Early Connections 2017-18 Annual Report
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<strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong><br />
<strong>2017</strong>-20<strong>18</strong><br />
200 West 11th Street<br />
Erie, PA 16501<br />
(814) 874-0144
Dear Reader,<br />
Each day, when directors, teachers, and staff walk into <strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong>’ centers, we look forward to the day<br />
because we know we will watch wonderful things happen. Some days will be noisy and messy, and others will be<br />
quieter and maybe even tidy! The children in our classrooms will make friends, they will negotiate, they will ask<br />
questions, they will grow, they will learn something new, they will discover something that interests them. We<br />
are here to guide children on that journey, to help them succeed and be excited by what they are learning.<br />
We partner with our families and our community partners to provide children with the best possible<br />
experiences during these early years. Together, we can develop every child’s love of learning and help each<br />
child find the path to success throughout school. We look ahead to the wonderful future each child can have!<br />
In this report, we focus on <strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong>’ work and activities throughout the <strong>2017</strong>-20<strong>18</strong> year, not only<br />
within our organization but in cooperation with families, friends, and our community. We pledge to continue<br />
our commitment to support young children and their families through leadership, advocacy, and quality<br />
programs in early childhood education!<br />
Thank you for your interest in <strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong>!<br />
Sincerely,<br />
Darlene E. Kovacs, Executive Director<br />
Board of Directors<br />
<strong>2017</strong>-20<strong>18</strong><br />
Board President<br />
Laura Schaaf<br />
Barber National Institute<br />
Board Vice President<br />
Michael Plazony<br />
Kemper Home Service Co.<br />
Board Secretary<br />
John VanTassel<br />
ERIEBANK<br />
Board Treasurer<br />
Lori M Hetrick<br />
Village at Luther Square<br />
Jacqui Catrabone<br />
Strategy Solutions<br />
Sarah Howard<br />
Wellspring of Life LLC<br />
Katie Jones<br />
ERIEBANK<br />
Michael Thomas, Esq.<br />
MacDonald Illig Jones & Britton<br />
Dr. Janet Wojtalik<br />
Former Special Education<br />
teacher, School Administrator,<br />
and Author<br />
Administrative Staff<br />
Darlene E. Kovacs<br />
Executive Director<br />
Michelle Harkins<br />
Associate Executive Director<br />
Family Support Program<br />
Supervisor<br />
Matt Turek<br />
Vice President of Finance<br />
Tracy Robison Chandler<br />
Vice President of Professional<br />
Development<br />
Kimberly Beers<br />
Vice President<br />
of Outreach/Success By 6<br />
Erie’s Future Fund Scholarship<br />
Director<br />
Holly Platte<br />
Vice President of Human Resources<br />
Abby Perry<br />
Family Support Case Manager<br />
Jayne Deutsch<br />
Administrative Assistant<br />
<strong>Early</strong> Care and Education Directors<br />
Maggie Heslop<br />
Nancy Dahlquist<br />
<strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong>, City Center<br />
Carlie Eck<br />
<strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong>, Union City<br />
Kate Beer<br />
<strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong>, Housing<br />
Authority of the City of Erie<br />
Stephanie King<br />
<strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong>, West Side<br />
Stephanie McIntosh<br />
<strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong>, North East<br />
Maggie Jaraczewski<br />
<strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong>, West Ridge
The research clearly demonstrates high-quality early childhood<br />
opportunities help children succeed.<br />
~ Tim Kaine<br />
About Us<br />
For over 100 years, <strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong> has provided programming for young children and families, and we are<br />
dedicated to providing high-quality early learning opportunities for the young learners in our centers. We take<br />
