About Us

Purpose of organization:

Bring together those concerned with early childhood (ages 0-5) issues in the Johnstown Milliken communities. This includes public schools, private preschools, social services, public services, health services, businesses and parents. The council discusses ways to identify needs (individual as well as community needs), and how to best address those needs as well as community resources. One of the objectives of the council is to organize and host an annual spring children’s festival as a fun way to link the community to the local resources.

Mission Statement:

The mission statement is currently in the process of being written.

History & Mandate:

The Johnstown Milliken Early Childhood Council was originally formed to fulfill administrative requirements of the Johnstown Milliken Community Preschool. This preschool is funded through special education money, state money associated with the Colorado Preschool Program (CPP) and a small amount of tuition money. Presently, the Johnstown Milliken Early Childhood Council has evolved to include several preschool directors in the area as well as community stakeholders, concerned and involved in local early childhood issues.

Goals:

• To assist in implementing the Colorado Preschool Kindergarten Program
• To provide new resources for families
• To connect families with local resources
• To provide an annual community Children’s Festival

Whose invited

Parents, businesses, anyone interested in early childhood issues.

Policy BDFC-R-Preschool Council:

Membership

Membership on the preschool program council will include but not be limited to the following:

1. The superintendent or designee
2. Two parents of children in the Johnstown Milliken Preschool program appointed by the superintendent
3. Two members of the business community appointed by the superintendent
4. Representatives from the following agencies:
1. Weld county health department
2. Weld county social services
3. Local preschool directors
4. Parents from local preschools

Appointed members will serve for two-year terms. Any vacancy among the appointed members will be filled by appointment by the superintendent for the unexpired term.

Officers - Members of the council will elect a chairman for a one-year term, who may be elected to a second term.

Duties

In accordance with law, the council will:

1. Assist the district in the implementation of the preschool program
2. Develop and recommend to the Board of Education plans for coordinating the preschool program with:
   1. Extended day services for children participating in the program and their families in order to achieve an increased efficiency in the services provided
   2. Family support services for children participating in the program and their families
   3. A program to train parents to provide teaching activities in the home prior to the entrance of their children in the preschool program
3. Define any additional student eligibility criteria
4. Develop a preschool program evaluation
5. Develop a training program for preschool program staff using all available community resources
6. Recommend to the Board a plan for the annual evaluation of the preschool program
7. Provide any other appropriate assistance to the school district in the implementation of the preschool program
8. To plan, organize and host the annual Spring Children's Festival

No action taken by the council will be final until approved by the Board of Education.

Meetings

The council will meet a minimum of six times per year. In addition, members of the council will make at least two on-site visit per year to all Head Start agencies and public and private child care facilities with which the district has contracted to monitor overall program compliance and make recommendations for needed improvements.