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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1992-07-23; Child Care Commission Ad Hoc; MinutesMinutes of: CHILD CARE COMMISSION Time of Meeting: 6:30 P.M. Date of Meeting: July 23,1992 Place of Meeting: CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Baker called the Meeting to order at 6:37 p.m. ROLL CALL: Present: Chairperson Baker, Commissioners Gilk, Isenhart, L'Esperance, Mead, and Schwei Absent: Commissioner Cutler Staff Present: Jim Hagaman, Research Manager Joni Wiltgen, Management Analyst COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE ON ITEMS NOT LISTED ON THE AGENDA: There were no requests to address the Board. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Commissioner Isenhart requested that item 5 on page 3 of the minutes of June 11,1992 be amended to reflect her correct title of R.N., Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist. ACTION: Motion by Commissioner Gilk, and duly seconded, to approve the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of June 11,1992, as amended. AYES: Chairperson Baker, Commissioners Gilk, Isenhart, L'Esperance, Mead, and Schwei NOES: None ABSENT: Commissioner Cutler NEW & OLD BUSINESS: 1. Presentation on WINGS Mentor Project Susan Botticelli, WINGS Mentors Project Director, addressed the Commission and gave an overview of the WINGS Mentors Project which focuses on children ages 3-6 to develop thinking skills which are basic to preparing them for a positive school and life experience. She stated that the San Marcos School District is implementing the WINGS project in three of their schools this fall. Costs will be covered by Chapter 1 funding. The WINGS project is currently operating in 22 schools in Atlanta, Georgia, with outstanding success. 2. Carlsbad Child Care Commission Workshop Commissioner Gilk reported on the Child Care Workshop which was held on July 8,1992 at the Calavera Community Park. She stated that nine child care providers attended the workshop as did the Superivisor of the Child Care Licensing Division for San Diego County. A lot of positive feedback was received and all of the providers in attendance were enthusiastic about attending another workshop in the future. CHILD CARE COMMISSION July 23, 1992 PAGE 2 Commissioner Gilk stated that the next workshop is scheduled for September 17,1992 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Carlsbad Safety Center. The topic will be "Activities That Operators Can Provide For Children." There will be a panel discussion followed by a workshop activity. Panel guests will be: Karen Noel Sandy Tucker Ruth Hewitt Director of the Pre-school Teacher President, San Diego Childrens Program Mira Costa College Family Day Care Association Mira Costa College Commissioner Gilk inquired about the possibility of paying an honorarium to highly credentialed individuals who may participate in the workshops. Jim Hagaman will research the availability of funds and report at the next meeting. Mr. Hagaman will also get together with Commissioner Gilk on the setup arrangements for the Safety Center so that seating, etc. can be prepared in advance of the workshop. 3. Saturday Workshop Chairperson Baker stated that she would like to forego the next regular meeting of the Child Care Commission and replace it with a Saturday workshop for Commissioners, in order to set goals and establish a timetable for tasks which need to be accomplished prior to the sunset date. After discussion, it was suggested that it would be better to hold the workshop on the regular meeting night. ACTION: Motion was made by Chairperson Baker, and duly seconded, to hold a workshop on Thursday evening, August 27,1992 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. in lieu of the regularly scheduled meeting. AYES: Chairperson Baker, Commissioners Gilk, L'Esperance, Mead, and Schwei NOES: None ABSENT: Commissioner Cutler Chairperson Baker will create an agenda. Jim Hagaman will contact Ken Jaffe, ICRI, to see if he might be able to attend. 4. Update on Recommendations Regarding Child Care Standards. Foundation, and CCNA's. Jim Hagaman, Research Manager, reported that the Child Care Commission's recommendations on child care should be going to City Council on August 11th or 18th. Commissioners will be advised of the exact date so they may attend the Council meeting. ITEMS FOR NEXT AGENDA: The next meeting, which will be a workshop in lieu of the regular meeting, is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 27,1992. Commissioners will be notified of the location. COMMISSIONERS' REPORTS: Commissioner Gilk was commended on the article which she wrote and was published in the Carlsbad Journal. She has contacted the Blade-Citizen to see if they might be interested in running a series of articles on