Closing the Achievement Gap. Tampa Bay Area 2016-2017Head Start/Early Head Start Annual Report A Letter From Tampa Bay Area Head Start/ Early Head Start Regional Executive Director Dear Head Start Family and Community, As your Regional Executive Director for Tampa Bay Area Head Start and Early Head Start Programs, it is a privilege to serve the children and families of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. I am extremely proud of the staff, parents, and families who have worked together over this past school year, delivering outstanding School Readiness Outcomes. Pinellas Early Head Start and Head Start program is in its fifth year providing direct services at fifteen centers and through four Child Care Partners, who provide high-quality Pre-K educational experience to over 1,600 children in Pinellas County. Our goal is to continue to educate, equip, and empower children, families, and staff through community partnerships and effective data-driven system to close the Achievement Gap. Our children have made impressive gains in School Readiness goals. Pinellas and Hillsborough have established strategies for continuous improvement throughout the year, by providing teachers and family childcare providers with resources that assist in improving children outcomes. We are looking forward to the 2017-2018 school year, as we continue to expand our collaboration and partnerships with the communities we serve, which will provide our children and families with valuable resources. Sincerely, Dr. Ricardo A. Davis, DBA Regional Executive Director Tampa Bay Area Head Start & Early Head Start Programs Hillsborough Early Head Start Dear Early Head Start/Head Start Family and Community, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for an incredible year. As the Program Director for Hillsborough Early Head Start I am humbled and privileged to serve the children and families of such an awesome community. The dedication of the staff, parents and Family Child Care Home Educators has enabled this program to soar by leaps and bounds. We believe all children deserve the same opportunity for growth and success. This is achieved by empowering families with education and tools they need to break the cycle of poverty. HillsOne provides the support and guidance with early childhood education and comprehensive enrichment programs for the entire family. Bridging the gap between the organization and the community is commendable. Providing the best early care, nurturing, and educational environment for young children and much needed resources and services for the families is certainly appreciated by all. As we embrace the new school year, may we all grow in knowledge and strength. May we all be more resolved in our determination to provide the best for our children and families. Please join me in “Promoting Education, Encouraging Empowerment, and Striving for Excellence.” Sincerely, Sylvia Hubbard LSF Early Head Start Program Director About Lutheran Services Florida Lutheran Services Florida (LSF) is a non-profit and offered in 19 fully state-licensed childcare centers organization transforming lives by ensuring safe throughout Pinellas County. children, strong families and vibrant communities. Founded in 1982, LSF currently touches the lives of 1 While the Early Head Start program in Pinellas serves in 50 Floridians every year through various programs, 158 toddlers from 12 months of age to 36 months of including early education, youth shelters, foster care, age in ten fully state-licensed childcare centers; four refugee and resettlement services, substance abuse programs are within grantee center base programs mental health services, and adult guardianship. while the remaining six center base programs are Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, LSF has more than offered at Child Care Partner centers. 60 programs throughout Florida and approximately 1,400 dedicated employees. Our Early Head Start program in Hillsborough is a delegate agency of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners and serves 120 infants and Head Start/Early Head Start toddlers in Family Child Care Homes. Federal Guidelines state that Head Start/Early Head Start programs were created to promote the school readiness of low-income children by enhancing their cognitive, social, and emotional development in a learning environment that supports children’s growth Served over 2,093 in language, literacy, mathematics, science, social and emotional functioning, creative arts, physical skills, and approaches to learning; and through children and provision to low-income children and their families of health, educational, nutritional, social, and other services that are determined, based on family needs assessments, to be necessary. families in the Pinellas Head Start/Early Head