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Healthy Beginnings Committee

MINUTES
July 21, 2006

Sept 15, 2006

Nov 17, 2006

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Minutes from NetWork Group Meeting
November 17, 2006

In attendance were Steve Hollis, Columbia/Boone County Health Department; Rebecca Roesslet, CBCHD; Sharon Tepper, Boone Hospital; Amalie Duvall, First Chance For Children; Toni Rahman, FCC; Barbie Reid, FCC; Jessica Kirchhofer, PAT; Maureen Coy, CBCHD; Pam Victor, HealthCare USA; Laura Thomas, Early HeadStart; Sharon Lee, CBCHD; Eileen Long, LFCS; Christine White, LFCS; Kim Houberg, LFCS; Sherry Traub, Southern Boone County PAT; Lorraine Barnett, Open Arms; Christian Sommerfield, Open Arms; Jennifer Crader, Mercy CarePlus; LaDonna Ellis, Bear Creek Child Care Center.

Introductions: The meeting was opened by a round of introductions.
Approval of Agenda: Agenda for current meeting was approved.
Approval of 9/15/06 Minutes: Minutes from previous meeting were approved.
Election of Officers: The following officers were elected to serve for a one-year term:
Chair: Toni Rahman
Vice Chair: Sharon Lee
Secretary: Barbara Reid*

Old Business – Recruitment of New Members: Members expressed interest in having representation from CMCA Boone County Office (Laura said she would invite Adam Tipton), Regional Hospital, Douglass School (Maureen said she would talk to Cheryl), Mizzou School of Nursing (Sharon Lee said she would make this contact) and Jump Start (Mizzou School of Counseling Psychology Early Reading Program). Interest was also expressed in including the following entities: ECSE, Title I, HS Guidance Counselors, and VAC.

 Committee Reports:
Healthy Beginnings: HB has been having cooking classes and other educational sessions, attended by 8 to 12 parents two times monthly. Families are being transported by LFCS and childcare and lunch are provided to those who attend. It was also noted that evening cooking classes should continue without an additional educational component, as the cooking activity is adequate. Diapers are being given as a door prize to selected families in attendance. New Winter/Spring schedule was presented for review.

*Barbara Reid later learned that she could not serve as secretary. Laura Thomas has accepted nomination for this position and candidate will be confirmed at next meeting.

Prenatal Case Management: Concern was expressed that there are many in the community that are not being reached for prenatal case management. It was determined that a greater effort would be made to reach out from different angles to achieve better coverage. Subcommittee expressed interest in developing a flexible, interest-driven program offering childbirth education (Tonya Christensen), safety education, etc, based on the needs of the community. Subcommittee Spokesperson expressed a need for more communication with the three Medicaid providers, and a possible review of the services that are available (or not available) through the various HMOs.

 New Business: Maureen Coy presented the Parent Education Committee Calendar and asked for the group’s input with regard to the effectiveness of the current format. Group expressed an interest in changing format to one which has a calendar on one side and an alphabetical listing of services on the reverse.

Agency Announcements:First Chance for Children announced the addition of staff for the CRIBS Program: Brenda Hartley, Coordinator; Mamie Carter, Administrative Assistant. CRIBS is up and running with its new staff and office, and will be able to begin addressing the wait list soon. Cribs will be stored at the Bear Creek Center. A form for referrals will be available after the wait list has been adequately addressed. CRIBS current Memorandum of Agreement is with PAT+, LFCS, and the Health Department. The cost of the program includes 6 home visits for each crib delivered. Discussion about alternative ways to meet pressing need for cribs in a timely and efficient manner was discussed. Limited funds was identified as one of the biggest challenges for purchasing more cribs. Currently, Amalie Duvall is doing fundraising for this cause. It was decided that the Board should be approached with this issue, as it is a cause that, with the right approach, could garner generous public support. Amalie will address this issue with the Board.

First Chance for Children also announced its recent move to the Parkade Center. They will be housed here through June 2007, as the Board is trying to find a building to purchase for the project.

Alternate locations for the Networking EarlyChildhood Team to meet were discussed. Possible locations: LFCS, CMCA on Wilkes, CMCA Main Office, Rock Quarry Conference Room

Meeting was adjourned.
Next Meeting: January 19, at 9:00 am, at CMCA Conference Room at 400 Wilkes.

