In collaboration with many organizations, an early childhood resource guide was recently created and distributed. The goal of the guide is to improve the promotion, prevention, transition and treatment for children and families by:
• Promoting early intervention
• Helping community partners make appropriate referrals
• Listing available services/resources
• Highlighting age requirements and age transition points
• Emphasizing program collaboration and coordination (blending-braiding-transitioning-seamless-uninterrupted)
This project was made possible by the following organizations:
• Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Grant (ECCS grant through DPH, MCH Division)
• Kentucky Partnership for Families and Children, Inc. (KPFC)
• Kentucky’s System to Enhance Early Development (KY SEED)
It was developed in conjunction with Kentucky Partnership for Family and Children, Inc.; Early Childhood Family Support Network Committee; the Department of Public Health, Division of Maternal and Child Health; the Kentucky Head Start Collaboration Office; the Department for Community Based Services, Division of Child Care; the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental & Intellectual Disabilities; and the Kentucky Department of Education, Office of Next Generation Learners.
Key information about the EC Guide:
Family Driven: to emphasize and encourage family involvement with all systems providing services to children and families in order to strengthen the parent’s role as an advocate and primary decision-maker for their child’s continued growth and development.
Purpose: to help service providers and families refer young children to appropriate programs and community services that are designed to support families with children from the prenatal stage through age five.
Vision: to improve the integration of medical, educational, social-emotional and developmental services for families while emphasizing the need for family involvement and family-driven care.
Using the Early Childhood Resource Guide
Page 1 highlights some of the primary early childhood programs and services by segments.
Page 2 provides information on other state and national programs serving children and families.
There are eight categories across the first page, beginning with family, then medical, and then moving across the early childhood lifespan. Six primary statewide early childhood services (with the exception of Early Head Start) are included on the first page.
The guide is color coordinated in order to highlight linkages between early childhood services. For example, the gold color denoting the medical category is a possible referral source under other categories
Finally, one of the aims of this guide is for families and service providers to discover the local contact information in their area. On the far right hand side of the second page of this document, space is provided to document local contact information.
If you’d like to receive poster size copies (for a nominal printing fee), contact our office.
