Situation: In 2016, there were 9 regulated home child care centers in Crittenden County and only 4 of them were Kentucky ALL STAR rated. Now there is a school pre-school program and one privately owned daycare. There is currently one after-school program, Kid's Club, which serves pre-school age children.  According to the 2018 Early Childhood Profile for Crittenden County, only 55.4% of children were kindergarten ready. Testing for general and cognitive knowledge (33.8%), physical wellbeing (43.2%), and social/emotional (73%) were all below the State average. 

Partners: A group of concerned agencies formed The Crittenden County Early Childhood Council (CCECC).  The council is a collaboration between the Crittenden County School District, Crittenden County Cooperative Extension Service, Pennyrile Area Health Department, and Crittenden County Public Library. Immediately after the group formed they wrote a grant to the Kentucky Governor’s Office of Early Childhood outlining how they planned to address the issues.  The council received $6970.   The council’s goals are:  increase awareness and participation in Kentucky ALL STARS, increase family engagement and support opportunities, increase awareness of school readiness, and increase the number of children participating in high quality early care and education programs. 

Educational response: Their first activity was a Preschool Literacy Event. There was 71 in attendance at this event. It had a camping theme.  Families came in and enjoyed hotdogs, chips and s’mores while camping out with a good book. Different agencies and classroom teachers provided booths that would engage families in learning activities appropriate for children years’ birth -3 years.  The activities were things the parents could easily duplicate at home. Cooperative extension service had two booths that Extension homemakers conducted.   One was a nutrition booth where the families made monster mouths and banana ghost.  The monster mouths were made from sliced apples, cream cheese and raisins. The banana ghost were bananas and miniature chocolate chips used for the eyes and mouth.  The second activity was a spider web fine motor skill activity. Yarn was woven through and around a laundry basket to make a web and plastic spider rings were placed at the bottom.   The preschoolers and family members used clothes pins to pick up the spiders. They could count the spiders, sort by color, take turns, etc.  The second event planned was a parent café, which was cancelled due to Covid 19.  

Outcomes: The funds for the grant were used to buy 6 children’s literature characters costumes and protective covers: Dora the Explorer, Mickey Mouse, Pete the Cat, Curious George, Cat in the Hat and Chase from Paw Patrol; Books, sensory toys, and Pete the Cat reading rocks bags for preschool literacy night; conversation cards for Parent Café; manipulatives for Headstart and First Step employees to leave with families to use with their children after home visits and to send members to a Love and Logic Conference. The Love and Logic Institute is dedicated to making parenting and teaching fun and rewarding, instead of stressful and chaotic. We provide practical tools and techniques that help adults achieve respectful, healthy relationships with their children. All of their work is based on a psychologically sound parenting and teaching philosophy called Love and Logic®. Due to a mandate by the governor, the Crittenden County Early Childhood council was required to disband.  If we wanted to have a council we must join with surrounding counties, Caldwell and Lyon.   The Caldwell, Crittenden, Lyon County Early Childhood Council was formed this spring.  Through a series of zoom meetings we wrote a grant and received $11,100.   The Crittenden County FCS Agent will serve as chair of the council. Even though the Crittenden county council was dissolved, they will remain as a subcommittee of the CCLCECC and plan and carryout the future early childhood events in the county.