11
2007 Annual Report commitment building on our
2007 Annual Report
commitment
building on our
COMMISSIONERS
Jimmy DimoraTimothy F. HaganPeter Lawson Jones
Invest in Children brings parents, families and the entire community together to make sure children enter kindergarten healthy, happy and ready to learn. We are making a big difference by building a stronger future for our community.
Office of Early Childhood 310 W. Lakeside Avenue Suite 565 Cleveland OH 44113 216.698.2215www.investinchildren.us
Jimmy Dimora Cuyahoga County Commissioner
Tim Hagan Cuyahoga County Commissioner
Peter Lawson Jones Cuyahoga County Commissioner
Co-Chair
Leslie D. Dunn Co-Chair
Mission To mobilize resources and energy to ensure the well-being
of all young children in Cuyahoga County, provide supportive
services to parents and caregivers, and build awareness,
momentum, and advocacy in the community around children
and family issues.
Vision All children in Cuyahoga County will reach their full potential,
nurtured by families sensitive to their needs and supported
by a community committed to their success.
Table of Contents
2 Partnership Committee, Lead Agencies, Executive Committee, Funders and Staff
4 Effective Parents & Families
6 Safe & Healthy Children
8 Children Prepared for School
12 Community Committed to Children
14 Progress in Reaching Our Goals
16 Highlights from 2007
17 Financial Report
A MessageFROM THE BOaRD OF CuyaHOga COuNTy COMMISSIONERS aND INVEST IN CHILDREN CO-CHaIRS
Since 1999, Invest in Children (IIC) has coalesced government officials, philanthropic
funders, civic leaders, service providers and families in a coordinated, community-wide
initiative aimed at providing all children with the best possible start in life. Now serving
over 65,000 children and their families each year, IIC is consistently recognized as one
of the most effective early childhood programs in the country. Our investment last year
of nearly $23 million demonstrates a genuine commitment to the initiative’s ultimate
goal of preparing children for school.
Invest in Children has a rich history of implementing and expanding services to meet
community needs. Home visitation is the cornerstone of much of what the agency
does. Since IIC’s advent, the newborn home visitation program has delivered registered
nurses to the residences of over 85% of the infants born to first-time parents and parents
under age 25 in the county. An additional 3,500 families last year alone were reached
through IIC’s prenatal home visitation service, which has been instituted within the last
several years to ensure both that the number of mothers receiving adequate prenatal
care continues to rise even higher than the current level of nearly 79% and that the
number of mothers not receiving prenatal care continues to drop.
Over 2,000 child care providers in both centers and homes throughout the county
are actively “stepping up” to quality by taking advantage of IIC-sponsored professional
development opportunities. In addition, Cuyahoga County made an unparalleled
commitment to early care and education by implementing a pilot Universal
Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) program in 2007. Working through existing initiatives, UPK is
making quality early learning programs accessible and affordable to 1,000 children
and their families.
We have made significant progress since the inception of Invest in Children, but we
know we must do even more to fulfill our mission of ensuring that all children enter
kindergarten healthy, well cared for and prepared to learn. We must engage new
partners and new champions. Therefore, we are eager to reach our neighbors in
Cleveland’s corporate community as well as potential media partners to make certain
that everyone in our entire region – not just parents and caregivers – is aware of the
pressing need to promote early childhood as a true community ethic that embraces
our youngest citizens and supports their healthy development.
We look forward to working with all of you – whether you have been with us since the
beginning or are hearing our call for the first time – so that together we can build even
further on this commitment.
1
FundersBoard of County CommissionersState of OhioGovernor Ted Strickland The Abington FoundationThe Eva L. and Joseph M. Bruening FoundationThe Cleveland ClearingHouse AssociationThe Cleveland Foundation*The George Codrington Charitable AssociationFlorence Crittenton Services FundDeaconess Community FoundationEaton Corporation*The George Gund Foundation*The Hershey Foundation*Initiatives in Urban Education FoundationMount Sinai Health Care Foundation*The Reinberger FoundationRPM, Inc.*Saint Ann FoundationSaint Luke’s Foundation*The Sherwick Fund*Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland*The Billie Howland Steffee Family Fund*The Treu-Mart Fund*The TRW FoundationUnited Way Services*Verizon FoundationThe Raymond John Wean Foundation*The Thomas H. White Foundation
The Woodruff Foundation
Maria Pujana, M.D. The Cleveland Foundation
Ilana Horowitz Ratner Integrated Visions
Ron Rice RPM International, Inc.
