Find all events | Submit your event

Juneau Partnerships for Families and Children recently received a grant from Best Beginnings to conduct a survey on Juneau as a place to raise young children. A report of findings will be presented in a community town hall meeting in January. Participants will be asked to set priorities for Juneau based on the data collected.
Juneau Partnerships for Families and Children to conduct survey 102509 NEIGHBORS 4 For the Juneau Empire Juneau Partnerships for Families and Children recently received a grant from Best Beginnings to conduct a survey on Juneau as a place to raise young children. A report of findings will be presented in a community town hall meeting in January. Participants will be asked to set priorities for Juneau based on the data collected.
Home > Neighbors > Juneau Partnerships for Families and Children to conduct survey
Sunday, October 25, 2009

Story last updated at 10/25/2009 - 1:30 am

Juneau Partnerships for Families and Children to conduct survey
For the Juneau Empire

Juneau Partnerships for Families and Children recently received a grant from Best Beginnings to conduct a survey on Juneau as a place to raise young children. A report of findings will be presented in a community town hall meeting in January. Participants will be asked to set priorities for Juneau based on the data collected.

As part of the needs assessment a series of short surveys will be conducted with parents, community leaders, teachers, health care providers, child care providers and leaders in the faith community.

Andrea Doll, a former Juneau Legislator will coordinate the surveys, and former Juneau Assembly member Sara Chambers will compile quantitative data on the status of young children and families in Juneau.

"We are excited to conduct this needs assessment because we believe it will give us a clear picture of what the strengths and needs are in our community," said Kristina Weltzin, partnership chair. "We want to use our resources effectively and coordinate efforts to help young children in Juneau get the best possible start in life."

Extensive research shows investments made in young children increase the chance of their success in school and in life. One of the obstacles to this in Alaska is the lack of any overarching structure or coordination among the various entities that affect early childhood.

For older children, the K-12 school system provides that structure. However, there is no comparable structure to coordinate resources and services for early childhood. The grant provided by Best Beginnings to Partnerships for Families and Children will help Juneau Partnerships for Families and Children work together more effectively, make better use of resources, and provide better services to their youngest citizens.

The partnership consists of 20 different nonprofit and state agencies that work together to promote a Web of support for young children and families. The interagency coalition meets monthly to identify gaps in services and work collaboratively to ensure all young children are supported in healthy development. The Association for the Education of Young Children applied for the grant on behalf of the Partnership and will serve as the fiscal agent for the project.

To learn more about Partnerships for Families and Children, please contact Andrea Doll at 789-1235 ext. 108, e-mail JuneauPartnerships@gmail.com, or see the Web site at www.southeastfamilies.org. For a copy of the business employer or parent survey, see the Juneau Economic Development Council Web site at www.jedc.org.