KELC Partner Services
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KACCRRA: The Kansas Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies is the state network that supports the 7 regional child care resource and referral agencies in Kansas. They provide information to parents about available child care and how to contact child care providers, what quality child care includes, as well as other information about resources available to parents. KACCRRA also provides support and training to child care providers.
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Infant/Toddler Recruitment Project (ITRP) This project funds an infant/toddler recruitment specialist in each of the KELC counties to provide more slots for infant/toddler child care. The specialist also works with these providers to increase their professional development training, provide parent education opportunities, screening and assessment for children, and referrals to other family service providers. They also partner with Kansas Head Start Programs to creatively recruit child care providers.
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Expansion of the Kansas Quality Rating Information System (KQRIS) In 5 Kansas counties (Finney, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee and Wyandotte) KQRIS grants provide child care centers with materials and equipment, professional development scholarships, salary supplements to stabilize the work force, on-site coaching, and leadership development. Quality rating information about centers may be published so parents in those counties have more information to choose quality child care providers.
www.kaccrra.org
KAIMH: The Kansas Association for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health is an association of professionals in Kansas concerned with the emotional development of infants, toddlers, and families through relationship-based training and advocacy. Founded in 1995, KAIMH has a mission to advance and promote the field of infant and early childhood mental health through professional recognition and connection, providing education opportunities, and promoting and advocating for public policies that advance the importance of social and emotional development of infants and young children.
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Implementation of the Kansas Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement System The endorsement system helps professionals learn more about the promotion of good mental health practices and environments for very young children, the prevention of social-emotional problems in very young children and their families, and appropriate intervention for healthy social-emotional development of very young children. The endorsement system provides training for different levels of knowledge and practice based on a person’s educational credentials and the level of knowledge they want to acquire.
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Mental Health Consultation Services Mental health consultation services are provided through mental health professionals trained to work with very young children experiencing social-emotional problems that interfere with their ability to learn and develop healthy relationships with others. Screening, assessment, and referral to more intensive services are components of mental health consultation. The services are provided to children in child care programs in nine KELC counties: Cherokee, Ford, Finney, Leavenworth, Johnson, Ellis, Saline, Shawnee and Wyandotte.
www.kaimh.org
KCSL: The Kansas Children’s Service League is a not-for profit statewide organization that provides an array of services to children and their families in Kansas. The services range from parent education and a 24-hour parent support line to prevention of child abuse and neglect services. They try to meet the changing needs of children and families in Kansas to keep children safe and families strong.
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Healthy Families America (HF) Eight new counties (Dickinson, Douglas, Cherokee, Crawford, Ellis, Finney, Leavenworth and Bourbon) are implementing the evidence based Healthy Families Americas program as well as expanded services in existing programs in Johnson, Shawnee, Wyandotte, Lyon, and Reno counties. HF is an intensive home visitation program for first time parents that have very high levels of stress in their lives and are most at risk for abusing or neglecting their children. Services begin while the first-time mother is pregnant, or within a maximum time-period of three months after birth. The program is voluntary and doesn’t have any income eligibility criteria. Families are assessed for needs in the following areas: medical, housing, food, domestic violence, mental health, developmental delay, child care, nutrition, substance abuse treatment, parenting education, educational, vocational, transportation, financial and other social services. The children and families are periodically assessed for progress and level of need, and services are adjusted accordingly. Services are provided for three years so the parents learn how to appropriately and safely care for their children and become self-sufficient.
www.kcsl.org
KDEC: The Kansas Division of Early Childhood exists to promote the education of young children with exceptional needs and encourages and promotes professional growth and research as a means of better understanding the unique needs related to young exceptional children. They provide training to parents and professionals on a variety of training needs in addition to providing technical assistance in the planning and delivery of services for special needs children.
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Expansion and Enhancement of tiny-k Additional funding to each tiny-k network in Kansas for enhancement or expansion of their services to children with special needs.
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Inclusion of special needs children in all KELC services and in the infant/toddler service delivery system in the 12 KELC counties. The KDEC president and a KELC project director for KDEC are leading the development of a plan and curriculum to train KELC county partners on best practices in screening young children with special needs and in practicing inclusion in all areas of work with infants and toddlers.
www.kdec.org
KHSA: The Kansas Head Start Association represents all 28 Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Kansas serving over 9,000 children and families in 86 counties with dual goals of school-ready children and self-reliant families. KHSA works to strengthen early learning programs through advocacy, professional development and leadership, in collaboration with state and local partners.
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Kansas Early Head Start Program Expansion The KEHS program is a comprehensive service model including community partnerships with health, mental health, oral health, social services, and educational entities. KEHS can be provided in a home–based model with weekly home visits by trained home visitors or in a child care center. The program partners with child care providers for child care services to children of parents that are working or in school to meet the parent’s self-sufficiency plans. Coaching, mentoring and monitoring to KEHS child care partners is provided by KEHS staff to ensure high-quality child care. At least 55% of those served must be at or below 100% of the federal poverty level; 35% may be up to 130% of poverty level, and 10% must be special needs children. The KEHS programs are also partnering with the KACCRRA ITRP staff to creatively recruit additional child care slots for infants and toddlers.
ksheadstart.org
KPATA: The Kansas Parents as Teachers Association (KPATA) is a 501 C (3) statewide Kansas organization created to provide networking, leadership, visibility, research, funding, and advocacy to build quality Parents as Teachers (PAT) programs. KPATA represents 232 school districts, home visiting programs, child care centers, and homes that exclusively or braid any of the PAT research based curriculums into their program.
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PAT Expansion Evidence based practice PAT services will be expanded in 8 counties: Ellis, Harvey, Johnson, Leavenworth, Montgomery, Saline, Shawnee and Wyandotte, and 20 communities within these 8 counties. PAT services include: parenting and child development information and support to pregnant and parenting teens and other parents of children 0-3 at risk; screening for developmental delays; screening for health, vision, and hearing needs; assessment of children using the ASQ-SE for social-emotional development; referrals to other needed services, and play groups. Service delivery is through home visits and some group meetings. Home visits occur at least once a month, and may be more frequent if needed.
www.kpata.org
