REDLANDS CHRISTIAN MIGRANT ASSOCIATION INC

CHILD CARE - SUBSIDIZEDSEE SCHEDULE OCHILD CARE SUBSIDIZED:FROM THREE MODEST CHILD-CARE CENTERS WITH 75 CHILDREN IN 1965, RCMA TODAY SERVES NEARLY 5,658 CHILDREN OF MIGRANT FARM WORKERS AND RURAL, LOW-INCOME FAMILIES IN 53 CENTERS, 3 CHARTER SCHOOLS AND 21 CHILD CARE PARTNERS THROUGHOUT FLORIDA.CHILDREN IN OUR CENTERS RANGE FROM 6 WEEKS TO 12 YEARS OLD. RCMA'S INCLUSION OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES, BEGINNING WITH INFANTS AND TODDLERS, HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A MODEL WITHIN FLORIDA.RCMA, THE LARGEST NON-PROFIT PROVIDER OF CHILD-CARE SERVICES IN FLORIDA, ACROSS 18 COUNTIES. LIKE OTHER CHILDREN RCMA SERVES, MOST OF THOSE ENROLLED SPEAK ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE, IF AT ALL.WITH A MISSION OF HIRING STAFF AND TEACHERS FROM THE COMMUNITIES SERVED, RCMA ALREADY EMPLOYS A MAJORITY OF BILINGUAL STAFFERS. MANY OF OUR EMPLOYEES ARE FORMER MIGRANT FARM WORKERS WHO ACQUIRED THEIR CHILDDEVELOPMENT CREDENTIALS, FAMILY DEVELOPMENT CREDENTIALS, ASSOCIATE'S DEGREES OR BACHELOR'S DEGREES AFTER JOINING RCMA. SERVING A LARGE MIGRANT POPULATION, PLUS OTHER YEAR-ROUND FARM AND LOW-INCOME FAMILIES, RCMA OFFERS THE 540-HOUR VPK PROGRAM OPTION DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR.THIS WAY, EVEN THOUGH SOME CHILDREN ARRIVE LATE AND LEAVE EARLY, THEY STILL RECEIVE THE REQUIRED COURSEWORK, WHICH IS ESSENTIAL TO THEIR SUCCESS LATER IN KINDERGARTEN AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.WE HAVE STRONG PARTNERSHIPS WITH HEAD START, FLORIDA'S OFFICE OF EARLY LEARNING, LOCAL EARLY LEARNING COALITIONS, THE MEXICAN CONSULATES IN ORLANDO AND MIAMI, FLORIDA AGRICULTURE, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS.MORE THAN HALF OF RCMA'S CHILDCARE CENTERS HAVE BEEN NATIONALLY ACCREDITED, REFLECTING STANDARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS THAT EXCEED STATE LICENSING REQUIREMENTS.

HEAD STARTSEE SCHEDULE OHEAD START:HEAD START, EARLY HEAD START AND MIGRANT HEAD START ARE COMPREHENSIVE CHILD-DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS THAT SERVE PREGNANT WOMEN, CHILDREN FROM BIRTH TO AGE 5 AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE PROGRAMS STRIVE TO INCREASE THE SCHOOL READINESS OF YOUNG CHILDREN IN LOW-INCOME FAMILIES. KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF RCMA IN PREPARING YOUNG CHILDREN FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL IS ITS MISSION TO HIRE STAFF AND TEACHERS FROM THE COMMUNITIES SERVED. MOST OF OUR STAFF IS BILINGUAL, AND MANY ARE FORMER MIGRANT FARM WORKERS, INCLUDING OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND DIRECTOR OF FARMWORKER ADVOCACY.HEAD START NATIONALLY EVOLVED FROM A TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION IN 1964 FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FEDERALLY SPONSORED PRESCHOOL PROGRAM TO MEET THE NEEDS OF DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN, HEAD START NOW OFFERS PROGRAMS GEARED FOR CHILDREN 3 TO 5 YEARS OLD. EARLY HEAD START PROVIDESPROGRAMS FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS, NEWBORNS TO 3 YEARS.RESPONDING TO THE UNIQUE SEASON NEEDS OF MIGRANT FARM WORKERS, MIGRANT AND SEASONAL HEAD START WAS CREATED IN 1969 AND SERVES NEWBORNS TO 5 YEAR OLDS.HEAD START IS A PROGRAM WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION ON CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES IN THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, WHICH AWARDS GRANTS TO RCMA TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES.