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1. One Agency Multiple Funders: Lighthouse Learning Center

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Early Care & Education Program Collaboration Model Description

Agency/Home Name: The Lighthouse Learning Center
Contact Person: Mary Kay Prader
Address: 100 Southwoods Center, Columbia, IL 62236
Phone: 618-281-8181
Email Address: lighthouselearning@yahoo.com

1. Model (Please check only one. Complete separate forms for different collaboration models.)

One Agency, Multiple Funders – For PreK
A single program or agency blends/braids funds and program requirements from multiple sources at a single site.
Multiple Agencies Partner – For Head Start, with WEEOC Head Start
Two or more agencies, which are separate legal entities, partner to serve children at a single site.
Partnering with Family Child Care
A program or agency partners with family child care home providers.

2. Collaboration Type (Check all that apply to this collaboration model.)

Child Care/Early Head Start
Child Care/Head Start
Child Care/PreK
Child Care/Head Start/PreK
Head Start/PreK

3. Partnership Initiated By

Child Care
Head Start/Early Head Start
PreK
Other (specify): _________________________________________
  ______________________________________________________

4. Demographics

Urban
Rural
Suburban

5. Schedule

Hours per day: 12.25 hrs./day
From: 6:15 a.m.
To: 6:30 p.m.
Days/Weeks per year: 5 days/week; 52 weeks/year
Holidays or other time “off” or closed: New Years, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving & Christmas Days
If this is an Early/Head Start collaboration, please indicate the program option & number of Early/Head start hours: Center based; part day Head Start, full day programming

6. Number of Children Served Full-Day/Year by Location, Setting & Age
Setting includes: Head Start/Early Head Start site; Child care center; Family child care homes; Public/private school system; Other (explain/describe)

Location
Setting
# Infants
# Toddlers
# Preschool
100 Southwoods, Columbia 62236 (capacity 150)
Child Care Center

7 CC/PreK
13 CC/PreK/HS

303 Covington, Waterloo 62298 (capacity 49)
Child Care Center

13 CC/PreK
7 CC/PreK/HS

         
         
         
         
Location
Setting
# Infants
# Toddlers
# Preschool
         
         
         
         
         
         

7. Total number of children served by organization

0-150
151-500
501-2000
2001-6000
6001+

8. Total number of children served by partner’s organization (if applicable). Note: this means an early care & education partner with whom you are collaborating. Agencies that checked “One Agency, Multiple Funders” in question 1, page 1 of this survey will NOT complete this question.

0-50
51-150
151-300
301+ - Western Egyptian (WEEOC) Head Start

9. Funding used to support full-day/year services (Check all that apply.)

Federal Early/Head Start
State Early Childhood Block Grant from IL State Board of Education
State Early Childhood Block Grant from School District (including Chicago Public Schools)
State Child Care Assistance Program through contract with IL Dept. of Human Services
State Child Care Assistance Program through local Child Care Resource & Referral Agency certificate program
Parent Fees
Other (Specify): ____________

10. Administration/Management (Check either yes, no or not applicable – NA – for each item.)

a. Does the collaboration have a legal written agreement/contract? No Yes NA
b. Other than a contract, does the collaboration have a written partnership plan? No Yes NA
c. Are there written monitoring/oversight procedures? No Yes NA
d. Are there written procedures for communication among partners? No Yes NA
e. Is there a written cost allocation plan/budget for the collaboration? No Yes NA
f. Is there a written training/professional development plan? No HS Yes
PreK
NA
g. Do job descriptions reflect staff' collaboration responsibilities? No Yes NA
h. Is there a shared computerized MIS system? No Yes NA
i. Do the partners share business operations & equipment costs? No Yes NA
j. Do the partners purchase transportation jointly? No Yes NA
k. Is there a competitive written RFP process for partner selection? No Yes NA
l. Is there an ongoing advisory group for the collaboration? No Yes NA
m. Did the partnership develop out of a broad based community planning process? No Yes NA
n. Are parents involved in the collaboration planning & evaluation processes? No Yes NA
o. Does the collaboration have a written evaluation process? No Yes NA
p. Has the agency had any audit findings in the past 3 years? No Yes NA
q. When was the agency's last federal monitoring review? To be 2007
Were there any problems identified? Haven’t had since this collab No Yes NA
r. When was the agency's last licensing visit? May & June 2005
Were any problems identified? No Yes NA
s. When was the agency's last DHS monitoring visit?_____________
Were any problems identified? No Yes NA

