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Effective Program Strategies
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| Quality Improvement Incentive Grants (QIIG) White Earth Indian Reservation |
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Type of Program:
The White Earth Child Care program provides licensing support services
for a child care center, in-home care and relative care subsidy programs and
other services through the Child Care Assistance Program serving approximately
200 children per month. With our Quality Improvement Incentive Grants (QIIG)
to providers, approximately 400+ children are served.
Effective Program Strategy:
The White Earth Child Care Program has a number of activities underway to
improve quality child care, including a "Read to Your Child" project,
to encourage reading, and expanding the program's lending library. To continue
to build on quality, the White Earth Child Care Program established Quality
Improvement Incentive Grants (QIIG).
QIIG were offered to all informal and formal child care providers to purchase children's books from the Scholastic Book Club for the children in their care. An annual $500 QIIG was offered to all five (5) School-Age Child Care Programs on the Reservation to purchase educational/recreational equipment; and art supplies and books for their child care settings. Tribally licensed child care providers receive an annual $400 QIIG to purchase health and safety equipment, educational/recreational equipment/toys; and art supplies and books for their children. White Earth Child Care and White Earth Head Start have collaborated with the Family Child Care Option under Head Start. The Child Care Program is awarding QIIG to child care providers who contract with Head Start. The QIIG's are used to purchase educational, health & safety and child development equipment, required by Head Start Family Child Care Option contract.
The Child Care Program also received an Infant & Toddler Grant from Minnesota Children, Family Learning Program to pay for Infant & Toddler Intensive Training, and to offer infant and toddler grants to child care providers who received the training. The Child Care Program supplemented the State grant with QIIG.
Resources:
State of Minnesota, Children, Families & Learning, Infant & Toddler
Grant, Mahube Child Care Resource & Referral, ACF Child Care and Development
Fund, White Earth Head Start.
Results:
By offering QIIG grants to informal and formal child care providers, the Tribe
encourages purchasing books, toys and equipment to enhance child development,
and to provide quality care. Child care providers receive needed support,
and are very appreciative of these grants. More informal child care providers
inquire about licensing, because they hear of additional benefits including
QIIG. Currently, the Tribe is considering licensing, not only enrolled members
of the Tribe, but also descendents of tribal members. These providers wish
to be licensed by us, rather than the state, because we provide support services
to child care providers. We anticipate this will double or triple the number
of licensed child care providers in our service area.
Lessons Learned:
The Child Care Program found that it is vital to know your service area,
especially programs and services that offer early childhood initiatives/services,
child development, quality, health & safety and educational resources.
It is also very important to maintain these relationships. As in most areas,
Head Start, elementary school staff, early Childhood Family Education, Child
Care Resource & Referral agencies are busy and sometimes do not share
information or have the opportunity to meet with one another for whatever
the reason. But, Tribal Child Care Programs can call these meetings and bring
everybody together to share in training opportunities, expand Head Start services
into family child care settings, referrals, grant opportunities--the possibilities
are endless. Because Indian children are dually eligible, it is important
to invite county officials/staff persons as well.
Contact Information:
Barb Fabre, Director
Address:
White Earth Reservation Child Care Program
P.O. Box 418
White Earth, MN 56591
Phone: 218/983-3285 ex. 1407
Fax: 218/983-4299
email: barbf@whiteearth.com
| NOTE: If you have information about an Effective Program Strategy in your Tribal community that you would like to share, please contact the Tribal Child Care Technical Assistance Center (TriTAC) at TriTAC@namsinc.org |
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