FY 13 Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grant

Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Framework

In concert with state partners, such as CTF and DCF, EEC employs the Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework for our work with families. (parental resilience; knowledge of parenting and child development; Concrete support in times of need and children’s social and emotional development)

The Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE)grant aligns with the goals and priorities of EEC’s Indicators of Success under the Family Support, Access and Affordability section of the EEC Strategic Plan.

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Coordinated Family and Community Engagement: Overarching Priorities

Ensure equitable and effective implementationof the family engagement and strengthening familiesstrategy across the state to support child development.

Link our statewide network of family engagement and community supports to evidence-based practices for literacy and universal child screening while expanding the availability of culturally and linguistically appropriate resources to families.

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FY13 CFCE Grant Priorities

Actively identify and serve families that are the most socially isolated, “hard to reach,” and hence at greatest risk for developmental delays;

Provide high-quality, accurate consumer information and parent education based on science;

Provide evidence-based early and family literacy programming;

Support families through the continuum of services and supports needed for child development birth to 13, including intentional support into kindergarten, and

Provide linkages to comprehensive services to support optimal child development for families and for early education and care programs.

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CFCE: Core Functions

While focusing on priorities, CFCE core functions remain:

Provide access to EEC Financial Assistance through the waitlist;

Conduct universal outreach;  

Provide parent leadership opportunities;

Support and maintenance of at least one free, child safe, accessible public space (e.g., family center) where families can take their children to play, find information on community resources, access parenting education opportunities, support literacy, and network with other families, and

Implement an effective birth to eight community-based advisory council.

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FY13 CFCE Expectations

Create intentional family engagement activities and connections that create trusted relationships with families.

Select an evidence-based early literacy model that meets specific criteria and EEC approval;

Incorporate the use of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire as a tool to enhance families’ understanding of child development and to link families with community-based resources;

Incorporate the use of the EEC parental consent form as part of the Early Childhood Information System (ECIS);

Participate in training to support the financial literacy skills of families;

Align implementation of parent/child playgroups with specific EEC guidelines.6

FY13 CFCE Expectations (continued)

Engage in partnerships with local libraries and/or museums.

Participate in the Massachusetts Home Visiting Initiative if available in their community as a resource.

All awarded FY13 CFCE contracts deemed conditional will be rebid in FY14

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FY13 CFCE Expectations: Evidence-based Literacy Models 4

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Grantees will incorporate the use of evidence-based, EEC approved early literacy models that ensure focus on home language development.

Acceptable Evidence-based models will include:

Interactive Book Reading, which promotes expressive/receptive language development and includes explicit interactive techniques such as asking children to point to the story title, predict what might happen next, and retell story events.  Dialogic Reading,5 which promotes Verbal Fluency/Auditory Comprehension, scaffolds adult-child language interaction around reading, and can be used to assess and support oral language and Vocabulary development through multiple readings and conversations about books. 

4 retrieved from http://www.childtrends.org/Files/Child_Trends-2011_06_10_FS_WWLanguage.pdf “WHAT WORKS FOR EARLY LANGUAGE AND LITERACY DEVELOPMENT: Lessons from Experimental Evaluations of Programs and Intervention Strategies ,” Alison Chrisler, M.A. and Thomson Ling, Ph.D. June 2011 5 retrieved from http://dww.ed.gov/Preschool-Language-and-Literacy/Use-Interactive-and-Dialogic-Reading/practice/?T_ID=15&P_ID=31  

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FY13 CFCE: Evidence-based Literacy Models

Grantees will respond to a Request for Information (RFI) in their FY13 applications. They will propose the use of an evidence-based early literacy model. Funding for this aspect of the FY13 grant will becompetitive.

Criteria for evaluating literacy proposals will include:

Evidence that grantee understands the selected model and documentation of the evidence that supports its use;

Clarity of implementation plan;

Role of model in the larger community context e.g. other existing models and resources supporting early literacy;

Proposed number of child/families to be served, and

Overall capacity of grantee to implement the model.