11. Has the collaboration had an impact on the partner’s internal practices with regard to (check yes or no for each item):

a. Parent Decision Making No Yes
b. Parent Education No Yes
c. Parent Involvement No Yes
d. Family Support Services No Yes
e. Staff Salaries No Yes
f. Employee Benefits No Yes
g. Management Practices/Structure No Yes
h. Staff Training/Professional Development No Yes

12. Program Services (Make 2 checks for each item – 1 to indicate which partner is primarily responsible for direct service delivery and the other to indicate which children receive that service – all or just the collaboration children.)

Services Provided
Partner Responsible for Direct Service Delivery
Children Receiving Services
a. Child education services

E/HS

CC

PreK

Other

All

Collab
b. Family support services

E/HS

CC

PreK

Other

All

Collab
c. Health services

E/HS

CC

PreK

Other

All

Collab
d. Mental health services

E/HS

CC

PreK

Other

All

Collab
e. Parent education/involvement

E/HS

CC

PreK

Other

All

Collab
f. Transportation services

E/HS

CC

PreK

Other

All

Collab
g. Nutrition services

E/HS

CC

PreK

Other

All

Collab
h. Transition services

E/HS

CC

PreK

Other

All

Collab
i. Disabilities services

E/HS

CC

PreK

Other

All

Collab
j. Parent home visits

E/HS

CC

PreK

Other

All

Collab
k. Sick child care N.A.

E/HS

CC

PreK

Other

All

Collab
l. Parent conferences

E/HS

CC

PreK

Other

All

Collab
m. Non-traditional hours service N.A.

E/HS

CC

PreK

Other

All

Collab

13. Primary objectives for beginning this collaboration (check all that apply)

Enhance family health services

Enhance the quality of children’s education services
Expand services into new communities
Extend service hours
Improve & maximize staff training/professional development
Link early care & education systems in the community
Maximize funding and cost effectiveness
Maximize use of facilities
Offer increased service options
Offer parents home visits
Respond to parents’ changing needs
Serve a wider age range of children
Extend days of service
Serve siblings in one program
Provide more economically & culturally diverse programming
Increase the number of children served
Provide continuity of care
Improve staff compensation packages

14. Collaboration Development & Management

a. When did the collaboration begin?
WEEOC Head Start 2004; ISBE 2003
b. Are regular written management reports required to support the collaboration? If yes, explain below. No Yes
c. Are there regular required meetings between collaboration partners? If yes, explain below. No Yes
d. Is there written documentation to support the content of meetings? No Yes
e. Does the program/collaboration have a written planning process that includes all partners? No Yes
f. Does the collaboration have a written decision making process? No Yes
g. Why did the collaboration begin? See #13.  WEEOC collaboration began when their Waterloo site was slated to close, so Lighthouse arranged to provide services in collaboration.
h. How were partners selected? Lighthouse contacted Western Egyptian/WEEOC to collaborate.  Lighthouse wrote PreK grant.
i. When there is a disagreement or conflict, how is it resolved with partners? We talk & talk & talk and come to conclusions.
j. When a decision has to be made about the collaboration, how is this done with partners? Lighthouse contacts the appropriate coordinator/department head at WEEOC Head Start.  If a decision requires the Directors, they meet.  For ISBE decisions, Lighthouse petitions the State PreK Administrator through its principal ISBE consultant.
k. Explain how often reports & meetings are done/held: Weekly communication.

15. Program Components: Please answer the following questions about your collaboration program. Show in column 2 which partner is responsible for each program component. Check which children receive the program component in the last 2 columns - either all children in the classroom(s) or just the collaboration children.

 
Responsible Partner
Children Receiving Services

a. Does the program use a standardized curriculum?

If yes, which curriculum? Creative Curriculum

No
Yes
Lighthouse
All
Collab

b. Does the program do child screening?

