Early Childhood Council of the San Luis Valley

Innovation through Collaboration:

The Early Childhood Council of the San Luis Valley is an Incorporated non-profit organization. The work of this group was started in 1999 when Alamosa, Conejos, and Rio Grande Counties wrote a proposal to become a Colorado Consolidated Child Care Pilot site in Colorado stemming from the 1997 Senate Bill 97-174. The counties were granted the position and become one of 17 sites in the State. The SLV Child Care Pilot began its work as a community-based initiative to build a quality early child hood system through the collaboration of local partners.

The comprehensive goals of the pilot activities are: Program Quality and Standards; Program Availability; Parent and Family Engagement; Professional and Workforce Development; Public Engagement; Organizational Structure; Accountability; and Funding and Financing.

Our work today is with all 6 counties in the San Luis Valley and includes all 14 school districts. We work with Licensed Child Care Home Providers (and assist new providers to become licensed); Child care Centers serving infants to school age children; Head Start Programs, Colorado Preschool Programs and other license exempt programs, such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

The program began with approximately $4,000 of grant funding per year and has grown over the last 7 years to managing a budget of approximately $250,000. The funding generally comes from the Colorado Department of Education, Colorado Department of Human Services, Qualistar Early Learning, and private funders like the Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation and the Penrose / El Pomar Foundation, and then private donations.

Our work includes enhancing the quality of childcare. Training and education of teachers and parents, and coordinating local projects and services

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We provide:

• Consumer education referrals for families searching for child care services ( or seeking other resources) and keep an updated data base of all early childhood and school age services in the valley with the Qualistar Resource and Referral Project.
  

• We oversee Star Quality Ratings for centers and homes and provide dollars to increase that quality based on the rating. This program is completed under the School Readiness Program.

• This organization provides training and education for early childhood professionals such as ECE Cares Training (for Social and Behavioral Wellness), the Learning Basket Training (for Infant & Toddlers) and the mandated "Results Matter" assessments (for children with special needs and preschool students).

• We provide a full service Professional Development Program with funding for Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation. This program provides a counselor here on staff, scholarship dollars for college level classes, mileage and substitute stipends, the Colorado Early Childhood Professional Credential application process, an incentive bonus for receiving that credential, and an annual awards ceremony for the recipients.
  
• We house a Resource Lending Library for early childhood professionals and families.
  
• We not only increase quality of existing early childhood programs, but also increase the capacity, providing family's with more quality choices, with funding from the Penrose/El Pomar Foundation.
  
  The Early Childhood Council of the San Luis Valley is made up of 3 staff members, all with many years experience in the Colorado Early Childhood System. And in fact are key to having the San Luis Valley participating in the Colorado Consolidated Child Care Pilot Program! The staff has experience working with or providing licensing home child care services, building new early childhood programs, direction these programs, working and strongly collaborating with local governmental agencies and organization, as well as state level and federal level programs. There is an Executive Director, Director of Operations and Director of Professional Development.
  
  The early childhood Council Steering Committee is our advisory group. They guide our programming. As they represent a variety of family services and geographic areas, this committee communicates the needs, and direction of the implemented programs. The Steering Committee has representation from: Licensed Child Care Centers and Programs; Trinidad State Junior College; Adams State College; Department of Social Services; County Departments of Nursing; Family Literacy Programs; Board of Cooperative Services.
  
  The early Childhood Council of the San Luis Valley also has a Non-Profit Board of Directors.
  
  Colorado's emerging early childhood system is a work in progress, and coordinating and educating the multiple systems that touch the lives of children and families will take resources and time. State investment in Early Childhood must be deepened, and the publics' understanding of early childhood development as an investment in the future must be expanded. The pilot communities across the state are tackling these issues through proactive planning and intentional partnering.
  
  The benefits of building collaborative partnerships to work toward a more efficient, more accessible, and higher qualify early childhood system overall, far outweigh the potential roadblocks. " The reward is that children are well prepared for a successful educational experience and a healthy, productive life." (taken from Pilots at a Glance, May 2005).
  
  
  Alamosa Office
  609 Main St. Suite 101 Box 7
  Alamosa, CO 81101
  Phone: 719-587-5363
  Fax 719-587-5126
  
  Sherri Valdez- Executive Director
  Email: svaldez@valleykidscare.org
  
  Marci Riggenbach- Operations Director
  Email: mriggenbach@valleykidscare.org
  
  www.valleykidscare.org