The Power of Preschool (PoP) program can be challenging to define or summarize because it does not consist of a single service or activity; rather, PoP is a coordinated effort to bring the full set of early education services for 3- and 4-year old children in the county under one umbrella and mobilize these services to provide a consistent, high level of quality for children and families in the most high-need neighborhoods. Please click here to download the June 2011 PoP Report.
The primary goal of the Santa Clara County PoP Program is to develop young children’s personal, social, and physical competence so they’re ready to be effective learners by the time they reach kindergarten. Secondary goals are to develop unique collaborations to sustain funding and to provide comprehensive services to families who otherwise would most likely go without needed services.
The Power of Preschool service model addresses all domains of a child’s life. Children do not develop in isolation, but rather within a set of social systems that are interconnected and dynamic. This model recognizes that a child must be understood within the context of the family environment and the family must be understood within the context of its neighborhood, community, and larger society. Through a high level of collaboration, early educators work with community partners--including General Child Care, Head Start, California State Preschool, large family child care homes, and private centers--to provide a three-part model, which includes:
- High-quality early learning environments
- Home visitation with families when needed and appropriate
- Therapeutic interventions and family support
Coaching and Modeling: The main quality assurance component of the program and one of the most important ways that PoP works to improve the quality of early education in the county is by providing innovative and individualized coaching and modeling for teachers in all PoP classrooms. This component is called the Quality Enhancement Support Team (QuEST), and it includes three parts.
For more information about PoP QuEST component, please click here here.
Bridge Program for Infants and Toddlers: FIRST 5 Santa Clara County was recently awarded a PoP Bridge Grant to improve services for infants and toddlers from birth through 3 years of age, with the WestEd E3 Institute as the lead agency for this new initiative. E3 Institute successfully recruited existing and new PoP partners to provide a total of 64 enhanced infant-toddler spaces for the 2010-11 fiscal year.
The WestEd E3 Institute-Excellence in Early Child Education (E3) led the planning and is overseeing the implementation of the program. The initiative was approved for funding by the FIRST 5 Santa Clara County Commission in October 2005. Beyond the obvious immediate return for the children and families receiving services, FIRST 5 Santa Clara County and the E3 Institute also believe this targeted investment works to gain a return on public investment that benefits all of society.
Background: Evolution of Power of Preschool in Santa Clara County
Frequently Asked Questions About Santa Clara County Power of Preschool
