Has the board developed an annual Community Education and Outreach Plan in order to raise awareness, knowledge, engagement, participation and support for early childhood programs and services, including First Steps? If, based on local needs and resources, the board determines that community education and outreach activities constitute a significant funding investment, has the partnership established a Community Education program strategy for the purposes of accurately tracking financial and staff resources? Program standards for Community Education strategies are available. 3) a) Does the partnership serve as a local portal connecting families of preschool children to community-based services they may need or desire to ensure the school readiness of their children? Are these services represented in the partnership’s comprehensive plan and Priority Goals and Objectives and include, at minimum: Accessibility and responsiveness to requests for assistance, including but not limited to: publicized hours of operation in a location accessible to the public, and the capability to receive and return messages (phone, text, email, etc.) in a timely manner. An up to date inventory of available programs and services for referring families. Partnership staff and volunteers who provide these services shall possess the requisite knowledge of and relationships with providers in order to connect families. Participation in local/county/regional coalitions, committees etc. of child-serving agencies and organizations Inclusion of partnership programs and services in local/regional print or online resource directories (211, etc.). Data collection: in cases where the child/family is participating in one or more partnership strategies, the partnership shall enter into the First Steps Data System connections to services and the outcome of those connections. The following question is not reflected directly in the Standards but is recommended as best practice: Does the Partnership engage in online and social media?
Has the board developed an annual Community Education and Outreach Plan in order to raise awareness, knowledge, engagement, participation and support for early childhood programs and services, including First Steps? If, based on local needs and resources, the board determines that community education and outreach activities constitute a significant funding investment, has the partnership established a Community Education program strategy for the purposes of accurately tracking financial and staff resources? Program standards for Community Education strategies are available. 3) a) Does the partnership serve as a local portal connecting families of preschool children to community-based services they may need or desire to ensure the school readiness of their children? Are these services represented in the partnership’s comprehensive plan and Priority Goals and Objectives and include, at minimum: Accessibility and responsiveness to requests for assistance, including but not limited to: publicized hours of operation in a location accessible to the public, and the capability to receive and return messages (phone, text, email, etc.) in a timely manner. An up to date inventory of available programs and services for referring families. Partnership staff and volunteers who provide these services shall possess the requisite knowledge of and relationships with providers in order to connect families. Participation in local/county/regional coalitions, committees etc. of child-serving agencies and organizations Inclusion of partnership programs and services in local/regional print or online resource directories (211, etc.). Data collection: in cases where the child/family is participating in one or more partnership strategies, the partnership shall enter into the First Steps Data System connections to services and the outcome of those connections. The following question is not reflected directly in the Standards but is recommended as best practice: Does the Partnership engage in online and social media?
Collaboration-Community-Engagement-Self-Assessment-1.docx