CHILD DEVELOPMENT

kwoolum@nocac.org or phone 419-784-5136

Child Development Programs include:

1. Head Start
2. Gorham Fayette Public Preschool
3. Henry County Public Preschool
4. Child Care Resource & Referral
5. Publicly Funded Child Care Assistance
6. Child & Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)/-Family Day Care
7. Useful Links
   

What is Head Start?

Head Start is a Federal program for preschool children from families who meet the Federal Poverty Income guidelines and children with disabilities.  Head Start serves children from three to five years old. The Head Start program is operated locally by NOCAC.  Children who attend Head Start participate in a variety of educational and school readiness activities.  They also receive medical and dental care, have healthy meals and snacks, and enjoy playing indoors and outdoors in safe settings.  Head Start helps all children succeed. Services are offered to meet the special needs of children with disabilities. 

What can the Head Start program offer your Child?

Head Start provides children with activities that help them grow mentally, socially, emotionally, and physically.  The Head Start staff recognizes that, as parents, you are the first and most important teacher of your children. They welcome your involvement in Head Start activities and will work as partners with you to help your child progress.

Head Start staff members offer your child love, acceptance, understanding, and the opportunity to learn and to experience success.  Head Start children socialize with others, solve problems, and have many experiences which help them become self-confident.The children also improve their language skills.

The children spend time in stimulating settings where they form good habits and enjoy playing with toys and working on tasks with classmates.  Your child will leave Head Start more prepared for kindergarten, excited about learning, and ready to succeed.

Health and nutrition screenings are provided to assist your child in their growth and development.  Children in Head Start receive nutritious meals and snacks while in school.  Mental health and other services are available for children and families with special needs.  The program has many partnerships and uses community involvement to meet the educational, health, dental, and nutritional needs of your child.

Contact the Child Development Director at kwoolum@nocac.org for more information. 

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What can Head Start offer your Family?

Head Start offers you a sense of belonging, support services, and a chance to be involved in activities to help your whole family.  You can take part in training classes on many subjects such as parenting, job training, learning about health and nutrition, and using free resources in your own community.  Some parents learn the English language; others learn to read.  Head Start also offers assistance to parents interested in obtaining a high school General Equivalency Diploma (GED) or other adult education opportunities.

If you have a family member with a special problem, such as drug or alcohol abuse, job loss, or other family crisis, your family can receive help through Head Start.  Head Start staff members refer families needing help to other NOCAC programs as well as to medical, social service, or employment providers in the community.

Other opportunities include the chance to become a Head Start volunteer and learn more about child development.  This experience may later qualify you for training which can help you find employment in Head Start or elsewhere in the childcare field.

You will have the option to have a voice in the Head Start program by serving on various parent committees.  Parents’ experiences in Head Start raise self-confidence and may improve their ability to make decisions.

Three through five year old children are served in over 30 classroom sites located throughout Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Paulding, and Williams counties.  The program currently serves more than 450 children.

For more information, contact the Child Development Director at kwoolum@nocac.org

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 What is Public Preschool?

Public Preschool is an early childhood program that follows the Head Start model.  Eligibility is based on family residency within the participating school district.  NOCAC has a contract to administer this program for the Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center in Henry County and the Gorham Fayette School District in Fulton County. Funds are provided by the Ohio Department of Education. A sliding fee scale is used to determine the monthly fee paid by each family, based on household income. 

Many of the same services that are offered through Head Start are also available through Public Preschool.

What can Public Preschool offer your Family?

Public Preschool offers you a sense of belonging, support services, and a chance to be involved in activities to help your whole family.  You can take part in classes on many subjects, such as parenting, job training, learning about health and nutrition, and using free resources in your own community.  Some parents learn the English language; others learn to read.  Public Preschool also offers assistance to parents interested in obtaining a high school General Equivalency Diploma (GED) or other adult education opportunities.

If you have a family member with a special problem, such as drug or alcohol abuse, job loss, or other family crisis, your family can receive help through Public Preschool.  Public Preschool staff members refer families needing help to other NOCAC programs as well as medical, social welfare, or employment providers in the community.

Other opportunities include the chance to become a Public Preschool volunteer and learn more about child development.  This experience may later qualify you for training which can help you find employment in Public Preschool or elsewhere in the childcare field.

You will have the option to have a voice in the Public Preschool program by serving on various committees.  Parents’ experiences in Public Preschool may raise their self-confidence and can improve their ability to make decisions.

Three to five year old children are served in Fayette and Napoleon. Contact the Child Development Director at kwoolum@nocac.org for more information.                  

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Child Care Resource & Referral for Parents

NOCAC Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) staff approach helping you with childcare from two perspectives:  First, a list of available childcare in Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Paulding and Williams counties can be provided.  Childcare centers, preschools, camps, licensed and certified homes, and CACFP alternately approved homes are eligible to be on this resource registry list.  Second, CCR&R staff can assist you in locating childcare that will meet your needs.

Parents can call NOCAC and receive a list of available childcare providers in their area.  As a parent you may be asked for some basic information.  You will receive information about how to choose childcare, what questions to ask childcare providers, and other topics that may help you with your child care needs.  

