Franklin County Head Start Program, Inc.

Board of Directors Meeting

September 27, 2017

4:30 pm

Board Members Present: Carolyn Clouser, Jennifer Hawbecker, Gladys Leon, Dr. Paul Sick, Ann Spottswood, Bob Thomas, and Dr. Linda Thomas Worthy

Staff in Attendance: Dr.Annette Searfoss, Nicole Nicholson, Elaine Snider

Board Members Not in Attendance: Dale Bushey, PreschousHunlen, Yonnie Slimmer,and Jerold Sulcove

Call Meeting to order: Dr. Paul Sick called the meeting to order at 4:32 p.m.

  1. President’s Message: (1) Dr. Paul Sick gave a recap of the staff orientation that took

Place on August 28, 2017. It included upbeat teambuilding activities as well as content related to coaching and other initiatives. (2) On September 1st, the ice cream social held at Waynesboro Day Care to celebrate the collaboration between the Waynesboro Area School District, Waynesboro Day Care and Franklin County Head Start was well represented by Directors, staff, school district and child care center leadership. (3) He acknowledged the efforts and results of leadership that he has observed in his interactions at events and at the administrative offices.

Bob Thomas asked AnnetteSearfoss to share about the Prenatal to 3rd Grade initiative in Waynesboro. JennHawbeckerasked if there was anything she could do to assist. Annette and Bob said Jenn would be an asset to the committee, and that they would reach out to Barb Martin (who is coordinating the effort) to include her.

  1. Items for Vote
  1. AugustMinutes: The minutes for August were reviewed. CarolynClouser made a motion to approve the minutes. Gladys Leon seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously.
  1. August Financial Reports & Credit Card Expenditures:Elaine Snider explained the overages on the budgets for this month. Normally the commercial insurance bills do not come until September and this year they came in August therefore showing an over expenditure vs. budgeted. Next month it will show the opposite. Jen Hawbecker made a motion to approve the financial reports as submitted. Carolyn Clouser seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously.

Policy Council By-Laws:Annette Searfossexplained that the Policy Council By-Laws needed to be aligned with the new Head Start Program Performance Standards, Board of Director’s By-Laws and include Parent Committees. The Policy Council President and Secretary worked with Annette to revise the by-laws this summer, and the Policy Council approved the by-laws this month.The revised by-laws align with the Head Start Program Performance Standards by ensuring that at least 51% of the Policy Council members are current parents, but that 49% of the members can be “community representatives” to include community agency representatives and parents of previously enrolled children. Annette shared that the Parent Committees will select the Policy Council current parents, and community representatives can be recommended to the Policy Council Executive Committee at any time throughout the year. Directors are encouraged to recommend community representatives as well.

Parent Committees are being formed. Of 576 families, 170 are interested in the Parent Committees. Facebook pages have been set up to connect parents with each other and their teachers.

Carolyn Clousermentioned that she was at a conference lately that provided strategies for training governance committees. She will share the with Annette.

Gladys Leon made a motion to approve the Policy Council By-Laws. JenHawbecker seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously.

  1. United Way Partnership

In order to become a United Way Partner, the organization needs to sign a Community Impact Partnership Agreement. Bob Thomas made a motion to approve the Partnership Agreement. Gladys Leon seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously.

  1. Director’s Report
  1. Program Information Report (PIR)

Nicole gave a synopsis of the PIR from the 2016-2017 Fiscal Year. She shared glows and grows.

Glows - (1) 41 Children with vision problemstreated; (2) Increasing staff qualifications – through staff development and additional training; (3) All children with IEPs and IFSPs and disabilities were receiving services by the end of the school year. (4) Family job training and school – 22 parents completed high school and GED training and 3 have received their associates degrees during this school year. We still have work to do with107 parents who have less than a high school diploma.

Grows – (1) EHS getting fathers and father figures involved; (2) Bilingual support – need more bilingual staff and volunteers; (3) Concerned enrollment turnover-HS Cumulative Enrollment of 370 for 317 funded slots and EHS CE of 131 for 72 slots.(4)Data collection concerns over documentation of meeting family needs and the connection to servicesWith moving to the Child Plus database, we are hoping to have better data to inform our planning and programming.

Bob Thomas asked the question about mental health. Do we look into if the parents have mental health issues? Nicole responded that we do, but with little relationship building parents do not often self report.Family Advocates and Teachers require more training on relationship building to help us get to the point of helping families to identify mental health issues.

Currently we contract with a mental health agency to do our services.

  1. Waynesboro Partnership Update

For this fiscal year, the Waynesboro School District provides Pre-K Counts funding for a half day session. Children stay in the same classroom for the second half of the day using Head Start funding. Families who need before and after care have the option of enrolling in the Waynesboro Day Care Center, and we provide transportation to and from the center.

  1. Policy Council Community Representatives – Annette Searfossencouraged Directors to recommend Policy Council Representatives to the Policy Council Executive Committee.
  1. Committee Reports
  1. Human Resources/Finance Committee

Paul Sick informed the board of the following items:

State Budget –FCHS has borrowed $55,000 on our unsecured line of credit to cover to the HSSAP expenses to date since no money has been received from the state at this time.

Health & Safety Grant Award– FCHS has received $216,105 from the Federal Government to purchase health and safety items that will help the program.

WASD Grant- Through the Waynesboro Area School District partnership to serve 17 children in the amount of $66,338.

  1. Early Head Start Leadership Committee

Ann Spottswoodreported that the committee discussed the move to have all the EHS classrooms in one building at Faith United Methodist Church this fall.

  1. Annual Meeting Committee

Bob Thomas gave an update on the Annual Meeting to be held October 27, 2017 at Brethren Fellowship Church. F & M Trust has given us $1,000 to sponsor our Annual Events. Nicole Nicholson would like to reach out to Lakeshore to help sponsor our event. Bob recommended that we use Kathy’s Deli’s for a Hot Breakfast. Paul suggested that we honor Manny Diaz at the event. Bob asked the Board to look at the list of invitees and add to it if they know of anyone. Bob asked Secretary Wetzel to speak. Bob will substitute if he is not available. It was suggested that if there is a video of Secretary Wetzel that maybe that could be used as well.

  1. Strategic Planning & Evaluation Committee

Paul Sick gave an update on the Strategic Planning and Evaluation Committee. The committee met in September and had a successful meeting. Looking at the initial phase of the Strategic Planning. Had a dream session with items written on clouds on the wall. Plan on meeting monthly going forward. Next meeting is October 10th.

Central lease – FCHS is in communication with Vern McKissick. Still waiting on the new market money to be approved. Hoping to give us a contingent lease by the end of next week. Does not feel that the new market money will close until December. The funding is closing on Monday for the apartment complex and in order to get the new market money there needs to be 60% leased out andcurrently at 30%. Vern McKissick was meeting with someone today to lease out the other space that is needed to close out on the new market funds. Bob has reached out to one of the local parties regarding the parking situation and is still working on the parking.

  1. Adjournment: Dr. Paul Sick adjourned the meeting at 6:02 p.m.

Next meeting: Wednesday, October 25, 20174:30 pm @ 785 Fifth Avenue, Chambersburg, PA