The United Cerebral Palsy Early Head Start Program Child Care Component
by Lynn Milgram, Early Head Start Program Director, United Cerebral Palsy
The United Cerebral Palsy Early Head Start Program (UCP EHS) is dedicated to meeting the needs of families, and people of diverse languages, cultures, and income levels. The UCP EHS program was developed to meet one of the most pressing needs in this community- adequate, affordable child care.
UCP EHS utilizes three models of child care services delivery to meet the needs of enrolled families. These models are Family Child Care, Child Development Center services, and Home-Based services, and Home-Based services. After completing a family assessment with a UCP EHS case manager, families are able to select the child care option that best meets their needs. The program is flexible, and families are able to move into different service delivery models as their goals change.
Family Child Care providers are carefully screened by UCP EHS to ensure that they provide quality child care services and that they will work in compliance with the Head Start Program Performance Standards. ONce a contract is signed, UCP EHS works to match families to Family Child Care providers located in the same geographic area. During this process, UCP EHS takes into consideration many factors, including the family's schedule, access to transportation, and home language. Families receive guidance on selecting a Family Child Care home, UCP EHS-approved Family Child Care providers in their area. Once the infant or toddler is placed into a Family Child Care home, UCP EHS monitors the providers through ongoing visits, both announced and unannounced. Family Child Care is provided on a full-day basis. As needed, UCP works with families and providers to arrange care during non-traditional child care hours. This helps to accommodate parents with evening and weekend jobs.
Center-based services are provided through a collaborative agreement with Ft. Belvoir. At the Ft. Belvoir facility, UCP EHS provides full-day, center-based services to infants and toddlers eligible for both military child care and EHS. The center is open Monday through Friday, from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00p.m. UCP EHS operates its own program, using UCP EHS staff members in the base's Child Development Center facility. UCP EHS is also exploring developing similar collaborative relationships with other full-day child care centers in the community.
Home-based services are provided to families who request more intensive family support. Home visitors complete one home visit per week to each family and organize two socialization activities per month. Several families in the Home-based program option utilize their own networks of care by friends and relatives. For these situations the home visitors arrange visits in the care setting, as well as meeting with the parent, to provide both family support and direct child intervention services. Home-based services are appropriate, viable options for parents who work shift schedules or part-time hours. The visits are arranged around the family's schedule.
UCP EHS is committed to working with the community in order to improve the overall quality of available, affordable child care for infants and toddlers. An evening education program has also been developed and implemented by UCP EHS. The program is available at no charge to any Family Child Care provider in the community. It is also available to enrolled parents and other community members who are interested in becoming Family Child Care providers. The training program has been constructed around CDA competency areas in order to facilitate the CDA process. Through this education program, UCP EHS intends to increase the number of qualified Family Child Care providers in the community.
For more information, contact:
United Cerebral Palsy
Early Head Start Program
8794-I Sacramento Drive,
Alexandria, VA 22309.
T:703/360-2060, F: 703/360-5382.
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