Chittenden’s BBF Regional Council is moving forward with our strategy to provide early care and learning professionals and service providers with Early Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) trainings in our region. In partnership with Help Me Grow, we used grant funds to hold two successful trainings in August, where about 50 professionals were trained in Module 1. The need for more trainings has been identified, and we will be partnering with Champlain Valley Head Start to offer another Module 1 training in October, and hope to bring Module 2 to the region in the Winter of 2020.
In partnership with Let’s Grow Kids, and Maternal Child Health, a “Help Me Grow Listening Tour” was established in Chittenden County. The goal is to gain insight, by asking some pointed questions about what’s working well in the field from providers who are actively using the ASQ tool, and entering data in the Universal Screening Registry. We hope to share these success stories with providers that are struggling to add this piece into their workflow. More to come on next steps soon.
Supporting Breastfeeding is a new strategy of our action plan this year. Amanda attended the Chittenden County Breastfeeding Coalition’s annual “Big Latch On” Event at Sandhill Park in Essex in August. We discussed the needs of the coalition with members and purchased a breastfeeding friendly picture book with grant funds to promote Help Me Grow call center as an amazing resource we have here in Vermont.
The Substance Use Disorder Planning Project is moving forward with 3 key implementation strategies this upcoming year:
- Pilot Project envisioned around providing more Piggy Back Project groups and/or childcare for clients of the Chittenden Clinic. They currently have an under-utilized play space at their site. We propose working directly with clients to create an inviting safe environment that they would use.
- Identify direct referral pathway to Child Care Resource as the “Childcare Navigators” in our community. Support CCR with funds to build up their programs and track this.
- Partner with Champlain Valley Head Start to offer evidence based parenting education, open to all, as a next step after treatment, and on-going community support piece.
*We will be launching these soon and tracking data to support the need and measure impact.