Start and Hillsborough Early Head Start is part of Lutheran Services Florida. Tampa Bay Area The Tampa Bay Region currently serves over 1,720 children and families in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. Region in the 2016- The Pinellas Head Start program serves 1,442 children 2017 school year Family Demographics As demonstrated in the accompanying charts, the vast majority of our Head Start families fall below the Federal Poverty Line and within the income eligibility range for Head Start services (85%). Our programs have a small percentage of families that are over income (up to 130% of Federal Poverty Guideline). Eligibility Type and Income Level of Families Head Start Early Head Start Pinellas Pinellas Hillsborough Below Income 1458 Below Income 223 176 Public Assistance 60 Public Assistance 10 3 Allowable Over Income Allowable Over Income 110 11 1 (101%-130% of Poverty) (101%-130% of Poverty) Over Income 16 Over Income 6 1 Homeless 13 Homeless 2 2 Foster Children 1 Foster Children 0 0 Total 1,658 Total 252 183 Ethnicity and Race Head Start Early Head Start Hillsborough Early Head Start Based on data and information Based on data and information Based on data and information collected from our enrolled Head collected from our enrolled Early collected from our enrolled Early Start families in Pinellas, 59% of the Head Start families in Pinellas, 67% Head Start families in Hillsborough, children enrolled are black/African of the children enrolled are black/ 27% of the children enrolled are American; 30% are Hispanic; 6% African American; 23% are Hispanic; black/African American; 61% are are White; 4% are Biracial or Multi- 4% are White; 5% are Biracial or Hispanic; 7% are White; 4% are Racial; 1% are Other; .07 % are Native Multi-Racial and 1% Other. Biracial or Multi-Racial and 1% Asian. Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and .01% is American Indian/Alaskan. Background of Families LSF encourages all parents as they move to their desired level of self-sufficiency and financial independence while building self-esteem and developing supportive services. Head Start Two-Parent Households Pinellas Both parents/guardians are employed 81 One parent/guardian is employed 288 Both parents/guardians are not working (i.e. unemployed, retired, disabled) 47 Total 416 Single Parent Households Pinellas The parent/guardian is employed 617 The parent/guardian is not working (i.e., unemployed, retired, disabled) 508 Total 1125 Early Head Start Two-Parent Households Pinellas Hillsborough Both parents/guardians are employed 16 8 One parent/guardian is employed 31 5 Both parents/guardians are not working (i.e. unemployed, retired, disabled) 7 1 Total 54 14 Single Parent Households Pinellas Hillsborough The parent/guardian is employed 163 140 The parent/guardian is not working (i.e., unemployed, retired, disabled) 72 21 Total 185 161 Tampa Bay Area Enrollment Pinellas Head Start/Early Head offers center based services throughout the county. We have a total of fifteen sites where we provide direct services and four Child Care Partners that provide additional ten sites. Our program serves infants through age five. Pinellas County Head Start and Early Head Start Overall Overall Month Funded Reported Overall Enrolled Enrolled Enrollment Level Aug. 2016 1600 1521 95.06% Sept. 2016 1600 1563 97.68% Oct. 2016 1600 1600 100% Nov. 2016 1600 1600 100% Dec. 2016 1600 1600 100% Jan. 2017 1600 1600 100% Feb. 2017 1600 1600 100% March. 2017 1600 1600 100% April. 2017 1600 1600 100% May. 2017 1600 1600 100% June. 2017 1600* 158 100% Jul. 2017 1600* 158 100% * Pinellas Head Start was on a 180 calendar day schedule, therefore they did not have Head Start children in the summer. Source: Office of Head Start; Head Start Enterprises System Hillsborough Early Head serves 120 infants and toddlers in 28 Family Child Care Homes Hillsborough County Early Head Start Overall Overall Month Funded Reported Overall Enrolled Enrolled Enrollment Level Aug. 2016 120 118 98.3% Sept. 2016 120 120 100% Oct. 2016 120 118 98.3% Nov. 2016 120 118 98.3% Dec. 2016 120 120 100% Jan. 2017 120 109 90.8% Feb. 2017 120 118 98.3% March. 2017 120 120 100% April. 2017 120 120 100% May. 2017 120 115 95.8% June. 2017 120 113 94.1% Jul. 2017 120 116 96.6% Source: BOCC 2016-2017 Child Health and Well-Being The emphasis of Pinellas health services is to provide preventative health and dental services to address the needs of each child effectively. We work with local community partners and health care providers to bring services to our centers and remove any barriers to access. Pinellas actively provides support in the following areas: • Assisting families in finding a medical and dental home • Locating sources of funding for health and dental services • Working with Medicaid and local agencies