OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS
We have learned alongside our Community Partners as they have faced challenges, overcome barriers, and achieved extraordinary successes. Find out more about each project and the outcomes below.
YEAR
2022
GRANT CATEGORY
Equity
GRANT AMOUNT
$75,400
Organization:
AVANCE-Austin
Project Title:
Expanding AVANCE-Austin's Evidence-Based Parent-Child Education Program (PCEP)
Project Description:
AVANCE-Austin was established in 1997 with a mission to create pathways to economic mobility for predominantly Latino families and young children, as well as opportunities for parents to build social and economic capital through the Parent-Child Education Program (PCEP). The intensive PCEP program includes free weekly sessions over nine months with separate tracks for parents and children, focusing on early child brain development and parenting skills. AVANCE-Austin has reached 8,000+ parents and children with an 85+% retention/graduation rate. Long-term studies show that 93% of children participating in AVANCE’s five programs are ready for kindergarten, and 94% graduate from high school.
With the Impact Austin grant, AVANCE-Austin will continue expansion of its PCEP to Pflugerville ISD, which has experienced a growth of Latinx households each year. They will serve 550 individuals (250 parents and 300 students).
Goals:
Provide 43,200 hours of instruction and 2,000 hours of home visits
Retain growth in client engagement
Screen 85% of enrolled children for developmental delays
75% of program graduates will increase knowledge of early childhood development and parenting schools; will report reading to children at least 3 times per week
Grant Status:
In a 9-month program year, the PCEP program runs for children ages 0-3 with the goal or preparing them for school success. Concurrently with a parent program bolsters parenting skills, conducts family assessments, and facilitates access to wraparound services.
In 2022-2023, 511 caregivers and children participated in the PCEP program. For 2023-2024, 575 caregivers and children were enrolled.
90% of children were screened for developmental delays; families were given referrals as appropriate for support/interventions
76% of enrolled families had needs assessed through home visits by educators.
80% of graduates showed an increase in their parenting skills , including brain-building, literacy-focused, and social emotional parenting practices
63% of graduates reporting reading to their children 3+ times/week
86% of program graduates plan to advance to continuing education classes with AVANCE
AVANCE facilitated future Pre-K enrollment by organizing a workshop on application processes, led by a Pflugerville ISD administrator, and provided additional practice for families with online mock applications
For the 2023-2024 program year, AVANCE-Austin has also increased its virtual PCEP offerings to 44 caregivers, to continue to offer PCEP to families moving farther away from Austin. We are also formalizing partnerships to develop portable programs (e.g., Triple P and Literacy) and coordinating resource-driven community events with allied organizations like the YMCA, Thinkery, El Buen Samaritano, CommUnity Care Clinic, Central Health, and Austin Community College. These portable programs will also create additional recruitment channels for PCEP