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Minutes from NetWork Group Meeting
September 15, 2006

In attendance were Steve Hollis, Columbia/Boone County Health Department; Sharon Tepper, Boone Hospital; Amalie Duvall, First Chance For Children; Toni Rahman, FCC; Barbie Reid, FCC; Rolesta Rodgers, PAT Plus; Lynn Cole, Children’s Division; Jessica Kirchhofer, PAT; Kelly Fuchs, PAT Plus; Anna Bradford, Student Intern; Stacey LeGrand, Parent Rep.; Maureen Coy, CBCHD; Pam Victor, HealthCare USA; Laura Thomas, Early HeadStart; Sharon Lee, CBCHD; Eileen Long, LFCS; Christine White, LFCS; Angie Wendt, Educare; Tanya Christensen, Independent Educator, Childbirth, etc.; Wendy Matlick, Headstart.

Introductions: The meeting was opened by a round of introductions and introducing Kelly Fuchs, Parents as Teachers’ new Parent Educator.

Approval of Agenda: Agenda for current meeting was approved.

Approval of 7/21/06 Minutes: Minutes from previous meeting were approved.

Recruitment of New Members: Members in attendance generally agreed that individuals participating in the NET to date represent the major service providers in the area, with a few exceptions. It was decided that representation from MissouriCare, Green Meadows, and Regional Hospital should be sought out, and Christine White, Maureen Coy, and Eileen Long will make these contacts, respectively.

Prenatal Case Management: Steve Hollis expressed interest in forming a subcommittee for Prenatal Case Management that would encompass CRIBS, Safe Kids, Lutheran Families Children’s Services and other organizations serving this population.  Steve Hollis agreed to have his staff organize an initial meeting.  The group moved to create this subcommittee through a motion by Rolesta, a second by Eileen Long and a vote.

Prenatal Case Management: Steve Hollis expressed interest in forming a subcommittee for Prenatal Case Management that would encompass Cribs, Safe Kids, Lutheran Families Children’s Services and other organizations serving this population. Laura Thomas expressed interest in heading this committee. The group moved to create this subcommittee through a motion by Rolesta, a second by Eileen Long and a vote.

Committee Reports:

• Healthy Beginnings: HB’s first educational event, on Thursday, September 14 was a great success. Some 14 mothers attended with children of various ages. Five of these families took advantage of transportation to the event. Facilitators are using the information gained to make adjustments for subsequent meetings; childcare seems to pose the greatest challenge. Sharon Lee has ordered toys that should be available for use by the next event on October 5. HB Subcommittee next meets on October 24 at the Health Department at 9:00 am.
  Topic schedule and flyer for Healthy Beginnings’ upcoming Educational Events was reviewed and approved.
• Stork’s Nest: Rolesta Rodgers reported that 20 women attended yesterday’s Stork’s Nest. The message presented by Thel Sergeant, HIV Educator, Boone County Health Department. It was reportedly well received. The October 12 Stork’s Nest will feature Mary Jo Herde, a presenter from Read from the Start. Stork’s Nest has outgrown its lodging at Parkade, and will need to find a new home by November or December. Anyone with ideas or information about new lodgings for Stork’s Nest should contact Rolesta at (573) 443-3080.
  The Zeta Phi Beta Sorority and Stork’s Nest Advisory Board has asked for a better definition of Healthy Beginnings and how it dovetails with Stork’s Nest. NET Membership in attendance discussed this and it seems that Healthy Beginnings will potentially supplement information targeted by Stork’s Nest to pregnant mothers and parents of children until they are age one. Care will be taken by Healthy Beginnings to duplicate topics covered by Stork’s Nest only when deemed appropriate by the collaborationg groups. Healthy Beginnings will place its emphasis on education around 1) Parenting, 2) Child Development, and 3) Nutrition. Collaboration of topic choices should take place through the Healthy Beginnings Subcommittee.
  

  The Zeta Phi Beta Sorority and Stork’s Nest Advisory Board has asked for a better definition of Healthy Beginnings and how it dovetails with Stork’s Nest.  NET Membership in attendance discussed this and determined that Healthy Beginnings would mainly focus on ages 1-5. However, Healthy Beginnings will potentially compliment programming provided by Stork’s Nest to pregnant mothers and parents of children until they are age one, as needed.  Care will be taken by Healthy Beginnings NOT to duplicate topics covered by Stork’s Nest.  Healthy Beginnings will place its emphasis on education around 1) Parenting, 2) Child Development, and 3) Nutrition.  Collaboration of topic choices should take place through the Healthy Beginnings Subcommittee.