Reverend Stephen Rowan Bethany Baptist Church
Art Treuhaft The Treu-Mart Fund
Jane Wiechel Ohio Department of Education
Fred Williams Ohio Department of Job & Family Services
Rabbi Richard Block Temple Tifereth Israel
Darnell Brown Cuyahoga County Board of MR/DD
Geraldine Burns St. Luke’s Foundation
Patti DePompei Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital
Barry Doggett Eaton Corporation
Mark Freeman, Ph.D. Shaker Heights City School District
Mayor Marcia Fudge City of Warrensville Heights
Mareyjoyce Green, Ph.D. Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland
Edward O. Handy III Charter One Bank
Anne Harnish Ohio Department of Health
Mayor Frank G. Jackson City of Cleveland
Catherine M. Kilbane United Way of Greater Cleveland
Cathy Lewis The George Gund Foundation
Adelbert Marous, Jr. Marous Brothers Construction
J. Thomas Mullen Catholic Charities Services Corporation
Shannon Phillips, M.D. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Invest in Children partners with the following lead agencies and organizations to deliver services and support to children and their families:
Cuyahoga County Employment & Family Services
Cleveland Department of Public Health
Cuyahoga County Board of Health
Cuyahoga County Community Mental Health Board
Help Me Grow
Starting Point
* Awards made in 2005-2007
Gabriella Celeste Director
Michelle Katona Director Through September 2007
Marie Barni Program Manager Through November 2007
Anju Goins Program Manager
Magda Gomez Communications Manager
Tracy Jackson Administrative Assistant
Helen McCoy Fiscal Manager
Nakiaa Robinson Program Manager
Jill Smialek Program Officer
Robert O. Staib Evaluation Manager
2007 Partnership Committee
Terry Allan Cuyahoga County Board of Health
Lisa Bottoms The Cleveland Foundation
Matthew Carroll City of Cleveland Department of Public Health
Harry Eastridge, Ph.D. Educational Service Center of Cuyahoga County
Marcia Egbert The Gund Foundation
Robert Fischer, Ph.D. Case Western Reserve University
Christine Fox Cuyahoga County Employment & Family Services
Joseph Gauntner Cuyahoga County Employment & Family Services
Valeria Harper Cuyahoga County Community Mental Health Board
Sandra Holt Cuyahoga County Department of Children & Family Services
Rhonda Jeter Cuyahoga County Community Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities
Michelle Katona Cuyahoga County Office of Early Childhood
Melissa Manos Help Me Grow of Cuyahoga County
Robin R. Martin Family & Children First Council
Lisa Matthews City of Cleveland Department of Public Health
James McCafferty Cuyahoga County Department of Children & Family Services
Billie Osborne Fears Starting Point
Richard Werner Cuyahoga County Office of Health and Human Services
Office of Early Childhood
Invest in Children Executive CommitteeLead Agencies
2 3
Finding more children sooner:
Since the inception of Invest in Children,
the number of special needs children
who were identified and began
receiving services
before six months
has doubled.
“I’ve realized that one of the most difficult jobs is raising children, and I am
truly thankful for MomsFirst and all their guidance throughout this journey.”
Sarah Correa and her three girls Lai’lani Marie [4 years old], Britney Lynne and alana Olivia [14 months]
1Effective Parents & Families
G O A L
Help Me Grow
www.helpmegrow.org
MomsFirst
www.clevelandhealth.org
Cuyahoga County Community Mental Health Board
www.cccmhb.org www.networkofcare.org
partnerships
Prenatal Home Visiting Services There is no better start for any child than a healthy
pregnancy. Help Me Grow (HMG), MomsFirst
(MF), and the Ohio Infant Mortality Reduction
Initiative (OIMRI) offer prenatal home visits that
provide support and information to expectant
parents at risk for unhealthy birth outcomes. MF
provides services in the City of Cleveland, OIMRI
serves East Cleveland and Warrensville Heights, and
HMG serves families in the balance of the county.
