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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 11-04-1998 - 10aORANGE COUNTY Board of Commissioners Action Agenda Item No. /0 na Action Agenda Item Abstract Meeting Date: November 4, 1998 Subject: Proposal for Health Department to Contract with Early Head Start Program (EHS) Department: HEALTH Public Hearing Yes_ No Budget Amendment Needed Yes_ No Attachments(s): Information Contact Letter from Early Head Start Director Health Director's Office X2411 Early Head Start Fact Sheet Telephone Number Hillsborough 732 -8181 Chapel Hill 968 -4501 Mebane 227 -2031 Durham 688 -7331 Purpose: The Board of County Commissioners is requested to approve, in concept, a contract arrangement between the Health Department and Early Head Start for two family service coordinator positions Background: The Health Department has received a request from Chapel Hill Training Outreach (CHTO) to contract with them for two family service coordinator positions through the Federal grant they have received to develop an Early Head Start Program (EHS) in Orange County. These positions would be Orange County Health Department employees supported by funds from the EHS grant. They would receive formal supervision from the Health Department and day -to -day supervision from EHS staff. They would be based at the EHS facility in Chapel Hill. Central to the overall EHS proposal is full collaboration with all appropriate resource providers in the community. Family service coordinators will function just like our child service coordinators and intensive home visitors do now. These positions would be fully supported by CHTO. 4 We propose that OCHD enter into a contract arrangement with CHTO, pending negotiation of suitable terms, for the following reasons: • This action is consistent with the current shift in OCHD focus to more community- based services and away from expansion of clinical services which are available from other providers. Community -based or care coordination services are important adjuncts to clinical services in achieving good health outcomes for children and families. • OCHD currently provides most of the care coordination services in the county and is in the process of implementing the Families in Focus Intensive Home Visiting program. Those who work with the preschool population in Orange County recognize OCHD's expertise in providing these services. • A relationship such as this embodies the kind of collaboration espoused by the BOCC and human services providers in the county over the last several years and maximizes overall resources while decreasing duplication and fragmentation of services. • Chapel Hill Training Outreach recognizes OCHD's expertise in these services and does not want to duplicate the infrastructure necessary to provide them. • This arrangement will facilitate standardization of services to this population. It is estimated that 250 Orange County families may need intensive family service coordination. The Intensive Home Visiting Program will serve up to 50 families. Approximately 50 additional families would be served by the contracted positions. Intensive home visitors/family service coordinators provide the following services: ♦ Identify children who may be behind in their physical, language or cognitive development and refer for additional testing if needed. ♦ Assist pregnant women and children in scheduling and keeping medical appointments. ♦ Provide information to parents on discipline, safety, and child growth and development. ♦ Assist families with obtaining child care services. ♦ Refer families for additional services if needed such as mental health counseling, financial or legal assistance. ♦ Help families identify self sufficiency goals and access resources to meet those goals. ♦ Help families assume positions of greater responsibility and leadership in helping themselves and other families in the community. 3 Act as an advocate for families in negotiation the systems of care. Evaluation of home visitation programs supports their effectiveness. Long -term benefits include fewer subsequent pregnancies, reduced maternal criminal behavior, decrease in use of welfare, decrease in verified incidents of child abuse and neglect, less alcohol and drug abuse in mothers. Short-term benefits include increased use of prenatal care, increased birth weight, increased use of health and other community resources (e.g., well-child visits, family planning, WIC nutrition program, immunizations). Also, greater interest by fathers in the pregnancy, increased length of maternal employment, increased rate of return to, or retention in, school by mothers, improved growth in low birth - weight babies and higher developmental quotients in infants visited have been demonstrated. Recommendation: The Manager recommends the Board receive the report and approve the development of a proposed contract arrangement that will establish two permanent, time - limited family service coordinator positions. No county funds are required for this arrangement. The contract will come before the Board for approval at a future meeting. Orange County Early Head Start 4 800 Eastowne Drive, Suite 105 Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514 (919) 490 -5577 Ext. 247 August 17, 1998 Eileen Kugler, Director Personal Health Division Orange County Health Department P.O. Box 8181, 300 W. Tryon Street Hillsborough, NC 27278 Dear Eileen, I enjoyed meeting with you on Friday, July 24h, and having the opportunity to discuss the Orange County Early Head Start program mission. I appreciate learning about the excellent child and family service coordination programs that your department has in place. In May of 1998, the Orange County Early Head Start Program was funded by the US Dept. of Health and Human Services Head Start Bureau to provide comprehensive services to 100 Orange tithe federal dlefi�nition children birth to The three and pregnant women who meet program is designed to provide an array of services that are tailored to fit the strengths and needs of each familyfor fuel collaboration with a priateQue aspect of the program is its design resource providers in Orange County. What this means for the day care aspect of Orange County Early t ad Start is that the program will not operate stand alone care facilities, b will utilize and strengthen existing daycare providers by Contracted slots will child re for its enrolled families with quality day care progra n purchased from providers who have already achieved d a national ommitmeaccreditation to achieve are enrolled in the self -study program d have m national accreditation within two years. The program will purchase slots at market rates and, in its' first year, will also provide funding for facility upgrade and staff development. In order to provide health and family development services to our enrolled families, I am interested in partnering with the Orange County Health Department for family service coordination. Early for the salary o two family service contract with the Department to h pay coordinators who would each carry an active caseload of 25 Early Head Start families and would coordinate services for another 25 families indirectly. Administrative staff of Early Head Start will provide daily supervision, technical assistance, and input to case conferencing. Both will share hiring and training responsibilities. Your program's intake, family goals and partnership agreement process shares much common ground with the Head Start Performance Standards. We are very interested in partnering with your organization to maximize resources and limit service duplication in Orange County for the benefit of our Early Head Start families. Thank you for considering this proposed partnership. Please let me know how we can proceed to develop this plan. Sincerely, Angela Wilcox, Director Orange County Early Head Start 6 Orange County Early Head Start Contact: Angela Wilcox Chapel Hill Training - Outreach Project, Inc. 800 Eastowne Dr. Chapel Hill, NC 27514 (919) 490 -5577 ext. 247 The Chapel Hill Training - Outreach Project, Inc. has been funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, to establish an Early Head Start program for 100 low - income families with children age birth to three in Orange County. The program will also serve pregnant women who qualify. In order to qualify, family income must meet the federal guidelines for poverty. The program is designed to provide an array of services that are tailored to fit the strengths and needs of each family. Services provided will include: • day care for children in quality programs • family services coordination • health, medical, dental, nutritional, and mental health services • financial counseling • parent training • transportation services • telephone services • disability services in inclusive environments Each family will be given the opportunity to develop their own personal goals and objectives. Early Head Start staff will help the family formulate a realistic plan to accomplish their goals and then assist the family in achieving them. Families will also be encouraged to take an active role in the planning and implementation of the EH, program. The EHS Policy Council will be composed of 51% parents and 49% community representatives. The program will demonstrate a fully collaborative model that will utilize all appropriate resources in the community. We will begin with a mission to maximize existing resources by severely limiting the unnecessary duplication of services. While the program will maintain an independent identity, it will function as a collaborative community partner in a county system that has already achieved a high degree of collaboration through the Orange County Partnership for Young Children (OCPYC) which serves as the Smart Start agency in Orange County. l be enhanced, and strengthened with Child development resources in Orange County will who agree to the contracted purchase of care from AA licensed providers 8r • achieve and/or maintain national accreditation through NAEYC or other appropriate organization, • provide a strong staff development program, promote parent involvement and • provide reasonable compensation and employee benefits. 7 Federal Guidelines for Poverty: Note: An unborn child is considered a family member in the chart below. Family Size Annual Family Income 1 S8,000 2 10,850 3 13,650 4 16,450 5 19,250 6 22,050