The Ohio Collaboration Project is without a director since Terrie Hare began her work as the Bureau Chief at the Child Care Bureau, on February 25, 2002.

The State Collaboration Projects are funded by the Head Start Bureau and are a federal to State grant. The State then administers the grant however collaboration with the Regional Office is a requirement.

Under the provisions of the Head Start Act, the State Collaboration Projects are to … “facilitate collaboration regarding activities carried out in the State under this subchapter and other activities carried out in, and by, the state that are designed to benefit low-income children and families and to encourage Head Start agencies to collaborate with entities involved in State and local planning processes (including the State lead agency administering the financial assistance received under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 and the entities providing resource and referral services in the State) in order to better meet the needs of low-income children and families.”

Priorities of the Head Start Bureau for these grants, include coordination of Head Start services with state and local: 1) health care; 2) welfare; 3) child care; 4) education; 5) community service activities; 6) family literacy services; 7) services to children with disabilities; and 8) services to homeless children.

The Head Start act establishes the requirement that the State Head Start Association be involved with the selection of the Project Director as well as determinations regarding the ongoing direction of the collaboration efforts.

Since the 1990’s, when the Project was first awarded, OHSAI has been directly involved through the provision support and manpower to the work of the project. The Project has, from it’s inception, had a sub-contract with OHSAI to provide a wide range of work and support. The OHSAI Executive Director is named as Co-Coordinator of the Project.

The Ohio Department of Education has, from 1992, been the state agency through which the Collaboration Project funding is administered. Initially, the project was housed in the Governor’s Office. In 1995 the Project was placed under the oversight of the Ohio Family and Children First Initiative, still under the Governor’s Office command, and in late 2001, the Project was moved, at the Governor’s request to the Ohio Department of Education. Directors of the Project have included: Chris Stoneburner, 1990-1993. Chris is now the Director of Administration and the Early Childhood Liaison for the Ohio Children’s Defense Fund; Susan Rohrbough, 1993 – 1998. Susan is now the Region V State Specialist for the National Child Care Information Center; and Terrie Hare, 1998 – 2001.

As we begin the process of identifying a new Director to head the Project, OHSAI and ODE are working together to clearly define the Director’s role, clarify job requirements, and re-define OHSAI’s role in the overall work of the Project. The Regional Office will be directly involved in the process and we will work to ensure the best possible outcome for the Head Start community and it’s partnership with the State.

We expect the posting for the position to be sometime in early April. For additional information, call the OHSAI office – 937/435-1113.

I have accepted the position of Bureau Chief of Child Care and Development with the Department of Job and Family Services.

During the past three years as Head Start Collaboration Director, I have been privileged to work with great people at Ohio Department of Education, Ohio Department of Job & Family Services, Ohio Family & Children First, the Head Start Association and others both in and outside of state government. We have expanded and improved services for children and families. We have strengthened early care and education partnerships through Ohio. This work will continue as the Bureau has a detailed strategic plan and dedicated staff.

I'm looking forward to staying connected to the early care and education community to serve the children and families of Ohio in my new role as Bureau Chief along with the many Bureau staff, providers, partners and state agencies.

Terrie Hare

Terrie’s new contact information:

Bureau Chief

Bureau of Child Care and Development

Office for Children & Families

Ohio Department of Job & Family Services

255 E. Main Street, 3rd Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-5222

(614) 466-1043

(614) 728-6803

Haret@odjfs.state.oh.us

On March 5th, as part of her Ready to Read, Ready to Learn initiative, Laura Bush hosted the White House Conference on Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers by bringing together university and business leaders, teacher education advocates, teachers' unions, public policy organizations and foundations from across the country to help develop solutions for enhancing teacher quality.

The goal of the conference was to ensure that our nation's children can count on having teachers who not only bring love, compassion and dedication to their profession, but also possess a deep and up-to-date knowledge of the concepts and subjects they are teaching as well as the ability to assess each student's academic strengths and weaknesses and to apply the most effective instructional methods, strategies and materials to meet his or her learning needs.

In his March 2 radio address, President Bush highlighted the need for a quality teacher in every classroom in America. "The effectiveness of all education reform eventually comes down to a good teacher in a classroom," President Bush said. "And America's teachers are eager to put higher standards into action, and we must give them the tools to succeed. My administration has set a great goal for our public schools: a quality teacher in every classroom.

"We can achieve this in two ways: by attracting capable men and women into the teaching profession, and providing teachers the training and support they deserve."

