Invest in Children, administered by the Board of County Commissioners, is a community-wide, public/private partnership of individuals, organizations and agencies, It includes government agencies, community-based service providers, medical institutions, and philanthropic and private organizations, all working together to help increase the development, funding, visibility and impact of early childhood services in Cuyahoga County.
Each of Invest in Children’s goals is pursued through a number of service strategies for children, from prenatal to the start of kindergarten. These strategies focus on better preparing our children to enter school ready to learn, and in good mental and physical health. Each of the programs is administered by lead agencies and implemented through partnerships with community-based organizations.
Each of Invest in Children’s goals is pursued through a number of service strategies for children, from prenatal to the start of kindergarten. These strategies focus on better preparing our children to enter school ready to learn, and in good mental and physical health. Each of the programs is administered by lead agencies and implemented through partnerships with community-based organizations.
History
In 1999, inspired by new research showing the importance of the first five years of life, twenty-three private foundations and corporations joined with County government to redesign the face of human services for young children and their families throughout Cuyahoga County. Working together, the founders of Invest in Children, (previously known as the Early Childhood Initiative), launched a plan to make sure that all children in the County received the best possible start in life, one that allows them to grow and develop to their full potential.Key Elements
Our Goals and ProgramsEach of Invest in Children’s goals is pursued through a number of service strategies for children, from prenatal to the start of kindergarten. These strategies focus on better preparing our children to enter school ready to learn, and in good mental and physical health. Each of the programs is administered by lead agencies and implemented through partnerships with community-based organizations.
Effective Parents and Families
- Offering Home Visiting Services for expectant parents and families with children under the age of three
- Offering professional services to children under the age of four who experience social emotional concerns and their parents/caregivers through the Early Childhood Mental Health ProgramM
Safe and Healthy Children
- Enrolling children in Healthy Start, free health insurance, for children of low-income and working families through the Healthy Start Outreach campaign
- Promoting the importance of preventive health care through the establishment and use of a family’s Medical Home
- Preventing newborns from lead exposure through Lead Safe Living
Children Prepared for School
- Establishing a quality early care and education system through professional development, training and technical assistance to center based and family child care home providers. This includes a new focus on providing voluntary universal pre-kindergarten
- Helping child care programs provide the appropriate care and support to children with special needs through the Special Needs Child Care Program
Community Committed to Children
- Raising the awareness and bringing the community to a call to action — recognizing the importance of the early years and being committed to the success of every child
Each of Invest in Children's goals is pursued through service strategies administered by the lead agencies and implemented through partnerships with community based organizations.
MomsFirst
1925 St. Clair Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
(216) 664-4194
Employment & Family Services
1641 Payne Avenue, Suite 520
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 987-6640
(216) 987-8183 (fax)
Help Me Grow of Cuyahoga County
2421 Community College Drive
Cleveland, Ohio 44115
(216) 736-4300
Cuyahoga County Community Mental Health Board
1400 West 25th Street
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 241-3400
Cuyahoga County Board of Health
5550 Venture Drive
Parma, OH 44130
(216) 201-2000
Cleveland Department of Public Health
1925 St. Clair Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 664-2324
Starting Point
2000 E. 9th Street, Suite 1500
Cleveland, OH 44115
(216) 575-0061
Annual Budget
About $20 million (20% are private dollars).Outcomes
Invest in Children has invested in ongoing evaluation studies to determine whether the early childhood development services provided have the intended effect, reach all the families in need and are of the highest quality possible. Since Invest in Children’s inception in 1999, here’s how we’ve made a difference:- The number of families with children served annually has increased over the last seven years from 45,000 to 65,000.
- More than 75% of children born in Cuyahoga County have been served by at least one of our services. The more children are served, the greater their chances of growing up healthy and prepared for school—improving their future success.
- Services are reaching families throughout Cuyahoga County. 61% are residents of the City of Cleveland where the need is greatest and 39% are from surrounding suburbs.
- Infants are being served earlier in their lives. 70% had contact with one of our programs before three months of age. The earlier we start, the greater our children’s chances are of becoming productive citizens in our community.
- Almost 33% of families with children under age one utilized more than one Invest in Children program. By reaching more families in more ways, we are improving the future of our community’s health and economic situation.
- More than 86% of all infants born since 1999 to first-time parents and all parents up to age 25 in Cuyahoga County have received a newborn home-visit from a Help Me Grow nurse. These home visits help ensure that developmental delays and/or disabilities are detected early on and that proper care and attention is provided to prevent future health and mental problems.
- More than 60,000 children living in poverty under age six receive HealthyStart free health insurance or other Medicaid services, helping prevent long-term health and learning problems and reducing the burden on the healthcare system.
- Nearly 1,500 children with special needs have been able to remain in their childcare settings because of the technical assistance, training and equipment provided to their caretakers, allowing these children to be engaged in a learning environment and to fully develop.
Areas of Improvement
To increase the number of families receiving a newborn home-visit in Cuyahoga County by over 50%.To increase enrollment of families with young children receiving free Healthy Start insurance by 10%.
To increase the number of children enrolled in the Lead Prevention Program by 25%.
Wish List Items
Cuyahoga County began funding Universal Pre-Kindergarten as of August 2007, in the amount of $3 million beginning with 1,000 children. More funding is needed to continue this model program in 2009 and beyond.More funding for the Early Childhood Mental Health Program. Due to recent budgetary cuts for 2008, the program suffered a reduction of $200 thousand.
More funding to help communicate our programs and services.
Contact Information
Magda Gomez310 W. Lakeside Ave., #565
Cleveland, Ohio 44109
Phone: 216-443-6583
Fax: (216) 443-7575
Email: mgomez@cuyahogacounty.us
Invest in Children
Website: http://www.investinchildren.cuyahogacounty.us
Phone: (216) 771-1212