Notes

Outline

"Aligning Systems:" Aligning Systems: The Lessons, The Challenges Kellogg Foundation: SPARK conference Atlanta Ga. Sid Gardner Children and Family Futures www.cffutures.com

What is “Aligning Systems?” “aligning systems (schools, providers, state agencies, and community) so they can more effectively achieve targeted outcomes for children.” “strategic arrangement of practices, resources, and policies across systems to achieve agreed upon outcomes” Beyond collaboration--to results from new connections

What do Aligned Systems Look Like? The handoff from early care and education to schools The handoff from parents to both early care and schools The handoff from early care and schools to health providers

The Prerequisites of Aligned Systems clarity about what “the system” really is clarity about the purposes of alignment clarity about what measures of progress and success will be used by participants to assess the effects of alignment

The Tools of Alignment Inventory of total funding—10-20 different ECE funding streams Data matching—how many kids do we share? Collaborative values inventory Annual report card/indicators of child well-being Tagging and tracking: Schools tracking by ECE levels EC providers tracking their “graduates”

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Tasks and Tips “Bridge patrol”: which connections do kids and parents need most? Think Noah: 2 by 2 Bridge-strengthening: how can we better link kids and parents with services they need most? Eg early care-school bridges Eg early care- health bridges

More Tips and Tasks Remember that shared values are as important as shared data—don’t avoid the values discussion Outcomes are how the results of alignment are measured—what will we count to see if our new connections are paying off? Eg K-1 retentions Eg health insurance coverage Eg portfolios accepted by schools

Still More Tips and Tasks Reality-test alignment changes against providers and parents’ lives: Will staff have time or want to do it differently? [new screening/assessment] Will parents’ real needs be met? Eg family support vs family income support Eg child care-welfare contradictions

The Key Family Income Support Programs Continuing TANF support Child care subsidies Earned Income Tax Credit (state and federal) Food stamps/WIC/Free and reduced lunch Medicaid and Child Health Insurance Child support Housing assistance WIA training for wage upgrades College and vocational support for wage upgrades

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The Two Kinds of Collaboration Back-end collaboration is among policy level executives in agencies Front-end collaboration is among workers who deal directly with clients Both are needed for successful collaboration

Sustaining Alignment: the $ Thing Don’t forget state and local government—Willie Sutton problems Keep the inventory current Outcomes= sustainability; ask “who would want to pay for this, based on our results?” Seek $ jointly from multiple sources, not separately from the same old funders

The Special Challenges for EC Providers Less organized as a network than other providers and agencies Less able to stay current as a field Less able to collect powerful data and analyze it So organize, search, and recognize that information is the critical commodity in the 21st century

The Special Challenges for EC Providers [more] Working across the center-home divide to build solid coalitions If 2/3 of kids in unlicensed care, why ignore it proportionate to licensed care? Defining quality Addressing lower-quality programs’ recent expansion Work with strength where it is found—in homes, in centers, among parents

What to ask schools for A table around which to talk regularly Facilities and space Teacher training and practices Curriculum and assessment changes Parent access Information systems changes—tagging Links to health providers

What else to ask schools for “Hands and feet rules” clear expectations for behavior Joint purchasing Cash—ask for it last—it may be least important Remember—whatever EC providers ask for, schools will also ask for changes in what you do

10 Common errors in alignment and collaboration efforts Failure to target programs and resources—ignoring the universe of need and choices among different kinds of clients Failure to concentrate enough resources to achieve outcomes—dosage issues Focusing resources on children vs families Narrow strategies in recruiting and keeping general partners Too many outcomes, no priority outcomes

10 errors (continued) Confusing performance measures with client and community outcomes Inadequate investment in data collection and analysis Poor fit between people and tasks: “brokers vs strokers” Inadequate information about all funding streams—no inventory  Little or no early sustainability planning Bonus: Using new funding to buy what old funding could—missed opportunities

Dealing with Reluctant Partners Partner with us because… We share clients You have special expertise we don’t have (or vice-versa) Together we could get more funding Together we could save money downstream A community VIP wants you to work with us Working with us would help you innovate and change your agency culture

Dealing with Reluctant Partners [more] We’re going to succeed and you won’t get credit You might be embarrassed if our program failed and you got blamed You will be embarrassed if our program fails because you will be blamed If we fail at achieving results, someone else may take over this function from both of us If you work with us—we will owe you

Lessons about Multi-state Initiatives Listen to the menu of help you can get—then choose what you really need (don’t reject what you haven’t ever used; don’t accept what you don’t need or doesn’t fit) Keep the network fueled with candor, not show-and-tell hype: share mistakes or miscues as often as successes “precious failures” “did you try this?” Stay current: read, websurf, conferences

Resources Kagan: United We Stand Kagan: Integrating Services for Children and Families Bardach: Getting Agencies to Work Together Chaskin, et.al. Building Community Capacity Besharov (CWLA) Enhancing Early Childhood programs Gardner: Beyond Collaboration to Results