Nurturing Communities 

Overview

Nurturing Communities is an innovative childcare model that is designed to enable two generations of low-income families to achieve economic self-sufficiency. The model maximizes the opportunity for babies to form a secure attachment to their mothers during the first three years of life while supporting the mother while she is in college. Children who take part in the program will have the social/emotional foundation for academic achievement. 

Program Description

This pilot is a partnership between Rochester Childfirst Network (RCN) and Monroe Community College (MCC), with the Golisano Children’s Hospital at Strong serving as medical advisor.

  • RCN will operate a satellite childcare program housed on the first floor of the Sibley building, directly below MCC’s Damon City Campus.
  • Hours of operation will be 8:00 – 4:00 PM, five days a week, year round.  
  • Fourteen low-income mothers who are enrolled as full-time students at MCC will take part in MCC’s “Work Experience Program” (WEP). Participation ensures support through Monroe County Department of Human Services, which includes subsidized childcare.
  • The WEP program requires mothers to have an “approved work experience” equal to 32 hours per week (E.g. - 12 hours coursework plus 20 hours work experience during the semester and 32 hours of work experience whenever school is out). 
  • Participating mothers will “work” year-round with their own children as well as other children in the program. This “work experience” qualifies them to be paid through federal “Work Study” money. Mothers can earn up to $5,200 per year. 
  • Mothers working with their own and other children count as part of the State-mandated caregiver-to-child ratio. Adult-child ratios will be 2:1.

Program Goals

  1. Support secure child attachment to the mother.
  2. Support the mothers as they complete work on their degree programs at MCC. 
  3. Provide a literacy rich learning environment with guidance for parents and caregivers in developmentally appropriate practice. 
  4. Provide each participant with the vocational skill and experience to obtain work within the early care and education field .  
  5. Replicate the model