News & Events

The Year in Review, June 1, 2007-May 31, 2008

Annual Report of he Executive Director

I always think of June as the beginning of a new year, since I was hired in June two years ago. Here are some of my thoughts as I look back over the past year.

Early Head Start grant and conference. The Association received a grant from the Virginia Department of Social Services, Division of Child Care and Development for $471,500 to be used as follows:

Program improvement grants to the 11 EHS programs -- $385,000
Early Head Start Conference -- $25,000
Administrative Costs -- $61,500

These funds, which must be expended by August 31, 2008, enabled our EHS programs to enhance their programs in exciting ways: staff training, classroom equipment, mental health services, substitutes in the classroom, among others. The conference brought together over 100 participants in an exciting event that brought top-notch training to this group.

Collaboration mini-grants. In partnership with the Collaboration Office, the Association was able to award 8 grants of $3500 each to assist programs in their efforts to build partnerships with VPI programs.

Board Development. This year our Board has been very active and involved in all matters of the Association. We have had excellent participation at all meetings, both face-to-face and conference call. In November 2007, we held an overnight retreat to set goals and objectives. Board members were actively involved in the work of the conference, both in developing and implementing it. The Executive Committee is made up of one person from each of the four regions, which we think will have the added benefit of strengthening the regions as well as the Board.

Regional Support. Our four regions have made tremendous strides this year in strengthening networks and meeting needs of their programs. The Association provided resources in the form of a DVD (Everyday Creativity), $3000 for training purposes, and assistance in planning and implementation.

Annual Training Conference. We celebrated another successful conference, with 454 persons attending this event in Fredericksburg in April. The format this year insured workshops in each time period for administrators, educators, Early Head Start, family-community partnerships, parents, and health. In addition, there were workshops for transportation, technology, disabilities. This year we had many more workshop proposals than we could accept and more vendors than we could accommodate.

Outcomes Report and Annual Report. These two documents, prepared in partnership with the Collaboration Office, present an excellent picture of Head Start in Virginia.

Phase II, Public Relations Campaign. We have been actively working on this next phase and will have it ready for presentation in a few weeks. The Board and Directors have previewed it and we are looking forward to its release. This phase includes an update and revision of the original spot, plus a longer presentation that programs can use in their communities to build support for Head Start.

ECHO Project. The Early Childhood Hearing Outreach Project is being piloted in five Early Head Start programs as part of a national project. This project offers state-of-the-art hearing screening for infants and toddlers. While the project is for EHS programs, the screening is valid for any age group. The Association will make available to all programs a grant template that can be used to apply for funds for this project.

The Family Development Associate Credential. Thanks to a hard-working group from the T/TA system, Collaboration office, Department of Labor and Industry, Community College system, and the Association, we were able to roll out this exciting program to enhance the credentials of family service workers.

Enhancing the website. We have added pages for Health Advisory Committee, Early Head Start, Male Involvement/Fatherhood, each of the regions, and more. We are looking more and more at the website as a major communication tool for us.

Achieved 100% membership! Thank you, Virginia programs!

Expanded the outreach of the Southeast Mobile Dental Services. This partner now offers dental services in all four of our regions. They were awarded the "Friend of Head Start" award at the annual conference.

Fiscal issues. Imagine my surprise when our tax forms indicated that our income last year was $549,299.00! Most of that -- $413,000 -- went back to programs in the form of grants. While profits from the conference have been disappointing, other revenue streams have kept us solvent. As we look forward, we are exploring partnerships with other agencies which, if successful, will provide revenue for the Association. In addition, we are pursuing grant opportunities which will provide benefit for our programs.

Participation in State Level Committees and Initiatives. Thanks to dedicated Head Start directors and others, Head Start is represented on all major early childhood committees in the State. This kind of participation assures that Head Start will not be left out of important decisions that are made.

As we look toward next year, I will be exploring ways of providing tangible support in the way of grants to local programs to help them deal with rising costs and higher demands.

Good work, Virginia Head Start. This report represents the hard work of many individuals giving their best for Head Start children and families. Thank you!

