ESC Annual Report 2019
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The Agency is Ready to Support<br />
A THRIVING COMMUNITY<br />
OF NEIGHBORS FREE<br />
FROM POVERTY<br />
Economic Security Corporation’s<br />
Strategic Plan for 2018 to 2021<br />
The purpose is to provide an opportunity for<br />
strategic thinking and develop the next version of<br />
<strong>ESC</strong>’s strategic plan. This strategic plan will sharpen<br />
the organization’s focus and efforts and move<br />
beyond incremental improvements over the<br />
status quo. We wanted the process to create<br />
a journey for <strong>ESC</strong> board members, staff,<br />
customers and partners to review and commit<br />
to a shared vision. The strategic planning<br />
process created a conversation that helped<br />
everyone think together about how to bring <strong>ESC</strong>’s<br />
assets and talents collectively together in order for<br />
the whole to be greater than its individual parts.<br />
<strong>ESC</strong>’s strategic planning process produced a concise<br />
vision and understandable mission. We were able<br />
to identified high priority needs based on <strong>ESC</strong>’s<br />
community needs assessment, completed a Strengths,<br />
Weakness, Opportunities and Threat analysis (SWOT)<br />
and assumptions. Through this process <strong>ESC</strong> developed<br />
broad agency goals, a local Theory of Change and<br />
Outcomes, Services and Strategies.<br />
basis or as after-tax with a Roth. Our competitive<br />
portfolio and <strong>ESC</strong>’s matches $1 for $1 up to 8% of<br />
an employee’s salary. This generous match is 100%<br />
vested immediately.<br />
Agency Fiscal and Program Strengths<br />
are trusted in our Communities<br />
The Jasper County Public Housing Agency’s 2018<br />
audit had no recommendations nor findings this past<br />
audit year and has had a low-risk audit in excess of<br />
22 years.<br />
Economic Security Corporation of Southwest Area’s<br />
2018 audit had no recommendations nor findings this<br />
past audit year and has had been a low-risk auditee for<br />
the last 25 years.<br />
The JCPHA’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program was<br />
ranked this year a 1 out of 4, with 1 being the highest<br />
ranking given, the only Missouri Family Self-Sufficiency<br />
Program given this ranking, overall we are in the top<br />
20% nationally.<br />
Breastfeeding Friendly<br />
Worksite Program<br />
As an employer, <strong>ESC</strong> support of breastfeeding<br />
friendly worksite provides many employer<br />
and employee benefits. We provided breast<br />
pumps and mini refrigerators at five locations<br />
Anderson Community Center, Carthage<br />
Head Start, Neosho Head Start, South Joplin<br />
Head Start and Early Head Start and <strong>ESC</strong>’s<br />
Central Office location. In an effort to better<br />
this program and achieve<br />
higher goals, five of our<br />
locations are certified “Gold<br />
Level” for a breastfeeding<br />
friendly worksite. At these<br />
five locations a lending<br />
library full of breastfeeding<br />
information is available for<br />
our families to utilize.<br />
An Explanation of Head Start and Early Head Start Budgetary Expenditures<br />
and Proposed Budget for the Fiscal Year.<br />
AGENCY SUPPORT<br />
<strong>ESC</strong>’s Human Resources department has been very<br />
busy this year due to the expansion of our Early Head<br />
Start Child Care program which increased the number<br />
of employment opportunities to approximately 50<br />
new jobs for our communities. In addition, we started<br />
the new year with a new insurance broker, Beimdiek<br />
Insurance, who we had used in the past. We were very<br />
satisfied with the service and we are glad to go back to<br />
a local business for representation!<br />
A challenge this year was recruitment and hiring for<br />
so many new positions throughout our four<br />
county area. We are having to become more<br />
creative and utilize different recruiting<br />
methods to attract new talent.<br />
28<br />
As part of the minimum wage conversation in our<br />
Head Start and Early Head Start self-assessment<br />
process and Employee Retention committees. <strong>ESC</strong>’s<br />
Board of Directors approved a raise to our agency’s<br />
base scale. We now have a minimum starting wage<br />
of $10.00 per hour. We are receiving highly qualified<br />
candidate applications and our turnover of employees<br />
has decreased.<br />
Looking Out for Our Employees’<br />
Future … Retirement Years<br />
The Economic Security Corporation of Southwest Area<br />
has a robust and an aggressive retirement opportunity<br />
as an employee benefit. We offer a 403(b) retirement<br />
plan which employees can enroll into immediately.<br />
This plan can save employees on a tax-advantaged<br />
Head Start has a budget of $6.32 million which includes<br />
$75,130 in training and technical assistance funds.<br />
Federal regulations cap<br />
administrative costs at<br />
15% of the total budget.<br />
<strong>ESC</strong>’s administrative costs<br />
are less than 9% leaving<br />
additional money available<br />
to be used toward<br />
child and family services.<br />
Staff salaries and fringe make up 80% of the expenses<br />
in the services category; supporting over 200 Head<br />
Start employees. The “Other” category supports<br />
expenses such as facilities, transportation and child<br />
health services. The “Indirect” category provides<br />
funding to support the human resources, fiscal and<br />
administrative aspects of the program. The program<br />
will receive over $1.6 million in non-federal matching<br />
funds to support the Head Start program.<br />
Head Start and Early Head Start<br />
All Staff Fall Training<br />
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