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<br />ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: June 14, 2001 <br />Action Agend Jra <br />Item No. <br />• <br />• <br />SUBJECT: Letter of Su ort -Oran a Co. Partnershi .for Youn Children <br />DEPARTMENT: County Manager <br />PUBLIC HEARING: (YlN) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Letter of Support <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Sharron Hinton, ext. 2300 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968.501 <br />Durham 68$-7331 <br />Mebane 336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To approve a letter of support for the Orange County Partnership for Young <br />Children's application for the Early Learning Opportunities grant. <br />BACKGROUND: The Orange County Partnership for Young Children, in partnership with the <br />Durham Partnership for Children, is applying for an Early Learning Opportunities grant <br />($780,000) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comprehensive <br />Literacy and School Readiness Enhancement (LASRE) pilot project will build upon two <br />successful initiatives, the Reading Together Library Project and the School Readiness Pilot <br />Project, currently being implemented by Child Care Services Association. <br />The goals of the project are to (1) increase children's readiness for school, particularly in the <br />domains of personal and social development and language and literacy; (2) improve successful <br />transition to school; (3) increase communication between kindergarten teachers, preschool <br />teachers and parents; (4) increase preschool teachers' and parents' knowledge of school <br />readiness attributes and strategies; (5) increase the education level of preschool teachers; and <br />(6) increase parent and child care teacher engagement in reading and other early literacy <br />activities with children, including infants and toddlers. <br />The LASRE project will serve 35 child care centers (13 in Orange County and 22 in Durham <br />County), and impact 115 child care teachers and- directors and approximately 1400 children 0-5 <br />years old and their parents. This initiative is designed to engage the entire child care center in <br />enhancing early literacy for all of its children, while providing a more intensive level of service to <br />the 3 year old classrooms to increase children's school readiness. <br />Because the Partnership for Young Children's Board of Directors has the same member <br />composition as required by the grantee's "Local Council" to oversee project operations, the <br />Partnership is requesting that the BOCC appoint the Partnership Board to serve as the Local <br />