viNGN Donates to STX Senior Center

Childcare Raises the Bar in Quality

Volume 19, Issue 39

Inside this issue:

More than Just

Bad Behavior

2

Celebrating

Parents

2

Voc Rehab Focuses

on Transitioning

2

Human Resources

and You

3

Committed to

Public Service

5

A Month for

Senior Citizens

5

Serving the

Community

5

access to digital technology. The

center is outfitted with eight com-

puters including equipment compli-

ant with American Disability Act

(ADA) standards. Seniors who

attend the center and those in the

community will be offered free

training courses in “digital literacy”.

Yvonne Fenton, Program Manager

for viNGN said, “viNGN is

pleased to be opening this Public

Community Center, PCC, in the

heart of the senior community in

St. Croix. We hope that with this

center, we can educate and em-

power the senior community with

the digital tools needed to survive

in this ever changing technological

era.”

The VI Quality Rating Improve-

ment System (QRIS) known as VI

S2Q is now ready for its initial

implementation with the pilot pro-

gram to be launched this summer.

Facilitated through the Office of

Childcare and Regulatory Services,

the VI S2Q program helps to in-

crease the level of quality care for

programs serving young children

by providing financial and training

resources, and additional incen-

tives as programs attain higher

levels of quality. Twenty four pro-

grams participated in a series of

orientation meetings for profes-

sionals in childcare who wanted

to be involved in the pilot.

In 2011 Human Services collabo-

rated with the Virgin Islands Early

Childhood Advisory Committee,

to begin the process of designing

a QRIS. This joint effort posi-

tioned the Virgin Islands as the

second US territory to use this

type of improvement system

which is currently implemented in

38 states. A QRIS is a tool de-

signed to assess and improve the

level of quality in early and school

age care and education programs.

Implementing a QRIS in the terri-

tory works to improve profes-

sional development for childcare

providers and empower parents

to select quality early care and

education for their children.

July—August 2013

CALENDAR

FY 2014 Budget Hear-

ing—August 8 Frits E.

Lawaetz Conference

Room, STX

A new addition to the Estate Rich-

mond Senior Center on St. Croix

was officially opened in July. The

Public Community Center (PCC),

established by viNGN, will offer

senior citizens in the community

WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES

In a separate effort, OCCRS

hosted public hearings to review

and comment on the biennial state

plan on St. Thomas and St. Croix

in June. Public review of the state

plan is federally mandated; and the

document is an essential guide for

the operation of the Office of

Childcare.

Attendees raised issues pertaining

to improving overall operation

procedures of summer camps.

Some suggestions addressed the

department offering transportation

for field trips; fiscal support for

clients with actual hardship and

collecting funds from those who

need to be more responsible; and

developing appropriations for safe

equipment for babies in childcare

centers.

DEPARTMENT OF

HUMAN SERVICES

1303 Hospital Ground

Suite 1 St. Thomas, VI 00802-

6722

3011 Golden Rock

Christiansted

St. Croix 00820

Monife G. Stout

Public Relations Officer

Writer

Brenda Harrigan-

Walwyn Spec. Assistant to the

Commissioner

Editor

Fenton explained free online digital

literacy course will be available at

www.vingn.com.; and seniors who

complete the course will receive a

certificate of completion and have

access to more than 5,000+ training

courses available through their part-

nership with CyberLearning Inc. and

the National Education Foundation

(NEF).

The goal of viNGN said, Fenton is “to

have a digitally literate community that

once our broadband infrastructure

through our CCI grant is completed,

V.I residents will be able to take ad-

vantage of entrepreneurship and job

opportunities that faster internet to

the community will provide.“

From left: Stennett Dariah, PCC

Program Maanger , Lorna Hospedales

of the Richmond Senior Center, and

Kevin Hughes, VP Sales & Marketing

trauma on young children.

Childcare providers earned

credit toward their profes-

sional development hours for

attending.

secondary education and train-

ing; and updates to the Policy

Manual for client training ser-

vices.

On St. Croix attendees ad-

dressed concerns pertaining to

support services for students

out-of state; introducing clients

to varied professions if they are

incapable of performing in their

career of choice; and providing

support services for clients who

have challenges with communi-

cating while on the job.

