HomeMy WebLinkAboutYOUNG PEOPLES LEARNING CENTER - FDP - FDP150020 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - PROJECT NARRATIVEYoung Peoples Learning Center is committed to quality care for kids and to being a
positive part of our neighborhood. For many reasons, we have gone above and beyond
city requirements in many w
Requirement are exceeding them
Child care centers are required to have a
Our playground back playground is approximately
playground that is 4,182 square feet
5000 square feet with an additional 600 square feet on
our front playground, providing more and better
spaces for children to learn and grow!
We are required to replace toilets which
Replacing ALL toilets, not just those effected, with new
are being removed with low -flush toilets
low -flow options
No requirements on water flow
Replace all children's faucets with automatic faucets
to reduce water usage
No requirements on energy usage
Installing solar panels
mitigation
No requirements for lighting upgrades
Installation of all LED lighting
Provide 4 bike parking spaces
We will be providing 5 — 10 uncovered spots and
approximately 10 covered spaces.
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Our Current Building
The changes we are making to our building structure will bring us inline with the
standards currently being set in the neighborhood. The Laurel Street District has been
undergoing lots of upgrades and we are looking for our school to fit in with the gentrified
sections of the area.
• Once the second story is created, our building will have a similar structure to the
buildings around it, all of which have second stories.
• We will be wrapping the building in a stucco, which will be easier to maintain and
much more aesthetically pleasing
• The upgrade in windows, doors and outdoor lighting fixtures will all help the look of
the building
• We will be relocating the fence to create a better walking path in the front of the
building
• Our new front entrance porch will bring a continuity and unity to the building
• The covered bike parking will include aspects that make it appear to be its own small
schoolhouse.
• The open bike parking will be artistically designed bike racks by the welding
department of FRCC and will invite and encourage neighborhood biking
• Once the new roofline is created, new roofing materials will be installed, replacing
the current shingles which is both aesthetically and constructionally important.
• The "curb appeal' upgrade to the building is sorely needed and this project will allow
this to be done in a complete way.
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• Playground parts marked with a grey background are covered in pea -gravel. The rest of
the playground is grass, with dirt in the natural rock and garden areas.
• The blue areas mark our sidewalks, including the trike path.
• The green indicates trees currently within the play space which provide plenty of shade
cover. There are additional trees lining the property which add additional shade.
• The fence is currently chain link with woven plastic creating privacy. We anticipate
converting this to a natural growth vine and are looking into the best options at this point.
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Fire Protection
In order to meet standards, we have 1 hour fire rated doors and wall barrier between the
eastern most classroom and the rest of the building as well as a 1 hour fire rated set of
additional walls and doors between the current section of the second floor and the to -
be -build section of the second floor. Please see plans for details. These plans have
been reviewed and approved by the Poudre Fire Authority.
Fencing
We will be dismantling all current fencing on the front of the building, refinishing it and
relocating it to our property line.
More Information Requested for Playground Layout
We are not changing our current playground layout, but are providing the details of its
current layout below:
Storage shed and
gated storage
enclosure
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a great asset to the quality of our program and provides children in the community with
much needed space to learn and grow. The quality of our services to children would
suffer if this space was lost.
City staff and the Planning and Zoning Board have agreed to the modification of this
standard and that additional parking spaces do not need to be added for YPLC staff and
City Parking Services does not believe there will be a major change to traffic or parking
on the street.
Below is our current parking policy for our staff as well as our revised policy upon
project approval. This parking policy would apply to employees of any office spaces as
well. We request that staff only utilize the spaces along the north east side of Plum
Street, not in front of the fraternity house or along the 800 block of Mathews nearest to
our school. These are spaces which we know from experience are not used by
neighborhood residents. We specifically request that our staff do not park in the spaces
in front of the housing to the east or west of our school nor in front of the houses on the
700 block of Mathews, as we know these spaces are used by residents.
Current policy:
PARKING
Young Peoples Learning Center does not maintain private parking facilities for employees.
Employees must park in spaces that do not interrupt the available spaces for parents picking up and
dropping off children. The only exceptions to this are opening staff and owners. At the Mathews
Street location, staff may park in spaces two houses to the south or further, around the north side of
the block or across Mathews Street. At the Plum Street location, staff may park in the last one or
two spaces on the ends of the block, across Plum Street or around the corner on the East side of the
block. Young Peoples Learning Center employees are expected to comply with all local parking
regulations and will be responsible for any fines incurred for violations.
New policy:
PARKING
Young Peoples Learning Center does not maintain private parking facilities for employees.
Employees must park in spaces that do not interrupt the available spaces for parents picking up and
dropping off children. The only exceptions to this are opening staff and owners. At the Mathews
Street location, staff may park in spaces two houses to the south or further, around the north side of
the block or across Mathews Street. At the Plum Street location across Plum Street or around the
comer on the East side of the block. Staff at Plum Street may also choose to park in the spaces on
the South side of Schrader's Country Store. If staff choose to park here, they must "sign in" with
the manager in Schrader's at the time of parking or they will be subject to fines or towing. Young
Peoples Learning Center employees are expected to comply with all local parking regulations and
will be responsible for any fines incurred for violations.
