Medford Fam

ily Resource Coalition

489 Winthrop Street

Medford , M

A 02155

An Associated-Facilitated

Project

MedfordFamily Resource Coalition

Quality Improvement Plan 2005

The Medford Family Resource Coalition Council (MFRC) is a

unique collaboration among the Medford Public Schools, area

social service agencies, local medical providers, businesses,

faith-based organizations, early childhood programs, city

agencies, and an institution of higher learning. The MFRC

operates several early childhood programs through the

Medford Public Schools including Community

Partnerships for Children (CPC), Medford Family Network

(MFN) Parent-Child Home Program (PCHP) and the

Quality Full-day Kindergarten Grant Program. The

MFRC’s overarching goal is to increase access to compre-

hensive and high quality services for children, youth

and their families throughout the city of Medford.

The MFRC Council promotes the unique development of

children, youth and families through school and community

programs that are designed to emphasize prevention;

encourage education, family involvement and leadership; and

enhance the physical and social

emotional health and self-

confidence of residents in the

community.

Medford FamilyResource Coalition Council

In 2002, Associated Early Care andEducation (Associated) received a grantfrom The F.B. Heron Foundation toreplicate the Boston EQUIP model ofimproving the quality of early care andeducation services through measurementand goal-setting in another local community.

Associated, founded in 1878, is adirect services provider serving primarilylow-income children in the greater metro-politan Boston area in six center-basedprograms and 100 family child careprovider homes. Associated’s long-heldcommitment to high quality affordable

child care led to the creation of the BostonEarly Education Quality ImprovementProject (Boston EQUIP) in 1995.

Boston EQUIP was established byAssociated and a community-basedadvisory of early care and educationproviders, advocates, and policymakers to improve the quality of early care andeducation services in Boston. Using thekey strategies of systematic evaluationand goal-setting, Boston EQUIP begansurveying licensed center-based childcare, family child care, public pre-schoolprograms, and after-school programs tocollect data about access and quality.After the completion of the first surveythe Boston EQUIP Advisory Committeeestablished benchmarks in five key areasof quality improvement – accreditation,

facilities, teacher education and training,teacher salaries, and parent engagement.Since that time, Boston EQUIP hassurveyed Boston’s licensed early care and education and school-age child careprograms four times – in 1997, 1999,2001, and most recently in 2004. Thefindings from these surveys have beenused to leverage legislative change andfinancial investment in improving thequality of early childhood programs.

As the Boston EQUIP model wassuccessful in Boston, Associated wasinterested in working with other

communities to implement a similarmodel for quality improvement. In 2002,Associated was already working with theMedford Community Partnerships forChildren to improve the program qualityin public schools and center-based earlychildhood programs. Implementing amodel that would set quality goals andbenchmarks for the entire community,more than just individual programs, was a logical extension of this work and complemented the Medford FamilyResource Coalition Council’s own missionto improve the quality of programs andservices for all families residing inMedford. The goals and benchmarksdescribed in this brochure are theproduct of this collaboration.

A commitment to quality

Associated Early Care and Education brings the Boston EQUIP model to the MFRCC

For more information

about the Medford Family

Resource Coalition Council,

call us 781-393-2102 or

visit us on the web at

www.medford.k12.ma.us.

Associated’s mission is to lead through experience, as educators and advocates, in urban early education of children from birth,

in partnership with their families and communities.

Three specific benchmarks were chosen

to reflect areas that aligned with

concerns of MFRC members and the

direction of the Medford Public Schools.

The process for developing these

benchmarks included:

1. Development of draft benchmarks by

a subcommittee

2. Refinement of draft benchmarks by

MFRC Council

3. Holding a community meeting to

solicit input

4. Working with Associated Early Care

and Education to identify measurable

goals and benchmarks

The benchmarks dovetail with the

MFRC’s vision of promoting the unique

development of children, youth and

families residing in Medford. The issue

of leadership—of family members and

children and youth—was instrumental in

the refinement of the benchmarks. Gaps

in programs and services helped shape

next steps.

➔ The number of MFRC partners among public, private andcommunity programs including the Medford aPublic Schools/Tufts University/ Medford Health Matters will have beenincreased by 60%.

➔ Business partnerships will have become more active throughtwo original or ongoing initiatives.

➔ International Family Festival will have become an annual event.

➔ The number of offered ESOL classes with on-site child carewill have increased from one to three.

➔ A partnership with Medford's Human Rights Commission willhave been established.

By 2

007:

Setting Medford’s Early Education and Care Benchmarks

➔ The number of MFRC partners among public, private andcommunity programs including Medford will have beenincreased by 60%.