The Division of Vocational Reha-

bilitation held public hearings on

their services plan in June. The

public was invited to make com-

ments to help the department and

the State Rehabilitation Council set

goals and priorities for services

that lead to employment for citi-

zens with disabilities.

Attendance on St. Thomas was

minimal, but members of the

Council and DVR utilized the op-

portunity to discuss fiscal support

for students transitioning into post

Program administrators assured

attendees that VR counselors are

working with the Department of

Labor to provide counselors at

their One-Stop once it’s estab-

lished. They also plan to facili-

tate an open-house more often

to increase awareness. Partners in the annual state-

hearing are the State Independ-

ent Living Council, Developmen-

tal Disabilities Council, and the

State Rehabilitation Council.

Celebrating Parents

More than Just Bad Behavior

Vocational Rehabilitation Focuses on Transitioning

The Office of Childcare hosted

its 15th annual Best Beginnings

Early Childhood conference in

May.

This year’s theme, “What a

Trauma-informed Perspective

can teach us about challenging

behaviors in young children”

focused on the cause and effect

of trauma on a child’s brain

development and behavior.

The break out sessions were

unconventional comparatively

to years past. Topics including

the impact of domestic vio-

lence and abuses on children

and recognizing child abuse and

neglect were prominent in

relation to the theme.

Keynote speakers from the

Institute of Family Professionals

in PA conducted a workshop

on the impact of trauma and

toxic stress in early childhood

on brain development and be-

havior. The session served to

dispel negative attitudes toward

children with challenging or

‘bad’ behavior by offering de-

tailed explanation of the ad-

verse and long-term effects of

Page 2

The Office of Pre School Services hon-

ored parents of children in Head Start at

their annual Parent Empowerment and

Recognition conference held on St. Tho-

mas and St. Croix in May.

Parents and guardians were applauded for

receiving certification in CPR, First Aid

and use of an AED defibrillator. Approxi-

mately 82 parents participated in the

event on St. Thomas and 40 on St. Croix. Left: Fathers were recognized for their involvement in PSS activities throughout the

school year. Right: Parent of the year Pamela Smith (second from right) with Christo-pher Finch, Masikia Lewis PSS District Mgr, Diane Jeffers Pss Administrator, and Carla

Benjamin Asst. Commissioner.

Human Resources and You

Page 3 Volume 19, Issue 39

Page 4

Online registration for the 10,000 Steps-a-Day walking

program began on July 1.

All staff are encouraged to visit the website

www.cornerstonefitness.com/gvi/10ksteps.html and

create a new profile. Pedometers WILL NOT be

distributed to employees that haven’t completed their

registration online.

HR opted to have a rolling registration period for this program. There is no deadline for registration and

those who register late are free to do so online and

participate at any time during the 8-week program.

The University of South Florida College of Public

Health will be conducting free training programs in July

on The Foundations for Building a Competent Public

Service Workforce . Sessions will be held on July 19,

29, and 31st on St. Thomas and on July 22-24

on St. Croix.

For more information on course descriptions contact

Ms. Desiree Liburd at 813-974-9070 or her email,

dliburd@health.usf.edu.

First Friday Fun ...More News

The Epsilon Zeta chapter of the Iota Phi Lambda sorority

hosted their 1st annual Cocktails for Cancer event in May.

Commissioner Finch was one of six local dignitaries who

served as butlers for the evening.

Human Services STX staff and staff from De-

partment of Health distribute program infor-

mation at the 2013 Community Service Fair

and Children’s Health Fair.

A Month for Senior Citizens

From Left: DHS Commissioner Christopher E. Finch, Ian Turnbull, Sean Georges, Commissioner Angel Dawson, senator

Clarence Payne, Senator Donald ‘Ducks’ Cole, and Senator Tre-

genza Roach.

SCA Administrator Murlene VanBeverhout

(center) and Homemakers Director Laverne Robles visit seniors with a care package– one of

several events to commemorate SCA Month.

Carol Seagger a senior acting as Senator

Donald ‘Ducks’ Cole for the 2013 SCA Leg-islature mock session—one of several

events to commemorate SCA Month.

Serving the Community

Staff of the Family Connection offered de-

velopmental screenings for children at the

2013 Community Service Fair and Chil-

dren’s Health Fair.

Volume 19, Issue 39 Page 5

Committed to Public Service