MF and OIMRI provide prenatal services to families
until the child reaches 10 months, at which time they
begin a transition process to HMG for continued
services until the child turns three. However, if
during the developmental screening (at the 4th and
8th months), a possible disability or delay is identified,
a child will be immediately referred to HMG. In
2004, approximately 44% of all births were classified
as unhealthy using the Healthy Birth Index, a standard
index that combines information on prenatal care
and birth outcomes. The home visitor partners with
the family to provide information about childbirth
and the new baby as well as education on preventive
health, including ensuring the family has a primary
care physician. Care coordination, linkages to
community resources and ongoing support are also
provided to families throughout the perinatal period.
Newborn Home Visiting Services There’s an old adage that every parent discovers:
Babies don’t come with instructions. To address this
reality, a single in-home visit by a registered nurse is
offered to all first-time parents and other parents up to
the age of 25. The newborn home visit, administered
by HMG, addresses health, child development and
parenting concerns. This service is provided through
the 10 birthing hospitals within Cuyahoga County
and occurs shortly after the family comes home after
the baby is born. The benefits of a newborn home
visit include: 1) early identification of health issues,
involving either mother or child; 2) linking families
to community resources and services; and 3) early
identification and referral to HMG ongoing services
of children with a diagnosed or suspected delay or
disability, or at risk of developmental delay. Newborn
home visits are voluntary. However, only a small
proportion – approximately 12% – refuse the visit.
Ongoing Home Visiting Services Ongoing home visiting services are provided to
families of children up to age three who are at risk
for developmental delay; that is, they have at least
four of 20 risk factors established by the Ohio
Department of Health, and to families with
children who have been diagnosed with a
developmental delay or disability. Through the
ongoing home visiting services – administered
by HMG and provided by community-based
agencies – families work with a Service
Coordinator who assists them in developing
an Individualized Family Service Plan
(IFSP). The plan identifies resources and
other supportive services, and sets goals
and achievable timelines for the family.
The Service Coordinator also conducts
periodic developmental screenings on
children, provides parenting information,
and ensures a family has a medical
home, and other necessary services.
Other specialized services include
speech and physical therapy
for children who experience a
developmental delay or disability,
and literacy home visiting services.
Early Childhood Mental HealthThrough the Early Childhood Mental Health (ECMH) program, administered by the Cuyahoga County Community Mental Health Board, very young children experiencing a serious social or emotional disturbance can receive preventative, relationship-based treatment services. Increasingly, IIC agencies such as Help Me Grow and MomsFirst, child care providers and physicians are routinely conducting social and emotional developmental assessments on children under three. When these assessments identify a concern, the family is referred to one of the ECMH agencies in this program. Available services encompass a continuum of approaches in working with young children and their families including the promotion of healthy social and emotional development, the prevention and early intervention of mental health difficulties and the treatment of mental health conditions among very young children in the context of their families.
building on big partnerships to promote families
54
2
“I have the peace of mind that my sons can play in their room safely, and received educational materials that
explain what to look for in the future in a home and in my children to determine if they have lead poisoning.”
Felicia Washington and her husband have two boys Donavan [11 months], Desmond [3 years old]
steps
Cleveland Department of Public Health
www.clevelandhealth.org
Cuyahoga County Board of Health
www.ccbh.net
Employment & Family Services
www.employment.cuyahogacounty.us
Safe & Healthy Children
G O A L
Primary Lead
Poisoning PreventionChildren who had elevated lead levels in
their blood as infants and toddlers are at high risk
for decreased reading abilities and school performance,
reduced attention span, and an increase in aggressive
behavior as they get older. The Primary Lead Poisoning Prevention
program, administered by the Cuyahoga County Board of Health
in partnership with the City of Cleveland Department of
Public Health, is an innovative effort to protect newborns from
exposure to lead. In contrast to traditional approaches, this project
identifies newborns in homes where lead risks are present. The
household is subjected to a low-cost lead hazards reduction
intervention. The family is then visited six months and 12 months
post-remediation to monitor lead levels both in the child
and in the home. The effectiveness of this approach is
being tested here for broader applicability on
a community-wide basis.