Agency Announcements: Safe Kids will be featuring a Booster Seat Bonanza tomorrow (September 16) behind the Mizzou Arena, where 500 or so booster seats will be given away in response to the new legislation requiring children between the ages of 4 and 8, and under 80 lbs or 4’9” to use a booster seat.

First Chance for Children recently received a $3+ million grant for Early Reading First serving rural Boone County. The program will bring cutting edge literacy curriculum to preschools in Harrisburg, Centralia, Hallsville, and Sturgeon. In the meantime, FCC is enduring growing pains as a result of this huge expansion.

First Chance for Children’s Ready for School program is progressing nicely, and its parent educators, Barbie and Toni, are now working more closely with the EduCare specialists, parents and preschool staff, and yielding dramatic effects in terms of classroom behavior and social and emotional health. A barbeque is planned for Tuesday, September 19 in Harrisburg that promises to be an exciting coming together of DECA staff, the preschool and the Harrisburg community.

First Chance for Children is also working on setting up Child Plus, an Internet-based system to help identify breaches in service delivery. FCC’s first goal is to get its CRIBS families entered, in order to facilitate a ranking system necessary to help meet its grant requirements for equity and quality service. Among other valuable features, Child Plus promises to be an invaluable tool to help the program accurately determine the families in greatest need.

Kids First is hosting a Candidate Forum on October 17, at 7:00 pm at Rock Quarry to offer opportunities for service providers and other community members to voice questions to their state representatives about Medicaid Childcare Subsidies and other controversial service-related issues facing us today.

Any ideas or offers to help Healthy Beginnings cover their needs for childcare during Educational Events would be appreciated. Send them to Maureen Coy at sll@gocolumbiamo.com or Sharon Lee at sll@gocolumbiamo.com

Anyone with ideas or information about new lodgings for Stork’s Nest should contact Rolesta at (573) 443-3080.

Meeting was adjourned.
Next Meeting: ANNUAL MEETING - November 17, at 9:00 am, at the Rock Quarry Conference Room.

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Minutes from NetWork Group Meeting
July 21, 2006

In attendance were Steve Hollis, Columbia/Boone County Health Department; Patti Blanchard, Boone Hospital; Sharon Tepper, Boone Hospital; Amalie Duvall, First Chance For Children; LaDonna Ellis, FCC; Barbie Reid, FCC; Toni Rahman, FCC; Rolesta Rodgers, PAT Plus; Lynn Cole, Children’s Division; Jessica Kirchhofer, PAT; Stacey LeGrand, Parent Rep.; Maureen Coy, CBCHD; Diane Patrick, Nanny’s Childcare/CRIBS; Sarah Sanders, LFCS; Pam Victor, HealthCare USA; Rebecca Roesslet, CBCHD; Laura Thomas, Early HeadStart; Janice Lundquist, Educare; Sharon Lee, CBCHD; Juliet Chynoweth, FCC; Lana Poole, FCC; Eileen Long, LFCS; Christine White, LFCS.

By-Laws Passed: Steve Hollis opened meeting with a review of the organization’s history and recap of where the organization is in its development. A motion was passed to accept the bylaws as they have developed at this point (M: LaDonna Ellis; S: Christine White). It was decided that a master list of members would be developed and circulated at subsequent meetings so that attendance can be recorded.

Election of Members: Sharon Lee (M: LaDonna Ellis; S: Rolesta Rodgers) and Toni Rahman (M: Jessica Kirchhofer; S: Maureen Coy) were elected Vice Chair, and Secretary, respectively. It was agreed by a unanimous vote that Steve Hollis stay on as Chair during the original shaping of the organization (M: Lana Poole; S: Rolesta Rodgers). After some discussion, it was agreed that the annual meeting move to November to best accommodate schedules with respect to the bi-monthly arrangement. The group so moved and voted, officially changing the by-laws to state that the Annual Meeting is now to be held in November (M: Lana Poole; S: Lynn Cole).