For Child Care Providers

NOCAC Child Care Resource & Referral staff assist childcare providers in recruiting children for their childcare business. CCR&R staff members provide technical assistance and information on childcare business operations.   CCR&R staff train and facilitate trainings on a variety of topics related to Child Development.  Childcare providers, parents, and employers are encouraged to contact NOCAC to find out about the latest trainings in this area.  Topics of trainings may be Literacy, TV and Your Child, Behavior and Guidance, First Aid/CPR, or How to find Child Care, among others.

For more information, contact us at hkeween@nocac.org

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Publicly Funded Child Care 

 Publicly funded childcare offers services to parents and childcare providers in Fulton, Williams and Defiance counties.  Only a licensed or certified childcare provider who meets Ohio Day Care Licensing regulations can provide publicly funded childcare services. 

For Parents

Eligible parents from Defiance, Fulton, and Williams counties can receive assistance in locating and paying for childcare for their children from birth to 13 years of age.  Parents must be working and/or going to school, and meet income eligibility criteria. Depending on income, a fee may be charged, based on a sliding fee scale.  Childcare services can only be provided by a licensed or certified childcare provider who meets Ohio Day Care Licensing regulations. 

For Child Care Providers

NOCAC assists potential childcare providers in becoming Type B certified childcare providers.  NOCAC staff go through the entire certification process with each provider.  Once completed, childcare providers can receive payment for the care of eligible children.  Training for childcare providers is also provided. 

Funding is provided by the Ohio Department of Jobs & Family Services through local contracts with the Defiance, Fulton, and Williams County Departments of Job & Family Services. For more information, contact us at hkeween@nocac.org

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Child & Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)-Family Day Care

The Child & Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)-Family Day Care provides reimbursement to family childcare providers for meals and snacks served that meet USDA dietary guidelines for children ages 0-12 years that are being cared for in the provider’s home.  Training is provided and required for childcare providers. Homes are monitored several times a year by NOCAC staff. Reimbursement to the childcare provider is dependent on the income eligibility of the family of the child in their care. This program is funded through the Ohio Department of Education and the USDA.

Phone: 419-784-5136, or email hkeween@nocac.org.

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Links to Head Start Sites

http://www.nhsa.org/  National Head Start Association

http://www.headstartinfo.org/  Head Start Bureau

Links to Other Useful Sites             

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• OACAA Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies
• Child Care Bureau Information on the Child Care and Development Block Grant, links to other Administration for Children and Families sites and other information within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with links to other related child care sites.
• Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Information on the refundable Federal tax credit for eligible individuals and families based on income guidelines.

   

Early Childhood Education Sites 

• Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children
• National Association for the Education of Young Children
• Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Association

State Government Sites 

• Ohio Department of Education
• Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
• Ohio Department of Health
• The Ohio General Assembly on line  Locate legislators /information about current legislation

Program Resources Sites 

• Ohio Community Development Finance Fund  A private, nonprofit corporation which serves locally created and controlled community based development organizations across Ohio. In order to improve the quality of life, the Fund mobilizes private and public financial resources and creates or facilitates new programs to strengthen and support these groups.
• School Transportation News This site is devoted to the subject of Head Start transportation services.  It is sponsored by a family of companies serving the field of school transportation.

Parent Education Sites 

• The WonderWise Parent "Caring for Children by Caring About Their Parents" A place to learn about parent-child relationships - has on-line courses to complete (for both credit and noncredit), publications to view, and sections devoted to humor and children in the news.

Legislation and Policy Sites

• Thomas Legislative Search Full-text of all federal legislation proposed in the House or Senate is included on this site and can be searched by keyword, short or long title on legislative topic. The site also has links to Congressional web sites and to other sites in the Federal government that have legislative information.
• Fed World Information Network This site lists recent government reports and lets the user search government information by keywords.
• Library of Congress' State and Local Government Resource Page Lists indexes of state and local sources of information on the World Wide Web and provides maps of every state. Also links to other Library of Congress information resources and to other government sites.
• Federal Register online
• Official Government Site for the State of Ohio Includes links to government agencies, information about legislators and Ohio legislative district maps.
• The Urban Institute The Urban Institute is a nonprofit policy research organization that investigates the social and economic problems confronting the nation and government policies and public and private programs designed to alleviate them.

American Public Human Services Association Current federal information about Welfare Reform

Child and Family Advocacy Sites 

• KidsOhio.org is a new Ohio-led, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that will work to improve the lives and education of Ohio’s nearly three million children, especially disadvantaged youngsters. The new statewide organization, based in Columbus, will advocate on a range of children’s issues, including health, early childhood education and a special emphasis on improving public education for Ohio’s children.
• Child Trends, Inc. Child Trends, Inc. is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization that studies children, youth and families through research, data collection and data analysis.
• Center for the Future of Children
• Children's Defense Fund
• Consumer Product Safety Commission
• National Center for Children in Poverty
• Child Welfare Information Gateway

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