Head Start/Early Head Start Annual Report

To:
PCCEO Board of Directors, Head Start/Early Head Start
Parent Policy Council, Parents and Members of the
Community at Large
From: McFarland A. Bragg II
President/CEO, CCAP
RE:
2014-2015 Annual Report
The purpose of the Head Start and Early Head Start program
is to promote the school readiness of low-income children by enhancing their cognitive, social and emotional development(1) In a learning environment that supports children’s growth
in language, literacy, mathematics, science, social and
emotional functioning, creative arts, physical skills and approaches to learning; and
(2) through the provision to low-income children and their families of health, educational, nutritional social and other services that are determined, based on family needs assessments, to be necessary.
Highlights include information on all content areas (Child Health and Developmental Services; Education and Early Childhood Development (including the Child Outcomes Framework and School
Readiness); Child Health and Safety; Child Nutrition; Child Mental Health; Parent, the Family and
Community Engagement Framework; and Program Governance) as well as a listing of the community
partners that support the children and families served by both programs.
The information that follows affords me the opportunity to share some of the highlights and challenges that
both Head Start and Early Head Start faced during the 2014-2015 program year: through the efforts of the
National Head Start Association, our national partners and most importantly Head Start and Early Head Start
parents across the United States, members of the Senate and the House of Representatives were challenged and encouraged to restore the investment in America’s future!!
According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’ Policy Report-Kids Count, “Research shows that every dollar
invested in high-quality early childhood education produces a 7 to 10 percent annual return on investment”. The report also states, “As a nation we do not invest enough in our children’s early years”.
“Investing in the first eight years is critical for children to succeed, both in school and in life”.
The selection and employment of the Director of the Head Start program in May 2014 was a significant accomplishment for PCCEO!! The search for that position began in earnest during the January through March
2014 period with a target of filling the position not later than 1 July 2014.
With the restoration of the dollars lost due to sequestration and a miniscule 1.3% Cost of Living Adjustment;
35 slots were restored for the Head Start program and 6 slots were restored to the Early Head Start program
effective August of 2014!!
The move from the Valeska Hinton Early Childhood Education Center in May 2014, caused us to relocate
Head Start and Early Head Start classrooms to the Harrison Community Learning Center (2 EHS classrooms), Manual Academy (2 full day Head Start classrooms) and Sterling Middle School (2 full day classrooms, 4 part day classrooms)! The staff of both programs continue to focus on ensuring that we provide
comprehensive, integrated high quality birth to five early childhood education services to the eight hundred
three children and families that Head Start and Early Head Start serves.
With the initiation of the new Aligned Monitoring System, PCCEO Head Start and Early Head Start completed
the Health/Environmental Services, ERSEA/Fiscal Integrity and CLASS phases of the process. We anticipate completing the last two portions for the process in FY 2016!!
While Head Start and Early Head Start have not been impacted by the State of Illinois’ budget impasse, several of the programs that our families benefit from (Child Care Assistance, Energy Assistance, Community
Computer Lab, etc.) have been severely impacted and in some cases, have been eliminated!!
PCCEO Head Start and Early Head Start
2
2014-2015 Financials
BUDGET - 2014-2015
Federal Share of Total Budget
$5,911,863
Third Party Contributions (In-Kind)
1,477,966
TOTAL OUTLAYS
$7,389,829
EXPENDITURES - 2014-2015
56,366
Head Start Training & Technical Assistance (PA20)
5,855,988
Head Start Part-Day (PA22) + Inkind + Project
Early Head Start Training & Technical
Assistance (PA26)
29,393
1,336,763
Early Head Start (PA25) + Inkind + Project
TOTAL EXPENDITURES
$7,278,510
2014-2015 OPERATING BUDGET
PA 22
Total
PA 25
2,795,405
2,795,405
714,307
714,307
Fringe Benefits
717,100
717,100
217,459
217,459
Travel
20,000
32,000
2,802
0
0
0
Supplies
100,300
100,300
11,650
Contract Services
78,522
6,000
84,522
56,962
Other Costs
923,788
38,366
962,154
187,808
4,635,115
56,366
Salaries
Equipment
Total
PA 20
12,000
PA 21
9,779
Total
12,581
0
1,273
12,923
56,962
18,341
4,691,481 1,190,988 29,393
206,149
1,202,976
3
Promoting Early Childhood Education
South Holland, Illinois 60473
708-333-0634 / Fax 708-333-6680
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT
Board of Directors,
Peoria Citizens Committee for Economic Opportunity, Inc.
Peoria, Illinois
We have audited the accompanying financial of Peoria Citizens Committee for Economic Opportunity,
