Agenda Item # 6
Columbus Consolidated Government
Council Meeting
May 30, 2006
Agenda Report # 144
TO: Mayor and Councilors
SUBJECT: Muscogee County Smart Start Collaborative
INITIATED BY: Cooperative Extension Department
Recommendation: Approval is requested to accept a grant of $24,500 from the
Muscogee County Smart Start Collaborative, ?Children, Parents and Providers
Learning Together Project?, and amend the Multi-Governmental Fund by the grant
amount. And, if the agreement between the Positive Parenting Program and the
Muscogee County Smart Start Collaborative is terminated, the balance of the
$24,500 not spent for the Learning Together Project will be returned to the
Muscogee County Smart Start Collaborative.
Background: Funds have been made available from a portion of the Early Learning
Opportunities Act Grant #90LO017101 through the Muscogee County Smart Start
Collaborative. Parenting education, training and technical assistance projects
are funded by the Muscogee County Smart Start Collaborative to (1) increase
parenting skills by providing parenting education classes, information,
support, and encouragement to parents, and (2) to increase the number of child
care providers who understand child development and use developmentally
appropriate practices, in order to improve the quality of early childhood
education programs. These programs will offer training, technical assistance
and resources (educational materials), to enable them to increase the quality
of child care they provide to children age birth to five years. This project
is congruent with research on early brain development.
Analysis: This grant will expand the capacity to deliver parenting education
classes, training and technical assistance with no cost to the participants who
are responsible for the care of children (age birth to five years), yet are
paid minimum wage. The University of Georgia will provide continuing education
units and maintain transcripts for participants for advanced training. All
other participants will have their transcripts maintained through the statewide
child care provider training registry. The University of Georgia Cooperative
Extension is a recognized leader in delivery of parenting education, high
quality training for and technical assistance to child care providers and, as a
collaborator with others who deliver training to increase capacity and
resources available. The number of infants and toddlers who are in childcare
is increasing; high quality programs have a low ratio of young children to
provider; hence, the high demand for well-trained caregivers of young
children. This project will enable: parents to participate in parenting
education sessions that provide child care and other incentives; child care
providers who increase their education levels to receive an Advanced Education
Bonus, and child care centers and homes to receive enhancement grants to help
them meet higher quality standards and achieve national accreditation. All
transactions will be conducted through the Local Government Finance System.
The grant period begins July 1, 2006 and ends June 30, 2007.
Financial Considerations: The grant is for $24,500 and will become another
component of the Positive Parenting Program. The City is required to provide
matching funds in the amount of $8,000 to participate in this grant. Another
$7,500 of the ELOA Grant targeted to this project is managed by the Muscogee
County Smart Start Collaborative. Preference is given to applicants that have
investments from at least one other source in their community.
Legal Considerations: The applicant (Positive Parenting Program) is eligible to
receive these funds.
Recommendation/Action: Authorize the Mayor to accept the $24,500 grant from the
Muscogee County Smart Start Collaborative from funds allocated by the Early
Learning Opportunities Act Grant #90LO017101, for purpose of parenting
education, training and technical assistance programming to educate parents and
child care providers, and amend the Multi-Governmental Fund by the grant
amount.
Attachments
No attachments for this document.