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Connecticut Early Childhood Funder Collaborative
A project of:
Strengthening Local Early Childhood Collaboration
Collaborative for Colchester’s Children (C3) Overview of Grant Proposal
1. Applicant Information -
a. Name: Collaborative for Colchester’s Children (C3)
b. Address: 315 Halls Hill Rd, Colchester, CT 06415
c. Contact: Cindy Praisner, 860.537.0717, cpraisner@colchesterct.org
315 Halls Hill Rd, Colchester, CT 06415
d. Date Collaborative Established: January 2008
e. IRS determination letter with tax identification number(s): #06-6001598; Attached
f. Individual legally authorized: Jeffrey Burt, Superintendent of Schools, jburt@colchesterct.org
2. Operational support
1) Describe your plans for the use of funds across all three operational focus areas listed in
“Section 2, Operational Support”. Describe how the additional funds will strengthen your
organization, advance your LECC’s priorities, and how this funding will be a foundation for
future efforts to build leadership reflective of your community? Identify key staff/consultants,
their backgrounds and roles.
The operational support will be used to build the capacity of staff within the Collaborative through
training opportunities. Additional work hours added to our part-time Early Childhood Coordinator will
allow attendance at the Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Training and the Connecticut
Children’s Collective meetings. The CQI training will strengthen our organization through an increased
ability to set goals as well as study our outcomes and adapt future efforts to achieve our priorities.
Connecticut Children’s Collective meetings will enable the Collaborative to network with other
councils to expand our understanding of available programs, develop our skills, and stay up to date
with state-wide initiatives and priorities. Key Staff: Cindy Praisner, EdD, Early Childhood Coordinator.
Cindy has been a preschool and elementary special education teacher, mother of three, and has
served as coordinator for early childhood councils for the past ten years.
Funding will build the organizational capacity of our social services partner by providing the Family
Development Credential training to our Town social service coordinator. Through the 90-hour
curriculum, she will learn how to coach families to set and reach their goals for healthy self-reliance
including access to birth to 5 resources. Feedback from families during the planning process about
barriers and supports can be shared with the Collaborative and used to develop and hone strategies
impacting families. Key staff: Stephanie Turbes, BA, Social Service Coordinator. Stephanie has
provided supports for adults and families experiencing a variety of life challenges. Major milestones
for this grant period would be the commencement of the Credential training and the completion of
the first 4 of 13 classes.
Strengthening Local Early Childhood Collaborative Proposal Collaborative for Colchester’s Children (C3)
pg. 1
Support will build the organizational capacity of Cragin Memorial Library through Family Place
Training. Our library is often the first to connect with families. As a Family Place Library, Cragin will
develop and institutionalize family partnerships that promote literacy, early childhood
development, parent education and engagement, family support and community information. With
increased attendance, more families will engage in quality programming that emphasizes ages
birth to age three and the family-friendly environment will attract underserved populations. Major
milestones would be the completion of four days of onsite training and seven hours of online
training for two staff members. Key staff: Kate Byroade, MLS, Library Director and Jennifer Rummel,
MLS, Children’s Librarian.
Additionally, hours for the Early Childhood Coordinator will be added to consult with a professional
Marketing Strategist to refine and clarify our mission as well as develop marketing and social media
plans that bring awareness, extend our reach, and encourage participation in our priority strategies.
Key Consultant: Liza Sivek, Professional Marketing Strategist. Liza has worked with both business and
non-profit organizations for over ten years to create marketing plans, websites, email campaigns,
and promotional materials.
a. Project support
1) Describe how additional funding for existing or “shovel ready” projects in one or more of
the focus areas will enhance your collaborative’s impact. Will you serve more children and
families, improve the quality of the original project, address racial inequities in current
programs or enhance coordination with other local efforts serving children birth to age 5?
Include a brief project plan noting the major activities, key partners and major milestones.
Identify key staff/consultants, their backgrounds and roles.
Project #1: Our developmental monitoring and screening project will increase cross-system
collaboration expanding the number of children and families that participate in the use of
developmental monitoring and screening tools. The project will connect families with
developmental monitoring resources available through the CDC, Help Me Grow, and commercial
application products such as What to Expect. In addition, the project will provide ASQ kits to
center-based programs, train staff in their use as well as provide developmental activity resources
to bolster skill development in the home and child care center. Staff will receive information and
training around incorporating family input, speaking with families about concerns as well as
knowledge of how to assist families in connecting with the birth to five system when concerns
arise. Key partners will include five center-based programs in Colchester that are not currently
using a screening instrument with children in their care. Major milestones would be the
dissemination of the tools, provision of training, and the use of the ASQ questionnaires with the
families and children in current center based classrooms. Cindy Praisner will recruit the program
staff and provide the training. C3 Partners will help disseminate developmental monitoring
information to families in multiple languages when possible.
Strengthening Local Early Childhood Collaborative Proposal Collaborative for Colchester’s Children (C3)
pg. 2
Attachment A
Budget
Local ECE capacity building Applicant: Collaborative for Colchester’s Children (C3)
Explanation (e.g., cost per hour, etc.)
Personnel (name, title, # of hours, hourly rate)
Cindy Praisner, Early Childhood $1175 32 additional hours for meetings, marketing
Coordinator consultation, and ASQ training @ $36.71
Stephanie Turbes, Social Service $978 40 hours @ $24.45 to attend first 4 FDC classes, travel
Coordinator time, and begin class and portfolio work.
Fringe Benefits (total personnel costs x %)
$165 FICA at 7.65%
Travel (mileage x .585), parking, etc.
CQI Training in Hartford $36 Parking for 3 meeting dates @ $12
CQI Training in Hartford $91 Travel to and from Colchester-52 miles x 3 meetings x
$.585
2 CT Children’s Collective Meetings in $67 Travel to and from Colchester- 57 miles x 2 meetings x
Meriden $.585
Family Development Credential training $140 Travel to West Hartford from Colchester- 60 miles x 4
classes x $.585
Family Place Training $275 Travel to and from Centereach, NY- 200 miles x $.585;
plus ferry $79 each way
Equipment -
Supplies
C3 Family Stickers for Supporters and $150 200 stickers including design.
Participants
ASQ Kits and Supporting Materials $3949 5 ASQ3 Kits ($1475), 5 ASQ-SE Kits ($1475), 5 ea of ASQ3
and SE training DVDs ($499.50), 5 each ASQ 3 and ASQ
SE Learning Activities Books ( $499.50)
ASQ Screening Training Day Food and $150 Food and Materials for storing ASQ questionnaires.
Supplies
Strengthening Local Early Childhood Collaborative Proposal Collaborative for Colchester’s Children (C3)
pg. 3
Contractual: (name of contractor or subgrantee, # of hours, cost per hour)
Liza Sivek, Professional Marketing $2,700 Meet with sub-committee to create a marketing plan
Strategist and social media plan with a clarified message. Design
sticker for supporters and C3 participants.
Family Place Library Training $12,000 Four days of training and lodging on Long Island, NY for 2
$6000 people plus ongoing training and support.
Family Development Credential Training $0 90 Hours of Training and Book
Total Proposed Budget $21876 Requested
$15,876 Received
Strengthening Local Early Childhood Collaborative Proposal Collaborative for Colchester’s Children (C3)
pg. 4