child care, however she has not yet received a reply. She would like a commitment for space on a monthly basis and has prepared a list of potential topics through July 1993. Commissioner Mead reported that she has filed papers to run for a seat on the Carlsbad Board of Education. CHILD CARE COMMISSION July 23, 1992 PAGE 3 ADJOURNMENT: By proper motion, the Regular meeting of July 23,1992 was adjourned at 7:38 p.m. Respectfully submitted, JAMES C. WAGAJWAN Research Manager BETTY BUCKNER Minutes Clerk ITEM1 July 23, 1992 TO: CHILD CARE COMMISSION FROM: CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE PRESENTATION ON WINGS MENTOR PROJECT The attached material on the WINGS Mentor Project of San Diego is for your information prior to Susan J. Botticelli's presentation at the meeting. WINGSTM MENTORS PROJECT of California May 21, 1992 James Hagaman, Manager City of Carlsbad 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive Carlsbad, CA 92008 Dear James, I met you at the Child Care Symposium at USD last week. Enclosed in this packet is a synopsis of the WINGS Mentors Project of San Diego. I would appreciate your taking time to review the project and passing along this information to the person who might be interested in implementing it in the Carlsbad schools or preschools. Briefly, the WINGS Mentorship Project focuses on children ages 3-6 to develop thinking skills which are basic to preparing them for a positive school and life experience. The emphasis of our project is on developing a partnership with volunteer mentors who we train to work individually with children in the school or preschool setting. Mentors spend 1/2 hour twice weekly with each child playing fun games and activities which are individualized, sequenced, educationally correct, and designed to use the child's existing strengths to develop his/her less developed areas. The cost of this program is less than $50 per child for the first year with only minimal replacement cost during the following years. Corporate funding and grant support may be available for this project for preschools, public schools, and family daycare centers. This project has also been approved for Chapter 1 funding, which incidentally, was used by San Marcos School District to place this program in three of their schools beginning next fall. I will call you in a week or so to see if I can answer any questions and to hear your thoughts on this project being implemented in Carlsbad. Sincerely, Susan J. Botticelli WINGS Mentors Project Director WINGS MENTORS SYNOPSIS An all inclusive project with vision and dramatic results Addresses the real issues of children's development - interactive time with children. A preventative program, not remedial Mentorship - a proven track record of success Empowers advantaged and disadvantaged parents to make a difference with their children in their communities Low cost project utilizing volunteer program directors and volunteer mentors Increases volunteer commitment in America because it is simple, requires no prep time, 1 hour a week time requirement, and will provide immediate results Accelerates the learning of disadvantaged for children who are developmentally between the ages of 3-6 years Accelerates the learning of the gifted, average, autistic, bilingual, handicapped, and emotionally disturbed Develops skills through play which is the work of children Teaches self-esteem and builds character through positive interaction nurturing the child in the way that he/she learns best Teaches children how to think (decision making, creative thinking, problems solving, memory and comprehension) Supported by networks of churches, local and national agencies, schools, foundations, social clubs, volunteers and children . 49% of children come from single parent homes. . 70% of women work outside the home. . Every 2 seconds of the school day a public school student is suspended. . Every 10 seconds of the school day a student drops out of school. . Every 7 minutes a teenager is arrested for drugs. . Every year 700,000 students graduate who cannot read their diplomas. Today, more than ever before, educators, parents, social scientists and politicians are becoming increasingly aware of the large percentage of children who lack the skills necessary to achieve in school and in life. The above listed data shows an influx of social problems, characterized by a downward spiral in achievement, and an upward spiral in crime impacting today's children. There are a multiplicity of problems facing the schools and parents today. Increasing budget and staffing cut-backs along with increasing enrollment continues to hinder the school's effectiveness in teaching our children. Economic conditions have created a morass of poverty forcing parents to work more and spend less time with their children. It is our