Dramatic decline, continuing challenge:
The proportion of children in Cuyahoga County
with elevated blood-lead levels has
fallen substantially over the past
several years. Nevertheless,
in 2006
over 4,400
children
had
blood-lead levels
associated
with learning
and behavior
problems.
HealthyStart and Other MedicaidChildren without medical insurance are more likely
to be sick as newborns, less likely to be immunized
as preschoolers, or to receive medical treatment
for injuries. Undiagnosed and untreated medical
conditions can result in long-term health and
learning problems. Low-income and working
families can qualify for government-funded medical
insurance (HealthyStart or other Medicaid) that
provides comprehensive coverage, including
doctor appointments, well child visits, prescription
drugs, and dental and vision care, which may
alleviate the likelihood of future concerns that
often occur without coverage. In partnership with
IIC, Employment & Family Services (EFS), the
County agency that administers the Medicaid and
HealthyStart programs, conducts an aggressive
marketing campaign to promote the availability of
these programs. The campaign consists of
billboards, radio, print, television, and transit
advertising, kiosks in underserved neighborhoods,
and targeted mailings. Interested families can
also apply for HealthyStart online or via a
community hotline.
Medical HomeThe second requirement necessary to ensure
access to health services is a Medical Home for
families – the one common place for a child’s
health care. Invest in Children’s Medical Home
initiative entails an array of provider and family
tools, including messaging materials and
family partnership agreements,
to assist families in creating
and utilizing their
Medical Home in
order to promote the
timely receipt of
preventive health
care for their
children.
taking big steps to protect children’s health
76
“It is truly an honor to be recognized by Cuyahoga County as one of the programs to be given the designation of Universal Pre-Kindergarten, and be recognized as offering quality care and education
to our youngest citizens within a Family Child Care setting.”
Starting Point
www.starting-point.org
3Children Prepared for School
G O A L
drive
Cassandra (Sandy) Rene Thompson, Family Child Care Home Provider and uPK Site
“As a public preschool, we are happy to receive help
through the Universal Pre-Kindergarten program to
enhance our instruction and provide the necessary tools to ensure our children are receiving the best
education possible.”
Kaia abdur-Rasheed, Teacher, Tremont Montessori School
More than ever, parents are seeing
the value of high-quality early
care and education. The proportion
of children 0 - 6 in some form
of regulated
child care has
grown steadily
from 26% in
1996 to 46.1%
in 2006.
Acknowledging that a high-quality early care and
education system for young children and their
families is key to shaping both school readiness and
later success in life, IIC launched the first phase of
a voluntary, high-quality, comprehensive Universal
Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) program. Twenty-four
selected sites represent a variety of programs and
are located throughout the county in both urban
and suburban locations. Capitalizing on our success
in increasing the capacity of the early care and
education system in Cuyahoga County, additional
efforts are underway to build the quality of
programs that serve our youngest citizens, increase
families’ access to those programs, and provide a
smooth transition to kindergarten.
uPK Involves Families UPK programs work with parents to ensure that
families have a voice. All UPK programs develop
Action Teams with families in order to work
together as partners in promoting the development
of the children in the programs and to ensure
that parents and caregivers are able to be active
participants in their children’s education
experience. Programs also receive training
regarding community resources and services, and
feel confident in guiding families to appropriate
sources of assistance.
uPK Is affordable Families whose incomes exceed the limit to
receive the state child care subsidy, but
cannot afford a quality child care program,
receive scholarships to attend UPK programs.
