Project Grant 17SFNWI007

SINCE 1919 ENCOMPASS EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE, INC. HAS PROVIDED HIGH QUALITY CARE AND EDUCATION FOR THE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OF BROWN COUNTY, AND SINCE 1978 FOSTER GRANDPARENTS HAVE PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE ABILITY TO DO SO. TODAY ENCOMPASS SERVES APPROXIMATELY 750 CHILDREN PER DAY WITHIN ITS SEVEN NATIONALLY ACCREDITED, UNITED WAY SUPPORTED PROGRAMS, ENSURING ALL CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION. AN ESTIMATED 30 FOSTER GRANDPARENTS ANNUALLY WILL SERVE CHILDREN AT ENCOMPASS EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE, INC. IN GREEN BAY AND DE PERE, WISCONSIN. THE PRIMARY FOCUS AREA WILL BE EDUCATION IN THE AREA OF 4K/SCHOOL READINESS FOR CHILDREN ATTENDING ONE OF THE SPONSORING ORGANIZATION?S SEVEN CHILDCARE CENTERS. FOSTER GRANDPARENTS WILL BE DEDICATED TO WORK WITH CHILDREN, 6 WEEKS TO 12-YEARS OF AGE, WHO ARE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED OR THOSE WHO HAVE SPECIAL OR EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS SUCH AS DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL CONCERNS OR THOSE WHO ARE SIMPLY NOT ON TRACK FOR SUCCESS. ENCOMPASS IS WELL RESPECTED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND STATE OF WISCONSIN. THE AGENCY HAS NUMEROUS PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL NON-PROFITS, BUSINESSES, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS. ENCOMPASS USES THE HIGH SCOPE CURRICULUM, A RESEARCHED BASED, INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED PRESCHOOL CURRICULUM. THE AGENCY?S HIGH QUALITY CURRICULUM IS SO WELL RESPECTED THAT ALL SEVEN ENCOMPASS CENTERS HAVE DISTRICT SPONSORED COMMUNITY BASED 4K CLASSROOMS WITHIN THEM. WORKING WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE HIGH SCOPE CURRICULUM, A MINIMUM OF 28 FOSTER GRANDPARENTS WILL BE PLACED IN OUTCOME ASSIGNMENTS FOCUSING ON ACTIVITIES INCLUDING SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT; LANGUAGE, LITERACY, AND COMMUNICATION; AND MATH CONCEPTS. FOSTER GRANDPARENTS WILL PARTICIPATE IN REACHING A 95% SUCCESS RATE OF ESTABLISHED GOALS AND GAINS THROUGH READING; ENCOURAGING LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT; ENGAGING CHILDREN WITH COLOR AND LETTER RECOGNITION; ACTIVITIES INVOLVING MATH SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND CONCEPTS; ENCOURAGING ACCEPTABLE SOCIAL INTERACTION; PARTICIPATING IN FAMILY-STYLE MEAL SERVICE; ASSISTING CHILDREN WITH LARGE AND FINE MOTOR SKILLS; AND SPATIAL AWARENESS WITH INFANTS. THE DOSAGE FOR OUTCOMES WILL BE BASED ON WORKING WITH EACH ASSIGNED CHILD AT LEAST 15 MINUTES PER DAY, 3 DAYS PER WEEK, FOR A PERIOD OF AT LEAST 60 DAYS. CHILDREN SERVED WILL BE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED OR THOSE WITH SPECIAL OR EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS IN PRE-K CLASSROOMS. AT THE END OF THE THREE YEAR GRANT PERIOD, APPROXIMATELY 300 CHILDREN WILL HAVE 1:1 LEARNING EXPERIENCES WITH AN ASSIGNED (UNDUPLICATED) FOSTER GRANDPARENT AND APPROXIMATELY 500 ADDITIONAL CHILDREN WILL HAVE THE BENEFIT OF A FOSTER GRANDPARENT ROLE MODEL IN THE CLASSROOM. THE CNCS FEDERAL INVESTMENT OF $146,038 WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED BY $16,290 (10%) IN STATE FUNDING AND $16,243 FROM STATE, LOCAL AND IN-KIND COMMUNITY SUPPORT.