Crystal Stairs Inc

Calworks stage 1 child care - under a contract with the los angeles county dept. Of public social services (dpss), we administer a child care payment program for cash-aided families starting the transition from welfare to work. The goal of the program is to promote a family's economic self-sufficiency through employment and/or education/training that will lead to employment. We certify the family's eligibility for child care, assist them to look for and select child care, and make monthly payments for services rendered by child care providers they select to care for their children. We enrolled 6,379 families with a total of 10,753 children from birth to 12 years old, and made monthly child care payments to 4,790 licensed and license-exempt child care providers for their services to enrolled children.

Head start and state preschool - under three grants with the department of health and human services, administration for children and families we administer head start, early head start and child care partnership grants funded for 1,322 children ages 1 to 5 years old. Although the program was under enrolled every month it accumulatively serviced 1,549 children this past year. There were 1,179 volunteers extended learning at home through the learning genie and at the site. Some completed in-person volunteering, volunteered at our program events, supported our children through learning at home and participated in parent activities. Of those children enrolled, 240 of the students were dually serviced in our california department of educations state preschool program which allows us to provide full-day services to working parents and those who are in school. The program provided full-day services at all centers for 195 days. Of the children and families enrolled, 41% had eligibility at 100% below federal poverty guidelines; 45% were receiving public assistance (tanif or ssi); 5% were in foster care; 4% were reported as being homeless; and 5% were over income. In addition,10 % of those children had an individualized education plan (iep) or individual family services plan receiving disability services. The goal of our program is to promote school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of the children and to support family engagement that leads to parents taking on or maintaining their role as the child's most influential teacher. Center-based services are provided in full-day 8 hour sessions. We take a "holistic" approach to serving children and their families that allow us to support them in the areas of health, nutrition, mental health and social services. Services are provided through our staff directly or through a collaborative partner. We have a shared governance approach where parents are actively involved in decision making.

Child care resource and referralhealth outreachcommunity voiceschild care bridge