Families who lose eligibility for their state subsidy
receive scholarships in order to be able to maintain
their child in his/her preschool program. This
has made it possible for new families to enroll their
children in quality programs and has improved
stability for families with children currently enrolled.
uPK Is High-Quality Building on the investments made to Cuyahoga
County’s early childhood system, IIC ensures that
UPK providers have all of the tools necessary to
provide quality experiences. Programs receive
resources that allow reductions in classroom sizes
for more individualized instruction. Programs
are able to upgrade and provide equipment
and classroom supplies. Teachers have
opportunities to advance their
qualifications through professional
development and college
coursework. Children benefit
by being able to engage
in meaningful activities
and experiences.
a big drive for universal pre-kindergarten
98
Professional Development for Family Child Care Homes As part of the effort to increase access and improve
quality, the Family Child Care Home (FCCH)
Regional System was created in 1997. The System,
administered by Starting Point which, in turn,
contracts with three agencies that serve as regional
managers, focuses on enhancing the quality of care
by giving FCCH providers the opportunity to create
individualized training plans. These plans can include
training, technical assistance and the opportunity
to pursue a credential or degree in early care and
education. FCCH providers that meet advanced
standards for quality receive the Care for Kids Gold
Seal. In 2007, 127 providers received the Gold Seal.
Professional Development for Child Care Centers Building on the success of the FCCH Regional
System, the Early Care and Education Professional
Development System provides training, technical
assistance, and continuing education that
incorporates a professional development career
pathway for center-based instructional staff. This
program is administered by Starting Point, which
contracts with community-based trainers, Cuyahoga
Community College, and Cleveland State University.
This program supports both teachers and directors
of licensed child care centers working toward
advanced credentials.
Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.a.C.H.) The T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Ohio program
provides scholarships to teachers and FCCH providers
to earn degrees and credentials in Early Childhood
Education. T.E.A.C.H. addresses three major issues
in the early care and education field: education,
compensation and turnover. According to this design,
higher education provides the basis for higher
salaries, which reduce turnover of classroom teachers
leading to an increase in quality. The T.E.A.C.H.
program provides scholarships and bonuses for
educators to complete a Child Development
Associate (CDA) credential, Associate’s Degree or
Bachelor’s Degree at Cuyahoga Community
College and Cleveland State University. Starting
Point, the Child Care Resource and Referral
Agency for Cuyahoga County, contracts with the
Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Association
to administer T.E.A.C.H.
Special Needs Child Care Since 1996, Cuyahoga County has had in place a
Special Needs Child Care (SNCC) program to assist
parents and child care sites in caring for children
with special needs, including severe behavioral
problems. Administered by Starting Point, the goals
of the program are to: 1) increase the number of
providers who can care for children with special
needs; 2) increase access to special needs child care;
and 3) provide child care providers with the
resources, knowledge and support to effectively care
for children with special needs. Through the SNCC
program, providers – both child care centers and
FCCH – receive technical assistance, training, and
special equipment. These services are provided by
seven community-based agencies with expertise and
experience in this discipline. The program has
available a rapid response team that will dispatch
trained instructors – the same day – to assist in caring
for a child. The program also provides options and
resources for parents seeking care for their children
with special needs.
...and a big commitment to teachers and caregivers
commitment “Our teachers are benefiting from the professional development and
receiving their advanced degrees in Early Childhood Education.”
Marilyn Hallenburg, Director, Lakewood Baptist Childhood Development Center
1110
Upon launching the Community Awareness
and Mobilization Campaign on June 11, 2007,
Invest in Children (IIC) worked with Adcom
Communications to increase the visibility of the
programs and services available to families,
caregivers and providers through television and
radio spots, outdoor and print advertising and a
complete system of brochures and information
packets targeted to parents, providers and
supporters of IIC.
The IIC Our Brand booklet was distributed to
all Cuyahoga County employees, IIC lead agency
directors, staff and community service providers,
to ensure we are all speaking the same language,
and understand the role we all play in changing the
future of Cuyahoga County by helping to give our
youngest children the best possible start in life.
As part of the Community Mobilization Plan,
Invest in Children successfully engaged:
Cuyahoga County Faith-Based Leaders•
On November 1st, IIC convened over 75
faith-based leaders of all denominations. The
event outlined the mission of IIC and allowed
the leaders to complete a checklist of ways to
support and embrace IIC, including inviting
IIC to make presentations to members of each
organization, and sharing information and
materials to their congregations.
The Public Sector in Cuyahoga County•
Presentations about IIC were made at the
Mayors and Managers Association meetings in
June and September. As part of the presentation,
IIC provided each mayor with a municipal fact
sheet providing statistical data that shows the
number of young children and families served
in each city, in comparison with the entire
county. The data also includes the number of
children enrolled in child care and the number
of regulated child care centers.
