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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 06-14-2001-5a ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: June 14, 2001 Action Agend Jra Item No. • • SUBJECT: Letter of Su ort -Oran a Co. Partnershi .for Youn Children DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (YlN) No ATTACHMENT(S): Letter of Support INFORMATION CONTACT: Sharron Hinton, ext. 2300 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968.501 Durham 68$-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To approve a letter of support for the Orange County Partnership for Young Children's application for the Early Learning Opportunities grant. BACKGROUND: The Orange County Partnership for Young Children, in partnership with the Durham Partnership for Children, is applying for an Early Learning Opportunities grant ($780,000) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comprehensive Literacy and School Readiness Enhancement (LASRE) pilot project will build upon two successful initiatives, the Reading Together Library Project and the School Readiness Pilot Project, currently being implemented by Child Care Services Association. The goals of the project are to (1) increase children's readiness for school, particularly in the domains of personal and social development and language and literacy; (2) improve successful transition to school; (3) increase communication between kindergarten teachers, preschool teachers and parents; (4) increase preschool teachers' and parents' knowledge of school readiness attributes and strategies; (5) increase the education level of preschool teachers; and (6) increase parent and child care teacher engagement in reading and other early literacy activities with children, including infants and toddlers. The LASRE project will serve 35 child care centers (13 in Orange County and 22 in Durham County), and impact 115 child care teachers and- directors and approximately 1400 children 0-5 years old and their parents. This initiative is designed to engage the entire child care center in enhancing early literacy for all of its children, while providing a more intensive level of service to the 3 year old classrooms to increase children's school readiness. Because the Partnership for Young Children's Board of Directors has the same member composition as required by the grantee's "Local Council" to oversee project operations, the Partnership is requesting that the BOCC appoint the Partnership Board to serve as the Local 2 Council. As such, their role will be to provide community oversight for this grant and to foster community collaboration. The Durham Partnership for Children will serve as the fiscal agent. FINANCIAL IMPACT: None RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the letter of support and appoint the Orange County Partnership for Young Children to serve as the required Local Council. V .57E'PHENH.HAUV0775,CHA/R QRANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BARRYJACOHS, V/C6CNA/R POST OFFICE Box S 181 MARGARET W. BRDWN MosESCAREY,/R. 2OO SOUTH CAMERON STREET AuCE M. GGRDON HILLSBOROUGH, LVORTH CAROLII~IA 27278 June 14, 2001 Michelle Rivest, Executive Director Orange County Partnership for Young Children 1829 E. Franklin Street, Suite 12008 Chapel Hill, N,C 27510 Dear Michelle: The Board of County Commissioners is pleased to support the grant application for the Early Learning Opportunities grant in Orange County. Improving the school readiness and literacy of young children is a top priority and we appreciate your efforts to improve the capacity of our local child care system to serve these at-risk children. We are willing to designate the Orange County Partnership for Young Children as the "Local Council" for this application because the Partnership's Board represents all of the community representatives required; including local agencies involved in early learning, parents, and key community leaders. We understand that your role will be to provide community oversight for this grant and to foster community collaboration. We wish you success in this application, and look forward to receiving reports about the progress of your work. Sincerely, Stephen H. Halkiotis, Chair Orange County Board of Commissioners • You Gount In Orange County (919) 245-213D + FAX(919) 644-0246