Durham Childrens Initiative

DURHAM CHILDREN'S INITIATIVE PROVIDES A PIPELINE OF HIGH-QUALITY SERVICES FOR THE CHILDREN OF DURHAM. DCI DEVELOPS AND IMPLEMENTS A SYSTEMATIC CONTINUUM OF ACADEMIC, MENTORING, WORKPLACE, AND FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMS FOR DURHAM YOUTH WHICH MAXIMIZES THE USE OF RESOURCES.

PRESCHOOL: DCI OPERATES A LOW-COST, HALF-DAY, BILINGUAL PRESCHOOL (DCI LEAP ACADEMY). IN FY22, ENROLLMENT AVERAGED 15 CHILDREN. 93% OF TESTED RISING KINDERGARTENERS LEFT THE DCI LEAP ACADEMY READY FOR SUCCESS IN KINDERGARTEN AND BEYOND, AS MEASURED BY THE KINDERGARTEN OBSERVATION FORM.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT: THE MANAGER OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ALONG WITH FAMILY ADVOCATES IDENTIFIED YOUTH AGES 14+ FOR THE SUMMER WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM HAD OVER 40 PARTICIPANTS. THEY RECEIVED SUPPORT ON JOB AND WORKFORCE SKILLS TRAINING OVER A SIX WEEK PERIOD.

EARLY CHILDHOOD ACTION PLAN: AS THE BACKBONE ORGANIZATION, DCI COORDINATED AND LED A COLLECTIVE PARTNERSHIP AMONG 150 PARENTS/CAREGIVERS, EARLY CHILDHOOD PROVIDERS, COMMUNITY LEADERS AND INSTITUTIONAL LEADERS TO BECOME THE FIRST COUNTY IN NORTH CAROLINA TO CREATE AN ECAP SPECIFIC TO OUR COMMUNITY. "GROWN IN DURHAM: DURHAM'S EARLY CHILDHOOD ACTION PLAN" NOW SERVES AS A BLUEPRINT FOR STRENGTHENING THE EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEM IN DURHAM.

