News
PACT AND PIKE HCE PARTNER FOR PREVENTATIVE ORAL HEALTH
Parent and Child Together (PACT) for West Central Illinois and the Pike County Home Community Education (HCE) groups are partnering to promote good oral health practices for pregnant mothers. HCE members and any other interested individuals are making baby quilts or blankets to be used as an incentive for pregnant mothers to complete dental exams and follow-up treatment before their baby is born. Good oral health is vital for pregnant mothers so that oral health difficulties won’t be passed onto the baby. Thirty-four quilts have been received by PACT and distribution is beginning this Fall to the pregnant mothers enrolled in the Early Head Start (EHS) program with PACT, which includes Pike County and seven surrounding counties of Brown, Cass, Hancock, McDonough, Scott, Schuyler and rural Adams. In the EHS program, families receive home visits regularly during pregnancy, or weekly with their infants and toddlers. The visits focus on pre-natal development/child development, parent education, health, nutrition, and social services. PACT is glad that the Pike HCE is willing to invest in their local communities, as well as West Central Illinois. Becky Niewohner, Health Coordinator for PACT, added, “We are very excited to partner with HCE. PACT promotes regular dental visits and provides education to the pregnant mothers and children. Now we can provide an incentive to those mothers who are maintaining their oral health.” For more information on how to be a part of the Pike County Home Community Education groups contact Ona Day Johnston at 285-2244, Mary Eustace at 829-4016, or Jan Gwartney at 285-5344. For over 30 years, PACT for West Central Illinois has provided comprehensive services to limited income families through Head Start programs in Brown, Cass, Hancock, McDonough, Pike, Schuyler, Scott, and rural Adams counties. Early Head Start and Head Start are federally funded programs designed to encourage the healthy development of young children. Call 1-800-443-7228 or go to www.pactheadstart.com for more information.
PACT/WIU Child Care Center is awarded accreditation through the National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs (NAC)
The National Accrediation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs (NAC) is pleased to announce that Parent and Child Together (PACT) for West Central Illinois, has been awarded NAC accreditation for their PACT WIU Child Care Center in Macomb. As a NAC accredited center, PACT WIU Child Care Center has been recognized as an early care and education program that exemplifies excellence in the care of young children. By achieving NAC accreditation, PACT WIU Child Care Center provides a high quality program for children, provides professional development opportunities for staff, provides parents a program that has exceeded state licensing requirements, and provides children an environment that is conducive to their individual growth and development. Denise Conkright, Executive Director of PACT, stated that the accreditation is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the staff at our Macomb Center. The accreditation process included a self-study process in which administration, staff and parents evaluated the program in accordance with NAC Accreditation Standards. After the self-study process was complete an onsite observation took place at the PACT WIU Child Care Center by an early childhood professional. After the observation, national commissioners assessed the information provided by PACT and the onsite observer to make the decision of accreditation. All parents, staff members, and administrators at PACT WIU Child Care Center are to be congratulated for achieving this level of excellence. Glenna Mount, Site Supervisor, says that, “the drive and enthusiasm (of the staff) was there to succeed”, and, “we made it as a team and we could not have done it without the support of administration and the wonderful parents.” Parent and Child Together (PACT) for West Central Illinois has been providing comprehensive services through Early Head Start and Head Start programs in eight counties to limited income families with children under five years old for over 30 years. The PACT WIU Child Care Center also provides child care for WIU students and staff. Head Start and Early Head Start are federally funded programs designed to encourage the healthy development of young children. Call 1-800-443-7228 or go to www.pactheadstart.com for more information. The National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs (NAC) is sponsored by the National Association of Child Care Professionals (NACCP). NACCP is the nation's leader among associations serving child care owners, directors, and administrators. The organization's goal is to strengthen and enhance the credibility of leaders in the field of early child care and education by providing membership services and benefits. For more information about NACCP and NAC, please visit www.naccp.org.
PACT Head Start Parent Receives Father of the Year Award
PACT for West Central Illinois is pleased to announce that Michael Spires of Bluffs was recognized as the Father of the Year through the National Head Start Association’s 2011 Awards Program. Mr. Spires competed with other fathers that have children in the Head Start/Early Head Start programs throughout the State of Illinois. He and several PACT staff and parents in the program recently attended the Illinois Head Start Association’s Annual Training Conference and Parents’ Institute, in Springfield, where Michael received the Illinois Father of the Year Award. Michael is the father of two young sons and is actively involved in PACT’s Early Head Start program in Scotty County through weekly home visits, play groups/socialization activities, parent meetings and Men In PACT (MIP) activities. He also was elected to represent the Scott County area on the Policy Council, which is a group of parents and community representatives that assist in decisions about the planning and operation of PACT’s programs. Sandra Speaker, the Home Based Teacher in Scott County says, "Michael has shown dedication in participating in the Early Head Start program, and is eager to become a more educated father." Becky Kingery, another of PACT's Home Based Teachers says, "Michael is always willing to step out of his comfort zone to try something new, if it benefits his sons." PACT is pleased that parents of infants and toddlers in Scott County now have the opportunity for home visits through the Early Head Start program begun in March 2010. For over 30 years, PACT for West Central Illinois has provided comprehensive services to limited income families through Head Start programs in Brown, Cass, Hancock, McDonough, Pike, Schuyler, Scott, and rural Adams counties. Early Head Start and Head Start are federally funded programs designed to encourage the healthy development of young children. Call 1-800-443-7228 or go to www.pactheadstart.com for more information.
