 |
Child
& Youth Council
c/o WCA North Elementary School
|
| Purpose | The Child & Youth Council is a local effort established in 1993 to form stronger connections between family, school and community. The Child & Youth Council is a Family Services Collaborative serving the children (ages 0 – 22 years) and their families who reside and/or attend the school districts of Ashby, Herman-Norcross or West Central Area located in Grant County. |
| Services | The
partners of the Child & Youth Council are committed to working
together to ensure that every child reaches their potential
and The Child & Youth Council’s Work Teams provide opportunities for people working with and for families to communicate with each other to plan and put into practice a broad service delivery system that meets the needs of children, teens and families. |
| Child & Youth Council Work Teams | Early Childhood Focus - "Helping us Grow..." - The Child & Youth
Council (CYC) and Hoffman Partners in Pride (PIP), as West Central
Initiative
(WCI)-Family
Initiative
grantees
in Grant County, have been awarded a joint implementation grant
to help strengthen the communities of Ashby, Barrett, Elbow Lake,
Herman, Hoffman, Kensington, Norcross and Wendell in meeting
the needs of children ages pre-birth through age 5 and their
families. CTIC – Community
Transition Interagency Committee works to address the needs
of students
with disabilities, and others at risk, in making a successful
transition from their student role to adult life in the community.
Projects
include: Resource Mapping- a listing
of the services and resources available to meet the various
transition needs of students
and their families. 2006-2007 CTIC Meetings are scheduled for
November 9, 2006, January 11, 2007, and March 22, 2007. Please
contact the CYC Office for
meeting details (time and location). IEIC – Interagency Early
Intervention Committee works to improve services to young children
with special needs and their families. Projects include: The Windmill
Project for family support, and training for early childhood
service providers. Meetings are scheduled for September 14, 2006,
December 14, 2006, February 8, 2007 and May 10, 2007. Please
contact the CYC Office for
meeting details (time and location). Child Abuse Prevention Council – This work team of the Child & Youth Council serves as a state recognized Child Abuse Prevention Council which strives to build community assets, educate the community on child neglect issues, and mobilize community members with the overall goal of providing a safe and nurturing environment for children and teens. Projects include: H.U.G. – Helping Us Grow – a universal home visiting program, the Family FUN Festival, Child Abuse Prevention activities, and Anti-bullying programs. The Grant County CAPC participated in the 2006 Radiothon to End Child Abuse broadcast on KIKV Radio the first week in December 2006. Meetings are scheduled for
September 13, 2006, November 8, 2006, March 14, 2007, April
11, 2007. Please contact the CYC Office for
meeting details (time and location). Children’s Mental Health Team- serves as a Local Coordinating Council and works to increase awareness of child and adolescent mental health issues, build knowledge of the children’s mental health system and identify gaps in the system and ways to address these gaps. Projects include: Breakfast Forum on the Local System of Care, presentations on mental illnesses and "Adolescent Development and Mental Health Wheel" for parents of teens. Meetings are scheduled for September 21, 2006,
October 26, 2006, December 21, 2006, January 18, 2007, Februrary
15, 2007 and June 21, 2007. please contact the CYC Office for
meeting details (time and location). Web Link: A helpful website for parents on how to help their child have the healthiest childhood possible is Bright Futures. Tips on nutrition, oral health, physical activity and mental health. parents can click on "What to Expect and When To Seek Help" for each of the four stages of childhood: Infancy (Ages Birth - 12 months), Early Childhood (Ages 1-4 years), Middle Childhood (Ages 5-10), Adolescence (Ages 11-21 years), These fact sheets provide a "snapshot" of what to expect at each age level, ways to identify each child's strengths, and also tips for when, where and how to seek help. Adolescent Health combines Mid State Community Health Services’ (serving Grant, Pope, Stevens and Traverse counties) youth lead and adult guided projects of (1) KAT – Kids Against Tobacco - a youth tobacco prevention effort, (2) MN ENABL – Education Now and Babies later – a teen pregnancy prevention effort. Schedule of Events Talking to your children about sensitive subjects like relationships and sexuality is not always easy, but taking the initiative is very important. Research shows that young people are more likely to avoid taking risks, like early sexual activity, when they feel connected to their family and clearly understand their family's values concerning sexuality. Take the time to think about which message you
want to share with your children. Be sure to create an open environment
where both of you can feel comfortable sharing and listening
to each other's thought and ideas. Youth
Recognition Team recognizes
outstanding voluntary community service of young people in
grades
7 – 12 in Grant County. An annual banquet honoring enrollees submitted by community organizations is held in the Spring. The
2007 Youth Recognition Banquet will be held on Sunday, April 22,
2007, 6:00 p.m. at DreamWeaver's Ballroom, Elbow Lake. Family Understanding Network is
a West Central Initiative grant
funded program with support from local partners that provides activities
and programs to strengthen families. Regularly scheduled F.U.N.
nights are held in Ashby , Herman-Norcross
and West Central
Area North (Elbow Lake) and West Central Area South (Kensington).
F.U.N. newsletter is distributed to all elementary families
in the county with tips and ideas for parents on building assets
in their children. Core Planning Committee meets
on the first Monday of the month with representatives from each
of the Child & Youth Council’s Work Teams and members
of the Executive Team. Meetings offer opportunity for cross-system
dialogue on issues concerning children, teens and families. Executive Team is comprised of
a parent representative and the administrators of the mandated
partners
of a Family Services Collaborative and oversees policy and expenditures.
Governing Board is
made up of the elected officials representing the mandated
partners and exercises
legal and fiscal authority for the Child & Youth Council. This
group meets semi-annually to review the work of the collaborative
work teams and collaborative budget and approve work plans and
budgets. |
| Other Components of the Child & Youth Council | LCTS – Local Collaborative Time Study is a federal funding source enhancing the work of Family Service Collaboratives - such as the Child & Youth Council - and Children's Mental Health Collaboratives. Collaboratives participate in the time study as a means of generating new federal money by statistically measuring the percentage of time spent on local activities that help children and families. Local staff of school districts, public health and corrections systems must participate in order for a collaborative to claim federal reimbursement through the time study. The money generated must be used to expand prevention and early intervention services for children and families. The federal funds received from LCTS activities are intended to benefit families and children, not an individual collaborative or a single member of a collaborative. In Grant County, the LCTS has provided funds in 2006-2007 to support
|
| FAQ | 1.
Who do I contact if I have a question or concern about my child? 2.
How can I get involved in the Child & Youth Council? 3.
What services does the Child & Youth Council provide? 4. How is the Child & Youth
Council funded? |
| Resources Information | |
| Special Events | Dental Outreach Clinic, NEXT Clinic Days at the Elbow Lake Community Center, 117 Central Ave, Elbow Lake MN. are planned for Tuesday, August 7 and Wednesday August 8, 2007. Please watch local papers for more details on appointment times. This Apple Tree Dental Outreach Clinic is for Children between the ages of 2 to 10 years of age and covered by Minnesota Health Care Programs and Minnesota Medical Assistance. Appointments must be made in advance by calling toll free: 888-683-1038. Apple Tree Dental Clinic is sponsored by the West Central Initiative, Early Childhood Initiative, Bremer Banks and Apple Tree Dental.
|