Northern Windsor & Orange Regional Newsletter    
Regional News
Strategic Planning Update
A diverse set of early childhood care, health, and education providers have been busy helping to develop our regional strategic action plan. At our regional council meeting on Tuesday, November 17th at 1:30pm, attendees will be asked to review the 3-4 priorities we've selected for the coming year and weigh-in on proposed activities, goals, and metrics. To see drafts of our work, click on links under the "Northern Windsor & Orange Council" section to the right. 

Local News & Highlights 
Strategies in place at Dothan Brook School were recently touted as an example of best practices in a recent policy brief released by Building Bright Futures. "A key strategy to prevent bullying is to build social and emotional skills in young children," said Traci Sawyers, the brief's author and the Early Childhood Health Policy Expert for BBF and Project LAUNCH. Building social and emotional skills in children results in early detection and mitigation of problem behaviors before they blossom into full-fledged bullying or other serious behavioral issues. In schools like Dothan Brook, academic achievement also improved. In 2013-14, 85 percent of students at Dothan Brook School (DBS) were reading at or above the standard, with 80 percent reading above their grade level expectation. In that same year, DBS's writing results as tested by the New England Common Assessment Program showed the highest scores ever received on the test: 68 percent met or exceeded the standard, a 12 percent increase from the previous year. Read more here.

Stagecoach
If you didn't catch the announcement, Stagecoach launched expanded routes on November 9th. The circulator will run for FREE until the end of January. Find out more on their website: stagecoach-rides.org.

Council Meetings  
Mark your calendar for our regional council meetings in November and December. Both are on the 17th from 1:30-3pm at The Family Place. Hope to see you then! 

Sarah Buxton
Regional Coordinator, Building Bright Futures
sbuxton@buildingbrightfutures.com 
Statewide Project Updates
Early Learning Challenge Projects Update (November 2015)
Vermont has made so much progress across all categories of the Early Learning Challenge grant in the past few months. A few updates are included below. Learn more and sign-up for regular updates by following this link: Early Learning Challenge Grant

A series of scenarios regarding young children and their families is presented below to help  explain how the Early Learning Challenge (ELC) grant might come into play in each scenario. This approach is intended to help service providers understand how the systems-level work of the grant impacts the lives of children and families. Hopefully these hypothetical stories, based on actual experiences with children and families in Vermont, will give you a better sense of how a strong early childhood system impacts children and families.

"Morgan"
Morgan really struggled with a successful pre-school experience. He moved between several programs, each not working for a variety of reasons.  Eventually, a pre-school program that was able to meet Morgan's needs was found. Morgan's teachers worked to understand both the child and the family and learned that the parents had an especially trusting relationship with their pediatrician.  This pediatrician contributed to parents agreeing to a developmental assessment through Essential Early Education which, in turn, determined that Morgan was eligible for special education services and an individual education plan. This school year, Morgan is in kindergarten, and his teachers report a successful start to the school year!
 
ELC projects related to this scenario:
The program that was successful in meeting Morgan's needs demonstrated an understanding of how important it is to value and work with the parent as well as the child. Family engagement is an element of quality expected of programs in the top tiers of STARS and of publicly funded preschool programs. The ELC funding expands and supports implementation of the Strengthening Families framework.  This results in more programs implementing practices that support families. 
  • It is important that the public, especially parents, have a better understanding of the critical elements of program quality that support all children, including those with special needs such as Morgan. Toward this end, the ELC grant funds an independent evaluation of STARS, Vermont's program quality and recognition system. Another ELC project will create a monitoring system for early learning and development programs including publicly funded preschool programs.  These projects will help determine if programs are effectively implementing required practices in order to provide high quality early experiences for all children.
  • Morgan may have benefitted, early on, from more in-depth social and emotional support to address some of his behavioral challenges. Expanding the Early Multi-Tiered Systems of Support framework to more early childhood programs is another project of the grant. Early MTSS helps programs put in place best-practice social and emotional supports for all children in a program, as well as more targeted supports and interventions for children with increasing levels of need.
  • Morgan's story has a happy ending: he is thriving in Kindergarten. In order to be sure we have an accurate measure of all children's preparation for Kindergarten, the grant funds professional development for Kindergarten teachers on the newly revised, reliable, and valid Kindergarten Readiness Survey.
  • In this scenario, we see the results of a successful collaboration between the health and early learning sectors. This represents the type of systems change the Early Learning Challenge grant is trying to promote at the local and state level. At the state level, the Agency of Education, the Department for Children and Families, and the Department of Health (VDH), all collaborate to oversee and implement the grant. Likewise, we support similar collaboration at the community level.
"Kylee"
Kylee's grandmother is concerned about her 2 � year old granddaughter's speech and behavior. Kylee uses very few words to communicate and the words she does use are very difficult to understand. Grandma has noticed that Kylee is increasingly crying and having tantrums when others do not understand her requests. Kylee is unable to hold a crayon and struggles to use utensils - preferring to use her fingers to feed herself. Grandma has shared her concerns with Kylee's parents, but they are not concerned about the child's development and do not think she needed extra support or services. Grandma is unsure how to get help for the family.