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FY13 CFCE Funding

FY13 CFCE Renewal grant will be level funded at $13,665,637.00 pending final State Budget

Early Learning Challenge funds provide the opportunity to enhance the implementation of evidence-based literacy models, provide training to support the implementation of the ASQ and ASQ-SE, and offer financial literacy training for the CFCE grantees.

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Feedback: Policy and Research Committee

Benefits of CFCE Model: Measuring Impact Is there anything quantifiable that EEC could provide for the

Board that would show that merging the grants was a good way to go...e.g. saving money, more families served?

Role in Professional Development CFCE grantees seem to be confused about their role in

professional development. Do CFCE grantees still conduct networking meetings in their

communities?  Strengthening the CFCE Model

How do we share and infuse best practices among the CFCE grantees?

How are we building on existing initiatives? How do we give TA to grantees to build their capacity?

Prioritizing Community Needs Are we prioritizing high risk communities? Are we using that

as a guide for funding and intensity of support with ELC funds?  

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Feedback: Policy and Research Committee Is there anything quantifiable that EEC could provide for the Board that would

show that merging the grants was a good way to go...e.g. saving money, more families served?

EEC collects monthly data from CFCE grantees, which reflects the numbers of families and children served in a variety of areas. The method and questions for CFCE data collection is not the same as data collection for each of the former grant models. With the development of the ECIS and implementation of the parental consent, we will have a consistent means for collecting unduplicated numbers and specific child level data giving us the ability to identify the risk factors of the children we serve and to measure the impact the CFCE programming and supports on child growth and development. In terms of funding, CFCE funding has been reduced each year since the three grant programs were merged.  

CFCE grantees seem to be confused about their role in professional development.

With the transition to the statewide EPS model two years ago, the role of CFCE grantees shifted from being providers of professional development to providing linkages for educators and providers to professional development opportunities, primarily through the EPS grantee for information and support related to coaching and mentoring, individual plans, etc. CFCE grantees also provide information to the EPS grantees about the professional development needs of the educators and providers in their communities. There is explicit language in the CFCE RFP defining their role with educators, providers and early education and care programs. EEC has implemented regional grantee meetings so CFCE, EPS, CCRC and Mental Health grantees can meet quarterly to learn more about the role each plays in the early education and care system and to talk about how they work together.

Do CFCE grantees still conduct networking meetings in their communities? CFCE grantees can offer up to four opportunities for early education and care programs in their

communities over the course of the year for information and resource sharing, including hosting the EPS or Mental Health grantee to talk about their roles. These meetings are not trainings or professional development opportunities.

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Feedback: Policy and Research Committee

How do we share and infuse best practices among the CFCE grantees?In FY12, EEC has connected CFCE grantees to a variety of professional development opportunities, such as the STEM Summit, ROR literacy training , etc. CFCE statewide meetings include training/information on best practices. Previous meetings have included Harvard’s Karen Mapp sharing research and guidance about the impact of family engagement on children‘s outcomes and the Brazelton Institute’s Dr. Jayne Singer introducing grantees to the “Touchpoints” approach; 6

CFCE Grantees have opportunities to network at the CFCE statewide meetings to share best practices. Previous meetings have included small group discussions around data collection, summer activities, etc. We can also look to our network and identify coordinators who are particularly good in one aspect of CFCE to offer peer training.(e.g. engaging fathers)

How are we building on existing initiatives? How do we give TA to grantees to build their capacity?

EEC Regional Family and Community Quality Specialists provide ongoing technical assistance and support to grantees. EEC works with grantees to ensuring that grant funds are allocated to support appropriate activities representing all grant objectives.

Early Learning Challenge funds will enable EEC to build on existing initiatives, especially in the areas of evidence-based, early literacy programming, promoting family financial literacy, etc

Are we prioritizing high risk communities ? Are we using that as a guide for funding and

intensity of support with ELC funds?   CFCE is a resource for all families, with a specific priority to “Actively identify and serve families that are the most socially isolated, “hard to reach,” and hence at greatest risk for developmental delays.”  The ELC will allow EEC to infuse evidence-based literacy models in communities, especially those with high needs.

6 Please see long version of CFCE Board Slides, Efforts to Support CFCE Implementation, slides 10-18 for more information;

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Next Steps

EEC will issue a request for proposals to all current Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grantees.

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