Action for Children: A Champion at Work
Quality early learning experiences can change the course of a young life. The knowledge and skills of an educator can also strengthen families and schools and increase the appeal of the community as a place to live, work and raise children. It is important work, and quality counts.
Action for Children is a resource and referral agency that works with parents, child care providers, businesses, and community organizations to help promote the availability of quality child care and early learning services.
This year, Action for Children was the deserving recipient of the 2012 Champion of Children Nonprofit Organization award, and was honored at the 19th Annual Champion of Children Signature Event.
"Action for Children embodies every quality we sought in our first Champion of Children Nonprofit Organization," said Linda Kass, Champion of Children founder and chair of the Advisory Committee. "The organization has pioneered innovative ways to help children learn, and caregivers and educators teach effectively. Generations of students in central Ohio have benefited tremendously from the work of Action for Children and we are fortunate to have such a dedicated group of professionals as champions for all of our children."
The Champion of Children Nonprofit Organization award recognition included a $5,000 award generously donated by Chase.
Action for Children offers many professional development opportunities. Three of those opportunities are provided below, and many more can be found at www.actionforchildren.org. These opportunities are critical in that they enable providers to increase their quality of care, which in turn increases quality of life and early educational opportunities for children.
Child Development Associate (CDA)
Action for Children’s Child Development Associate (CDA) program, available to center-based and home-based providers in central Ohio, prepares providers to earn the national credential. The program offers 120 hours of coursework to meet requirements in each of the CDA content areas. The program includes twelve 10-hour modules, cost of materials, cost of continuing education units, CDA application packet, CDA preparation sessions, limited individualized coaching, and an advisor to complete the observation instrument. Action for Children has also worked with Columbus State Community College (CSCC) to develop a collaborative model that includes the opportunity for program participants to apply this coursework for credit in CSCC’s early childhood two-year degree program.
During Action for Children's most recent fiscal year, 24 providers participated in the program.
National Program for After School Science (NPASS)
Ohio is one of seven states selected by the National Program for After School Science (NPASS) to implement this prestigious program. Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, the program includes professional development and training for hands-on science in after school programs. Action for Children is one of the agencies selected to implement NPASS.
Action for Children staff attended a statewide NPASS train-the-trainer event and received a grant from the Hannah Dillard Legacy Fund to provide the NPASS program free of charge to after school programs in Franklin County.
To participate, after school programs committed to attend six NPASS workshops over a ten-month period, and their teachers provide a weekly science project follow-up to each class in the form of a science club. At each workshop, Action for Children’s NPASS-trained specialist presents a new hands-on science or engineering project and models strategies for successful implementation of the project with children, such as bridges, roller coasters, cars and gliders. Each workshop stresses best practices in informal science learning and youth development with a focus on making science enjoyable and accessible to all children. Participants receive a materials kit for each project, and Action for Children’s NPASS specialist offers on-site TA visits and other supports between trainings.
The program was implemented in the fall of 2010 and includes seven child care centers. Action for Children provides on-site technical assistance and six three-hour NPASS sessions for ten of their after school staff. One teacher shared her experience in an email after taking an NPASS class:
"I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed this course. I started using the materials today with my younger school-agers. Most have just completed kindergarten, some have completed first grade, and two have completed second grade. With a small group, we talked about rockets and I charted their ideas. They then drew rockets and we put their pictures on poster board to be displayed. Some also built rockets from blocks and I photographed what they built. We are…eager to be back at this again on Wednesday."
Home Network
Ohio is one of six states that do not license family child care home businesses. In Ohio, Type B family child care home providers who receive a subsidy to care for children from low income families are required to be certified by their local county Department of Job & Family Services to assure minimum health and safety standards are met. Home providers not providing subsidized child care can operate outside the regulatory system.
Action for Children’s Home Network program, a core service, is designed to engage unregulated home providers in a network of support and professional development that includes basic health and safety classes and opportunity to pursue a process of continuous quality improvement. Home Network’s registration process includes background checks (BCI&I and FBI), fire and health inspections, medical checkups, and references. Those completing the process are included in the Action for Children database. They are also included in opportunities for ongoing professional development and technical assistance to increase the quality of their programs.
For more information, please visit www.actionforchildren.org or call 614.224.0222.