belief that a community, which moves as a unified body, can create leadership that will provide the positive reinforcement needed to help our children become effective contributing members of our society. The problem that confronts advocates for children is trying to determine how they can best help children develop into contributing adults, rather than destructive members of society. Development has to do with the sense of "self" as well as the acquisition of skills and achievement. During a child's formative years, children go through a stage in their development where they can be salvaged if given the opportunity to interface with positive role models. In the past, these children have depended on educators and all other groups of adults who attempted to turn failure into success. Such a challenge therefore, can again be met by persons who agree to provide services that will not only ensure successful achievement, but will instill in them a sense of power, and control over their destiny. The Mentorship Project The Mentorship Project will provide a positive role model, in the form of a volunteer mentor, who will work individually with children develop- mentally between 3-6 years. The purpose of the volunteer mentor is to provide positive adult leadership as well as individual one-on-one time. The tool used to mentor the child will be an individualized educational set of games and activities called Wings which are designed to develop self-esteem and basic thinking skills. A child's first and potentially best teacher is in the home and family. Most parents want to do what's best for their children, but the pressures of survival create little quality time to spend with their children. In addition, parents lack a systematic approach in assisting with their child's education. Volunteer mentors can provide a positive adult role model in the school setting and help bridge learning in the home and school. The volunteer time required with each child is one hour per week. Why Wings The years before a child is six are full of exploration and learning. In fact, over 50% of intellectual development takes place during these years. In these formative years the child develops the physical, social-emotional, language and cognitive skills he/she will need to develop their to fullest potential. Children love to learn by playing and spending time with their parents or other positive adult role models. Wings provides a series of fun, colorful games and activities which are developmentally appropriate for the uniqueness of each child as well as interactive between children and parent and/or mentor. The games come with complete scripts which empower parents/mentors to support the child's discovery that learning to learn is fun! From this positive approach the child's self-esteem and family bonding enable him/her to reach their fullest potential in school and life. Evaluation Evaluation is an essential element of any project. In this project, the evaluation will be a continuous process and will be used in several stages. In the first stage strategies to be used are designed to assess the acquisition of academic skills by the children participants. This will take place through assessment instruments provided .with the Wings Personal Learning System, or by using the school's own assessment instrument. The second method will occur through general observation by teachers and parents to determine if the goals of this Project have been realized. Mentors should be familiar with the interpersonal behaviors and academic achievements of each child participant under his/her supervision, and should periodically write brief progress reports in the child's file. At the conclusion of this Project it should be clear to all involved whether this mentoring effort, using Wings as the vehicle for learning did in fact, achieve its intended purpose. Goals and Objectives 1. To enhance the self-esteem of children by helping them develop at their own pace. To prepare each child for a positive school experience and assist each child in developing to their fullest potential. 2. To create a partnership between home, school, business and community by developing parent/child, mentor/child, community/child and corporation/child relationships. 3. To provide positive socialization experiences on a one-on-one basis (with mentor volunteers) that will be mutually satisfying for the child participant and the mentor. 4. To provide weekly mentoring services (one hour per student per week) which are geared to enhance the intellectual, social and physical development of children ages 3-6 by teaching them through games and activities designed to develop skills in creative thinking, problem solving, decision-making, memory and comprehension. 5. To involve the parents of child participants in all activities experienced by their children, to include serving as the child's first teacher. 