THE ADVOCATE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO HELP EARLY CHILDHOOD, MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS DEVELOPE CRITICAL ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL SKILLS NECESSARY FOR SCHOOL SUCCESS. DCI OFFERS A VARIETY OF SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN AGES 0-5, INCLUDING DCI EARLY CHILDHOOD PARENT ADVOCATES, CHILDCARE SUBSIDIES, KINDERGARTEN READINESS PROGRAMS, AND HOME VISITING PROGRAMS.DCI MIDDLE YEARS AND YOUNG ADULT FAMILY ADVOCATES FACILITATE THE PARENT-TEACHER-SCHOOL CONNECTION FOR FAMILIES, WITH A STRONG FOCUS ON EMPOWERING PARENTS TO BECOME EFFECTIVE ADVOCATES FOR THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS. A FAMILY YOUTH ADVOCATE ASSESSES THE NEEDS OF YOUTH AND FAMILIES, AND DEVELOPS A PERSONAL PLAN AND GOALS BASED ON THEIR NEEDS. A FAMILY YOUTH ADVOCATE CONNECTS STUDENTS AND FAMILIES TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES, PROGRAMS, PARTNERS AND SERVICES TO ENSURE YOUTH ARE ENGAGED AND PARENTS HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF STRATEGIES TO ENSURE STUDENT SUCCESS. IN FY22, DCI SERVED 845 CHILDREN/YOUNG ADULTS FROM 333 FAMILIES ENROLLED IN THE ADVOCATE PROGRAM WITH 7 DCI FAMILY ADVOCATES WORKING ALONGSIDE FAMILIES TO CONNECT THEM TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES, PROVIDE BEHAVIORAL AND EDUCATIONAL SUPPORTS, AND CREATE POSITIVE HOME ENVIRONMENTS. EARLY CHILDHOOD: DCI OFFERS A VARIETY OF SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN AGES 0-5, INCLUDING ADVOCATES; CHILDCARE SUBSIDIES; KINDERGARTEN READINESS PROGRAMS; AND HOME VISITING PROGRAMS. IN FY21, ANALYSES UTILIZING DATA FROM THE NC EDUCATION RESEARCH DATA CENTER INDICATES A ROBUST POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF EC PROGRAMS AND INVOLVEMENT WITH AN ADVOCATE PRIOR TO SCHOOL ENTRY AND PERFORMANCE ON K-2 LITERACY ASSESSMENTS (DIBELS COMPOSITE PROFICIENCY; AND TEXT READING COMPREHENSION PROFICIENCY).HOLIDAY ZONE ACTIVITIES PROVIDED WRAPPED TOYS FOR CHILDREN WHO PARTICIPATE IN THE FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAM (WITH MINOR EXCEPTIONS FOR CERTAIN PRESCHOOL PARTICIPANTS, ETC.).BASIC NEEDS SUPPORT: THE PANDEMIC HAS HAD A PARTICULARLY DEVASTATING IMPACT ON DCI FAMILIES AND CHALLENGED US TO PIVOT INTO PROVIDING GAP BASIC NEEDS TO INCLUDE FOOD, DIAPERS, AND PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT. THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS, DONATIONS, AND THIRD PARTY AGENCIES, DCI INITIATED TOUCHLESS DISTRIBUTION OF THESE ITEMS TO FAMILIES ON A REGULAR, ROUTINE BASIS. DURING FOOD DISTRIBUTION WE HAVE PROVIDED/DISTRIBUTED OVER 1,626 MEALS/PACKAGED FOOD AND DIAPERS.OUT OF SCHOOL TIME PROGRAM: STEAM SATURDAYS IS A WEEKEND ACADEMIC PROGRAM FOR YOUTH IN ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL. STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS RELATED TO SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, EDUCATION, ARTS, AND MATH TOPICS AND GO ON FIELD TRIPS. IN 2021, 53 YOUTH PARTICIPATED IN STEAM SATURDAYS. IN FY22, APPROXIMATELY 40 YOUTH PARTICIPATED. THE PROGRAM ALSO HAS A SPRING BREAK CAMP, WHERE APPROXIMATELY 20 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED.COMMUNITY AND SUMMER PROGRAMS: DCI'S COMMUNITY AND SUMMER PROGRAMS INCLUDE ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE CLASSES, BIKE AND BOOK GIVEAWAYS, AND A VARIETY OF SUMMER AND SPRING BREAK CAMPS. DCI ALSO OFFERS YEAR-ROUND OUT-OF-SCHOOL LEARNING PROGRAMS TO STUDENTS IN GRADES K-8 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VARIOUS EDUCATION PROVIDERS THROUGHOUT THE TRIANGLE. DCI ALSO ASSISTS WITH BELL CAMP WHERE DCI STAFF MONITOR BUS PICKUP & DROPOFFS, HOWEVER DUE TO CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES WITH RESPECT TO EXTREME LEARNING LOSS DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS WERE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE SUMMER PROGRAMS FOR THE COUNTY AND THEREFORE DCI DECIDED TO SUPPORT DURHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH THEIR LEARNING LOSS RECOVERY PROGRAM. ALSO, IN FY22 WE SERVED 60 YOUTH IN THE YMCA CAMPS THROUGH THE SLOTS PURCHASED BY DCI FOR THE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS. OTHER ACTIVITIES INCLUDED TUTORING SERVICES AND STORY HOUR, WHICH PROVIDES LITERACY INTERVENTIONS FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES LIVING IN THE DCI ZONE. OUR ACADEMIC COACHING PROGRAMMING SERVED 90 STUDENTS IN GRADES K-12.PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT RELATED TO BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING A PROGRAM OR SERVICE AS PART OF THE DCI PIPELINE, FOR EXAMPLE MEDICAL PROVIDERS, DURHAM COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, UNITED WAY COLLABORATIVE, HEALTH DEPARTMENT, BOOK HARVEST, ETC.COUMMUNITY OUTREACH ACTIVITIES INCLUDED DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITHIN THE DCI ZONE AND BROADER DURHAM COMMUNITY WHO ARE SUPPORTED BY DCI'S WORK OR WHO ARE OTHERWISE STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY; EX. PARENT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OUTREACH, FAITH COMMUNITY OUTREACH, MINI-GRANTS, AND PARTICIPATION IN POVERTY REDUCTION INITIATIVES.TWO GENERATION SUPPORT INCLUDES ACTIVITIES OF THE COLLABORATIVE TO BRING TOGETHER PARTNER NONPROFITS IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE SOCIOECONOMIC STABILITY, ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING, TAX PREPARATION, FINANCIAL EDUCATION, CAREER COACHING, CHILDCARE SUBSIDIES, PARENT AND COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCIL AND MORE. CHILDHOOD SAVINGS ACCOUNT ACTIVITIES RELATED TO FACILITATING FAMILIES' ABILITY TO BEGIN SAVING FUNDS FOR THEIR CHILDREN BY OPENING SAVINGS ACCOUNTS THROUGH THE SELF-HELP CREDIT UNION.