Inc. (a non-profit organization) which comprise the statement of financial position as of December 31, 2014,
and the related statements of activities, functional expenses, and cash flows for the year then ended, and the
related notes to the financial statements. The prior year summarized comparative information has been derived from Peoria Citizens Committee for Economic Opportunity, Inc.’s December 31, 2013 financial statements and, in our report dated March 24, 2014; we expressed an unqualified opinion on those statements.
Management’s Responsibility for the Financial Statements
Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these financial statements in
accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America; this includes the
design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation
of financial statements that are free from material misstatements, whether due to fraud or error.
Auditor’s Responsibility
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United states of America
and the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government Auditing Standards, issued by the
Comptroller General of the United states. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement.
An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures
in the financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditors’ judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditors consider internal control relevant to the entity's preparation and fair
presentation of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control.
Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management, as well
as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements.
We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained in sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis
for our audit opinion.
Opinion
In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the
financial position of Peoria Citizens Committee for Economic Opportunity, Inc. as of December 31, 2014, and
the changes in its net assets and its cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Other Matters
Other Information
Our audit was conducted for the purpose of forming an opinion on the basic financial statements as a
whole. The accompanying schedules of activities—Illinois Department of Healthcare & Family Services, revolving loan program, management and general fund activities—in-kind contributions activities and the financial status report of the Department of Health and Human Services–Head Start are presented for purposed of
PCCEO Head Start and Early Head Start
4
additional analysis and are not a required part of the basic financial statements. The accompanying schedule
of expenditures of federal awards is also presented for purposes of additional analysis as required by the U.S.
Office of Management and Budget Circular A-133, Audits and States, Local Governments, and non-Profit Organizations, is presented for purposes of additionally analysis and is not a required part of the financial statements. Such information is the responsibility of management and was derived from and relates directly to the
underlying accounting and other records used to prepare the financial statements. The information has
been subjected to the auditing procedures applied in the audit of the financial statements and certain
additional procedures, including comparing and reconciling such information directly to the underlying accounting and other records used to prepare the financials statements or to the financial statements themselves, and other additional procedures in accordance with auditing standards generally
accepted in the United States of America. In our opinion, the information is fairly stated, in all material respects, in relation to the financial statements as a while.
Other Reporting Required by Government Auditing Standards
In accordance with Government Auditing Standards, we have also issued our report dated April 21,
2015, on our consideration of Peoria Citizens Committee for Economic Opportunity, Inc.’s internal control
over financial reporting and on our tests of its compliance with certain provisions of laws, regulations, contracts, and grant agreements and other matters. The purpose of that report is to describe the scope of our
testing of internal control over financial reporting and compliance and the results of that testing, and not to
provide an opinion on the internal control over financial reporting or on compliance. That report is an integral
part of an audit performed in accordance with Government Auditing Standards in considering Peoria Citizens
Committee for Economic Opportunity’s internal control over financial reporting and compliance.
RAGLAND & ASSOCIATES
Certified Public Accountants
South Holland, Illinois
April 21,2015
5
Promoting Early Childhood Education
The Improving Head Start for School readiness Act of 2007 makes it a top
priority for programs to address and strengthen school readiness of all
the children we serve, ages birth to five.
Early Head Start
PCCEO Early Head Start (EHS) is a comprehensive family development
program whose focus is to help pregnant women and parents of children
