Program areas at KVCAP
Community services is comprised of two divisions: (1) social services, and (2) transportation.the social services division implements the Maine families home visiting Program and the kennebec/somerset family enrichment councils. Maine families partners with expecting or new parents to ensure safe home environments and promote healthy growth and development. In 2022, 224 families participated in the Program through in-home, off-site, virtual and phone visits. The family enrichment councils promote protective factors in families and communities to prevent child abuse and neglect in Kennebec and somerset counties. Through their work, 1,462 caregivers participated in parenting classes, playgroups, and parent support groups. Annual diaper drives throughout Kennebec and somerset counties collected more than 45,000 diapers and highlighted collaboration efforts with law enforcement agencies, schools, clubs, businesses and Community members. The third annual Community baby shower was held in june 2022 with more than 400 expecting and new parents along with their support people attending. Participants received welcome baby bags filled with basic essentials that included diapers, wipes and cream; a sleep sack and homemade blanket; new balance sneakers; new baby clothing; bibs, burp cloths, and pacifiers; a book and a toy; and safety items and healthy child development literature, and were able to shop for free at the gently used baby boutique which included such items as maternity and baby clothing, strollers, and baby bathtubs among other items. Community support was highlighted with over 50 volunteers and Community partners assisting.the transportation division has two components: (1) operating public transit services in the augusta, waterville, and skowhegan areas through the Kennebec explorer and somerset explorer, and (2) providing door-to-door transportation for medical and social service appointments by utilizing agency vehicles and a network of volunteers. The Kennebec and somerset public buses carried 37,678 riders to work, school, health care and to access local business and services. Kv van and volunteer drivers provided 123,537 rides driving almost 3 million miles. 11% of on-demand rides were for people who use a wheelchair. In order to increase transportation service capacity and to better accommodate the needs of our clients, the agency added 13 new accessible vehicles to our fleet.
Energy & housing services is comprised of three divisions: (1) energy & housing services, (2) Community initiatives, and (3) real estate development. The energy & housing services division works with individuals and families to improve energy efficiency, to reduce energy burden, to support affordable housing, and to sustain opportunities for homeownership in Kennebec, somerset, lincoln, and sagadahoc counties. This is done through a variety of education/assistance programs including: low-income home energy assistance Program (liheap), low income assistance Program (liap), emergency crisis intervention Program (ecip), central heating improvement Program (chip), weatherization, home repair, dep home heating oil tank replacement Program, emergency rental relief Program (era), foreclosure counseling, and homebuyer education. In this last year, 8,417 households received fuel assistance to help them stay warm through the winter; 291 furnaces were serviced or replaced, making them safer and more effective; 251 households had a heat pump installed; 51 homes were weatherized, creating a significant energy savings for recipients; and more than $17 million was paid to landlords and utility companies, helping nearly 3,000 people stay safely housed. The Community initiatives division programming is managed through the energy & housing services department as part of their comprehensive Community development activities. This includes operating a teen center, resource navigator Program, and facilitating the poverty Action coalition in both Kennebec and somerset counties. The south end teen center celebrated 20 years of providing academic and social supports and enrichment activities to youth from grades 6 through 12 in waterville, Maine. Thirty-six members attended and participated in activities that included Community service projects, music lessons, cooking classes, homework and tutoring, job training, and other enriching activities while focused on completing the school year and/or graduating high school. The resource navigator Program provides case management services to clients referred through other kvcap programs to receive support and resources to help address a financial crisis. The poverty Action coalitions' (pac) Community investors initiative draws on the resources of the larger Community to help individuals and families who are facing a crisis that threatens their stability and when no other resources exist. Special grant dollars and local donations allow us to assist individuals and families with essential needs including food and hygiene items, fuel, utility expenses, cell phone and internet services in order to maintain work and school from home, car payments, and insurance.the real estate development division works toward finding and developing opportunities to address the areas need for affordable housing. In october 2021, we broke ground on construction of a 40-unit workforce housing project in skowhegan, Maine at the site of our former office building on mary street. In may 2022, construction on the development of 30 senior apartments in hartland, Maine was completed and residents began moving in. Planning is underway for an additional 30 units to be developed on available land at the same location. During the year, three single-family homes were built at cony village in augusta, Maine and three more units are under construction.
Child & family services provides comprehensive, high quality early care and education for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years in public school based care, educare central Maine, skowhegan early head start, homestart provider partners, and through home visiting throughout northern Kennebec and somerset counties. The Program's goal is to increase social competence and school readiness skills of children so they acquire the skills necessary for success in public school. This includes providing nutritious meals and snacks to children in the Program, receiving on-site dental exams, and receiving on-site lead testing. The Program also partnered with parents on home visits providing supports related to domestic violence and child abuse and neglect, receiving transportation assistance, and providing help finding and securing affordable housing. This year 611 children increased their readiness for school success; 504 children received hearing and vision screenings and 113 children received dental exams; 222 families received emergency services including items to meet basic needs; 564 families received research-based parent curriculum training; 158 families participated in goal setting; and Community child care providers received over 300 hours of training and technical assistance. In furtherance of our collaboration with msad #54 to provide quality early childhood care and education in the skowhegan area, kvcap is partnering with the Community on the building better beginnings campaign. The campaign began after the department of education determined that a new elementary school in skowhegan was critical for the region. The department of education will provide funding for the new school construction for children aged 4 through 11 years old. The building better beginnings campaign will raise $3 million dollars to expand the construction in order to provide services and a continuity of care for children that would begin at birth and be based on the educare central Maine model.
Agency services offers programs designed to increase the operations and efficiency of the agency in regards to providing the types of services described above.