Dear Friend of Ready Ready,
We held our first in-person convening on November 9, 2022, in High Point and were excited to see more than 100 of you in attendance.
As we enter this harvest season, it is a time to reflect on the seeds we’ve planted to impact the lives of Guilford County families by creating population-level change. As our community grows and changes during the seasons of the year, so has Ready Ready.
Investing in early childhood has a high yield in results for children. You, our stakeholders, have invested your time, funding, and commitment, so we see the fruits of your contributions.
- 85 professional-wage jobs were created through the first stage of Ready Ready’s work. These positions have been created in Community Navigation, Family Connects Guilford, HealthySteps, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Ready Ready. All these jobs focus on families with young children.
- These programs have put in more than 3,000 hours of collaborative work to create more than 20 program integrations to help Guilford County caregivers on their parenting journey.
- We are currently working with 94 percent of OB/GYN practices in Guilford County, which are implementing or committed to Routes to Ready navigation.
- In 2021, 77 percent of families using the Routes to Ready system used Medicaid or were uninsured – indicating their incomes are 196 percent below the federal poverty line. We are serving those who need it most.
At the convening, The Duke Endowment shared its commitment to continue funding our efforts in Guilford County. This two-year renewed investment is on par with the original award of 32,5 million dollars in 2018. The Endowment’s commitment to provide additional resources exemplifies great excitement and confidence in the collaborative work you are doing to build a system of care for Guilford County’s youngest children and their families – and create a model we can use across North Carolina.
Together, we have a long way to go to achieve community-wide population-level change. We appreciate all our funders and private and public donors who believe in the need for system-building to provide equitable access for Guilford County children and their families. Your dedication is making a difference.
Sincerely,
Charrise Hart
Chief Executive Officer
|
|
Build public will for early childhood priorities
|
|
|
- The November 9, 2022, Stakeholder Convening was attended by 118 elected officials, philanthropists, funders, donors, early childhood leaders, policymakers, and community members.
- The Greensboro News & Record featured Ready Ready in a story on October 21, 2022, about our launch of the Ages 3-5 strategies.
- WGHP Fox8 did a live interview on October 28, 2022, on the Ages 3-5 strategies. The station published the interview on its website and YouTube channels – which isn’t the norm for live interviews.
- We have developed the first in a series of postcards to be mailed to legislators to keep them updated on Ready Ready’s work. The first topic is child care.
|
|
|
Develop navigation system to connect families with effective services
|
|
|
- 94 percent of OB/GYN practices in Guilford County are implementing or committed to offering Routes to Ready prenatal navigation.
- The Ready Ready Community Portal has been updated with branding elements and has been made public.
- Updates to the Routes to Ready guided conversations will enable navigators to collect specific information from families experiencing homelessness and transportation barriers. This data can inform efforts to address families' challenges from a system-level perspective.
|
|
Expand and integrate proven programs to meet community need
|
|
|
- Across 14 OB practices implementing Routes to Ready prenatal navigation, the rate of consent in September was 82 percent.
- Family Connects reports the most common referrals in Q3 were for Care Management for At-Risk Children charitable services, food assistance, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and maternal health.
- Nurse-Family Partnership increased in-home visits to 75-80 percent in October, compared to 54 percent in September.
|
|
Build a culture of continuous quality improvement (CQI)
|
|
|
- Cohort I completed their Model for Improvement (MFI) work in late October 2022. Participants reported growth in terms of their organizations' capacity for CQI work.
- Results showed a 74 percent increase over baseline in the number of participants who Strongly Agreed that someone in their organization is a champion for the Model for Improvement.
- There was also a 65 percent increase over baseline in the number of participants who Strongly Agreed that they know where to go for support if they have questions about the Model for Improvement.
- Cohort II programs have completed their infrastructure assessments and will submit action plans by the end of November. This group began their work in September and will wrap up in May 2023.
|
|
Build technology to support data-informed decisions
|
|
|
- Work is underway in completing the new key features of the Integrated Data System (IDS) in the Salesforce organization databases for the evidence-based programs.
- The data warehouse, consent and participation database, and community portal applications are also in build mode for the planned Q1 2023 launch.
|
|
Conduct rigorous evaluation process and build sustainability for system-building work
|
|
|
- Ready Ready component teams have provided feedback on a benchmark tracking tool. They will begin establishing interim quarterly targets for 2023 benchmarks.
|
|
The Basics Guilford
The Basics Guilford team has been out and about in the community. Recently, we collaborated with Truist Lighthouse Project to create 100 Basics kits and label and sort books for the warehouse at BackPack Beginnings. We have provided 20 Basics kits for an Every Baby Guilford community event. Additionally, we helped Pathways Center update their family room with Basics posters and wall decals so families can learn more about these important caregiving tips in a welcoming atmosphere.
We are focused on sharing information about the Basics Insights texting service, which offers science-based insights to boost baby and toddler brain development. Monday’s texts share a scientific fact happening with their child’s development, and Wednesday’s text offers activity ideas. These messages are customized for the child's age and will help support their baby's growth during the critical years of 0-3.
Family Voice
The Guilford Parent Leader Network has trained new facilitators for Community Organizing and Family Issues (COFI) in Phase 1 and 2 modules. The COFI model uses parents’ strengths and commitment to their children and neighborhoods to help make positive changes in their own lives, families, and communities. Phase 1 focuses on self, family, and team to create supportive parent teams, set goals, and establish plans. Phase 2 brings in community outreach and action – creating community-based agendas that start with common concerns raised by parents.
Ages 3-5
Our community partners have welcomed the successful media relations launch of the Ages 3-5 strategies. Our strategy work continues with developing annual milestones, collaborating with Ready Ready parent liaisons to engage family voice, and learning more about North Carolina’s process to standardize the transition to kindergarten at the Early Learning Regional Meeting.
|
|
|
Greensboro News & Record: With the GOP controlling NC Supreme Court, many worry about Leandro funding
“The fate of a court order increasing funding for public schools is uncertain now that Republicans gained control of the state Supreme Court on Election Day. The recent 4-3 ruling in the long-running Leandro school funding case was split along partisan lines, with all four Democrats backing the order requiring state leaders to increase education funding.” Read more in the News & Record.
Education NC: State Supreme Court orders state to transfer funds for Leandro plan
“In a 4-3 decision on Friday, the State Supreme Court upheld the original trial court order from Judge David Lee that the state must transfer the money necessary to fund years two and three of the Leandro Comprehensive Remedial Plan (CRP).” Read more at EdNC.
Education NC: North Carolina is home to five promising models for eliminating preschool suspensions, expulsions, and exclusions
“Preschool students who are suspended, expelled, or otherwise excluded from their early care and education settings miss out on crucial developmental opportunities that can affect the course of their lives. A new project aims to address that by eliminating suspensions, expulsions, and exclusions in North Carolina’s preschool settings. Valerie Jarvis McMillan, an associate professor at NC A&T State University, told attendees at the 51st annual conference of the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) in Washington, D.C., this month about the origins of the project, its three-year goals, and five promising models funded by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation.” Read the full story in EdNC.
NPR: Poverty and uninsured rates drop, thanks to pandemic-era policies
“Child poverty is at a historic low, according to the bureau's annual report on income, poverty, and health insurance. And the rate of Americans without health insurance also dropped in 2021 compared to the previous year. But the good news may be short-lived. Both gains were driven by temporary pandemic-related policies, and without action by policymakers, they could quickly unravel.” The full story is on the NPR website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