If yes, what instrument is used? DIAL-R, Fluharty, Denver

How often are screenings done? 1X/year

No
Yes

DIAL – Lighthouse
Rest - WEEOC

All
Collab

c. Does the program do ongoing child assessment? If yes, what instrument is used? Creative Curriculum

How often is assessment done? 4X/year

No
Yes
Lighthouse
All
Collab
d. Does the program take field trips? If yes, how often? _____________________
No
Yes
Lighthouse
All
Collab

e. Does the program have family support staff/case managers?

If yes, what is their caseload? 25

How often do they make home visits? 2X/year

How frequent are family contacts? 2 more & as needed

No
Yes

WEEOC
Lighthouse

All
Collab
(HS)
f. BRIEFLY describe your collaboration program’s social service delivery, if you have one, for example explain your crisis intervention and/or referral process(es): Lighthouse has a Parent Coordinator refers parents, refers children to special services for IEPs, etc.  WEEOC has Family Advocates, Parent Involvement Specialist, Developmental Specialist, Nurse & supervisors who work with the HS families & children.

Answer the following questions IN AS FEW WORDS as possible, still giving a picture of how your collaboration works. Use bullet point lists whenever possible.

16. List/describe any other program components included in the collaboration that are not described in items 12 and 15 (pages 3-4).

Parent Council & monthly parent meetings for Head Start collab.  Collaboration between public school & Lighthouse to provide community-wide screenings for child find purposes.  Lighthouse Director is mentor for ISBE to train new ECBG partners.

17. Please describe how budgeting and cost sharing among funding sources is done. How do you decide how costs will be shared? What are the financial arrangements between partners?

ISBE is grant based on budge, with quarterly expenditures reports submitted to ISBE. Lighthouse Director handles all reports/coordination with ISBE.  WEEOC provides Lighthouse with monthly stipend based on enrollment/attendance of Head Start collab children.

18. Please explain how your collaboration is staffed. Include classroom and support staff and tell how this is changed/different from your regular program. Who funds the staff’s salaries? Who supervises the staff and who employs them? What salaries and benefits are offered collaboration staff and is this different from other staff?

1 teacher assistant (DCFS teacher qualified, ROE teacher assistant qualified) and aide full time in classrooms.  04 certified teacher in classroom 2.75 hrs. in the a.m. to teach.  The rest of the day the 04 teacher does lesson plans & notes about the students.  This has not been the most cost effective for the child care center, but it has been the best scenario for the children.  They have 2 constant caregivers & a 3rd teacher who is trained to serve children at risk for academic failure.  The 04 teacher only works on school days according to the public school calendar, has planned training days & works diligently to make sure any special needs are addressed for the students.  The other 2 teaching staff take care of Head Start documentation, along with a specially hired HS Director.  All staff are employed by Lighthouse.  The parent coordinator helps provide parent services, including a parent lending library and training opportunities for the parents.

19. Please tell about your written agreement, if you have one. Include: what the agreement covers (section titles); term (what the time period is); if finances are part of the agreement and how these were figured; etc.

PreK – ISBE grant & budget.  Contract with WEEOC Head Start is signed every year – describes what each entity is responsible for in the collaboration.

20. Please describe the training system for your collaboration. Include what kind of training is done, how costs are shared among funding sources and/or partners, and how it has changed since the collaboration began.

Training is completed according to protocol with ISBE, which does not require training beyond the first year, at this point.  WEEOC Head Start has ongoing trainings, which mainly address HSPPS and paperwork.  Lighthouse provides opportunities for at least 20 hours training/year for all staff.

21. Please give any other details about your collaboration that you believe are important, but not covered elsewhere.

Being kind, not greedy, and willing to work hard for families is very important.  Some people can become jaded & lose sight of the big picture.  Some people judge low income families too quickly.  Up to this point we have only had that difficulty with child care processing staff.  Our relationships with WEEOC & ISBE have been excellent.

22. If you could start your collaboration over again, knowing what you know now, what would you do differently?

Nothing would change.  The pitfalls have been learning experiences.  Our good experiences began with QUILT.

23. What advice do you have for agencies/homes starting new collaborations?

Don’t be too greedy, too proud, or unwilling to work hard.  Always try to help your partner more than your partner helps you.  The children, families & staff will be the winners!

Copyright 2005 Collaboration Model Description. Template.
HS State Collab Office.10.05

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