ELC projects related to this scenario:
  • Kylee and her grandmother were able to benefit from Help Me Grow Vermont (HMG), a new referral system that connects families to resources and services they need. On her local news channel, Grandma heard about the Help Me Grow Vermont phone line hosted by Vermont 2-1-1 and called to share her concerns. The HMG Child Development Specialist who staffed the line shared information on typical developmental milestones for 2 � year olds and followed up by mailing Grandma CDC's Milestone Moments Booklet with information on tracking developmental milestones as well as positive parenting tips (ages 2 months through 5 years).  With subsequent follow up calls from the HMG Child Development Specialist, Kylee's grandmother was connected to several community resources: the local Building Bright Futures Regional Council community playgroup, a kinship care support group, and the local library story hour. During one follow up call, Grandma reported she had shared CDC's Milestone Booklet with Kylee's parents. After reading about typical developmental milestones, the parents eventually dialed 2-1-1 and spoke to the HMG Child Development Specialist directly. They gave permission for a referral to be made to Children's Integrated Services (CIS). The parents additionally gave permission for Kylee's pediatrician to be notified that a referral to CIS had been made. Kylee is now receiving early intervention services. Help Me Grow is a service for the whole-population, with the goal of finding and connecting at-risk kids and families who are currently not accessing services.
"Tarah's Family"
Tarah is two and just started at a new high-quality, home-based childcare program. Tarah is in DCF custody living with a foster family, but there is a plan for re-unification with her birth mom, who is pregnant. Her mom's due date is in two months. In order for mom to access ongoing treatment for her substance abuse, and eventually find a job, she will need the same full time care for both children.  There isn't space, however, at Tarah's program for the new baby.
 
ELC projects related to this scenario:                                                           
  • Tara's birth mom would likely benefit from one of the new, evidence-based Home Visiting models being implemented in Vermont. Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home visiting (MECSH), a nursing-based model, and Parents as Teachers (PAT), a family support based model, are both being implemented throughout the state, with training in each model funded through the grant.
  • It is likely the new baby would be eligible for CIS Specialized Child Care Services that provide care for the most high-needs children. Through the grant, the requirements to become a specialized child care provider are being revised to make sure providers are able to offer as high quality care as possible. The grant is also funding an increase in financial reimbursement for specialized child care to increase the incentive for becoming a specialized child care provider.
  • The lack of capacity in Tara's program may be a community-wide issue. The data projects of the grant, including the development of Vermont Insights, a project of Building Bright Futures, will help communities easily access data about capacity and other issues. The grant's investment in the Building Bright Futures regional council infrastructure would support a community wide discussion about the capacity issue, and help generate a community-led response. 
  • This scenario offers another example of a program that may benefit from the expansion of the Strengthening Families child care model, to better support families like Tarah's. Thanks to ELC grant funding, the Strengthening Families model is being implemented at more centers across the state, particularly among home-based providers. Strengthening Families helps to develop parents' knowledge of child development and improve parenting skills, while providing support in areas of need and building trusting relationships.
"Mohamed and Abdi"
Mohamed, age 3, and Abdi, age 4, are brothers and attend an early care and education program close to their home. The family loves the program and is looking forward to taking advantage of Act 166 public pre-k funding; however, the provider has 2 stars and is not yet able to become a Pre-Qualified provider.
 
ELC projects related to this scenario:
  • The grant funds an expansion of the STARS Bonuses to provide an incentive for programs to increase or maintain quality level.
  • The grant funds training in Teaching Strategies Gold (TS Gold) through the Agency of Education, to help more providers meet the Act 166 requirement that Pre-Qualified programs implement that assessment.
  • Grant leadership helped facilitate the new provisional licensure process at AOE for private providers to become licensed teachers in order to meet requirements of Act 166. The process includes a partnership with Vermont Birth to Five to provide mentoring toward full licensure. We re-directed grant dollars already set aside for professional development to VAEYC's TEACH program (also a grant project). TEACH will provide additional scholarships for provisionally licensed teachers needing to finish up a few courses to get their full Vermont teaching license with early childhood education or early childhood special education endorsement.
Inaugural STARS Newsletter
The inaugural issue of the STARS Newsletter has been released. Issued quarterly, the newsletter will contain information about STARS, updates on changes to the STARS system, and helpful hints for providers. The newsletter will also highlight accomplishments and providers from one district of the state. Read the newsletter here.  Your ideas and feedback about the content is welcomed. Please send your suggestions to: stars@mjccvt.org 

Help Me Grow (HMG)
The new Help Me Grow phone line at Vermont 2-1-1 has launched! Parents, caregivers, family, friends, or providers can call to get answers about a child's development or behavior -- and get connected to local resources. Vermont 2-1-1 has hired two Child Development Specialists, Elizabeth Gilman and Anne Davie, to staff the line. Both have strong backgrounds serving Vermont children and families. The Help Me Grow/Vermont 2-1-1 team is working on materials for our partners to share. 

