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,
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
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