from infancy to three years of age become self-sufficient. Our services and
programs are designed to help children and families reach their optimum potential; educationally, socially, and economically. In addition, we monitor
health and wellness for children to support their ability to achieve developmental milestones and school readiness.
PCCEO Early Head Start serves 111 children and pregnant women in
the federal grant and an additional 22 children in the Prevention Initiative
state grant. Our average monthly enrollment has been 98.7% since August
2014. Forty five (45) pregnant women were served during the 2014-2015
program year. In the period from April 1, 2014 thru March 31, 2015, EHS provided services to 194 pregnant women, children, and their families. Of the
194 eligible children served 98.50% were income eligible.
PCCEO Inc., Early Head Start remains one of the premier early childhood programs in Peoria County which provides early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development and family support services to low-income infants and toddlers and their families. Services are also
provided to pregnant women. Our staff are caring adults who exercise positive nurturing relationships; a key
element to the healthy development and learning of our infants and toddlers.
The principles of Early Head Start such as inclusion, collaboration, cultural competence and an emphasis
on high quality, are designed to nurture healthy attachments between the parent and child (and caregiver)
which emphasizes a strengths-based, relationship-centered approach to services. This approach encompasses the full range of a family's needs from pregnancy through a child's third birthday.
Data Collection
Early childhood and family development staff collect various assessment and data sources to guide and
improve teaching strategies in order to improve child outcomes. Examples include but are not limited to:
Note taking from observations, parent teacher conferences, children’s work samples, videos, pictures, and
checklists are only a few methods. The data is then organized (aggregated and analyzed) so that it “tells the
story” whether our children are developing,
need further evaluations so that we may
plan individualized learning experiences and
program practices, and if intervention strategies, if any are necessary. The more we
know, the better we can meet their needs.
This information also supports improvement
plans to further development, coaching for
staff and strengthens communication with
our local school district or other child care
providers to exchange information.
The following graph compares the scores
for all enrolled children during the three assessment periods of the 2014-2015 program
year. The blue represents the beginning of
the year scores, gold represents the mid-
PCCEO Head Start and Early Head Start
6
year scores, and gray represents the end of the year scores. Each score represents the average number of
milestones achieved expressed as a percentage of the total number of milestones correlated to each domain.
The child outcome data is shared with our parents, classroom teachers, assigned home visitors, parent educators, parent policy council members as well as the Education/Disability Services Advisory Committee.
Infants and toddlers at EHS and the Prevention Initiative Program continue to make progress but not without the support from our families, dedicated staff, and collaborators.
Early Head Start Medical and Dental exams
The Early & Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment Program (EPSDT) for the state of Illinois, states
that children birth to three years old are to have Well Child Exams at the ages of two weeks, two, four, six,
nine, fifteen, eighteen, twenty-four and thirty –six months of age.
Early Head Start children currently are at 65% compliance with appropriate Well Child Exams and 88%
compliance with immunizations. Well Child Exams are required frequently during the first year of life. All children that are enrolled in the Early Head Start program have seen their physician at least once this year.
The annual Give Kids a Smile Day event was held at Harrison Early Learning Center. EHS collaborates with
the Peoria District Dental Society and the Peoria City/County Health Department to bring these services to
our children. Volunteer dentists were able to provided twenty-four (24) exams, fluoride treatments and oral
health education to children and parents.
Peoria City/County Health Department recommends that children have their first dental exam by 1 year of
age. Fluoride varnish is recommended for children three times a year till the age of three. Twenty-Four (22)
children have identified dental homes.
Early Head Start continues to provide Otoacoustic Emission Hearing Screenings to children upon enrollment and update yearly.
Head Start
Head Start serves 670 children in a comprehensive
early childhood education program. Our average monthly
enrollment has been 90.9% since August 2014. Our
monthly attendance, as verified by our data tracking system, PROMIS (Program Resources and Outcome Management Information Systems). This includes children
enrolled in our partner site, Tri-County (Peoria) Urban