Why it matters: Early detection and connection to services lead to the best outcomes for children who are at risk for developmental or behavioral concerns.

Regional Council Strategic Action Plans 
The Building Bright Futures Regional Councils are working to finalize their Regional Action Plans using a template that is aligned with the statewide Early Childhood Action Plan. Each of the regions are planning events to engage their  stakeholders in early childhood issues. Training of the 12 Regional Coordinators is ongoing, including learning more about other early childhood initiatives such as Help Me Grow, Early MTSS, Promise Communities, and Act 166 so they can better support their communities in the implementation of these efforts. This summer, the Regional Coordinators were trained in Facilitative Leadership techniques, participated in a 2-1-1 Call Center Help Me Grow site visit and working session, worked with AOE and AHS to support community-based early learning services, and have participated in health-based cultural awareness trainings. 

Why it matters: As the 12 regional councils develop capacity to impact services that affect young children and their families in their local communities, they will support the successful implementation of the Early Learning Challenge grant and the larger statewide Early Childhood Framework and Action Plan.

CIS Data System 
At the end of August, Children's Integrated Services launched an interim data system that will allow paper records from the regions to be entered digitally at the state level. This data can later be streamlined into the new system. CDD staff are closely monitoring and advising on the development of the MMIS case management system for the VT Chronic Care Initiative, which will later be modified for CIS use. Development of the CIS specific-system is scheduled to start in January 2016, with a go-live of the new system tentatively scheduled for June 2016.

Why it matters: This work will help make sure Vermont's young children are getting the services they need to thrive and that we are better able to measure outcomes and use accurate data to inform policy. 
Events, Meetings, Trainings & More! 
Regional Council Meetings
Join us at one of our upcoming Regional Council Meetings: 

Tuesday, November 17th from 1:30pm-3pm 
The Family Place, 319 Route 5, Norwich, VT
Tentative Agenda: Regional Strategic Action Plan Draft: Review

Thursday, December 17th from 1:30pm-3pm 
The Family Place, 319 Route 5, Norwich, VT
Tentative Agenda: Approve Action Plan; VT Early Childhood Alliance Presentation of Legislative Priorities

E-mail Sarah Buxton (sbuxton@buildingbrightfutures.org) with questions, announcements, handouts, or agenda items. 

Gingerbread Festival 
The Family Place's 13th Annual Gingerbread Festival will be held on Saturday, December 5, 2015 from 10am - 3pm at Tracy Hall in Norwich. The Gingerbread Festival is a fun-filled event for families that features: a display of over 80 Gingerbread Houses, a silent auction of the Gingerbread Houses and other auction items, a store with handcrafts and gift items, a caf� for a delicious lunch, a gingerbread house making demonstration, cookie decorating and fun activities for children. Admission is $10 per family or $5 per individual, and all proceeds benefit The Family Place. Please call 802-649-3268 or email gingerbread@the-family-place.org with any questions.

Let's Grow Kids Week
Let's Grow Kids Week is the perfect opportunity for you to get involved in the movement creating a high-quality, affordable child care system that serves all Vermont children. This annual event is a week-long series of specific, daily action steps meant to draw large-scale attention to the importance of early childhood. This fall, we'll be celebrating from November 16th-November 20th and harnessing the power of social media. Each daily action step is very simple to take - and when performed along with hundreds of other Vermonters on the same day, we can create a huge, statewide splash! 

Here's the Fall 2015 LGK Week calendar:
Monday: Tell your story about your child care challenges 
At the Child Care Challenge Community Forums we've been hearing from hundreds of Vermonters about the challenges that they face. To raise awareness in the community about the extent of this problem, please post your own child care challenge story on Facebook and/or Front Porch Forum. Your friends, family, neighbors and legislators need to know that these challenges exist in order to address them. Feel free to submit your story ahead of time to your Let's Grow Kids field coordinator if you'd like feedback or guidance. Include a link to our new TV ad for additional power.

Tuesday: Share the "Still Face" video
As we continue to engage with Vermonters about the challenges they're facing, we must also continue to raise public awareness about the importance of the early years. This means continuing to let community members know about how critical the early years are, with 80% of the brain developing by age three and 90% by age five. On Tuesday, please share this highly-effective "Still Face" video via social media, email and/or Front Porch Forum to start the conversation about the early experiences all children need to succeed.