pride in our history in our community and recognize the accomplishment of over a century of dedication and hard<br />
work. However, we never lose focus on the future and we continue to engage in planning and partnerships that will<br />
move <strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong> forward in our service to the community. We recognize the emerging concerns of new<br />
families in Erie County, and strive to meet the early education needs of an increasingly-diverse population.<br />
Administrators and staff are alert to new opportunities, new research, and current trends in the field of child care<br />
and education.<br />
Currently, <strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong> provides quality Keystone STARS 3 and 4-level programming at six sites in the City of<br />
Erie, Union City, and North East. STARS is a quality rating system used by Pennsylvania to provide a framework for<br />
quality early childhood programming based on specific standards, with one STAR being entry level in the system<br />
and four STARS being the highest quality. STARS sets requirements for early childhood programs to promote the<br />
best and safest learning environment possible for children. This type of high-quality environment contributes to a<br />
child’s overall success. In February, 20<strong>18</strong>, <strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong> opened a new center in Fairview to better serve the<br />
West County area, and this location operates using STAR 4 standards while moving through the STARS process.<br />
<strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong>’ staff are competent and qualified, and each person has a heart for helping young children<br />
develop and learn. As a result, children in our classrooms experience developmentally-appropriate learning<br />
activities, from infancy through school-age, which fulfill the PA <strong>Early</strong> Learning Standards and are also engaging<br />
and interesting to young learners. Children's learning and development is supported through high quality<br />
programming, utilizing years of evidence-based research that supports long-term positive impacts on a child<br />
(http://www.highscope.org). Unfortunately, as has been reported for several years, young children in Erie County<br />
are considered "high risk" for early school failure (OCDEL Reach and Risk <strong>Report</strong>). Quality early childhood<br />
education provides a positive long-lasting effect on a child’s educational and economic future, in turn helping<br />
improve their community’s economy and future workforce (http://www.readynation.org).<br />
We look back at all we have built throughout our history, but we are focused on the future and moving forward to<br />
fulfill our mission by helping young children and families find success. As a result, we collaborate with many<br />
organizations throughout Erie County, including:<br />
Erie Public Schools<br />
Iroquois School District<br />
Union City Area School District<br />
North East School District<br />
Housing Authority of the City of Erie<br />
United Way of Erie County<br />
<strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong> participates in:<br />
North East Community Helping in Learning and Development (N.E.CHILD)<br />
Erie Coalition for a Trauma Informed Community<br />
Nonprofit Partnership Executive Directors Forum<br />
Erie Together<br />
Union City Roundtable<br />
Union City Family Support Center<br />
Erie County Office of Children and Youth<br />
NAMI<br />
4 N.I.N.E.<br />
Northwest Tri-county Intermediate Unit 5<br />
Northwest Regional Key, <strong>Early</strong> Learning Resource Center (ELRC)<br />
<strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong> has an agreement with these organizations to help provide early care and education for children<br />
experiencing homelessness or similar challenges:<br />
Erie United Methodist Alliance (EUMA)<br />
Mercy Center for Women<br />
Erie Family Center<br />
We welcome questions regarding our work, and invite you to read our <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> in the pages that follow.<br />
<strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong> is truly dedicated to creating lifelong learners through exciting and engaging programs!
