DCFS School Readiness Planning Initiative

1
DCFS School Readiness Planning Initiative

• Insure that all young children in the system
  start school ready to learn
• Physically
• Socially
• Emotionally
• Cognitively

2
School Readiness Developmental Tasks

• Follow directions
• Get along with other children
• Be away from parents for a few hours at a time
• Show an interest in the world and how things work

• Ask an adult for help
• Say and write the alphabet
• Use words to express feelings and thoughts
• Go to the bathroom independently

3
Quality Preschool -A Priority for Our Kids

• Brain Research early years critical to healthy
  development and school success
• Impact of trauma and / or disruption is magnified
  in young children 0 6 year olds most at-risk
• Our kids are developmentally behind
• Our kids need to feel like normal kids
  playing, make friends, get positive attention
  from caring adults in a safe environment

4
Risks to Long Term Success

• Developmental
• Outcomes
• Emotional stability and mental health
• Social ability to connect with others
• Basic physical health
• Cognitive abilities
• Early detection and resolution of problems

• Long Term School Success
• School achievement
• Special education
• Drop out rates

5
Children in the Child Welfare System

• Trauma, chronic stress. child abuse and neglect
  all impede cognitive and emotional development
• 80 of all children in the child welfare system
  are at risk for medical and developmental
  problems related to maternal substance abuse
• More than half suffer from physical health
  problems
• Over half have developmental delays
• Many experience multiple placements and moves
  that compromise social and emotional development
• National Center for Children in Poverty

6
Step One Enroll all wards and children of
wards in quality preschool

• Head Start
• State Pre-Kindergarten
• NAEYC Accredited Child Care Center

7
Quality Preschool Contributes to School Readiness
for Our Kids

• Social and emotional development curriculum
• Experience in a school environment
• Staff who have worked with children experiencing
  stress or difficulties at home
• Mental health consultants

8
Quality Preschool Helps Foster Parents

• A welcoming environment for parents at all times
• Help and support with childrens behavior and
  parenting
• Services for families in times of need
• Screenings, medical treatments and therapies on
  site
• Supervised visits with biological parents
• Opportunities for parents to meet other parents
  and get involved

9
FY 06 Directions

• Preschool will be part of all young wards
  educational plans
• Increase capacity of local child care centers to
  work with children in the system including
  transitions
• Increase family support and mental health
  consultation services at local preschools

10
(No Transcript)
11
Strengthening Families through Early Care and
Education Illinois

• Brings together 21 partner organizations and
  state agencies from the child welfare, child
  abuse prevention, family support and early
  childhood fields as well as parents and community
  leaders
• Works with early childhood centers so they work
  better with families including foster families
• Builds relationships between child welfare
  agencies and child care centers

12
5 SFI Pilot Areas

• Lawndale / Pilsen / Little Village in Chicago
• Kane County
• Southern 7 4 (counties)
• Peoria
• South Suburban Cook County

13
DCFS Priorities

• All children in the system ready for school
• Enhance quality of early care and education
  programs to do trauma-informed work
• Integrate child abuse prevention efforts
• Strengthen working relationships between
  caseworkers early childhood programs
• DCFS Staff contract child welfare agencies see
  early care and education as part of healthy child
  development plan

14
How We Can Work Together

• Volunteers to provide input and feedback on
  materials and strategies for foster parents and
  caseworkers
• Help us learn more from foster parents
• Promote value of early care and education among
  all foster parents caring for young children
• Foster parent participation in SFI pilot
  communities
• Maintain ongoing communication about the
  initiative

15
Remediating the effects of abuse and neglect
experienced during early childhood at later ages
requires much more intensive, long-term, and
costly treatment than early responses The
best time to address these important issues is
during early childhood, and the children who
enter the child welfare system in the early years
are those most in need of this early
response. -- Linda McCart and Charles
Bruner Child Welfare and School Readiness
Making the Link for Vulnerable Children
16

• Contact
• Lina Cramer
• Strengthening Families Illinois
• Linacr_at_aol.com
• 847-475-2215