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| PROJECT STAFF: |
Verna M. Johnson, Human Services Coordinator
Warren Kontz, Human Services Systems Director
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| PROJECT PERIOD: | July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004 |
| FUNDING SOURCES: | Arizona Department of Economic Security, Child Care Administration |
PURPOSE:
The purpose of the project is to conduct activities that will promote solutions for the development and/or enhancement of services that meet the childcare needs within targeted tribal communities.
WORKPLAN OBJECTIVE:
- To develop community-based strategies that will address identified issues and will result in increased availability of quality childcare options.
- To assure quality and meaningful service delivery that is culturally sensitive, family focused and responsive to the population under this contract.
WORKPLAN TASKS:
- Identify each issue to be addressed within each community. The purpose of the project is to enhance the quality of on-reservation childcare through strategies that address the unique issues and needs of the tribal communities.
- Provide strategies and methods to be implemented to address each identified need within each targeted community.
The ITCA shall utilize three methods of addressing each of these needs.
- ITCA Tribal Early Childhood Working Group
- Early Childhood Circles of Caring and Sharing Training Conference
- Individual requests from tribes to ITCA for specific training or technical assistance
- Describe proposed coordination activities with DES and any other state or tribal agency.
ITCA will facilitate the Working Group which provides tribal child care programs the opportunity to present and review new child care and related programs, address common concerns, share information on regulations and learn about new initiatives in program development and expansion.
- Identify any collaboration with Tribal governments, business, social service agencies, or any other entity that will contribute resources to the proposed activity.
Such collaborations include training opportunities on nutrition (WIC), asthma, tobacco education/prevention, pesticides/insecticides, dental hygiene and diabetes.
- Development and implement a "Service Diversity Plan" that ensures that contract services to be provided are culturally appropriate to the target population(s) to be served.
ITCA through its Early Childhood Working Group, Annual Early Childhood Conference and provision of training and technical assistance will ensure that culturally, tribally specific and appropriate services are provided to the children of each tribe.
- Ensure that the target population(s) will have ready access to services considering the language, culture and geographic location of the target population.
The Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. through its Early Childhood Working Group will ensure that each tribe shall have access to the services provided through this grant proposal and that every effort will be made to address the needs of the tribes in respect to their child care programs and in respect to their individual language, culture and geographic location.
TRIBAL WORKING GROUP:
The ITCA Tribal Early Childhood Working Group was established at the request of the tribes. It is formally composed of representatives from each of the Indian reservations in the State of Arizona who are involved in the development or implementation of childcare programs. This includes the Navajo Nation, which is not a member tribe of the ITCA, however, frequently collaborates with ITCA on human services initiatives. In addition, there are others who attend Working Group meetings including representatives from Head Start, Child Care Resource and Referral agencies as well as the State of Arizona Child Care Administration. The Working Group meets quarterly to discuss tribal childcare issues and to share program information.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
If you would like to be added to the mailing list, like more information on the Coordination for Tribal Child Care Services Program, please contact Verna Johnson, Human Services Coordinator or Warren Kontz, Human Services Systems Director. Either person can be reached at (602) 258-4822.
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