On January 8, 2002, President Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The Act is the most sweeping reform of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) since ESEA was enacted in 1965. It redefines the federal role in K-12 education and will help close the achievement gap between disadvantaged and minority students and their peers. It is based on four basic principles: stronger accountability for results, increased flexibility and local control, expanded options for parents, and an emphasis on teaching methods that have been proven to work.

Through both the No Child Left Behind Act and President Bush's budget, states and local school districts will have multiple tools to help them meet new teacher-quality requirements in the law. Altogether, programs that are part of the president's commitment to teacher quality will provide states and districts with more than $4 billion in federal funds in 2002 alone.

Key parts of the president's efforts to ensure a quality teacher in every classroom includes “Expanding Programs to Train Teachers in Specific Subject Areas”: President Bush proposes to strengthen programs to help train teachers in specific areas of need, including early childhood education, reading instruction, bilingual education, special education, math, science, history and technology.

"In our new era of education reform we're asking a lot of our teachers, and we owe them something in return. We must treat them as the professionals they are," President Bush said in his radio address. "We must give them our respect and support. Teachers are among the most important people in our children's lives, and a good teacher can literally make a lifelong difference.”

You can read more about the No Child Left Behind Act at http://edworkforce.house.gov/issues/107th/education/nclb/nclb.htm

People all around the world know that a pink lapel ribbon is the sign for the fight against breast cancer. Did you know that a blue lapel ribbon is the sign for the fight against child abuse? The goal of the statewide Prevention Partners Leadership Group is to make the blue ribbon as familiar to people as the pink one.

During the month of April there are activities planned throughout the state to remind people that child abuse is everyone’s problem. Child abuse prevention is about promoting the health, safety and well being of children. In Head Start we have an obligation to help parents understand the seriousness of abuse and to help them find positive ways to deal with the stress of parenting.

At our April OHSAI meeting we will once again be taking the Parents Pledge to protect our children. Everyone in attendance will receive a blue ribbon lapel pin. We have enclosed a copy of the pledge in this newsletter for you to use with your local parent groups.

If your individual program would like to order blue ribbon lapel pins for your families, we have a couple of sources to recommend. First you can check with you local Children’s Services department and/or the Family and Children First Council. If they do not have pins available, you can contact Prevent Child Abuse Ohio at (614) 722-6800.

In the year 2000 more than 51,000 children were identified as victims of abuse or neglect. Even more shocking is that 80% of that abuse and neglect is at the hands of parents. Let’s make a difference. Wear the BLUE ribbon.

Unifying systems, improving management of financial and physical assets, consolidating resources, eliminating duplication, and restructuring the workforce to streamline layers and provide enhanced, citizen-centered services.

OHSAI is making plans for several events to occur over the next year, in addition to our already scheduled events.

Watch for the following events:

Information will be sent to programs as we finalize dates and other plans for these sessions.

Brace yourselves, disability staff across Ohio! It’s that time again! There will be a DISABILITY STAFF RETREAT at Cherry Valley on May 22 & 23. You are invited to join us for two full days of information, fun and activity that will support you and your efforts as you continue to offer quality disability services in your agency. Don’t miss this great opportunity. Look for more information coming your way in the next few weeks. For now, know that you will have a chance to remember why you do what you do! See you there!!

Leah Kyaio

(and Miami)

Those of you who attended the January Disability Consultant training will have the opportunity to come together over lunch at the April OHSAI. We will take this time to disseminate some materials, talk about what we’ve been doing and “re-energize” as we prepare for the future. I look forward to having this time with you. Thanks.

Leah

(and Miami)

There will be another Disability

Consultant Training July 17-18, 2002 at

the Springfield Inn in downtown

Springfield, Ohio. Watch for

more information on this unique

April 21-27, 2002 is National Volunteer Week. Here are some ways to recognize those who volunteer in your program:

Smile

Send a birthday card

Recognize and accommodate personal needs and problems

Provide job descriptions that are specific, clear and flexible

Keep challenging your volunteers

Provide good pre-service and in-service training

Motivate agency VIP’s to converse with volunteers

Enable volunteers to grow on and out of the job

Put up pictures of volunteers-in-action on bulletin boards

Send newsworthy information to the media

Honor the volunteer’s preferences

Enlist them to train other volunteers

Take time to talk—and listen

Recommend to prospective employer

Provide scholarships to conferences or workshops

Offer advocacy roles

Carefully match volunteer with job

Promote a “Volunteer of the Month” program

Maintain safe working environment and conditions

Fully indoctrinate volunteers regarding the agency

Conduct community-wide, cooperative, inter-agency recognition events

Say “THANK YOU”

This list was compiled from Vern Lake and Sue Vineyard.