Our children are the most valuable resource we have, and people in our community continue to come together to support their growth and development! The Community Partnership for Children, a not-for-profit organization that has been working for eleven years to promote excellence in the care and development of young children is completing the first year of a pilot Shared Service project in Grant County that was funded by Freeport McMoRan Community Investment Fund.
Project Coordinator Terry Anderson reports that during this first year, five community child care centers have formed a network and explored ways to strengthen their businesses. By forming a partnership, they can support each other in providing high quality, early education and care for Grant County children. The partners include: Faith Based center- Methodist Church Little Lambs Day Care, a for-profit center-Baby Boot Camp, a public school center- Cobre Foy Day Care, and two non-profit programs- Guadalupe Montessori and WNMU Child Development Center (which includes Growing Tree Infant Toddler Program). This project has the potential of becoming a model for the state.
According to the national organization Opportunities Exchange, a Shared Service Alliance is a community-based partnership comprised of small businesses (whether nonprofit or for-profit) within an industry or sector working together to share costs and deliver services in a more streamlined and efficient way. By participating in an Alliance, small businesses become stronger, more accountable, more financially sound and efficient, and better equipped to offer affordable, high-quality services.
New Mexico is currently providing a shared service resource through the New Mexico Early Childhood Alliance, sponsored by the Children, Youth, and Family Department (CYFD), at the website http://www.newmexeca.org . Membership is free to child care centers and early childhood professionals across the state. The website provides on-line access to resources and tools in training and program management tailored for early childhood programs. Other shared service projects in the state are focusing on professional development; only in Grant County is the focal point connecting child care centers to provide a foundation for economic development within the community.
Through meeting monthly, this network has developed a vision and mission statement, created a name and logo, participated in trainings, met with state and national leaders, determined goals, presented at the state NAEYC conference, and applied for additional funding to continue this pilot project.
Name: Grant County Community Early Care & Education: LINKS (learning network for kids)
Vision: Families in Grant County will have access to diverse, affordable, high-quality options for early childhood care and education, birth to age eight.
Mission: Through teamwork, partnerships and collaboration, Grant County Shared Services will strengthen the network of support and resource in our early childhood community, keeping the uniqueness and diversity of each program.
Anderson acknowledges that developing the shared services program among child care centers is not an easy task, but people in Grant County have the ability to build relationships, communicate and share resources which makes the county unique. If this model can be established in New Mexico, it will happen here with the continued commitment and determination from the leaders of these programs.
The Community Partnership for Children (CPC) has been awarded funding through the Con Alma Foundation to continue the shared service pilot project for the second year. CPC is a 501c3 currently connected with the Grant County Health Council to help fulfill the family resiliency goals.
This twelve-member board of directors is seeking applications for members as well as G