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VOLUME 23, ISSUE 4
J ANUARY 2012
MSO Happenings
MID-S IOUX OPPORTUNITY, INC.
Notes from the Director’s Desk
UPCOMING EVENTS
WIC/MCH Clinics:
March 6 - Ida Grove
March 7 - Cherokee
March 13 - Sioux Center
March 14 - Orange City
March 20 - Rock Rapids
March 21 - Le Mars
March 27 - Rock Valley
March 28 - Hawarden
Head Start/Early Head Start 2
10th Annual Comedy Night 3
Quality Child Care 4
Outreach Happenings 5
Radon in Iowa 6
Floyd Valley Hospital Health Notes
7
Consumer Advisory 8
Employee Anniversaries 9
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
The mission of Mid-Sioux Opportunity, Inc. is to meet the needs of communities and families
through the provision of services which will enhance the well-being of all people in need.”
February is the last month of the Head Start/Early Head Start contract year. We will complete the year meeting the goals and objectives that we set forth back in March of 2011. Over the next few months we will be moving to a new home in Cherokee and Ida Grove. Cherokee facility renovations are under way. We are still looking for a new location in Ida County. Any help in that search would be appreciated. The Iowa Legislature is in session at the current time. A recent visit to the Capitol for FaDSS Day on the Hill was very successful. This is an opportunity for programs across the state to visit with legislators about what we do. Our legislators are all very professional and understand our issues. We are very fortunate to have them representing us at the Capitol. Funding decisions continue to be a priority in our planning. Federal decisions will most likely not take place until late fall and State decisions will most certainly hold the line on expenditures. Our State budget is in a much better financial position today than a few years ago. This has been accomplished due to discipline on the part of our legislators and sacrifices on the part of tax payers. It has paid off and the outlook for Iowa will most certainly improve as time passes. With winters like the one we are having, spring will be here before we know it. I’m looking forward to the renewal brought about by the spring weather and the optimism that comes with that change as well. I wish you all the best for the remainder of the winter.
Dick Sievers
Executive Director
HEAD START/EARLY HEAD START
PAGE 2
Head Start/Early Head Start Recruitment for the 2012-2013 school year has begun. Par-ent Meeting/Registration nights are a time for families to sign up siblings or to do their returning child’s re-enroll application. They are welcome to bring friends to the meeting to sign up their children. Parents need to bring the following information to complete an application:
12 months proof of income (such as W-2’s, 2011 income taxes, proof of FIP, etc.) Birth Certificate or Proof of Birth (such as newspaper article, crib sheets, etc.) Immunization Record Social Security Number for parent and child Medicaid or insurance information
Please be aware that we have access to interpreter services at the Mid-Sioux Outreach offices to assist in filling out applications. Also, our Family Service Workers and Family Advocates will be at area WIC clinics taking applications March-June to assist in filling our classrooms.
Cherokee Head Start will be moving Cherokee Head Start will be moving into the Kountry Klass Mall the end of February. Renovations began earlier this month to renovate a section of the mall for their two preschool classrooms. We hope to be moved and ready to begin classes on Monday, March 5th!
Kendra Rensink
Head Start/EHS Director
Parent Meeting/Registration
Nights:
Akron – March 5
Ida Grove – March 5
Le Mars – March 6
Rock Rapids – March 6
Cherokee – March 12
Sioux Center - March 13
Orange City – March 19
Rock Valley – March 20
Hawarden CDC – March 20
PAGE 3
Is your child receiving quality childcare?
PAGE 4
Parents use Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) services to access infor-mation on all types of early child care and education programs including half day preschool, before and after school care and full day child care. Families seeking a CCR&R referral are typically given five to ten providers who may meet their family’s needs. So how do they know what to look for when choosing quality care? There are many indicators of quality care to guide parents in their selection. However, quality indicators aren’t always obvious to parents. CCR&R is offering a webinar titled, “Is your child receiving quality childcare.” This webinar is designed to educate parents on what is quality in child care. A webinar is a presentation delivered via the internet. During the webinar, participants can interact with panelists by asking questions through a chat function, participating in polls and being able to view the presenter’s screen. Webinars are done live and can be recorded to be played on a website. Child Care Resource & Referral will be hosting “Is your child receiving quality childcare?” on Wednesday, May 9th at 12:00pm. If you are interested in attending “Is your child receiving quality childcare?” please e-mail Katie Gan-non at [email protected] or call 877-216-8481.
More information on quality can be found on our website at www.midsioux.org/ccr.
OUTREACH HAPPENINGS
PAGE 5
Hello from the Sioux County Outreach Office! I would like to start by sharing a quote that has really hit home with me lately.
