A Message from the Chief Executive Officer

Dear Friends of Childcare Learning Centers:

Another exciting year is coming to a close and I am pleased to tell you that CLC, our crown jewel, shines brighter than ever!  We have continued to maintain service to nearly 1000 children while we completed phase one of our consolidation from 17 to 8 sites.  Today we have 3 large facilities: William Pitt Child Development Center, Palmer’s Hill Child Development Center, and Maple Avenue Child Development Center. We also have 5 satellite sites co-located with St. Luke’s Lifeworks, the Yerwood Center, the Martin Luther King Residence for Seniors, Stillmeadow Elementary School, and Westover Magnet School.

I am especially proud of the new programs that we have brought this year to our newest facility, Maple Avenue Child Development Center, which shares a campus with Trailblazer’s Academy.  With the help of a federal grant, Soundwaters brings our Head Start and School Readiness children at this facility an exciting new science program that gives our children experiences with live creatures that dwell in the Long Island Sound.  The Trailblazer’s middle schoolers continue to regularly read to our children and share in the planting, weeding, watering, and harvesting of a local garden on the campus.   

Our teachers, too, continue to make great strides for a higher level of excellence.  With the support of our tuition assistance program, 83% of our teaching staff have obtained their CDA’s or college degrees, moving us ever closer to reaching the NAEYC 2015 mandates for teacher certification.

Also continuing this year is our growing partnership with Yale University.  We have brought a Yale training program for our senior staff to our own campus and we are seeking funds to provide this exceptional education program to all CLC teachers beginning next year.   

CLC’s Alphabet Ball rolled out the carpet this year with a Hollywood theme that was a great hit!  Our Hollywood theme was highlighted with entertainment by the fabulous Roberta Flack and also featured Marilyn Monroe and Groucho Marks look-alikes who entertained our guests with laughter and music throughout the evening.  Special guests at the event were Murray Martin, our honoree and CEO of Pitney Bowes, Governor Dannel P. Malloy, Mayor Mike Pavia, Senator Richard Blumenthal, and Statesman Carlos Leone.   

 I am very grateful for the support we received this past year from all our teachers, donors, board members, Leadership Council members, and the many, many friends of CLC. Your personal time and devotion to our mission is a wonderful gift that is helping us build a brighter future for our community and keeps the “sparkle” in the lives of our children and families.

 Barbara Garvin-Kester, Ed.D.

 

2010-2011 Annual Report
 
Childcare Learning Centers Head Start/Early Head Start (HS/EHS) is a child development program serving children residing in the towns of Stamford, Darien, and Greenwich. The HS/EHS program provides high quality early childhood comprehensive services to children, ages 0 to 5. The program assists families in setting and attaining goals for themselves and their children. The following reflects the program’s funded enrollment, funding sources, and activities during the fiscal year 2010-2011.
  • Funded enrollment:
    • ​Head Start: 213
    • Early Head Start: 60
    • Delegate: 34
  • Funding
    • Federal Funding sources:
      • Head Start: $1,604,57
      • Early Head Start: $890,373
      • Delegate: $227,306
    • State Department of Education
      • $193,976 for an Enhancement Grant which provided full-day, school-year services for 35 Head Start children and 34 Family Centers children in Greenwich (delegate).
      • $156,481 for an Expansion Grant which provided full-day full-year services for 20 State Head Start children. 
      • $30,875 for a Link Grant to support math and literacy enrichment. 
      • $21,375 for Link Grant for the Family Centers children in Greenwich (delegate).
      • $7,002 for Head Start Services
    • Private
      • $86,746 from Pitney Bowes for extended day services.
The Head Start program received approximately $344,482 in State Department of Education School Readiness funds to extend 8 part-day, part-year classes into full-day, full-year classes.  
 
Financial expenditures:  In FY 2010-2011 it cost $3,543,295 to operate the Head Start and Early Head Start programs. The single largest expense item was salaries and fringe benefits that accounted for 72% of the program costs.  The next largest item was the delegate sub-contract (Family Centers in Greenwich) of $350,671, which represented 9.9% of the total expenditures. 
 
CLC prepares an annual budget each Spring with input from the Head Start Director, Policy Council, and the Board of Directors. Monthly variance reports are reviewed by the Head Start Director.  In addition, monthly variance reports and budget projections are presented to the Finance Committee of the Board and Policy Council on a monthly basis.  Financial decisions are based on the organization’s long-term goals and objectives.  This rigorous oversight of the financial records has provided the agency with a strong understanding of its financial position and allowed it to adapt, where necessary, in order to ensure a fiscally sound future. 
  • The program served 282 children in Head Start which included 38 children from our delegate, 105 children and 9 pregnant women in Early Head Start during the fiscal year of 2010-2011. The average monthly enrollment was 100% for Head Start and Early Head Start.
  • Ninety-nine percent (99%) of Head Start and 94% of Early Head Start children were up-to-date on a schedule of age-appropriate preventive and primary health care. Ninety-eight percent (98%) of the children in Head Start and 85% of Early Head Start children received dental exams. The program coordinated services for 30 children suspected with disabilities in Head Start and 15 children in Early Head Start.
  • One hundred and fifty six (156) CLC children entered kindergarten. Child Outcomes results using the Teaching Strategies Gold Continuum assessment showed that in the Spring of 2011, eighty-eight percent (88%) of the children ages 4 and 5 mastered skills in the area of  Book Knowledge and Appreciation, 89% in Print concepts, and 73%  in Mathematics. The teachers provided enrichment activities targeting children entering kindergarten. The program implemented its Transition Plan to assist the parents whose children were entering kindergarten.
  • The program developed, incorporated and aligned the educational domains required by the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework, the Teaching Strategies Gold and the Connecticut Early Learning Standards into a Head Start Framework 2011 for curriculum development and lesson planning. The program is currently establishing school readiness goals aligned with the Head Start Framework, the Connecticut State Early Learning Standards and the Stamford Public Schools expectations to enhance the knowledge and skills that children are expected to gain upon entering kindergarten. 
  • The program provided many parent involvement activities such as Diversity Week, Fitness, Math and Kindergarten Nights, as well as Parent education programs on child development, child health and nutrition, parent’s rights and stress management. The program offered other opportunities such as literacy training and continuing education for adults, volunteering and involvement in the decisions-making of the program i.e. policy council. Fifteen (15) parents also graduated from PEP (People Empowering People) program.
  • The HS/EHS program had a triennial review conducted by the Office of Head Start in October 2011. The informal result was excellent. The program is expecting a written and formal report from the Office of Head Start within 45 days. The program is currently in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and policy requirements related to the Head Start Performance Standards and the Head Start Act. 
 
Submitted by:
Imelda D-Luc
Head Start Director 
Fall 2011