<strong>Early</strong> Care & Education<br />
Providing early care and education<br />
programming for children ages 6 weeks<br />
to 12 years<br />
Quality early learning programs for 300+ children ● 7 locations<br />
including 1 in North East and 1 in Union City ● Licensed by PA Dept.<br />
of Human Services ● Participates in Keystone STARS ● Inclusive<br />
classrooms at two centers ● Free meals which consist of breakfast,<br />
lunch and snack (The USDA Nondiscrimination Statement can be found<br />
at https://www.fns.usda.gov/fns-nondiscrimination-statement) ●<br />
Creative Curriculum used in all classrooms ● Accept Child Care Works<br />
● Parent and Community Involvement ● Summer Camp<br />
Pre-K Counts (PKC)<br />
State-funded Pre-K program for<br />
at-risk children who are between<br />
age 3 and younger than the age for<br />
entry into kindergarten<br />
Free, five half-days a week high<br />
quality preschool - kindergarten<br />
readiness program ● 215 children<br />
participated during the <strong>2017</strong>/<strong>18</strong> school<br />
year ● 6 <strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong> locations<br />
plus 1 classroom in partnership with<br />
Iroquois Elementary School<br />
<strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong> Pre-K Counts<br />
students exploring the world at the<br />
Tom Ridge Environment Center<br />
Pop Pop’s Pantry<br />
Addressing food insecurity -<br />
Nutrition assistance<br />
Provides supplemental meals for low income families unable to<br />
access pantries that are open during work hours ● 171 bags of food<br />
distributed ● Available to all eligible City Center families ● In<br />
partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank<br />
Community Innovation<br />
Zone (CIZ)<br />
Supported Playgroups (SPGs)<br />
for families and caregivers<br />
Families enjoying a Supported Playgroup<br />
field trip to the Erie Zoo<br />
Participants learn to be their child’s first teacher ● Developmentally<br />
appropriate activities to promote readiness for success in school ●<br />
Provide a better understanding of school procedures and expectations<br />
● Resources and referrals ● Opportunity to network ● Supported an<br />
early learning symposium spearheaded by the Union City Family<br />
Support Center to highlight the importance of collaboration between<br />
school and service agencies beginning prenatally through grade three<br />
● 3 year grant funded through PA’s Race To the Top <strong>Early</strong> Learning<br />
Challenge Program, administered by <strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong> with United<br />
Way as the lead agency ● Partners included the Iroquois School<br />
District, the International<br />
Institute, YMCA of Greater<br />
Erie, and the Union City<br />
Family Support Center<br />
● Activities included<br />
visiting the Children’s<br />
Museum in Erie, the<br />
Pittsburgh Museum, and<br />
the Erie Zoo<br />
Supported Playgroups provide families<br />
with a fun environment to learn together.<br />
Family Support<br />
Engaging families in their<br />
children's learning<br />
Able to serve 20 children and their families at a time ● Quality<br />
early learning, before and after school care ● Activities for the<br />
entire family ● Infant through school-age, on a full-time basis<br />
● Funded through a contract with Erie County Department of<br />
Human Services (DHS)
Erie's Future Fund<br />
Preschool Scholarship program<br />
administered by <strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong><br />
for economically-challenged<br />
families throughout Erie County<br />
Look at what we built! All the while we were<br />
learning about problem solving, cooperation,<br />
math, creativity and so much more.<br />
150 scholarship opportunities for qualified<br />
children from low-income families<br />
● Scholarships accepted at 40+ highquality<br />
early care and education program locations in Erie<br />
County ● Part-time summer scholarships offered for up to 50<br />
scholars over an 11 week period ● Scholarship options: 3 or 5<br />
half days a week during the school year ● Open enrollment<br />
deadline allows families to access the program beyond the start<br />
of the school year ● Provide educational resources and support<br />
during the application process ● Scholarships are funded from<br />
within Erie County through individual<br />
donations, Pre-K Earned Income<br />
Tax Credits, and cause-related<br />
marketing<br />