6. To empower parents and families to make a difference in the education of their children by providing them with education, training, and home management skills. 7. To teach children that learning is fun. 8. To leverage new sources of funding from private giving, corporation sponsorships and government grants to finance this project and make it available to all children. Summary This Project is designed to enable children and their families to become empowered through the establishment of meaningful relationships with mentors and through appropriate structured activities. The vehicle for effecting this outcome is Wings, a significant pre-school educational learning system. The Program's goal is to decrease the chances of these children ending up as unproductive members of society. The theme of this Project is that "investing in the beginning pays dividends in the end". ITEM 2 July 23, 1992 TO: CHILD CARE COMMISSION FROM: CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE CARLSBAD CHILD CARE COMMISSION WORKSHOP The first workshop of the Child Care Commission was very successful. Commissioners Gilk and L'Esperance did an outstanding job in organizing this event. Commissioner Isenhart was invaluable on the panel. Work has already started on the next workshop, tentatively scheduled for the last half of September. Commissioner Gilk will report on the progress of this second workshop. ITEMS July 23, 1992 TO: CHILD CARE COMMISSION FROM: CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE SATURDAY WORKSHOP The matter of scheduling a Saturday workshop meeting to develop a hands-on volunteer work program for the coming year is on this agenda at the request of the Commission. Also, attached is a list of proposed topics for a series of news articles to be prepared by Commissioners Gilk and Baker. To: Jim Hagaman, Research Manager From: Linda Gilk, Child Care Commissioner Date: June 25, 1992 Jim, here are the topics Julie and I would like to propose we do on a monthly basis in the Carlsbad Journal: August: September: October: November: December: January: February: March: April: May: June: July: School's Out - Before/After School Program How to check references of daycare providers; what questions to ask, who to talk to. In-home care; the pros and cons of nannys Illness and daycare Babysitters: where have they all gone? How to find them, train them and keep them. Licensing of family daycare Relationship between kids and their daycare providers Preschool profiles (a look at Los Ninos and other preschools in Carlsbad Finding daycare for special needs children Infant care Summer care/summer camps More on nannys/au pairs ITEM 4 July 23, 1992 TO: CHILD CARE COMMISSION FROM: CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE UPDATE ON RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING CHILD CARE STANDARDS, FOUNDATION AND CCNAS Jim Hagaman will provide an update on the Commission's recommendations regarding Child Care Standards, the City of Carlsbad Child Care Foundation, and Child Care Need Areas (CCNAs). 1 1 aiQ uo^fo uajpjtyj 3141 jof QMVHMI San Diego County Board of Supervisors Child Abuse Prevention Foundation Board of Directors Chairman George Bailey Vice Chairman Brian Bilbray Supervisor Susan Golding Supervisor Leon Williams Supervisor John MacDonald Mary C. Avery Richard D. Brooks Barbara Christensen Sandra P. Daley, M.D. Ann Davies Mary E. Goodall Craig Irving Elizabeth Lennon, ACSW Doug Manchester Betsy Milich Kathryn Murphy Cameron Jay Rains Tom Tourtellott Sam Whiting Chair Jack W. Goodall Vice Chair Norma Hirsh President Matthew Shevlin Vice Presidents Renee Comeau Thor Eakes — Finance Barry McCornic — Children's Center Building Development Stephen M. Pfeiffer. Ph.D. John M. Robbins, Jr. — Development Secretary/Treasurer Betsy Manchester Child Abuse Prevention Foundation 4660 La Jolla Village Drive • Suite 725 • San Diego, CA 92122-4606 The Board of Directors of the Child Abuse Prevention Foundation of San Diego County and The San Diego County Board of Supervisors cordially invite you to the groundbreaking for the AB. and Jessie Polinsky Children's Center Committed to providing shelter, services, and resources for San Diego's dependent children A viewing of architectural schematics and model Tuesday, October 13 3 to 5 p.m. Viewridge Court • San Diego, California Your Hosts Keynote Speaker Jack and Mary Goodall Richard D. Krugman, M.D. Supervisor Susan Golding Director of The C. Henry Kempe National Center Supervisor Brian Bilbray for the Prevention and Treatment of Barry McComic Child Abuse and Neglect, Denver, Colorado Please RSVP by October 9 • (619) 458-9151 Directions: Clairemont Mesa Boulevard West from Interstate IS, left on Ruffin Road, left on Ruffin Court, left on Viewridge Court