Bradford-Tioga Head Start Inc

TO PROVIDE HEAD START, EARLY HEAD START, AND PRE-K SERVICES.

BRADFORD-TIOGA HEAD START, INC. PROVIDES THREE PRIMARY PROGRAMS: HEAD START, EARLY HEAD START, AND PA PRE-K COUNTS. HEAD START IS A FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDED PROGRAM AND PA PRE-K COUNTS IS A STATE-FUNDED PROGRAM; ALL OF WHICH ARE AT NO COST TO FAMILIES. ALL PROGRAMS PROMOTE SCHOOL READINESS BY ENHANCING THE SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN THROUGH THE PROVISION OF EDUCATIONAL, HEALTH, NUTRITIONAL, SOCIAL, AND OTHER SERVICES TO ENROLLED CHILDREN (AGES 3-5) AND THEIR FAMILIES. EARLY HEAD START (EHS) IS A FEDERAL HOME-BASED PROGRAM OFFERED AT NO COST THAT PROVIDES PARENTING SKILLS DURING PERSONALIZED WEEKLY VISITS. EHS PROVIDES EDUCATION AS WELL AS FREE HEALTH, NUTRITION, AND SOCIAL SERVICES.CONTINUED ON SCH. OTHE PROGRAM HAS NINETEEN (19) PRESCHOOL CLASSROOMS AND SIX (6) EARLY HEAD START SERVICE AREAS THROUGHOUT BRADFORD AND TIOGA COUNTIES.BRADFORD-TIOGA HEAD START, INC. PRESCHOOL CLASSROOMS PROVIDE EITHER 5.5 OR 5.75 HOURS A DAY, 180 DAYS A YEAR TO CHILDREN. BRADFORD-TIOGA HEAD START, INC. PROVIDES IN PERSON SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR; HOWEVER, IF MAKE-UP DAYS ARE EXHAUSTED, THE PROGRAM CAN USE THE PROGRAM DEVELOPED FLEXIBLE INSTRUCTION PLAN. THE FLEXIBLE INSTRUCTION PLAN (FIP) WAS DEVELOPED IN CASE A CLASSROOM NEEDS TO PIVOT TO REMOTE LEARNING, WHEN NECESSARY. THE FLEXIBLE INSTRUCTION PLAN WAS REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE OFFICE OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING AND THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. EACH YEAR THE PROGRAM WORKS WITH FAMILIES TO CREATE GOALS TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUAL FAMILY GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. THOSE GOALS ARE DEVELOPED AND EMBEDDED INTO A DOCUMENT CALLED A FAMILY PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT. AT THE END OF THE 2023-24 PROGRAM YEAR, FAMILIES ENROLLED IN HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START COMPLETED 88% OF THOSE ESTABLISHED GOALS, WHICH IS A 2% DECREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. SCHOOL READINESS IS A MAJOR AREA OF FOCUS THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WHEN CHILDREN ARE READY FOR SCHOOL, THEIR SCHOOL SUCCESS RATE INCREASES. AT THE END OF THE YEAR, 91% OF THE PRESCHOOL CHILDREN MET OR EXCEEDED SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL OUTCOMES AND 93% MET OR EXCEEDED APPROACHES TO LEARNING OUTCOMES. THERE WERE ALSO GAINS IN PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT WHICH 97% OF THE CHILDREN EITHER MET OR EXCEEDED REQUIRED EXPECTATIONS, AND 91% MET OR EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS IN LANGUAGE AND LITERACY. OVERALL, THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT PRESCHOOL SCHOOL READINESS GAINS THROUGHOUT THE 2023-24 PROGRAM YEAR. IN THE EARLY HEAD START PROGRAM, THE HIGHEST SCHOOL READINESS ACHIEVEMENT WAS IN COGNITION WITH 92% OF THE CHILDREN MEETING OR EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS AND 89% MEETING OR EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS IN APPROACHES TO LEARNING. THE AREA OF PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT WAS AT 88% AND THE LOWEST TWO AREAS FOR EARLY HEAD START WERE SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL AND LANGUAGE/LITERACY AT 81%. ALL AREAS SHOWED GAINS. REGARDING HEALTH SERVICES OUTCOMES, 87% OF EARLY HEAD START CHILDREN AND 89% OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN HAD UP-TO-DATE IMMUNIZATIONS. DENTAL CARE IS A PRIMARY AREA OF NEED, AND RECORDS INDICATE THAT 96% OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN HAD A DENTAL HOME; ONLY 50% OF EARLY HEAD START CHILDREN HAD A DENTAL HOME. THE PROGRAM EMPLOYS APPROXIMATELY 105 STAFF WHEN ALL POSITIONS ARE FILLED. STAFF TURNOVER CONTINUES TO REMAIN LOW FOR THE PROGRAM JUST AVERAGING AROUND 1.5% FOR THE YEAR. ALL INJURIES AND/OR ACCIDENTS INDICATED MOST STAFF INCIDENTS WERE MINOR THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. CHILD TURNOVER WAS AT 1.5% FOR BOTH EARLY HEAD START AND PRESCHOOL.STAFF WELLNESS IS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT THAT CONTINUES IN THE PROGRAM. BRADFORD-TIOGA HEAD START, INC. WELLNESS TEAM ARE VERY ACTIVE AND PROVIDE A SERIES OF WELLNESS ACTIVITIES FOR STAFF TO PARTICIPATE IN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THEY ALSO KICKED OFF THE YEAR WITH SNEAKERS FOR ALL STAFF. THE MEDICAL INSURANCE PROGRAM PROVIDES WELLNESS COACHES, AND AN EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (EAP) TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO EMPLOYEES IS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE PROGRAM'S INSURANCE PLAN. IN THE 2023-24 PROGRAM YEAR, EMPLOYEES HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN A STEPS CHALLENGE TO WALK 10,000 STEPS A DAY AND PRIZES GIVEN AND A SNACK CHALLENGE. THE WELLNESS TEAM ALSO SET UP A WATER CHALLENGE FOR EMPLOYEES AND ASKED THEM TO DRINK AT LEAST SIXTY-FOUR FLUID OUNCES OF WATER A DAY AND PRIZES WERE PROVIDED. THE EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER OFTEN PROVIDED WELLNESS INFORMATION AND TIPS FOR STAFF. THE PROGRAM CONDUCTS A STAFF SATISFACTION SURVEY EVERY THREE YEARS WITH THE MOST RECENT SURVEY COMPLETED IN MAY 2024. THE OUTCOMES INDICATED THAT STAFF ARE VERY SATISFIED WITH THEIR EMPLOYMENT WITH BRADFORD-TIOGA HEAD START, INC. HOWEVER, THERE ARE TWO AREAS THE PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON TO INCREASE EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION. THOSE TWO AREAS INCLUDE THE SHARING OF CLEAR COMMUNICATION PROVIDED BY CENTRAL OFFICE AND COMPETITIVE PAY. THE PROGRAM PARTICIPATES IN SALARY/BENEFIT SURVEYS AND COLLECTS COMPARABLE DATA TO HELP IDENTIFY SALARY ISSUES. SEVENTY-ONE OUT OF ONE-HUNDRED AND FOUR STAFF PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY.THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS REMAINS SOLID. ALL REQUIRED POSITIONS ON THE BOARD ARE FILLED AND MEET THE HEAD START PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. THOSE INCLUDE A LICENSED ATTORNEY, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION EXPERT, FISCAL EXPERT, AND EITHER A PRESENT OR PAST PARENT. THE BOARD REMAINS STABLE AND IS CURRENTLY AT A 9-MEMBER COMPOSITION.