Erie’s Future Fund was created in 2011,<br />
an outgrowth of the Erie Community<br />
Foundation’s <strong>Early</strong> Childhood Advisory<br />
Panel in partnership with United Way of<br />
Erie County, Success By 6, members of the<br />
<strong>Early</strong> Learning Investment Commission<br />
and Erie Together.<br />
United Way Success By 6<br />
(SB6)<br />
Success By 6, United Way of Erie<br />
County's <strong>Early</strong> Care and Education<br />
initiative, is a community<br />
collaborative of professionals from a<br />
wide range of organizations.<br />
Sack races! Just one of the many fun activities to try during the 9th<br />
annual Pre-K Counts Awareness Day event<br />
Celebrated 15 years serving the Erie Community and helping prepare their children for Kindergarten ● Focuses<br />
on the needs of young children and their families through the work of several SB6 committees: Maternal Child<br />
Health Task Force, Erie County <strong>Early</strong> Learning Professionals, and Pre-K Counts, as well as in partnership with the<br />
Erie County Local Inter-agency Coordinating Council ● 12th <strong>Annual</strong> Success By 6 <strong>Early</strong> Learning Expo: 65<br />
families including 112 children, 35 local agency exhibits, hands-on activities, live entertainment, and educational<br />
materials. Each child received a book courtesy of Hooked On Books for Kids Erie ● 9th <strong>Annual</strong> Pre-K Counts<br />
Awareness Day: 700 preschoolers and their teachers from Erie County Pre-K Counts programs took part in a<br />
variety of educational activities and games at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center<br />
● Children Do Come with Directions booklets: 5000+ booklets have been distributed<br />
in the past 2 years. We plan to update the booklet for reprinting in 2019.<br />
United Way<br />
Erie Free Taxes<br />
Free tax preparation services through the<br />
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance<br />
Program (VITA) to assist eligible low and<br />
moderate income wage-earners to claim<br />
the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).<br />
Free tax preparation service provided by IRS-certified volunteers<br />
at numerous locations throughout Erie County<br />
20<strong>18</strong> FILING SEASON RESULTS<br />
● Federal VITA Returns: 6,248<br />
● Claims (incl in above total): 2,136<br />
● Returns: 616<br />
● Total Returns: 6,864<br />
● Refund Total: $10.9M<br />
● Tax Filer Savings (est.): $1.8M
Contributors<br />
Quite simply, our work would not be possible without the support of the community. The following individuals<br />
and organizations made contributions to support the work of <strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong>. Each gift directly and positively<br />
affected a child’s life. Thank you!<br />
4 N.I.N.E.<br />
American Legion Post 237<br />
Bayhurst Family Trust<br />
Boscov's<br />
Britton Family Foundation<br />
Campbell Pottery Store<br />
Chipotle Mexican Grill<br />
Darlene Kovacs<br />
Dr. Paul and Darlene Kovacs<br />
East Erie Moose Family Center<br />
Erie Community Foundation<br />
Erie Community Foundation - Erie Gives Day<br />
Erie Experience Vinyl<br />
Erie Insurance<br />
ERIEBANK<br />
Fire Pitt Pizza Erie<br />
Greater Giving Online<br />
Holly Platte<br />
Hooked on Books<br />
Jacqueline Catrabone<br />
Jamie Schumacher<br />
Jessen Media<br />
JJHT, Inc.<br />
John Krol VFW Post 6773<br />
John W. Alberstadt Jr.<br />
Joseph and Brenda Comstock<br />
Katie Jones<br />
Erie's Future Fund<br />
Preschool Scholarship Fund<br />
administered by <strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong><br />
American Tinning and Galvanizing<br />
CA Curtze Company<br />
Erie Community Foundation-Erie Gives Day<br />
Erie Insurance<br />
ERIEBANK<br />
JAM PHD Inc.<br />
Lilly Broadcasting of PA LLC<br />
Math-U-See dba Demme Learning<br />
Scott's Corp. Services Inc.<br />
Scott's Development Company<br />
UPMC Health Plan<br />
We have made every effort to list all<br />
grants, contributions and gifts<br />
received during the period July 1,<br />
<strong>2017</strong> through June 30, 20<strong>18</strong>. We<br />
apologize for any errors or omissions<br />
and ask you to contact <strong>Early</strong><br />
<strong>Connections</strong> Administrative Offices<br />
at 814-874-0144 with corrections.<br />
Kiwanis Club of Erie<br />
La Nuova Aurora Society of Erie, PA<br />
Larry Lechtner<br />
Lori Hetrick<br />
Maria's Pizza<br />
Mayer Bro. Construction<br />