The Medical Community •at MetroHealth’s Neighborhood Centers IIC met with all of the MetroHealth
Neighborhood Centers throughout Cuyahoga
County. Presentations were made about programs
and services to each center’s doctors, nurses,
and social workers on staff so that they may be
better informed, provide information to families
and make patient referrals as needed.
Business Community Outreach and Media Sector Outreach are underway and IIC is working
with Brown Flynn and Adcom Communications on
marketing tactics, targeted to a general audience. In
addition, there will be a concerted effort to engage
the media in helping to promote the importance of
IIC programs and services in our community.
4Community Committed to Children
G O A L
“As we mobilize our considerable talents and resources to promote regional economic development,
the importance of prioritizing early childhood development cannot be overstated. Investing in it will
pay the highest dividends of all.”Fred Nance
Regional Managing Partner, Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, L.L.P. and Chairman, greater Cleveland Partnership
big dividends for the entire community
How you can help make a big difference.First graders who are behind in reading have only a one in eight chance of ever catching up. Invest in Children
strives to ensure that all of our children have the experiences they need to be ready for school. Now is the time to get involved — to make our region more competitive in the global marketplace by ensuring that all young children acquire the knowledge
and skills that lead to productive and satisfying lives. Here are just a few ways for you and your organization to take action:
• Be informed about early childhood investments and opportunities
• Share information and materials about the benefits and programs supporting early care and education with the people at your organization
• Talk to your elected officials about supporting policy and investments in early childhood programs
• Speak about the importance of early childhood programs through letters to the editor and other public media forums
• Consider financial support or other sponsorships
dividends
A Call to Action
A Call to Action
Invest in Children is working to raise early
childhood as a top civic priority, providing a
call to action for individuals
and organizations, enlisting them
as partners to ensure
children grow up healthy,
happy and ready
to learn.
1312
Prenatal ServicesHome Visits Providing Parenting
and Health Educationfor Expectant and New Parents
[ FAMILIES SERVED ]
Actual 2,924
Goal 3,340
Goal 3,200Actual 3,474
2006
2007
2008
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500
Newborn Home Visit A Single In-Home Visit by a
Registered Nurse to First-Time Parents ofAny Age and All Parents Up To Age 25
[ FAMILIES SERVED ]
Actual 7,317
Goal 8,204
Goal 8,204Actual 7,405
2006
2007
2008
0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000
Early ChildhoodMental Health
Preventative and Relationship-BasedTreatment Services for Children
Under Three with Social EmotionalConcerns and Their Families
[ CHILDREN RECEIVING SERVICES ]
Actual 344
Goal 428
Goal 428Actual 360
2006
2007
2008
0 100 200 300 400 500
Ongoing Home Visiting &Service Coordination
Parenting Education andDevelopmental Screenings
[ FAMILIES SERVED ]
Actual 6,524
Goal 6,265
Goal 6,185Actual 6,888
2006
2007
2008
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000
Early Literacy Early Literacy Home Visits and
Community-Based Activities
[ CHILDREN PARTICIPATING ]
Actual 4,532
Goal 6,480
Goal 5,916Actual 19,426*
2006
2007
2008
0 2,500 5,000 7,500 10,000 12,500 15,000 17,500 20,000
* duplicated count
T.E.A.C.H. Stipends and Scholarships to Child Care Providers
Working Toward an Associate’s Degree
[ INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATING DURING THE YEAR ]
Actual 207
Goal 229
Goal 215Actual 193
2006
2007
2008
0 100 200 300 400 500
Special Needs Child Care Improving Care on Behalf of
Children with Special Needs
[ CHILDREN SERVED ]
Actual 1,133
Goal 1,228
Goal 1,150Actual 1,208
2006
2007
2008
0 1,000750250 500 1,250
Family Child Care HomesProviders Receiving Technical Assistance
and Training[ PROVIDERS PARTICIPATING IN AT
LEAST ONE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTOPPORTUNITY DURING THE YEAR ]
Actual 1,540
Goal 1,500
Goal 1,500Actual 1,845
2006
2007
2008