➔ Business partnerships will have become more active throughfive new or ongoing initiatives.

➔ An in-service training on diversity will have been offered to staff and providers. The MFRC Council will have evaluated thenext steps.

➔ The number of ESOL classes will have been increased by twomore, raising the total to five.

➔ A Diversity sub-committee will have been developed andestablished.

By 2

010:

GOAL #1

Expand collaboration to increase resources for children and families and to reflect growing diversity

Collaboration is at the heart of the MFRC’s mission. Through collaboration theMFRC is able to continually build on existing programs, begin new programs andproject future needs. Collaboration has enabled the MFRC to offer more programsin a cost-effective manner. Additionally, Census 2000 data indicate that approxi-mately 1,100 households are "linguistically isolated." Council members agree thatit is critical to reach out and engage these family members.

At the time the MFRC became engaged in developing benchmarks, the community

was experiencing cuts in its early childhood funding. The Council was at an

exploratory phase in figuring out what programs needed to be retained, what

programs needed to be expanded, and what programs and services would benefit

from modifications in a changing demographic landscape. The Council embraced the

benchmark project as a way to assist with future development and growth. It

evaluated the work it had already accomplished and moved to a focus on the needs

of diverse families in the twenty-first century.

The MFRC continually strives to

increase the quality and capacity of

the programs under its umbrella.

The development of quality goals

and benchmarks is an example of

the collaborative spirit of the MFRC.

GOAL #2

Increase access to comprehensive high quality servicesto develop the whole child within the family and community

The Medford Public Schools is committed to the development of the whole child.Community programs desire a less fragmented approach to service delivery thatwould concentrate on the child within the family and community. Ongoing grantinitiatives such as the Medford Family Network and the Early Childhood MentalHealth Project underscore the role of the family and the community with anemphasis on strength-based programming. Prevention services have been a highpriority in connecting the family, school and community. An identified research-based risk factor, lack of involvement of family and community members, alsofueled the need to include this Medford benchmark.

The focus of this goal is to link families with services and information that willhelp develop family literacy, physical health, and social emotional health throughprint and Internet community directories.

GOAL #3

Expand out-of-school-time programs for children andyouth in neighborhoods throughout the city

There is an increased need for more out-of-school-time programs. Research showsthe benefits of such programs for elementary and middle school-aged students.Funding for these programs has been limited. MFRC Council members have voicedthe need to expand family education and support programs for Medford families.

➔ A community directory will have been designed, created, andpublished.

➔ A community directory will have been posted online.

➔ At least five relevant websites will have been determined andlinked, including community programs, Medford Public Schoolsand businesses, e.g., the Medford Chamber of Commerce.

➔ Information to families will have been announced on thelocal cable channel, in the local newspapers, at the publiclibrary and radio PSAs.

By 2

007:

➔ A MFRC newsletter will have been developed and distributedthrough several media outlets, including the public library,public schools, early education and care programs, and after-school programs.

➔ The community directory will have been revised andrepublished, in English as well as published in a languageother than English.

➔ Web site links will have been reevaluated and changes madebased on new technological capacities and new and evolvingpartnerships.

By 2

010:

➔ A plan will have been devised to increase the age range ofchildren served by the MFN from birth through six years old,to birth through eight years old.

➔ A needs assessment will have been completed to determinethe needs of families with elementary-aged children.

➔ A needs assessment will have been completed to determinethe needs of families transitioning to middle schools.

By 2

007:

➔ A strategic plan will have been developed and implementedfrom the results of the needs assessments.

➔ The strategic plan will have been evaluated and revisedbased on evaluative data.

By 2

010:

MFRC Partners includeBestsellers Cafe • Catholic Charities • Child Care Circuit • Child Development Centers and

Systems, Inc. • Criterion-Medford Early Intervention • Community Partnerships for Children

• Congregational Church of West Medford • Eastern Massachusetts Literacy Council • Eliot-

Pearson Children’s School • Family members from the Medford Community • Gentle Dragon

Preschool • Grace Church / Graceworks • Greater Medford Visiting Nurses Association •

Independent Family Child Care Providers • Kids’ Corner Child Care Center • Lawrence

Memorial Hospital of Medford, a member of Hallmark Health • Medford Family Life

Education Center • Medford Family Network • Medford Health Matters • Medford Public

Schools • Merry-Go-Round Nursery School • Oakland Park Children’s Center • Parent-Child

Home Program • Play Academy • Quality Full-day Kindergarten Grant Program • Tri-City

Community Action Program • Tri-City Early Intervention Program • Tufts University