Michael and LeeAnn Thomas<br />
Michael Plazony<br />
Michelle Harkins<br />
MnM Treasures<br />
Plazony Family Foundation<br />
Presque Isle Downs and Casino<br />
Sarah Howard<br />
Sean and Kimberly Beers<br />
South Erie Turners<br />
Stan Zlotkowski III<br />
State Representative Flo and Vicki Fabrizio<br />
State Representative Pat and Michelle Harkins<br />
Sunflower Club<br />
Times Publishing Company<br />
Tracy Robison Chandler<br />
UPMC Health Plan<br />
Vicary Insurance Agency<br />
Victoria Fabrizio<br />
WM T. Spaeder Co.<br />
Z3 Concepts<br />
Neighborhood Assistance Program<br />
Through the Department of Community and Economic<br />
Development’s Neighborhood Assistance Program, UPMC<br />
Health Plan received tax credits for their gift to <strong>Early</strong><br />
<strong>Connections</strong>, which helped purchase The Creative Curriculum<br />
for infants, toddlers and preschool. This high-quality<br />
curriculum for now readily accessible to every <strong>Early</strong><br />
<strong>Connections</strong> classroom.<br />
Jennifer Weigold-Geertson, Senior Manager of Community Relations at UPMC<br />
Health Plan (center of photo in green) and the <strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong> staff at our<br />
training on the use of The Creative Curriculum in our classrooms<br />
Erie Downtown Partnership<br />
<strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong> was one of the downtown businesses that<br />
proudly received a $2,595 Façade Improvement Grant from<br />
the Erie Downtown Partnership. This grant will help provide<br />
the funds needed to replace the windows on the State Street<br />
side of our City Center location, 704 State Street. An additional<br />
grant helped provide security cameras at this location.
Fiscal <strong>Report</strong> July <strong>2017</strong>-June 20<strong>18</strong><br />
Accredited Under the Pennsylvania Association<br />
Nonprofit Organizations’ Standards for Excellence®<br />
<strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong> is a 501(c)3 nonprofit<br />
organization -contributions to which are<br />
tax deductible to the fullest extent<br />
permitted by law. The official<br />
registration and financial information of<br />
<strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong> may be obtained from<br />
the Pennsylvania Department of State by<br />
calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania,<br />
1-800-732-0999. Registration does not<br />
imply endorsement.<br />
<strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong> is proud to be able to display this<br />
Seal of Excellence awarded by the Pennsylvania<br />
Association of Nonprofit Organizations. <strong>Early</strong><br />
<strong>Connections</strong> is one of two nonprofit organizations<br />
in this region to be awarded accreditation under the<br />
Standards for Excellence® program, which is<br />
bestowed only to the most well-managed and<br />
responsibly governed nonprofit organizations that<br />
have demonstrated continued compliance with 56<br />
specific Standards for Excellence® based on<br />
honesty, integrity, fairness, respect, trust, responsibility,<br />
and accountability. <strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong> has<br />
met, complied with, and integrated the Standards<br />
for Excellence® into all its activities to successfully<br />
complete this voluntary accreditation program.
<strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong><br />
City Center<br />
704 State Street<br />
Erie, PA 16501<br />
(814) 456-4576<br />
<strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong><br />
West Side<br />
420 West 6th Street<br />
Erie, PA 16507<br />
(814) 456-5346<br />
<strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong><br />
Harbor Homes<br />
<strong>18</strong>41 East <strong>18</strong>th Street<br />
Erie, PA 16510<br />
(814) 899-3310<br />
<strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong><br />
John E Horan Garden Apartments<br />
730 Tacoma Road<br />
Erie, PA 16511<br />
(814) 454-9713<br />
<strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong><br />
North East<br />
50 E Division Street<br />
North East, PA 16428<br />
(814) 315-2915<br />
<strong>Early</strong> <strong>Connections</strong><br />
Union City<br />
16380 Route 8<br />
Union City, PA 16438<br />
(814) 438-7016<br />
www.earlyconnectionserie.org<br />
www.facebook.com/earlyconnectionsinc
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