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle” – Plato Kindness can often be difficult in our self-centered and fast paced culture, but it is not im-possible. I continue to be amazed by the kindness that can be seen in Sioux County, whether it be in the form of donations to our Christmas program, to the food pantry, or to our Crisis fund. In the last few months, we have had an outpouring of kindness from the community. Our Christmas program served 139 families in Sioux County, and each family received gifts for the (over 400) children and a box with ham and fruit. We have also had tremendous food donations in the last few months. After an extended time early last fall when we were running low on food, it is great to look in the food pantry and see it full to over-flowing! In the month of January alone, we provided emergency food to over 120 people. We have also helped many, many families in need through our Crisis fund in the last few months. Families can apply for help paying their rent, a deposit for more affordable housing, utilities, medicine, and other necessities. All of this money is obtained through generous donations from individuals and organization throughout our coun-ty. We are truly blessed to have such a supportive community.
We are one person short here at the Sioux Center Office, as Sioux and Lyon County Outreach Coordinator Meghan List is out on maternity leave after giving birth to a baby girl in January. However, we do have one extra face for a few months here as well. Her name is Brooke Sundberg and she is a social work intern from Southwest Minnesota State University. It is great to have an extra hand around the office while Meghan is gone. Brooke is spending 30 hours a week either helping at the office, going on home visits with FaDDS Specialist Katie Korthals, or attending WIC clinics around Sioux County.
We hope everyone is enjoying this mild winter, and we look forward to the coming spring!
Housing/Energy Services
CURRENT APPLICATION COUNT February 1, 2012
COUNTY
TOTAL APPS
APPROVED IN 10/11
TOTAL APPS
APPROVED
TO DATE IN 11/12
TOTAL DENI-
ALS FOR 11/12
% OF APPS
TAKEN 10/11 vs.
APPS AP-
PROVED IN 11/12
TOTAL # OF APPS
APPROVED
IN 11/12 vs 10/11
Cherokee 556 443 16 80% -113
Ida 376 295 14 78% -81
Lyon 309 237 8 77% -72
Plymouth 678 547 26 81% -131
Sioux 529 419 43 79% -110
TOTALS: 2448 1941 107 79% -507
Bailey Bakker
Outreach Assistant
Sioux County
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PAGE 7
PAGE 8
PAGE 9
Employee Anniversaries February 2012
Years of Work
Employee Service Program Location Julie Colling 33 Years Housing/Energy Assistance Remsen
Dick Sievers 32 Years Administration Remsen Melissa Schlenger 10 Years Head Start/Early Head Start Remsen Jennifer Schrank 2 Years Head Start Ida Grove
Tamara Miller 2 Years Early Head Start Orange City Arthur Zeilenga 1 Year Head Start Sioux Center
Board of Directors
Executive Committee Finance Committee Personnel Committee
Tom Letsche, President Caryn Barry Tom Letsche
Caryn Barry, Vice-Chair Joe Cronin Merle Koedam
Carol Van Gelder, Secretary Tom Letsche Jean Miller
Joe Cronin, Treasurer Dean Schmidt
Low-Income Sector Representatives Private Sector Representatives Public Sector Representatives
Ann Cole-Nelson, Plymouth County Jean Miller, Cherokee County Tom Letsche, Plymouth County
Caryn Barry, Cherokee County Betty Knudson, Cherokee County Don Kass, Plymouth County
Evelyn Baldwin, Lyon County Carol Van Gelder, Sioux County Barry Thompson, Plymouth County
Carolyn Salberg, Sioux County Dean Schmidt, Cherokee County
Vern Beernink, Sioux County Al Bloemendaal, Sioux County
Joe Cronin, Ida County
Merle Koedam, Lyon County
VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT:
WWW.MIDSIOUX.ORG.
Lyon County Outreach
Meghan List
(M,W,F 9 am - 4 pm)
302 South Lincoln
Rock Rapids, Iowa 51246
Phone/Fax # 712-472-3746
Ida County Outreach
Devi Ray Mon, Wed., & Fri.
703 W State Hwy 175; Ste. 1
Ida Grove, Iowa 51445
Phone # 712-364-2175
Fax # 712-364-3792
Cherokee County Outreach
Joan Forcier
921 Second Street
Cherokee, Iowa 51012
Phone # 712-225-3322
Fax # 712-225-1083
Sioux County Outreach
Meghan List (M, T, Th, F)
313 N Main Avenue
Sioux Center, Iowa 51250
Phone # 712-722-3611
Fax # 712-722-3611
Plymouth County Outreach
Sue Reed (Mon., Wed. & Fri.)
180 10th Street SE; Box 1
Le Mars, Iowa 51031
Phone # 712-546-6603
Fax # 712-546-6603
Administrative Offices
418 S. Marion Street
Remsen, Iowa 51050
Phone # 712-786-2001
Fax # 712-786-3250
Mid-Sioux Opportunity, Inc.
Toll Free # 1-800-859-2025
