Council ends inclusive childcare project

The CNMI Council on Developmental Disabilities recently completed its Inclusive Childcare Project that started in September 2003 and ended May 2004 with the development of a public awareness information packet on quality inclusive childcare services in the CNMI.

The project was conducted through a subcontract with the University of Guam, Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research & Services, or Guam CEDDERS.

Thomas J. Camacho, executive director of the CNMI Council on Developmental Disabilities, received the full and complete work from Elaine Eclavea, Initiative Area Coordinator of Guam CEDDERS, on June 7.

The project included a presentation about the project’s activities on November 2003 to over 24 Childcare providers, of which 12 are licensed childcare centers, including officials from the PSS Childcare Program and the CNMI Childcare Licensing agency under the Department of Community & Cultural Affairs.

The project consultants conducted onsite visits to 12 childcare centers on Saipan and worked closely with staff of the Council, PSS Childcare program, and the DCCA Child Licensing agency.

Camacho said these activities were facilitated by the sub-grantee staffs that included Eclavea and Michael Terlaje of Guam CEDDERS, who conducted the onsite ADA Barrier Identification Survey among 12 child care centers; Guam CEDDERS staff Liz Borja worked on the development of information materials and public awareness campaign on childcare services in the CNMI.

As a result, the Council received 12 Childcare ADA Assessment Reports and the Public Awareness Campaign for Childcare Report and Informational Packet for Families.

Two outcomes were identified:

* Outcome No. 1—Up to 12 CNMI private child care centers on Saipan will receive written reports with recommendations for ensuring that their center is accessible as required by the federal civil rights law, or Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and for creating an inclusive childcare environment;

* Outcome No. 2—The CNMI Council on Developmental Disabilities will produce a public awareness informational packet for families on quality Childcare Centers and the different options available in the CNMI, as well as an “action plan” for implementing a media campaign strategy for promoting quality childcare services in the CNMI.

On Nov. 17-20, 2003 onsite visits were conducted to determine the physical and programmatic accessibility to 12 childcare centers on Saipan.

The following centers participated cooperatively in the site inspection visit: Golden Harvest International School, Jazz Day Care, Little Darlings Child & Respite Care, R & EQ Child Care, Seventh Day Adventist Day Care Center, Nang’s Day Care, Green Meadows School, Joshua Generation Day Care, Pacific Nights Day Care Center, Saipan Child Care Day & Night, Sunrise Day Care Center, and Sister Remedios Early Childhood Development Center.

Individual meetings were then conducted with the directors of the each visited center to share results and information of the written report—except for Nang’s Day care, which closed down. Resource materials were also provided to each center, including Healthy Start, Grow Smart, Put Reading First: Helping Your Child Learn to Read – Parent Guide, Helping your Child – Become a Reader, Teaching Our Youngest: A Guide for Preschool Teachers and Child Care and Family Providers, and Building Your Baby’s Brain.

Meetings were also held by Liz Borja with staff from the Childcare Licensing agency and PSS Childcare Development Fund to gather information on childcare regulations and childcare development fund program requirements to gain a better understanding of public awareness information that are in existences and informational materials that would be part of the public awareness informational packet.

As a result, the following awareness materials were developed and readied for publication: Checklist for Choosing Quality Child Care, Quality Child Care (information brochure), Things To Look For When Choosing a Child Care Center (brochure), Child Care Program–Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment (adapted brochure), Child Care Licensing Program (information brochure), Inclusive Child Care for Children with Special Needs: Inclusive Child Care Benefits All Children (pamphlet), Parent, Do You Know…CAN DO? (4 pamphlets for ages 0-9 months; 9 to 18 months; 18 to 36 months; 3 to 5 years); poster and flyers: Interested in Becoming a Licensed Child Care Provider? Child Care Settings and the Americans with Disabilities Act (booklet).

Finally, the project sub-grantee made a PowerPoint presentation on the outcomes of the project to members of the CNMI Council on Developmental Disabilities. Themes of the site visits and recommendations for improvements were shared with the members including sharing of all the public awareness information campaigns, said Camacho.

“The completion of the Inclusive Child Care Project now fulfills the 2002-2006 Five-Year State Plan Goal that children and families benefit from a range of inclusive, flexible childcare options,” he said.

The CNMI Council on Developmental Disabilities awarded $13,100 to Guam CEDDERS from funds partially funded by the CNMI Choice Program under the Council from funds received from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

“We’re very pleased of the outcomes of the project and the quality of work performed and submitted by the Guam CEDDERS,” according to Mariano K. Camacho, Council chair.

“We also extend our appreciation to Ms. Andrea Alepuyu, PSS Child Care Program and to Secretary of DCCA, Mr. Juan Babauta and his staff for collaborating with the Council. Our next step is to conduct a follow-up survey to all involved before the end of the year to measure the benefits, impact and outcomes of the project,” concluded Camacho.