0 1,6001,5001,4001,300 1,8001,200 1,700 1,900
Centers Involved inProfessional Development
Training, Technical Assistance and Step-Up-To-Quality
[ CENTERS PARTICIPATING IN ATLEAST ONE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
OPPORTUNITY DURING THE YEAR ]
Actual 287
Goal 245
Goal 300Actual 312
2006
2007
2008
0 100 200 300 400 500
Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK)[ CHILDREN ENROLLED FOR SOME PORTION
OF THE SCHOOL YEAR ]
2007
2008 Goal 1,000
Goal 1,000Actual 1,038
0 1,000750250 500 1,250
HealthyStart / Other MedicaidHealth Insurance Coverage for Children of
Low-Income and Working Families
[ CHILDREN COVERED FOR SOME PORTION OF THE YEAR ]
Actual 59,277
Goal 61,500
Goal 61,000Actual 59,555
2006
2007
2008
0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000
Primary Lead Poisoning PreventionDemonstration Project
Testing the Effectiveness of aLow-Cost Lead Hazards Reduction Intervention
[ FAMILIES PARTICIPATING ]
Actual 36
Goal 75*
Goal 75Actual 71
2006
2007
2008
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
* the goal for 2008 is to conduct follow-up visits to all 75 families enrolled
3 Children Prepared for School
G O A L
2Safe & Healthy Children
G O A L
1 Effective Parents & Families
G O A L
Progress in Reaching Our GoalsInvest in Children collects regular performance measures
and uses them to monitor and manage its programs. Each year, working with the lead agencies, annual goals are set for each program strategy. In this section we present an
end-of-the-year roundup of key program indicators.
1514
1999-2007 Financial StatementIn its first eight years of operation, IIC’s consolidated budget totaled over $136 million, of which 86% would come from
county, state and federal resources. This included funding from the Ohio Department of Health, the Ohio Department
of Job & Family Services, grant awards from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and the U.S.
Department of Education, and county dollars through proceeds from the Health & Human Services levy. By the end of
2007, IIC’s actual expenditures were $119.4 million and government funders have supported 87% or $103.9 million
of this total. Additionally, during the first eight years of operation, 26 private and philanthropic funders have committed $18.5
million and financed the remaining 13% or $15.5 million of IIC’s actual expenditures. July 1999 through December 31, 2007, in Dollars Actual Expenditures and Revenue
Total
Total
Programs & Services
Total government Philanthropic
Effective Parents & Families $72,059,035 $71,759,035 $300,000
Safe & Healthy Children $888,241
$757,377 $130,864
Children Prepared for School $34,951,652 $27,369,249 $7,582,403
Evaluation & Communication $7,405,527 $1,181,441 $6,224,086
Operations
$4,191,367 $2,927,449 $1,263,918
Total Expenditures $119,495,822 ** $103,994,551 $15,501,271
** Unaudited
2007 Financial StatementInvest in Children’s (IIC) actual expenditures totaled $22.1 million in 2007. Of this total, 92% came from county,
state and federal resources. This included allocations from the Ohio Department of Health, the Ohio Department of
Job & Family Services, grant funding from the U.S. Department of Education, and county dollars through proceeds
from the Health & Human Services levy. In addition, 10 private and philanthropic funders contributed in excess of
$1.7 million or the remaining 8% of IIC’s operational expenses. January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2007, in Dollars
Actual Expenditures and Revenue
Total
Total
Programs & Services
Total government Philanthropic
Effective Parents & Families $12,058,855 $11,758,855 $300,000
Safe & Healthy Children $372,629
$372,629 $0
Children Prepared for School $7,358,515 $6,833,957 $524,558
Evaluation & Communication $1,554,906 $574,834 $980,072
Operations
$802,777 $802,777
$0
Total Expenditures $22,147,682** $20,343,052 $1,804,630
** Unaudited
Hightlights from 2007
Celebrating Invest in Children Week 2007 Invest in Children Week, May 31-June 9, was filled with activities and events for the entire early childhood community:
• On May 31st, a reception was held with members of the IIC Partnership Committee to welcome Arthur Rolnick, Senior Vice President and Director of Research of The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Mr. Rolnick has published widely on the economic benefits of investing in programs for young children.
