Black Child Development Institute - Atlanta Inc

TO IMPROVE AND ADVANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR BLACK CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN GEORGIA THROUGH EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY.

PROGRAM EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION - LIFTED VOICES: MULTI-TIERED APPROACH DESIGNED TO SYSTEMATICALLY ADDRESS THE PROGRAMMATIC NEEDS OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE. TIER 1 INCLUDES VIRTUAL TRAINING FOR EARLY EDUCATION STAFF THROUGH BCDI-ATLANTAS ANNUAL CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE EARLY EDUCATION & CARE SUMMIT. 201 STAKEHOLDERS ATTENDED THE 2021 VIRTUAL SUMMIT WITH SESSION TOPICS RELATED TO FOUR TRACKS: EARLY CARE & EDUCATION, FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, POLICY & ADVOCACY, AND SCHOOL TRANSITION. TIER 2 IS THE COMMUNITY LEVEL PROVIDING TRAINING ON CULTURAL RESPONSIVENESS AND INCLUDES SELF-PACED ONLINE TRAINING ON STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE PERSONAL GOALS (ASSIST STAFF IN SELF-AWARENESS OF CULTURE, BELIEFS AND PERSONAL VALUES); WORKPLACE GOALS (FOSTER A WORKPLACE OF INCLUSION); AND CHILD/FAMILY GOALS (UPLIFTING FAMILY VOICES AND A COMMITMENT TO EQUITABLE CHILD OUTCOMES), THROUGH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES SUCH AS OUR MONTHLY LEADERSHIP (SEE SCHED O)

FAMILY ENGAGEMENT - POWERFUL FAMILIES PROGRAM: THE BCDI-ATLANTA POWERFUL FAMILIES PROGRAM (PFP) WORKS TO IMPROVE CONNECTIONS FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES IN THE CITY OF ATLANTA AND FULTON COUNTY. THE PROGRAM FOCUSES ON CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR AND ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF BOTH CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES TOGETHER, TO CREATE IMPROVED FAMILY ECONOMIC STABILITY. PROGRAM SERVED 65 EARLY EDUCATORS AND FAMILIES WITH GOAL-SETTING, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, AND OVER 100 EARLY LITERACY TOOLKITS CONTAINING EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES TO BUILD A CLASSROOM OR HOME LIBRARIES TOTALING OVER 2,500 CHILDRENS PICTURE BOOKS - 90% OF WHICH WERE CULTURALLY RELEVANT AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE FOR YOUNG BLACK CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. 45% OF THE BOOKS WERE DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS AGES 0-2; 45% WERE DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE FOR PRESCHOOLERS AGES 3-5; 10% WERE DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE FOR SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN IN GRADES K-3.

HEALTH & WELLNESS: IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UNITED WAY OF GREATER ATLANTA AND EBENEZER BAPTIST CHURCH, BCDI-ATLANTA FACILITATED THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ATLANTA CHOOSE HEALTHY LIFE (CHL) WITH 14 LOCAL CHURCHES IN COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT SOUTH FULTON, NORTH CLAYTON, AND SOUTH DEKALB COUNTIES, WHERE COVID-19 TESTING AND VACCINATION RATES WERE EXCEPTIONALLY LOW. DURING THIS 9-MONTH PROJECT (APRIL - DECEMBER 2021), BCDI-ATLANTA WAS ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THE FOLLOWING GOALS WITH 14 PARTNER CHURCHES: OVER 230 COVID-19 TESTING EVENTS WERE HELD; 7,234 PEOPLE WERE TESTED; OVER 250 COVID-19 VACCINATION EVENTS WERE HELD; TOTAL REACH (VACCINATIONS): 10,745; ESTIMATED NUMBER OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS REACHED THROUGH OUTREACH & ENGAGEMENT: 1,762,158; REFERRALS TO OTHER COVID-19 VACCINE & TESTING SITES: 42,280; TOTAL CANVASSED HOURS: 2,300; CHILDRENS BOOKS DISTRIBUTED: 200; PPE KITS DISSEMINATED: OVER 10,000.