Illinois Valley Economic Development Corporation

Early childhood programs - the head start program provides opportunities for economically disadvantaged children, ages 3 through 5, to receive comprehensive child development services and assistance to their parents in formulating and achieving self-sufficiency goals. We are funded to serve a total of 210 children, 10% with disabilities, within our service area of macoupin, greene, jersey, and calhoun counties. Children attend either a center based model with classes 5 days a week, 5.5 hours a day, for a total of 160 days or a home based model in which children and parents participate in a weekly home visit for 37 weeks with group activities held twice a month. As part of the program, children receive education, medical, dental, nutrition, and mental health services. Educational progress and outcomes are tracked through the teaching strategies gold, dial 4 screenings, and observational instruments three times during the year. Children show dramatic progress in the areas evaluated which include social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and language development. Approximately 50% of the children transition into kindergarten each year. The early head start program offers similar age appropriate and parenting opportunities for economically disadvantaged families who have children up to age 3. The program is a home-based model serving 24 families a minimum of 48 weeks/year. Parents are encouraged to become directly involved in the program by volunteering in the classroom, attending parent meetings, serving on the policy council, participating in home visits and parent/teacher conferences, and entering into family partnership agreements for goal setting purposes. By providing individualized services for both children and parents, the head start program prepares the children for kindergarten and the parents for setting and achieving family goals as well as strengthening their role as the first and primary educators of their children. In fy23 ivedc served 196 children. Children were assessed using teaching strategies gold and met or exceeded objectives in social emotional, physical, language, cognitive, literacy and mathematics. Prevention initiative 0-3 program provided similar services as the early headstart program. Pi served 12 families with like services.

Community day service programs - ivedc operates two cds programs in jersey and macoupin counties, which provide a full range of services for persons eighteen years of age or older who have a diagnosed developmental disability. Development training services include assessment and individual program planning. Employment services are provided, where contract work is competitively bid and individuals earn a paycheck while learning real work skills. The programs are designed to teach life skills and good work habits to develop potential and increase self-sufficiency, so that each individual may have the best possible quality of life within the least restrictive environment. Ivedc serves approximately 101 developmentally disabled adults through programs and work opportunities at our facilities located in gillespie (macoupin county) and jerseyville (jersey county). Many participants are offered the opportunity to earn a paycheck whether working in the contracted cardboard recycling, contracted piece work, building crafts that supply local markets or maintenance personnel at the railsplitter and/or coalfield rest area on interstate i-55.

The community services block grant (csbg) is the cornerstone of a community action agency. Services are designed by the agency to meet the needs of our clients and include emergency service, housing and employment assistance, case management, educational scholarships, and support other agency activities. We have emphasized job creation with our services providing assistance with short-term training and job search. The agency networks with the social service agencies such as united way and il dept of human services and administers other emergency assistance funds utilizing csbg resources for administrative costs and staff time. Over 2371 direct services were provided to individuals and families including cardboard recycling and production/sale of crafts by developmentally disabled adults were financially assisted.

Senior meals served in fy 24 consisted of congregate meals 6,730; home-delivered meals 89,339 this is an overall increase from fy23 by 22,700 units

Senior in-home care services were provided to over 53 elderly averaging1300 hours of service per month. Services include assisting withself-administered medication, assisting with bathing, dressing,shaving, as well as helping with daily living chores such as lighthousekeeping, laundry, shopping, cooking ect. Both the senior in-homecare and senior nutrition programs maintain, strengthen, and safeguardour seniors in their own homes, allowing seniors to remain in theirhomes into their advanced years.

Ivedc's housing programs consist of hud, emergency solutions, and idhshomeless prevention grants. These grants have enabled ivedc to assist,support and educate over 134 individuals who are in a housing crisis.services provided include case management, mortgage/rental assistanceand also referrals to other programs internally and through ourcommunity partners.

Tri county rural transit (tcrt) public transportation, a medicaid approved provider for non-emergency transport. Tcrt is a door-to-door demand response deviated route service that provides affordable and accessible transporation to the residents of greene, jersey, andcalhoun counties. By partnering with surrounding area transportation providers, ivedc promotes independence and self-sufficiency to community residents. Tcrt provides transportation in its service area for the general public, senior citizens, and disabled individuals. Fare schedule is suggested for all passengers up to 60+ years of age.donations in any amount by seniors are accepted. In fy24, 23,785 rides and 298,780 service miles driven were provided by tcrt across the servcie area and neighboring communities. Tcrt is vital in assisting with transport to medical appointments, education, shopping (grocery and other), employment, recreation and contract.