• The annual meeting took place on June 4th, at the Wolstein Center at Cleveland State University with the theme, “Big Things are Happening,” and celebrated the launch of the IIC Community Awareness and Mobilization Campaign.
• On June 6th-8th, ZERO TO THREE and IIC co-hosted “In Our Own Backyards: Local Initiatives that Change Young Children’s Lives,” a national policy summit on early childhood system building in communities. Representatives of 50 community initiatives from 25 states, as well as members of federal, state and local governments worked together to formulate recommendations to spark early childhood system building. A report is available at www.zerotothree.org.
• The week culminated on June 9th at Parade the Circle with a flower-making activity for children and distribution of IIC’s new marketing materials.
Health and Human Services Levy PassesVoters in Cuyahoga County demonstrated overwhelming support for a 4.8 mill replacement and reduction levy that will generate an additional $18.6 million annually
beginning in 2009 to help ensure the continuation of vitally important services. Some of
the supported programs include Invest in Children, child welfare,
foster care, adoption, and health and development
services for children and their families.
IIC Evaluation Team Hard at WorkInvest in Children’s evaluation team, led by Claudia Coulton and Rob Fischer at CWRU’s Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, provided strong support to our efforts in 2007. In September, the team released the annual Child Well-Being and Child Tracking update. This study examines both the scope and reach of IIC’s program strategies and also looks at the impact these programs have on a select group of early childhood social and health indicators. Also in early 2008, our evaluators released the Cuyahoga County Child Care Quality Study, which assessed the quality of both center-based and family home-based child care. Both studies are available at: http://povertycenter.case.edu. Evaluation research on a number of IIC’s specific program strategies also began in 2007, including Prenatal Home Visiting, Early Childhood Mental Health, HealthyStart Outreach and Enrollment, and Primary Lead Poisoning Prevention. Final reports on a number of these studies will become available at the end of 2008. The team also had two recent papers on IIC-based research published in refereed journals – one based on the child tracking study in Evaluation & Program Planning, and a second on the child care capacity study in Child & Youth Care Forum.
Invest in Children Forms Media PartnershipsInvest in Children worked with Fox 8 to produce a 30-minute segment for a program called, “Neighborhoods.” Interviews were conducted with IIC families, a three-star quality rated child care center, and a mock inspection for lead at a home in Cleveland. IIC also worked with Univision (61), to produce three, seven-minute segments for a public service program called, “Hola Cleveland.” Interviews were conducted with Hispanic families that benefit from IIC programs and services.
Saying good-bye…..In 2007 we saw the departure of two of IIC’s key staff. After almost six years – first as coordinator of the Early Childhood Initiative (ECI) and subsequently as the first Director of Invest in Children – Michelle Katona departed to become Assistant Director for the State of Arizona’s Early Childhood Development and Health Board. Michelle was the glue that held IIC together and touched almost 150,000 children and families under her leadership. Also in 2007, IIC lost its capable and energetic Program Manager for Goals 1 and 2, Marie Barni. Marie brought vision and commitment to her work at IIC and now brings those same attributes to her work as director of the county office of the Ohio State University Extension. To Michelle and Marie, we miss you and wish you all the best in your new endeavors!
And welcoming aboard…..IIC also welcomed two new staff members in 2007: Anju Goins, Program Officer and Detreisha (Tracy) Jackson, Administrative Assistant. Anju comes to us from Employment & Family Services and now provides strong support for the Prenatal, Newborn, Medical Home and Primary Lead
Poisoning Prevention program strategies. Tracy brings her considerable IT skills to the effort of upgrading our information systems. To Tracy and Anju, welcome to the Invest in Children family!
1716
2007 Annual Report
commitment
building on our
COMMISSIONERS
Jimmy DimoraTimothy F. HaganPeter Lawson Jones
Invest in Children brings parents, families and the entire community together to make sure children enter kindergarten healthy, happy and ready to learn. We are making a big difference by building a stronger future for our community.
Office of Early Childhood 310 W. Lakeside Avenue Suite 565 Cleveland OH 44113 216.698.2215www.investinchildren.us
