Investment In Education

Youth Opportunity

MHC Partners for Children is charged to convene the area's early childhood network of stakeholders, who work together to ensure that all children entering kindergarten are healthy, well-cared for, and ready to learn.

Governed by a leadership council, our staff manages the following school-readiness goals:

  • Increase the availability of quality learning for children birth to age five
  • Improve access to evidence-based and evidence-informed programs and practices to support healthy child development
  • Increase availability and access to evidence-based and evidence-informed services for families with prenatal to five year old children challenged by multiple risk factors

 

MHC Partners for Children Funding Priorities

Priority 1: Children enter kindergarten ready to learn (birth to 5)

Community Indicator:
  • Children achieve appropriate developmental milestones prior to entering kindergarten
Assessments:
  • Ages and stages questionnaire
  • VA Connects
    • Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP)
    • Virginia Language and Literacy Screening System 
  • Parent and Childcare surveys
Strategy 1: At-risk children have access to high quality, evidence-based interventions
Strategy 2: At-risk children are enrolled in recognized quality preschool programs and/or centers

Program Outcomes to Consider: 

  • Children improve in school readiness skills
  • Children achieve growth in their identified gaps
  • Families demonstrate an increase in knowledge of their children's strengths, abilities, and gaps in their learning
  • Families increase their interaction around their children's learning
  • Families increase participation in community-wide educational events

Program Outputs to Consider:

  • Students served
  • Families served
  • Referrals
  • Home visits
  • Family Interaction
  • Completed assessments
  • Completed surveys

Priority 2: Children reach academic milestones on time and successfully advance to middle school (K to grade 5)

Community Indicators:
  • Children achieve on time grade performance in third grade reading
  • Children achieve on time grade performance in fifth grade reading and math
  • Children who are chronically absent improve attendance in school
Assessments:
  • VKRP assessment for kindergarten
  • VALLSS assessment for kindergarten through third grade
  • MAP assessment for third grade
  • SOL assessment for fifth grade
  • Attendance records
  • Report cards
  • Classroom performance

For a complete listing of our Community Investment Funding Priorities, please click HERE.

For more information on our MHC Partners for Children, please contact MHCPC Director of Early Learning Strategies, Melanie McLarty, 276-403-5963, x102.

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