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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-04-29-HSC-rpt.pdf Report to the Human Services Committee on Need for Preschool as of 4/29/96 Early Education Scholarships. In October, 1994, at the request of the Early Education Scholarship Fund Subcommittee of die School Department's Early Childhood Education Committee (under the auspices of the School Deparnncni s Special Education Division), I obtained the following statistics relevant to need: Lexington families in Section 8 and subsidized housing 24 with 32 preschool children Families receiving food stamps 33 Families receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children 32 The Committee was formed as a.requirement for receiving three year Early Education 'Bridge Development' funding which resulted in language and development consultation services being rendered on behalf of three and four year-olds who attend Lexington preschools. At the time, there were 48 preschoolers on educational plans. A collaboration was envisaged between Lexington and other towns with a program envisaged that would integrate children of different financial and cultural backgrounds as well as children with special needs. The federally funded Head Start program was seen as a possible funding source. A survey was conducted by the Early Childhood Early Education Committee to ascertain the extent to which families were in need of scholarships (see Linda Finnerty), and a brochure was disseminated listing preschools in Lexington which had a history of providing financial assistance. The Human Services Coordinator participated in meetings of the scholarship subcommittee which announced as a goal 'that every children, whose nullify so chooses, shall be afforded at etas( one year of preschool prior to their Kindergarten year regardless of financial contraints. Ephraim Weiss request. In January 1996, Ephraim Weiss contacted the Human Services Committee requesting that it inquire into the needs of preschool children. His request was prompted by reading a newspaper account of a six-year old child in New York City whose death was the result of lack of coordination between social agencies. Community Partnerships grant. Also, in January it was announced in the press that Lexington woud participate in a Mass. Department of Education's Community Partnerships for Children program. The grant assists working parents who are not on welfare with children three to four years old in need of child care. A day care center just getting under way and modeled after the Head Start program, is housed at the Stratton School in Arlington. In April, 1 met with Stacy Dimino, Executive Director, Communities United, Inc. (77 Rumford Ave. Suite 1, Waltham 02154 736-7890). She is the administrator of the grant and of a 26 year-old private, nonprofit, single purpose, state and federally funded agency serving younger children. The Communities United Community Partnerships grant serves Arlington, Belmont, Brookline, Burlington Lexington Needham, Newton. Waltham, Watertown, Wellesley and Woburn. The agency has a staff of 80 and a three million dollar budget. When Communities United received the Community Partnership RFP it contacted mainly public schools, ended up writing six proposals and being funded for four receiving a total of$550,000 over 18 months. In Arlignton, Katherine Frazer called neighborhing communities and enlisted Lexington, Belmont and Burlington. Report on preschools 4/29/96 Page 2 The goal is to create high quality early childhood programs which will have a longlasting effect. The programs will be accredited and run with highly staff who are supported through training. Refunding will be based on the number of accredited programs in the community and the extent to which their approach is collaborative. The Lexington preschools which receive funding administered through Deborah Packard of the Early Education Special Education office in Lexington include Minuteman Tech Child Development Program (Karen Talley 861-8824), Children's Center of Lexington (Joyce Hollman, 861-9370), Grace Chapel Nursery School (Deborah Cturnrine, 863-5095), the Unitarian Coop Nursery School (Heidi Hippie, 862 -8824) and Lexicare. Each participant's accreditatin fees are paid for by the grant. Each agrees to accept children who are income eligible for tuition subsidy In instances where they cannot immediately accept children, they agree to accept them in die future. The conmiltment is to high quality Staff receives training and college scholarships. Under the grant, Lexington receives funding channelled through the Stratton School which accepts Lexington students. Lexington also receives $5,000 for tuition assistance, $5,000 for a resource library $2,500 for parent workshops, $10,000 for accreditation and $10,000 for scholarships. Monies may be moved between categories depending upon need. Children may go into full day day care or part day preschool. No children will attend Headstart programs. Four to five Lexigton children will be served and altogether $30,000 $40,0000 will be spent in Lexington aside from funding to go to the Stratton School (for full day full year assignments). At present, there is a regional council with Lexington representation, but it understood tht a separate Town council would be more acceptable (though not written into the current contract). The Council has representatives from public schools, churches, municipal government and parents. One of the tasks of the councils is to channel funding to parents who may have assumed that they could not afford to send their children to preschool. Debby Packard, in a separate meeting in March, emphasized the need for tuition assistance and assistance in disseminating the preschool newsletter to all parents. Some youngsters were not in school because their parents could not afford to send them. The needs of children with severe developmental problems were met through the School Department, but children not falling into this category were not beingserved. Linda Finnerty and Joyce Hallman have statistics on the number of children awaiting services. Ms. Packard identified as the most immediate need assuring that every parent with a preschool child received the preschool PTA bulletin, that networkig among parents was of great importannce for parents who need to join in. She also advised contacting Laurie Muresceo (spelling?) of the Preschool PTA.