PACT Employee Receives Support Staff of the Year Award
PACT for West Central Illinois is pleased to announce that Sheila Vose of Perry, a 21-year employee, was recently recognized as the Support Staff of the Year through the National Head Start Associations' 2011 Awards Program. Sheila competed with other Administrative Assistants/Secretaries throughout the State of Illinois and at the Region level, which also includes Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. She and several PACT staff and parents in the program recently attended the Illinois Head Start Association's Annual Training Conference and Parents' Institute in Springfield, where Sheila received the Illinois Support Staff of the Year Award, and also won the same award at the Regional level.
In 1990, Vose began her career at PACT's Central Office, located in Mt. Sterling, as a Clerk/Typist and was promoted to Office Manager in a short time. In 2001, she transferred to the Administrative Assistant position. She oversees personnel records and information for PACT, maintains procedures for employee recruiting and placement, and coordinates training agendas for PACT's eight-county service area, which includes over 100 employees. She also is responsible for the technology acquisitions, computer network, and web site for PACT.
Denise Conkright, Executive Director, was pleased to recommend her for this award, saying, "Sheila was the driving force behind the design and implementation of the agency's first web site," and "she was a great help in getting 20 new staff hired and trained for the Early Head Start expansion program that was begun this past year."
For over 30 years, PACT for West Central Illinois has provided comprehensive services to limited income families through Head Start programs in Brown, Cass, Hancock, McDonough, Pike, Schuyler, Scott, and rural Adams counties. PACT now has services available for pregnant mothers, infants, toddlers, and preschool children in all eight counties. Head Start is a federally funded program designed to encourage the healthy development of young children. Call 1-800-443-7228 or go to www.pactheadstart.com for more information.
PACT/WIU Child Care Center Receives Star Level 3 Award
Parent and Child Together (PACT) has earned a Star Level 3 Award from the Illinois Quality Counts: Quality Rating System for the PACT/WIU Child Care Center in Macomb. This means that the program has gone the extra mile to make sure that children are receiving an enhanced learning and care experience, which can prepare children for success in school and in life. The Quality Rating System (QRS) is funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services and is a voluntary process that recognizes a program’s effort in going beyond the minimum state licensing requirements when caring for children.
QRS certification is a detailed process and takes many hours of preparing by the director, teachers, and staff. In assigning a level award, the rating system looks at teacher qualifications, staff/child ratios, and accreditation status. When PACT received accreditation through the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) in 2006, evaluators used a set of accreditation standards to observe in classrooms and evaluate how the teachers work with children, how rooms are set up and what learning materials are available. More information about the QRS process is available at www.inccrra.org, the website of Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies.
PACT for West Central Illinois provides comprehensive services through Early Head Start and Head Start programs in eight counties to limited income families with children under five years old and to pregnant mothers. Head Start is a federally funded program designed to encourage the healthy development of young children. At the PACT/WIU Child Care Center, located at 320 University Drive, PACT also provides child care for children of WIU students and staff. Call 1-800-443-7228 or go to www.pactheadstart.com for more information. PACT is a McDonough County United Way agency.
Carthage Head Start Center Enjoys New Outdoor Play Equipment
Parent and Child Together (PACT) for West Central Illinois installed new equipment in their preschool outdoor play area this spring. The funds for this project were awarded to PACT through the Head Start Body Start National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play (HSBS).
The children and families were given opportunities this spring to explore and enjoy the new items, which include a water table with tri-directional troughs and running water, and a six-foot musical fence. Teresa McGrew, Site Supervisor at the Carthage Center, says, "the children are exploring with music and dancing as they make the chimes move. They have already discovered that different chimes have different sounds (pitches) and that the sounds change if they hold the chimes or let them ring."
The purpose of HSBS is to increase physical activity, outdoor play, and healthy eating among Head Start and Early Head Start children, families, and staff. HSBS is a project of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation (AAPAR), which are associations of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD). Funding for HSBS is provided by the Office of Head Start (OHS), Administration for Children and Families, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HSBS will assist Head Start programs in creating healthy learning environments, both in and outside the classroom, through structured and unstructured physical activity that leads to the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development of young children and reduces obesity and its associated costs.
PACT for West Central Illinois operates the Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Hancock County, as well as seven other counties in west central Illinois. Programs available at the center in Carthage include a 1/2 day preschool class and a full-day, full-year class for two year olds whose parents work or go to school or a training program. PACT also has home-based programs for preganant mothers through four year olds available in all counties. For more information call 1-800-443-7228.
PACT Accepts Applications Year-Round
PACT for West Central Illinois is accepting Head Start and Early Head Start applications for the 2011-2012 program. PACT serves pregnant women and children ages birth to five years, who live in Brown, Cass, Hancock, McDonough, Pike, Schuyler, Scott, and rural Adams counties in West Central Illinois. If you know of families that have children under five years old, that will not be attending kindergarten in the fall, contact us today.
Eligibility for Head Start and Early Head Start is based on income. Ten percent of the enrollment slots are reserved for children with special needs, regardless of income. If a family has a child under five years old with a special need, PACT will complete an application regardless of income level. The program is at no cost to those who qualify.
You can get more information about the PACT program by clicking the red 'APPLY FOR HEADSTART' button on the right-hand side of this web page, and completing the online form that is then provided. If you have further questions, call Shanna Edison, Assistant Director, at 217-773-3903 or 1-800-443-PACT; or you may e-mail to sedison@pactheadstart.com.