League and Pre-School for All.
According to the Illinois Department of Human Services, there are 3,190 families with children ages birth to
five living in Peoria county. According to the Illinois Kids
Count 2015 report, from 2006 to 20112 the child poverty
rate has increased from 19.2 to 28.9% in Peoria county.
13.7% of children in Peoria live in “deep poverty” meaning that they live below 50% of poverty level.
The percentage of enrolled Head Start children who
received a physical and dental exams during the school year was 100% of funded enrollment. We commend
our parents and staff working in partnership with Head Start Staff to accomplish this impressive goal.
The demand for full day Head Start slots continues to grow. Of the 176 children enrolled at our Sterling Head
Start site, we maintained a minimum of 17 children (the equivalent of a classroom) on our waitlist for full day
slots. Last year’s move from the Valeska Hinton Early Childhood Center resulted in a reduction of our full day
program option from 4 classrooms to 2.
7
Promoting Early Childhood Education
Education and Early Childhood Development Curriculum
The curriculum used in all Head Start classrooms is the Creative Curriculum. The Creative Curriculum is
based on theory and research and addresses academic content for young children. The Creative Curriculum
covers seven (7) learning domains: Social/Emotional; the Arts; Physical Development; Health; Mathematics;
Language and Literacy; and Science.
Our curriculum is supplemented with Second Step Violence Prevention Curriculum and Conscious Discipline, comprehensive social and emotional intelligence management program.
PCCEO Head Start has a plan to address goals for improving the school readiness of children transitioning to
kindergarten. These goals area aligned with the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework, State Early Learning Standards, and the requirements and expectations of the local school system.
Daily Schedule
The program and classroom foster continuity and provide blocks of time for children to explore. The daily
schedule provides a balance of teacher-directed and child-initiated activities; active and quiet times; and independent and guided activities (large group, small group and individual activities).
Classroom Environment
Each classroom has 17-20 children enrolled based on age. There is an Early Childhood Teacher and
Teacher Assistant in each classroom. The classrooms are divided into learning centers and the children
learn from the environment by being directed through the arrangement of materials and equipment. The centers include science, dramatic play, blocks, library, art, writing, quiet center, manipulatives, computer, music
and listening. There is also an area established for large group time. Indoor and outdoor physical activities
are provided on a daily basis.
Assessment and Screenings
In order to provide the most appropriate learning experiences for your child, he/she will be given a developmental screening called the Brigance Screening Instrument. All children in the Head Start Program receive
a developmental screening, which accesses a broad sample of a child’s skills and behaviors. The screening
will assist the teacher in planning the most appropriate program for the individual needs of young children.
The assessment tool used by PCCEO Head Start is Learning Accomplishment Profile (LAP 3). LAP 3 is a
criterion referenced instrument for children functioning in the 36-72 month age range. The purpose of LAP 3
is to assist teachers and families in accessing individual skill development and to plan curriculum accordingly.
In addition, on-going observations and individual child portfolios are used to help teachers evaluate each
child’s learning progress. The progress is shared with parents during home visits and parent/teacher conferences.
The following scores reflect the percentages of milestones of development achieved for our children going
to kindergarten in the following domains:
Physical Development and Health
93.67%
Social and Emotional Development
95.98%
Approaches to Learning
92.45%
Logic and Reasoning
88.09%
Language Development
84.70%
Literacy Knowledge and Skills
79.63%
Mathematics Knowledge and Skills
82.71%
Science Knowledge and Skills
88.50%
Creative Arts Expressions
95.15%
Social Studies Knowledge and Skills
86.93%
English Language Development
57.86%
PCCEO Head Start and Early Head Start
8
Parent, Family and Community Engagement
Head Start and Early Head Start are dedicated to providing resources and support to families in order for
them to be prepared in life. Our approach to family engagement focuses on addressing the Head Start & Early Head Start Parent, Family and Community Engagement Framework (PFCE). The frame work measures
seven family engagement domains; Family Well-Being, Positive Parent-Child Interactions, Families as Lifelong Educators, Families as Learners, Family Engagement in Transitions, Family Connections to Peers &
Community, and Families as Advocates & Leaders.
Parent Volunteerism
In accordance with Performance Standard 1304.40(a) (4) &
(5), we engage parents during:




home visits
parent meetings
parent/teacher conferences
Policy Council Meetings
By participation in:
Parent surveys
Head Start and Early Head Start Advisory Committees
Workshops and training opportunities
Field trips
Family activities/socializations
Parent cafes






The Parent Family and Community Engagement Framework is a data driven research based strategy
used to form family partnerships, drive professional development plans, provide practical information about
children and families to help devise personalized planning, provide for continuous improvement and boost
community partnerships that promote family well-being.
In order to provide the services that families want and need, Head Start and Early Head Start families are
encouraged to serve on program advisory committees, program and activity planning committees and to complete a parent survey that is offered at the beginning of each program year. Being in tune with what parents
want and need, as well as how well the program provides the required services is key to the family’s success
and increased participation in the program.
Parents can get involved in Head Start and Early Head Start by:
 Volunteering in the classroom

Conducting and participating in Parent Center Meetings

Attending a variety of workshops

Serving on the Parent Policy Council

Serving on the Health Services Advisory Committee

Getting to know key community organizations and
agencies
Parent Center Meetings/Family Activities
Using the data from parent surveys, Family Development
staff worked with parents to plan monthly activities for Head
Start families for the 2014-201School Year.
Winter Wonderland held in December every year continues to be a favorite family friendly activity. Parents, staff and
community partners come together to offer an evening of fun
9
Promoting Early Childhood Education
filled activities for the entire family. Sixty percent (403)
of our Head Start families participated in this
event. Two of the monthly activities held this past year
focused on involving fathers. One hundred and fifty-six
(156) Dads participated in Head Start’s Donuts with
Dads activity. This activity was held at each Head Start
site. Father’s overwhelmingly listed Donuts with Dads
as an activity they wanted for their Head Start Centers.
Styling Families Fashion Show was another activity
that was hugely successful. Forty fathers/significant
male role models and their families graced the runway
showcasing sports attire, Sunday’s best and an array
of outfits and “attitudes that thrilled the audience. This
family friendly activity supported family peer interaction
and parent and child interaction. The last family activity
for the year was our annual Head Start and Early Head
Start’s Parent Recognition Banquet. The theme was
“Acknowledging the Past…Building the Future.” Sixty five parents were recognized for their accomplishments
and contributions.
In conjunction with monthly activities, quarterly center meetings were held at all 5 centers. Information,
activities and a family meal were standard for each meeting.
Preparing Children for Kindergarten
Preparation for Kindergarten begins at birth. Experiences provided by parents and staff in Head Start and
Early Head Start lay the foundation for more formal education in primary school. Careful monitoring of children’s development ensures that their learning needs are addressed and that every effort is made to help
children become successful not only in Kindergarten, but also in life.
The transitioning of children from Early Head Start to Head Start begins when children are 2.5 years of
age. Family Development Specialists (FDS)’s assist families in the completion of transition packets. Prior to
enrollment, the children and families have an orientation opportunity to visit the child’s Head Start classroom.
PCCEO Head Start transition efforts are designed to help ease the entry from Early Head Start to Head
Start and from Head Start into kindergarten by preparing both children and families for the difference children
will encounter. PCCEO Head Start partners with the school district on several transition activities, including
serving on the Kindergarten Registration Committee, partnering in Kindergarten Registration Day in April, and
serving on the Early Childhood Forum and the Early Childhood Network.
School Readiness
PCCEO Head Start and Early Head Start have adopted a
plan of school readiness for all children transitioning to kindergarten that aligns with the goals and expectations of the:

Head Start Child Development and Early Learning
framework

State Early Learning Standards

Expectations and requirements of the local school
system
The Head Start/Early Head Start school readiness plan:

Supports individual differences

Assesses children’s progress on an ongoing basis

Incudes strategies for achieving these goals

Gives parents an opportunity to provide input on readiness goals that they believe are important as
their child transitions to preschool and kindergarten
PCCEO Head Start and Early Head Start
Parent Policy Council
Chairperson
Antonio Brooks
Vice Chair
Angela Freemon
Secretary
Essence Campbell
Treasurer
Raymond Closen
Sundra Harris
Tequila Washington
Laura Kenney
Onisha Douglas
Zoya Code
Jaquala Williams
Community Partners
American Red Cross
Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Bradley University
Children and Family Hearing Associates
City Link
Child and Family Connections
Child and Family Hearing Associates
Career Link 16
Delta Sigma Theta, Inc.
Early Childhood Network and Forum
Family Matters
FamilyCore
Illinois State Board of Education
Illinois Central College
IL Department of Health and Human Services
IL Department of Child and Family Services
Lincoln Branch Library
Local Interagency Council
Lutheran Social Services
Northside Church of the Nazarene
OSF St. Francis Medical Center
Optik Boutique
Peoria Education Partners
Peoria Public Schools District 150
Peoria City/County Health Department
Peoria Housing Authority
Southside Mission
Tri County Peoria Urban League
Unity Point Health Methodist Medical Center
Unity Point Health Methodist College
United Way Success by Six Page Turner Program
UPGRADE Corporation
10
Peoria Citizens Committee for
Economic Opportunity, Inc.
711 W. McBean St
Peoria, IL 61605
(309) 671-3900
www.pcceo.org
Head Start
923 W. Millman
Peoria, IL 61605
(309) 671-3960
www.pcceo.org/headstart
Early Head Start
427 W. Main Street
Peoria, IL 61606
(309) 495-5254
www.pcceo.org/ehs