LONG BEACH, CALIF. — The Long Beach Community Action Partnership and the Long Beach Community College District recently received funding commitments totaling $1.275 million from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
The two grants seek to improve school readiness for children in low socio-economic neighborhoods of central Long Beach by strengthening the support systems that help children succeed.
“We are delighted that Knight Foundation continues to invest in and promote school readiness,” said Long Beach Mayor Beverly O’Neill. “Strengthening services that provide successful outcomes for children and their families benefits all of Long Beach.”
The Community Action Partnership—in collaboration with the City’s Department of Health and Human Services and the Long Beach Unified School District—received $750,000 over five years for the Role of Men Academy, which seeks to increase the involvement of fathers in their children’s lives.
At the community college district, the Good Beginnings Never End project received a $525,000, three-year grant to improve the quality of education services offered by family childcare providers.
“We know that children need strong support systems to succeed in school,” said John Williams, Community Liaison Program Officer for Knight Foundation in Long Beach. “Good Beginnings Never End will improve the quality of family childcare, and the Role of Men Academy will increase fathers’ involvement in educational activities with their children.”
These investments are part of an overall effort by Knight to improve school readiness for children living in the 90806 zip code area. Since 2001, Knight has invested more than $3 million in this diverse, low-income area of central Long Beach, where over 83 percent of the residents are Latino, African-American, or Asian/Pacific Islander.
Role of Men Academy
The Role of Men Academy brings together the community organizing skills and support services of three agencies: the City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (www.longbeach.gov/health), the school district’s Head Start and Child Development Centers (http://www.lbusd.k12.ca.us/deputy/head_start.htm), and the Community Action Partnership (www.lbcaa.com).
This new collaboration will use Knight funding to build on and expand the city’s current Role of Men program. The expanded services will reach fathers whose children attend Head Start and other classes in the 90806 zip code area.
Through the Role of Men Academy, fathers will receive intense basic training that includes parenting skills, job assistance, educational and legal assistance, and other services. After completing basic training, fathers become volunteers and mentors to others in the program.
In addition, fathers will be encouraged to become more involved in their children’s reading and other educational activities by attending field trips and workshops with them at Head Start centers.
“Since 1995, the Role of Men program has worked with over 600 men and their families and has developed a strong track record in identifying and addressing the key barriers to responsible fatherhood,” said David Hillman, Jr., Project Coordinator of the program. “This grant and partnership will help us emphasize the importance of education for the fathers.”
“This is the kind of collaboration where everyone wins,” said Lance Williams, President and CEO of the Community Action Partnership. “Motivating men to become responsible fathers helps children succeed in school and in life, it builds healthier families, and it creates stronger and more vibrant communities.”
Good Beginnings Never End
The Good Beginnings Never End project at Long Beach Community College delivers hands-on training in early childhood education to home-based childcare providers. The project will use the new funding to expand its services to both licensed and license-exempt family childcare providers within zip code 90806, including stay-at-home parents and grandparents who have regular childcare duties.
“Many children in low-income neighborhoods are in family childcare settings,” said Yvonne Gonzalez Duncan, Project Manager of Good Beginnings. “When we visit these homes, we model activities that promote early childhood education and positive parenting techniques.”
During these visits, project staff also help providers schedule their time effectively, for example by reading to children every day. And providers learn about immunizations, dental and health care, health insurance, and other community resources.
Since 2001, when Knight first supported the project, Good Beginnings has trained 24 licensed family home providers and 20 parents and grandparents in the 90806 zip code area. The project has improved the children’s literacy skills, increased the number of up-to-date immunizations, and increased access to health insurance.
The new project will reach 10 additional licensed providers, 25 license-exempt providers, and 20 parents and grandparents.
“This project also encourages family childcare providers to improve their skills in marketing and developing their small business into a quality program,” Duncan said. “In enhancing the quality of their business, providers are empowered and want to continue their education. This improves the quality of family childcare for years to come.”
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation (www.knightfdn.org) promotes excellence in journalism worldwide and invests in the vitality of 26 U.S. communities.