EARLY CHILDHOOD RESOURCE AND TRAINING CENTER

The Early Childhood Resource & Training Center (ECRTC) of Minneapolis has a thirty-six year track record of successfully reaching traditionally underserved populations, and positively influencing the lives of high-risk children.

ECRTC provides professional development for child caregivers and parents (Family, Friend and Neighbors--FFN) by building knowledge and skills through wrap-around services. ECRTC provides emotionally supportive environments for a diverse group of trainers and practitioners.

We use current research-based curriculum and instruction that accelerates literacy, language and math skills, and positively impacts child outcomes.

ECRTC effectively reaches communities and its families with a variety of cultural, linguistic, and economic backgrounds. We construct professional development and support through model groups. These groups are replicated on a larger scale through projects with multiple stakeholders who serve as partners and advisors.

2010-2011 Results:

• FFN Entry Level Courses: 1,070

• Home Visiting: 95

• Training Classes: 50

• Coaches and Trainers: 15

• Child Care Providers served: 2,002

ECRTC reaches out to the community with direct care and advocacy is our annual Healing Vessels Forum. This event is critical as it provides time for all cultural groups to target priority issues in rural and urban areas, train and strategize on new techniques supporting children and their families.

Research shows a high percentage of children from the ages of 0-5 years old are lacking school readiness skills, living in disproportionate poverty, violence and stress, which promotes undesirable family dynamics. The Forum advocates for change and has a new theme yearly which expresses the times and needs of local and national concerns.

Success Stories

Louisa C. was previously the Native American School Readiness teacher for ECRTC’s Family Friends & Neighbor Program. She came to us after being on staff at Reuben Lindh for several years. Louisa had several college credits, but no degree or CDA.

She enrolled in our CDA program in the evening while working mornings at the All Nations site. Louisa passed the Assessment test during this report period and now has her CDA credential.

We have now enrolled providers from Little Earth Child Care Center and Baby's Space Child Development Center which is also in the Phillips neighborhood. Baby’s Space has enrolled 5 of their staff. The Baby’s Space staff are all infant/toddler teachers and are coming to class faithfully and should be ready to submit to the Council before the end of the year. Louisa continues to be their inspiration.

Shukri A. is one of several parent volunteers that came to us from Head Start. Parent volunteers are allowed to work in the classroom with children to obtain their 480 hours in direct contact with an understanding that they may be hired on permanently once they finish their child development associate (CDA) or college programs.

Shukri came to United States in 2006 along with 5 brothers and 1 sister and received her high school diploma at Barron High School in Wisconsin. Shukri finished her 120 hours of CDA child development training with our agency (ECRTC) which included 42 hours from the Entry Level Program. She received a $300 scholarship for an advisor to do her classroom observation from the MNCCR&R Network.

We submitted her Direct Assessment Application to the Council on December 1, 2010. Shukri is 20 years old. Shukri passed her CDA test, has obtained her CDA credential and is now a head teacher at Head Start which has enabled her to increase her income along with working to help children in her community become ready for kindergarten!

Stanford M. is an African American provider and one of the two males that attend class. He is employed at Le Crèche Child Development Center as a pre-school aide. Stanford previously went through the entire CDA process with another instructor and did not pass the assessment test. He came to our program a year ago, completed the entire CDA process again and just recently passed the assessment in March 2011. He was so excited that he dressed up and brought his CDA credential to class to show the other students.

There was a huge applause because the other students knew that he had worked so hard completing the CDA process twice. The other students stated, “If Stanford can do it, we can do it!” and they were encouraged to continue on their professional development path.