Little Earth's Children's Programs provide early childhood development and education for children, ages 0-5. Little Earth operates a two-fold approach to early childhood development-on-site and community-wide programming:
- Neighborhood Early Learning Center (NELC), located in a separate building adjacent to Little Earth, creates neighborhood access to several important early childhood programs managed by non-profit tenants, including the Rueben Lindh Family Center and its fee-based pre-school education program. The NELC serves both Little Earth families and families from around the Phillips neighborhood. Little Earth is responsible for the Neighborhood Early Learning Center's building maintenance and operations, and provides 1.5 FTE support staff for the Center. Earned income from the Center tenants supports building operations.
- Way To Grow, beginning in September 2007, Way To Grow and Little Earth will jointly operate a new sliding scale family-based pre-school program on-site for Little Earth Families. Way to Grow provides financial support for this new pre-school education program targeting both children ages 3-5 and their parents. Way To Grow will provide the equivalent of a 0.5 FTE staff person in 2007.
Children's Programming Work Plan for Phase I: 2008-2010
LITTLE EARTH CAPACITY-BUILDING AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE
The projected Phase I intermediate outcomes of Little Earth Children's
Programs are to:
- Involve 20% of parents in parent education courses; and
- Enroll 60% of Pre-K students in early childhood education.
To achieve these intermediate outcomes, Little Earth will undertake the following activities listed below.
Parent Education
Baseline: 2007
Just 10% of Little Earth parents with children ages 0-5 are enrolled in parent education courses. To drive increased parent education, Little Earth initiated two parent education activities in 2007:
+ A weekly women's empowerment group, which began in mid-2007.
+ A weekly Play, Learn & Grow group for parents and their toddlers, which began in Fall 2007.
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
| + Expand Children's Program Manager from 0.5 FTE to 1.0 FTE
+ Add a second evening women's empowerment group.
+ Children's Program Manager will train Family Program staff (Empowerment Coaches and Resident Advocates) in parent education curriculum, such as the Hennepin County Parent Engagement curriculum, to conduct one-to-one with families in their homes. |
+ Continue all three parent education groups at Little Earth's community center.
+ Begin conducting one-to-one parent education through home visits with the Empowerment Coaches and the Resident Advocates. |
+ Continue all three parent education groups at Little Earth's community center.
+ Continue conducting one-to-one parent education through home visits with the Empowerment Coaches and the Resident Advocates. |
Early Childhood Education
Baseline: 2007
For nearly all of 2007, just 40 of the 90, or roughly 50%, of Little Earth residents ages 3-5 are enrolled in early childhood programs.
In Fall 2007, Little Earth initiated a partnership with Way To Grow and opened a free pre-school at the community center, serving 20 Little Earth and 20 community-wide pre-schoolers.
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
| + Expand Children's Program Manager from 0.5 FTE to 1.0 FTE.
+ 20 Little Earth children ages 3-5 will be enrolled in the Little Earth/Way to Grow pre-school.
+ The new manager will connect families who have lost childcare subsidy eligibility. |
+ The full-time Children's Manager will streamline and coordinate early childhood resources available through Little Earth and NELC partners.
+ 20 Little Earth children ages 3-5 will be enrolled in the Little Earth/Way to Grow pre-school . |
+ 20 Little Earth children ages 3-5 will be enrolled in the Little Earth/Way to Grow pre-school. |
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