The Washington County Community Partnership for Children & Families (WCCP) has completed negotiations for a Community Partnership Agreement with the Governor's Office for Children (GOC). Through the negotiations, the WCCP was able to secure $630,791.00 for each of the next three years for services for children and families in Washington County. Below, is a listing of the strategies and the amount of funding approved for each strategy for fiscal year (FY) 2008. Stephanie Stone, WCCP Director, will be presenting this budget to the Board of County Commissioners for final approval at the July 10, 2007 meeting.

Early Intervention and Prevention Strategy - $92,150
The Early Intervention and Prevention strategy provides out-of-school time programs that offer supervision and alternative activities to children in safe, nurturing environments at no cost to their families. The strategy requires that the out-of-school time programs operate regardless of school schedules, so that service will be provided on days on which the schools may be closed (i.e., professional days, inclement weather days, etc.). The strategy also requires that programs targeted to middle and/or high school age youth will address their specific needs and interests and will make efforts to include them in the program planning.

The funding for this strategy has been awarded to the Boys & Girls Club of Washington County, Inc. Please see the article entitled "After School Grant Awarded" for more details.

Diversion Program Strategy - $137,700
The Diversion Program strategy provides two full-time case managers, supported by a part-time clerical position, to implement case management and diversion services that focus on two core components: diverting juvenile offenders from the Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) and redirecting alleged Children In Need of Supervision (CINS) youth away from DJS to community-based services. In addition to these previously established services, the program will be expanded to include parenting and teen educational and support groups, led by a trained facilitator.

A request for proposal has already been released, and proposals have been received for this strategy.

Child Advocacy Center (CAC) Detective Strategy - $40,000
The Child Advocacy Center (CAC) Detective strategy provides a detective that is responsible for conducting comprehensive and coordinated investigations of serious physical and all sexual abuse crimes against juveniles in the City of Hagerstown. The detective will accompany other members of the CAC investigative team to homes when physical or sexual abuse is alleged against children in the City of Hagerstown.

The Washington County Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coalition (WCTPPC) Strategy - $98,941
The Washington County Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coalition (WCTPPC) strategy includes two components: 1) Coordination and 2) Prevention Education. The first component, Coordination, involves hiring a part-time, contractual Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coordinator to support the WCTPPC's objectives to improve the community-wide approach to preventing teen pregnancy. This approach includes increasing awareness, implementing media campaigns, coordinating special events, distributing educational materials, providing technical assistance to youth development organizations, soliciting contributions, and seeking additional grant funding. The second component, Prevention Education, involves targeting youth at critical transition periods in middle and high school with "best practice" methods of teen pregnancy prevention education.

The Hagerstown Community College Teen Parent Program Strategy - $42,000
The Hagerstown Community College Teen Parent Program strategy includes funding for a full-time case manager to provide outreach and educational support services to teen parents in order to increase the number of parenting teens completing their GED/External Diploma Program or advancing their education beyond high school through college credit or continuing education classes.

Child and Family Team (CFT) Facilitator Strategy - $60,000
The Child and Family Team (CFT) Facilitator strategy is for a CFT Facilitator who will work with children and youth returning or diverted from Residential Treatment Center (RTC) level placements and their families to develop and coordinate family-driven and strength- based teams to meet their individualized needs. The CFT Facilitator supports children and families as well as those persons responsible for providing informal and formal services to the family.

In addition to team facilitation, the CFT Facilitator will be responsible for ongoing assessment and case management services, including related documentation, for services planned and provided. The CFT Facilitator will prepare and distribute the CFT Plan to each member of the team. This plan is the collection of documents generated from the CFT process, including, but not limited to, the Child & Adolescent Needs & Strengths (CANS) assessment, meeting summaries, a family crisis plan and, where needed, a safety plan. In addition, the CFT Facilitator will provide ongoing support to the team by scheduling follow-up reviews, monitoring service delivery, and providing or coordinating trainings related to the team process. Finally, the CFT Facilitator will identify and promote awareness of existing resources within the community.

The CFT Facilitator will work with the Local Coordinating Council (LCC) in identifying children who meet the eligibility requirements for Community Services Initiative (CSI) and LCC Flex Funding, thereby encouraging better utilization of these existing resources in the provision of transitional services for children returning from RTC placements or to divert out-of-home placements. In addition, the CFT Facilitator will have access to a limited pool of Purchase of Service monies (previously allocated from 2002 Carry Forward Funds for this purpose).