Discussion: Members continued to conceptualize and clarify the The NetWork Group’s function, which currently appears to be an advisory body promoting the collaboration of services for women and children—much like Comenzando Bien—from conception through the age of five. It will supplement and expand the services provided by Stork’s Nest, which provides care and services to women prenatally, up until the child reaches age one (with some March of Dimes impetus extending until age 3). The NetWork Group’s dynamics will be specialized and intensified through the work of subcommittees.

Subcommittees: The concept of a community effort to fill the gaps in service delivery—namely providing services to women and children from age 2 through 5—has been entertained before, under the name, “Healthy Beginnings.” We will continue to refer to this component of the NET as such unless a better name is decided upon. At present, the following organizations loosely function to make up this portion of the safety net: Lutheran Family Children’s Services, CBCHD, FCC. It is hoped that WIC can be included in this subcommittee in the future. Past ideas for Healthy Beginnings have included reaching out to the client population twice monthly with 1) Nutritional and psychosocial education, and 2) Traditional educational opportunities (topics to be determined by providers in the field). The group conceptualizes a Healthy Beginnings Subcommittee picking topics relevant to our population, and the NetWork Group pulling together resources to implement the trainings. Lutheran Families Children Services has a big room that can be used for child care, and the Health Department has a meeting place particularly suited for nutritional classes. Ultimately, these services would be offered to the general population, but initially, high-risk populations will be targeted through the use of incentives. A motion was made and passed (M: Sharon Lee; S: LaDonna Ellis) that a Healthy Beginnings subcommittee be formed and begin working on these ideas. Maureen Coy is the unofficial contact person for this group.

The possibility of the Stork’s Nest Board serving as a subcommittee to the NetWork Group was discussed and will be revisited at a future meeting.

NetWork Group Resources: Lana Poole reported that she is working on obtaining diapers to give as incentives. Steve Hollis announced that the Health Department is contributing the staff time of Maureen Coy for the effort.

Other: Christine White asked the group if it would be willing to serve in an advisory capacity for a grant she is working with: Missouri Foundation for Health, which ends in December. The program provides birth parent services in the form of case management, mental health services and transportation. A motion was passed (M: Lana Poole; S: Lynn Cole) that Christine’s grant be permitted to use the NetWork Group as an advisory group for the purposes of her grant.

CRIBS Program: Major changes are being made to the CRIBS Program. LaDonna Ellis has taken the position as lead teacher with the Bear Creek Project. Diane Patrick will assume CRIBS responsibilities. Mamie Carter will deliver baby bags at the hospital. Changes include a streamlining of the program, which will require the training of a few additional people. For delivery purposes, new cribs will be stored at Rock Quarry. Call Juliet for an appointment to pick up cribs for delivery. A new referral sheet will be coming out in the next couple weeks. Efforts will be made to find appropriate delivery persons for the cribs (preferably people who already have rapport with the families being served). Lana Poole announced that FCC had received a grant to replicate the CRIBS program in Cooper and Howard Counties.

New Case Management Software CHILD PLUS: It was announced that Headstart and FCC will be using a new web-based family and child tracking system. This appears to be a potentially revolutionary idea that will foster a coordinated case management system through the generation of reports, sharing of some client information across agencies, tracking of doctor visits, immunizations, prenatal visits, dental care, height and weight, etc., etc., etc. At the next meeting we will explore the formation of a subcommittee to look at CHILD PLUS for use by the NetWork Group.

Other Announcements:

• Headstart applications will be taken on August 9 from 10:00-5:00 or 6:00.
• As reported by Steve Hollis, money will be coming from United Way in the near future, and funneled through FCC to help move toward quality at area childcare centers.
• Legislation has passed that will come into effect in August that will make it mandatory for children under 80 pounds to use a booster seat while traveling in motor vehicles. Safe Kids is making booster seats available to eligible families.
• Lutheran Family Children Services is having an Open House on Friday, Aug. 25 from 4:00-6:00 and on Sunday, Aug. 27 from 2:00-4:00. LFCS is now at 401 W. Blvd N. in Columbia.
• As reported by Lynn Cole, the VAC Board is sponsoring Christmas in July, and Raffle Tickets are on sale for $10. Dinner will be available for low-income families in the service area.

Next Meeting: September 15, at 9:00 am, at the Rock Quarry Conference Room.

Annual Meeting: November 17, 2006

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