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Early Childhood Support

CYF - Early Childhood Support: % of Children Connected to Preschool

Current Value

47%

FY 2020

Definition

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Story Behind the Curve

Early Intervention ﴾EI﴿ provides a special education service for infants and toddlers, and Early Childhood Support ﴾ECS﴿ provides family support services and mental health treatment for families with young children.  Both programs aim to ensure that young children thrive and are "ready for school."  Universal preschool was mandated by Act 166 in 2015, with a statewide target of 60% enrollment.  Our programs help in two ways: EI transitions eligible children to an IEP through their local school at the age of 3, and ECFMH provides information and helps families to remove barriers to enrollment.  

During FY20, our data was impacted by the pandemic.  EI expects variation in outcomes each year, as the numbers of children requiring special education services past the age of 3 can increase or decrease.  The EI program supported all transitions to schools through remote services in the last months of FY20, and some children were exited early due to lost contact.  While assessment proved more challenging via telehealth, most schools accepted children to provide continuity of services.  ECS saw a decrease in preschool enrollment, with 29% of eligible clients declining to enroll in the fall of 2020 due to COVID-19 according to their families. 

Partners

  • Medical: Pediatricians, hospitals, Franklin County Home Health Agency, Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties, Kids' Rehab Gym

  • Education: Local supervisory districts/unions, Champlain Valley Head Start

  • Community: childcare centers, registered childcare providers, Community Action

  • State: Department for Children and Families, Department of Health

 

What Works

Action Plan

  • Continue current partnerships with medical providers and supervisory unions to identify and support the needs of all young children in our counties
  • Continue to promote preschool enrollment for all preschool-aged children
  • Work on outreach to targeted communities such as Grand Isle county to ensure that we are serving all potentially eligible children in Early Intervention

How We Impact

Social Determinants of Health Impacted by EI and ECS: 

  • Access to Education
  • Access to Health Care Services
  • Resources to Meet Daily Needs 
  • Support for Chronic Health Conditions 
  • Transportation 
  • Mental Health 
  • Economic Support 
  • Housing
  • Substance Use Prevention 
  • Social Support

Clear Impact Suite is an easy-to-use, web-based software platform that helps your staff collaborate with external stakeholders and community partners by utilizing the combination of data collection, performance reporting, and program planning.

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