Infants and Toddlers Program Strategy - $17,000
This Strategy provides support to the Washington County Early Intervention/Infants and Toddlers Program. This funding will be combined with funding from the Washington County Department of Social Services, to support 1.5 full-time equivalent service coordinators. The service coordinator schedules home visits and meetings, facilitates evaluations, completes a family assessment, develops a family service plan, and reviews the child's progress on goals with parents. As eligible children turn two years of age, the service coordinator helps the parent develop outcomes to plan for the child's transition to community services at age three.

Family Center Support Services Strategy - $30,000
The Family Center Services Strategy is for a full-time childcare professional that will make it possible for the Family Center to serve the additional children and parents for which previously funded renovations to the center were completed.

Substance Abuse Prevention Strategy - $70,000
The Substance Abuse Prevention strategy is for a full- time Bachelor's level social worker/counselor with experience working in the drug and alcohol field to provide a substance abuse prevention program at Antietam Academy (AA). The staff member will be responsible for observing and collecting data regarding student behavior, working cooperatively with classroom teachers, assisting in maintaining classroom organization and positive learning environments, collaborating with school staff to support behavioral interventions, facilitating the student's educational goals and providing a practice- based substance abuse prevention curriculum.

Transitional Youth Work Experience Program Strategy - $24,999
The Transitional Youth Work Experience Program strategy is to provide a 10-week work experience with area non-profits and public and private employers. Youth will be given up to three (3) opportunities for placement with area employers. Minimum wage will be provided to all participants. The emphasis of the Program will be work experience aligned with interest patterns.

Summer Youth First Time Work Experience Program Strategy - $18,001
The Summer First Time Work Experience Program strategy is to provide a summer work experience to at- risk populations through public/private partnerships. Youth, age 14-18 will be provided a 6-week work experience with area non-profits and public and private employers. Minimum wage will be provided to all participants. The goal of the program will be to provide practical work experience with an employer having the specific aim of mentoring the child on training to develop work habits to obtain and retain employment and on-the-job training.

The procurement for these strategies has been initiated. The WCCP will issue E-Grant Alerts for strategies that are put out for bid.

Congratulations to the Boys & Girls Club of Washington County, Inc. (B&G Club) for their recent award of $90,171.00 for the provision of after school programming at Hancock Junior/Senior High School and Cascade Elementary School. The B&G Club will provide academic enrichment through homework assistance and tutoring, youth development activities focused on decision-making, conflict resolution, substance abuse and pregnancy prevention programs and development of leadership skills through community projects.

Youth, between the ages of six and eighteen, will be the target of these services. Transportation will be provided on a limited basis at each location on non- school days for field trips and trips to participate in activities at the B&G Club in Hagerstown. The B&G Club will provide youth development programs for out- of-school time Monday through Friday for 39 weeks with a minimum of three hours per day on school days and up to eight hours per day on a non-school weekday. Out-of-school activities will coincide with the traditional school year, including activities on professional days and selected holidays.

Congratulations to the Washington County Health Department (WCHD) for their recent award of $277,993.00 for the provision of the Healthy Families Home Visiting Services (HF) program in Washington County. The HF is a national model program designed to help expectant and new parents get their children off to a healthy start.

The HF programs offer voluntary and free home visiting services to parents facing multiple challenges (i.e., elements that would add stressors to any home: single parent status, low income, substance abuse problems, victim of abuse or domestic violence, etc.) so that they have the support they need to better care for their children. The goals of the program are: 1) To promote positive parenting, 2) To enhance child health and development and 3) To prevent child abuse and neglect. Some of the core HF services provided are:

• Ensuring families have a medical provider;
• Sharing information on children's development processes;
• Assisting families in identifying their baby's needs and obtaining certain resources;
• Supporting families in the home while they respond to their child's and their own needs;
• Sharing ideas on caring for babies, toddlers, and young children;
• Linking families with other resources in the community for assistance with job placement and identification of day care providers;
• Assisting families in following up with recommended immunization schedules; and
• Helping families feel more empowered and in turn more likely to take action when needed.

The HF programs have an assessment process in which a trained staff member systematically assesses all families within the target population, either prenatally or within two weeks of the birth of a child. Programs typically work with hospitals, clinics and other community agencies that serve pregnant women and /or new parents to provide assessment services.

The WCCP applied for the HF grant from the Maryland State Department of Education in order to continue these services in Washington County. Washington County's program is one of 14 similar HF programs in the State of Maryland.