White Earth Early Childhood Program Services
The White Earth Child Care/Early Childhood Program (WECC/ECP) is a federally funded program through the Office of Child Care, Child Care Development Block Grant/Child Care and Development Fund, since 1993. The WECC/ECP is under the auspices of the White Earth Ojibwe Nation, which is governed by five tribal government elected officials. The WECC/ECP be
came one of Minnesota's 26 Early Childhood Initiative Communities in 2004, through the West Central Initiative Foundation, since then, we have initiated many community based early childhood projects to help bring early childhood and child care to the forefront. WECC/ECP administrates the Race to the Top/Early Learning Challenge Grant for the Tribe and provide early learning scholarships to children and families (and monthly information packets and parent education training). In 2010, the WE Early Childhood Program was named one of Minnesota Star of the State recognition by Minnesota Children’s Defense Fund. The WECC/ECP provides multiple services; Child Care Assistance Program to low income working families or students, Child Care Licensing Program that recruits, licenses, trains and monitors in-home or non-residential child care providers on or near the reservation boundaries (16 sites), Early Childhood Education Training that provides free child development, curriculum or parenting training to the residents and programs on or near the reservation boundaries. Child Care provider supportive services; screenings/assessments (ASQ:SE ), referrals (mental health, intervention, etc), environment, training, monthly curriculum/lesson plans and getting all licensed child care providers registered and use Teaching Strategies GOLD, kindergarten transition, school readiness, child development and social and emotional training. Parent Mentor Program provides support to literacy support to children ages 3 and 4 years old, with supportive school readiness services through home visiting to provide children and parents with school readiness resources to help children who are not in any type of ELD program, to be ready for school. Parent Mentors work with RTT/ELG parents through home visiting, training, literacy, screenings and school readiness services and provide monthly child development packets to RTT/ELG families. Parent Mentor Program work closely with Tribal Courts, Home Health and Indian Child Welfare Program for referrals and case management support (for parenting, child development/early childhood resources). Parent Mentors and WECC/ECP staff work together to put on a monthly early childhood events, training, ECFE activities in the villages within the reservation to Connect ECFE and FFN. The White Earth Early Childhood Readmobile provides community outreach literacy services to the children and families. Literacy kits and books (both library and free books) are brought to child care providers and families. The Readmobile is registered under the Northern Lights Library Network. In order to enhance literacy and Ojibwe language on the WER, through a grant opportunity, the WECC/ECP collaborated with the Minnesota Children's Museum to create a Smart Play Spot (SPS) the WER, to The Museum has been allocated funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Legacy Fund to design, develop and install interactive early literacy learning environment in White Earth, to increase school readiness opportunities for children who face the greatest educational disparities a place to visit, read and explore with hands on experience These early literacy environments provide accessible, cross-disciplinary experiences that engage the whole child and promote these critical skills. We just received an IMLS grant to start a tribal public library on the WER. It will be a 'mobile' library and we will be able to take it to the villages, with a base library here in WE, next to the SPS. The Friends, Family and Neighbor Program (FFN) provides support through home visits to relative/unlicensed child care providers for health & safety, literacy and child development information. The WECC/ECP received a small ECFE grant to work with FFN providers on the WER, to The WECC/ECP manages two child care centers (one funded by CCDF and the other funded by the Tribe), the White Earth Child Care Learning Center (infant & toddler care) and the Mahnomen Child Care Learning Center (6 weeks to 12 years) provide high quality child care to families. The WECC/ECP manages two tribal community buildings (Rice Lake & Ponsford) for independent large family group child care providers to operate their child care business for those communities, where there are no other child care services available. Early Childhood Community Initiative Program (WCIF) collaborates with multiple agencies to provide all the families within the reservation with high quality early childhood opportunities and resources. Through this initiative there have been multiple community events, partnerships and projects, such as the bi-annual resource guides, When to Be Concerned Developmental brochure, Dental Care Services, Father's Festival, Week of the Young Child event, Celebrating our Children event, School Readiness Committee, 0-3 Free creenings and the Caring for Kids Store where parents and child care providers earn points every time they attend training, parent conferences, home visits, WIC appointments, well-child checkups, etc. The collaborative partners help 'stock' the store for their clients. Points can then be turned in to purchase everything from laundry soap, educational toys, health & safety items, cribs to winter coats. Each of the events are well attended and growing every year with over 450+ parents and children. Communities Collaborative Brain Development Conference is facilitated by our Program (registration, speakers, hotel, transportation, contracts, site contract, schedule, evaluations, etc) and we work with a Planning Committee to help plan the annual Conference, that bring over 900+ parents, child care providers, head start, elementary/secondary teachers, social workers, health professionals and students together every August on the White Earth Reservation to hear the latest information on the developing child and receive take-home strategies. The Conference is going on its 14th successful year. Last year, Dr. Jack Shonkoff was one of the keynotes. Participants are from all over MN, WI, ND, SD and as far as Oklahoma. Other initiatives that our Program and our ECI partners has initiated and facilitate; the Anti-bullying Committee, Prek-Grade 3 Alignment Committee, School Readiness Subcommittee and the 0-3 free Screening project. The WECC/ECP collaborated with other agencies and the Conference to develop the White Earth Reservation Autism Support Group to provide communities with support, resources and information on Autism, due to the increased number of children being diagnosed with some form of Autism.
