termination date. The period of performance may only be extended by mutual written agreement of the parties. Article 3. Payment JOCCA shall not be awarded a payment for services rendered but will offer in -kind administrative processing of salary and travel for the project staff person. Article 4. Audit and Records Financial records, supporting documents and other records pertinent to this agreement shall be retained by JOCCA and OCCES for a period of three years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report. AGREEMENT Between Orange County Cooperative Extension Service and Joint Orange Chatham Community Action Agency Page 2 of 2 Article 5. Resorts JOCCA shall render all reasonable budget reports as required by OCCES. Article 6. Liability JOCCA or its staff shall at all times be considered to be an independent contractor and shall not hold himself/herself out as an employee of OCCES. Each party shall be solely liable for any claims, actions, demands or damages arising out of its performance of this Agreement. Article 7. Severabilitv If any provision of this Agreement or any provision of any document incorporated by reference shall be held invalid, such invalidity shall not effect the other provisions of this Agreement which can be given effect without the invalid provision, and to this end the provisions of this Agreement are declared to be severable. Article 8. Termination This Agreement may be terminated by either party, with or without cause, by giving thirty (30) days prior written notice. The thirty (30) day termination period shall commence on the date of receipt of the notice by the affected party. JOCCA shall immediately stop all work under this Agreement on the date and to the extent specified in the notice of termination. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the date first written by their duly authorized representatives. ORANGE COUNTY JOINT ORANGE CHATHAM COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY Fletcher Barber, Jr., Ed.D. Extension Director Date Gloria M. Williams, Executive Director Date 7