Delta Family Center: Head Start
Annual Report 2020-2021
Overview of BELA Preschool
The BELA preschool is a part of the Delta County School District. The purpose of BELA is to provide a safe, stimulating learning environment for prekindergarten children to ensure their success with future learning in school and beyond. BELA is Licensed as a Preschool by the State of Colorado through Colorado Department of Human Services – Office of Early Childhood
The BELA Preschool is funded by: Colorado Preschool Program, Head Start Funds, Partnership with Child Find Services, various grand funders, and tuition slots.
View or download the BELA Parent Handbook here: English | Spanish.
Classroom Make Up
Delta Classrooms accept children 2 1/2 Years (Transition Room) - 4 years old, while outlying BELA Classrooms accept children ages 3-4 years old by September 1st of each school year.
Partnerships with Delta County Elementary Schools and District Administration allow a integrated relationship with all community schools, allowing staff and communities to foster and grow our youngest minds.
BELA Preschool is comprised of three different models of classrooms. The first being a part-day, two sessions a day for four days per week model. The second is a full-day classroom, serving children for 8 hours per day, four days per week. The final model was implemented with the use of Head Start Funds to better serve the needs of the community with two five day a week classrooms that serve children for not only an extended day, but an extended school year as well.
Through funding from: The Office of Head Start (OHS), state funded Colorado Preschool Program (CPP), Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), Child Find Services through DCSD, and a limited number of private pay tuition spots, BELA Preschool meets the needs of preschool for Delta County.
Annual Kinder Academy
This transition process is replicated in our outlying areas as well, on a smaller scale as the towns of Cedaredge, Hotchkiss, Paonia & Crawford only have one elementary school per community. Children and parents are still welcome to meet the teacher and tour the school through Back to School nights and orientations.
The Backpack Program also provides a packet of information for each child talking to parents about fundamental and developmentally appropriate Kindergarten milestones. The packets also include a "Flip-it" crayon, a new pencil, a small notebook, and a box of crayons for each child.
While the Kinder Academy was cancelled last year due to COVID-19 conditions, plans to proceed with the event this year is underway. In place of actual tours last spring, all DCSD Principals and Assistant Principals created a short welcome video along with longer tour videos for parents to watch with their child at home. These short segments allowed a bit of ease for students as they were welcomed back to schools in the fall.
What is the Backpack Program?
How Does It Work?
At-Home Preschool: What it looks like in COVID Times
The idea behind Beyond the Box is to provide ALL preschool aged families in Delta County with pantry materials and ideas to promote and engage parents as teachers at home. This totally FREE resource had its first round of distribution in November, with over 350 packets going to homes of preschoolers. March is rounding out with over 300 Spring bags already delivered and plans to distribute over 350 Summer packets in May.
Family Connections
BELA Preschool conducts two parent/teacher conferences each year, one in the fall and one in the spring to directly discuss successes and challenges with each individual child. Teachers use TS GOLD Observation data to inform parents about school readiness and supports that might be needed.
Weekly newsletters are published for each classroom and also a Weekly Notes and News from Delta Family Center, providing information on upcoming event and programming opportunities for all families. Delta Family also has a Facebook and Instagram presence, all can be accessed publicly through http://dfc.deltaschools.com/.
Annual Report Requirement: Sec. 644 (2)
2020-2021 Annual Report
Prepared by: Lisa Mock, Grants Coordinator/Assistant Director, Delta Family Center
Edited by: Debbie Salcedo, Education Coordinator/Assistant Director, Delta Family Center
Grantee Agency: Delta County School District 50J
Program #: 08CH011739
Email: dfc@deltaschools.com
Website: dfc.deltaschools.com
Location: 822 Grand Avenue, Delta, CO, USA
Phone: 970-874-9517
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deltafamilycenter