Maxine McKinney
Executive Director
June 16, 2008

Director's Work Area \| Contact Us \| Search

Home About Virginia Head Start Find a Head Start Program Success Stories Resources & Links Member Central News & Events Virginia Head Start Association PO Box 876 Lynchburg, VA 24505	News & Events The Year in Review, June 1, 2007-May 31, 2008 Annual Report of he Executive Director I always think of June as the beginning of a new year, since I was hired in June two years ago. Here are some of my thoughts as I look back over the past year. Early Head Start grant and conference. The Association received a grant from the Virginia Department of Social Services, Division of Child Care and Development for $471,500 to be used as follows: Program improvement grants to the 11 EHS programs -- $385,000 Early Head Start Conference -- $25,000 Administrative Costs -- $61,500 These funds, which must be expended by August 31, 2008, enabled our EHS programs to enhance their programs in exciting ways: staff training, classroom equipment, mental health services, substitutes in the classroom, among others. The conference brought together over 100 participants in an exciting event that brought top-notch training to this group. Collaboration mini-grants. In partnership with the Collaboration Office, the Association was able to award 8 grants of $3500 each to assist programs in their efforts to build partnerships with VPI programs. Board Development. This year our Board has been very active and involved in all matters of the Association. We have had excellent participation at all meetings, both face-to-face and conference call. In November 2007, we held an overnight retreat to set goals and objectives. Board members were actively involved in the work of the conference, both in developing and implementing it. The Executive Committee is made up of one person from each of the four regions, which we think will have the added benefit of strengthening the regions as well as the Board. Regional Support. Our four regions have made tremendous strides this year in strengthening networks and meeting needs of their programs. The Association provided resources in the form of a DVD (Everyday Creativity), $3000 for training purposes, and assistance in planning and implementation. Annual Training Conference. We celebrated another successful conference, with 454 persons attending this event in Fredericksburg in April. The format this year insured workshops in each time period for administrators, educators, Early Head Start, family-community partnerships, parents, and health. In addition, there were workshops for transportation, technology, disabilities. This year we had many more workshop proposals than we could accept and more vendors than we could accommodate. Outcomes Report and Annual Report. These two documents, prepared in partnership with the Collaboration Office, present an excellent picture of Head Start in Virginia. Phase II, Public Relations Campaign. We have been actively working on this next phase and will have it ready for presentation in a few weeks. The Board and Directors have previewed it and we are looking forward to its release. This phase includes an update and revision of the original spot, plus a longer presentation that programs can use in their communities to build support for Head Start. ECHO Project. The Early Childhood Hearing Outreach Project is being piloted in five Early Head Start programs as part of a national project. This project offers state-of-the-art hearing screening for infants and toddlers. While the project is for EHS programs, the screening is valid for any age group. The Association will make available to all programs a grant template that can be used to apply for funds for this project. The Family Development Associate Credential. Thanks to a hard-working group from the T/TA system, Collaboration office, Department of Labor and Industry, Community College system, and the Association, we were able to roll out this exciting program to enhance the credentials of family service workers. Enhancing the website. We have added pages for Health Advisory Committee, Early Head Start, Male Involvement/Fatherhood, each of the regions, and more. We are looking more and more at the website as a major communication tool for us. Achieved 100% membership! Thank you, Virginia programs! Expanded the outreach of the Southeast Mobile Dental Services. This partner now offers dental services in all four of our regions. They were awarded the "Friend of Head Start" award at the annual conference. Fiscal issues. Imagine my surprise when our tax forms indicated that our income last year was $549,299.00! Most of that -- $413,000 -- went back to programs in the form of grants. While profits from the conference have been disappointing, other revenue streams have kept us solvent. As we look forward, we are exploring partnerships with other agencies which, if successful, will provide revenue for the Association. In addition, we are pursuing grant opportunities which will provide benefit for our programs. Participation in State Level Committees and Initiatives. Thanks to dedicated Head Start directors and others, Head Start is represented on all major early childhood committees in the State. This kind of participation assures that Head Start will not be left out of important decisions that are made. As we look toward next year, I will be exploring ways of providing tangible support in the way of grants to local programs to help them deal with rising costs and higher demands. Good work, Virginia Head Start. This report represents the hard work of many individuals giving their best for Head Start children and families. Thank you! Maxine McKinney Executive Director June 16, 2008