Program areas at Drew Child Development Corporation
Subsidized Child care: to prevent income from being a barrier to quality Child care, Drew cdc provides subsidized Child care to low-income families in service planning area 6 through the subsidy for Child care program. The program provides access to Child care for working parents or parents who are seeking to gain employable skills before entering the workforce. Parents often face prolonged cyclical challenges, and through the subsidy Child care program, they have an opportunity to break the cycle and ensure that they and their families are on a trajectory towards positive outcomes. The subsidy for Child care program is provided in stages as parents' financial stability and Child care needs change over time. Services are provided for children up to age 12, and up to age 21 for children with exceptional needs or severe disabilities. Parents select their Child care provider from a list of qualified high-quality licensed Child care centers and family Child care homes, unlicensed related/non-related care-takers who cleared background checks.the subsidy for Child care program supports the los angeles county workforce, allowing families to secure and maintain gainful employment while providing stable Child care services for families. The subsidy for Child care program creates a dual benefit: it provides a protective buffer for parents to help them succeed, and it contributes financial resources to in-home and local family Child care providers. These programs administered approximately $3.1m in monthly provider payments to over 2,550 Child care providers.combined, these programs served over 5,938 children and 3,139 families in fy 22-23.
Mental health and wraparound: Drew cdc's mental health program ensures that children's and families' mental and behavioral health needs are met. Drew cdc bases its work on the notion that "it takes a village to raise a Child and therefore looks at each family's greater context and engages the community members that are a part of that Child's life. Drew cdc does not limit services by solely providing outpatient therapeutic services in the office; services are provided in the home, school, and neighboring communities. Geographically, Drew cdc is increasing its reach to serve lynwood usd and lausd through school-based services. In addition, Drew cdc has expanded its mental health services to children age 0 to 5, along with their parents. Drew cdc utilizes an integrative approach by incorporating prevention and early intervention services into the mental health program. Cal aim seeks to remove barriers to services and engage in proactive rather than reactive services.looking at the spectrum of services ranging from prevention to intensive team interventions, that wrap services around the family. Mental health services are provided to children and families through our wraparound services, which provide intensive, comprehensive support for families in acute need. The wraparound program provides strength-based, family-centered care to high needs children/youth with multiple and complex mental health and behavioral challenges. Working in a team model, the wraparound program recognizes that it is not only the Child that is in need of support, but also the parents and family members, and any other community partner that the family brings in are essential members of the team. The wrap teams engage in a "whatever it takes" approach, while ensuring that family voice guides the selection of services best suited for each situation. These programs served over 900 children and families in fy 22-23.
Early childhood education (ece) programs: toddler, preschool and early intervention: Drew cdc's six early childhood steam (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) education centers are structured to provide culturally sensitive and developmentally appropriate activities that promote children's cognitive, social, emotional, and physical Development. The early childhood education program is designed to provide a comprehensive learning experience for children 18 months to 5 years old. Drew cdc's preschool, early head start, and early intervention services work congruently to provide the optimal resources to the children and families we serve. The program ensures that children are not only kindergarten ready, but also equipped with the necessary foundation to be successful throughout their lives. The education program utilizes a research-based model called creative curriculum. The curriculum is built on the principles of positive interaction and relationships with adult, social-emotional competence, constructive-purposeful play, a physical environment that fosters quality learning interaction, and teacher-family engagement integrated with steam lesson plans and activities in an indoor-outdoor classroom setting. By engaging these principles, the program teaches critical thinking in a nurturing and natural environment while also promoting cultural diversity. Incorporating steam lesson plans and activities in our early education curriculum helps children to analyze information and problem solve, which are critical skills that will be useful throughout their lives. These programs served over 387 children and 319 families in fy 22-23.
Trauma-informed care (tic) training: Drew cdc is responsible for leading and coordinating the implementation of the tic component of the emergency Child care bridge program for foster youth and does so in partnership with the Child care alliance los angeles and the eight resource and referral (r&r) agencies across los angeles county. Drew cdc utilizes a "train-the-trainer" model to provide trauma-informed training and coaching to support bridge staff housed within the eight la county r&rs. The Drew cdc bridge coordination team trains r&r staff to deliver evidence-based training on tic strategies in early childhood education, as well as provide specialized tic coaching, to Child care providers participating in the emergency Child care bridge program.2482 providers received tic services in fy 22-23.