Wednesday: Share a Small Talk video
Let's Grow Kids was on the road this summer collecting the stories of more than 90 Vermonters discussing the child care challenges they face. In two weeks, we'll launch the first round of powerful video stories we collected. Please help us celebrate the launch by sharing your favorite Small Talk video via social media, email and/or Front Porch Forum. (Link to the video webpage coming soon!)
 
Thursday: Share your favorite blog post 
Since Let's Grow Kids launched last April, we've posted more than 50 blogs on dozens of different topics ranging from the brain science of early development to Vermont's child care system. On Thursday, please raise awareness in your community by sharing your favorite blog post via social media, email and/or Front Porch Forum.
 
Friday: LGK tee day!
Wear your LGK tee-shirt to work or out in your community and ask five friends or neighbors to sign the Pledge! If you'd like us to send you literature or hard copies of the Pledge to hand out-or a free tee-shirt if you don't already have one-please email your Let's Grow Kids field coordinator. Don't forget to post a photo of yourself or your colleagues wearing your LGK tees to our Facebook page!

Let's Grow Kids Webinar 
As a Let's Grow Kids partner, you are in a great position to share the latest thinking about early childhood and child care with your community. To support you in your conversations on these topics, LGK invites you to participate in one of our Let's Grow Kids Messaging 2.0 Webinars offered.
 
After nearly two years of talking with Vermonters, conducting surveys and focus groups, and listening to stakeholders' feedback, Let's Grow Kids has developed this new set of "messages"-messages we have already put to work in a new advertising campaign and in our conversations around the state.
 
LGK will present these messages in a 75-minute webinar held at several different times and dates for your convenience. To attend, all you need is a computer and internet access.
 
Choose one of these dates/times:
  • Saturday, November 14 11:00am-12:15pm
  • Tuesday, November 17 9:15am-10:30am
Sign up by responding to samantha@letsgrowkids.org or 802-578-7796 and I will send you the link to log in and information on downloading the needed software.
 
Upper Valley Child Care Association (UVACC)
For all Upper Valley childcare center directors, administrators, family child care providers, and early childhood professionals from NH and VT. Meets 2nd Tuesday of each month, 1-3pm at Franklin Pierce University in West Lebanon. Contact jeff.robbins@dartmouth.edu for more details. 

Connections
For all Orange County, VT child care and other providers working directly with children. Meets 1st Wednesday of each month, 6:30-8:30pm at Valley Cooperative Preschool in Bradford, VT. Contact Meri Saladino at 
(802) 222-4236 for more details. 

Early Childhood Day at the Legislature (3/9/16)
Mark your calendars to join hundreds of early childhood professionals, parents, employers, and policymakers gathered at the 22nd annual Early Childhood Day at the Legislature on March 9, 2016. This networking, education, and advocacy day at the State House and Capitol Plaza Hotel in Montpelier is co-hosted by the Vermont Early Childhood Alliance, Let's Grow Kids, and Building Bright Futures. 

Plan to attend and consider becoming a sponsor of the day. Click here to learn more. 

Statewide News and Reports 
Blue Ribbon Commission on Child Care 
The Blue Ribbon Commission on Financing High Quality, Affordable Child Care was established by the Vermont Legislature to determine the hallmarks of a quality child care program and recommend to the Legislature and Governor strategies to support affordable, quality child care in Vermont. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 19th from 10:00 am - 12:30 pm tentatively in the State House. Check the Commission's temporary webpage for updates on the meeting, such as location and agenda, as well as minutes and meeting handouts. 

Child Protection Oversight Committee 
The Joint Legislative Child Protection Oversight Committee, made up of both Senators and Representatives, met on 11/5 to hear comments from law enforcement, schools and the medical community on several aspects of Act 60 (S.9, the child protection bill passed last legislative session). Issues included mandatory reporting and workload management for social workers, among others. Additonally, possible items to be addressed during the 2016 legislative session were discussed and will be determined at the next meeting.
The committee will conduct its next meeting on November 18 from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm at the State House.
See the committee webpage for a list of legislators, to download documents and find meeting updates.



In This Issue  ... 
(November 2015)
 
Northern Windsor & Orange Council 
Agendas, Minutes & Documents
August 20, 2015 Regional Council Meeting Agenda

August 20, 2015 Regional Council Meeting Minutes 

September 15, 2015 Regional Council Meeting Agenda

September 15, 2015 Regional Council Meeting Minutes 

October 15, 2015 Regional Council Strategic Planning Meeting 

October 15, 2015 Meeting: Integrated Comments and Feedback

October 15, 2015 Outcomes Framework: Families are Supported

October 15, 2015 Outcomes Framework: Children are Learning 

October 15, 2015 Outcomes Framework: Children are Healthy 

Regional Governance Document 

Quick Links