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Responses to comments from Conceptual Reviews, Neighborhood
Meetings and Planning and Zoning Board
Offices in NCM/NCB Concerns
Since the time of the Conceptual Review, we have re -designed the space upstairs so
that all provider offices are located in the NCB zoning perimeters. In addition, we will
limit non-YPLC clients to 40% or less of office visits to the space.
Bike Parking
We are planning multiple bike parking areas. We plan to have a covered parking area
at the west most end of our property where parents can park bikes or child trailers for
the day that should accommodate up to 10 bikes (or 4 bike trailers.) We will also
provide 5 - 10 additional uncovered spots as a service learning project. In addition, we
have created an incentive program for staff which includes rewards for riding their bikes
to work consistently.
Vehicle Parking
There were two specific comment brought up at the community meeting: the amount of
additional parking that may be required from the additional services provided, and the
ability to see around our company vehicles when pulling out.
We have conducted an informal parking availability study. Our experience is that we
have rarely had to park anywhere other than in the 200 block of Plum Street, and when
we have had to, have never had to park farther than the first 150 feet around the corner
of the 800 block of Mathews Street. During the time of the study — conducted at 4 times
of the day for 4 weeks, there were never less than 20 unused spaces available on one
of these two blocks.
When it comes to the parking requirements for the "new" clients of the professional
services, this too will be minimal. Most of our current clients will be scheduling their
times with these professionals when they drop-off or pick up their children, so this will
require no more or less space than they are already using. For those coming during the
middle of the day, there will be the space for them to park in the otherwise unused
loading zone spaces in front of the center. These spaces are actively used during the
hours of 8:00 to 9:00 am, and 4:00 to 5:30 pm. But even if there were to be zero
spaces for these few Ft. Collins residents on Plum Street, as mentioned above, there
will be ample space right around the corner on Mathews Street.
In order to create parking spaces on site, we would need to greatly reduce the size of
our playground. We believe that the outdoor space we are able to provide to children is
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suggests that close collaborations among professionals and integration of services are
necessary for optimal service delivery (Shonkoff & Meisels, 2000). Linkages between
early childhood providers permit opportunities for mutual planning and feedback and
tend to create holistic and contextual understandings of young children (Hepburn,
Kaufmann, Perry, Allen, Brennan, & Green, 2007). Whether psychologists work within a
team structure (e.g., multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, or transdisciplinary) or
collaborate with individual early- childhood professionals, partnering with other experts
requires learning about their work, good communication skills, and trust in the abilities of
these professionals (McLean & Crais, 2000) as well as consultation/collaboration skills
(Rubinson, 2009). Therefore, psychologists working with young children need a unique
set of skills for working effectively with other service providers treating young children."
hftp://www.apadivisions.org/division-16/publications/newsletters/school-
psychologist/2011 /04/evidence-based-practice.aspx
RESEARCH AND TRAINING CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH, REGIONAL RESEARCH
INSTITUTE, GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK, PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY
PROMISING PRACTICES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD MENTAL HEALTH
"Comprehensive. Service arrays include a variety of interventions that take account of
the developmental, health, and mental health needs of families and the potentials for
preventive as well as therapeutic interventions. All parents need support to raise their
children well. When providers focus on the health and well-being of the entire family,
they consider services such as providing transportation and child care for siblings and
supporting parents' goals to complete the Graduate Equivalency Degree or obtain
employment along with services such as parenting classes or individual therapy.
Supportive relationships with service providers, and particularly with other parents, can
make a significant difference for parents"
hftp://cecp.air.orci/Portland Monograph.pdf
29
who are accessible and available to program staff and families are more effective
(Gilliam, 2005; Green et al., 2006; Yoshikawa & Knitzer, 1997)"
http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/documents/rs_ ecmhc.pdf
COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
TEN STANDARDS FOR BEST PRACTICES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD MENTAL HEALTH
"Location, length and time of sessions provided by early childhood specialists will vary;
therefore clinicians need flexibility and small caseloads at any one time. Services and
interventions should be provided in the most appropriate environment including in real
time and natural settings such as childcare, pediatric clinics and homes.
What does science tell us? The evidence based or best practice strategies are designed
for implementation either with parents or childcare providers. This means early
childhood clinicians are often on -site in different settings, delivering services. The
amount of time for each service does not neatly fit into a 50-minute session. Travel time
and the ability to adjust intensity of services to the needs of the families must be
factored in when considering appropriate caseloads. Often parents have their own
mental health or substance abuse issues, which also impacts the complexity of
interventions."
http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheadernamel =Content-
Disposition&blobheadername2=Content-
Type&blobheadervaluel=inline%3B+filename%3D%22Early+Childhood+Best+Practice
s+2012.pdf%22&blobheadervalue2=application%2Fpdf&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoB
lobs&blobwhere=1251795239109&ssbinary=true
THE SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST
EVIDENCE -BASED PRACTICE IN INFANT AND EARLY CHILDHOOD PSYCHOLOGY
"An additional competency vital to early childhood practice is collaboration with other
professionals is necessary to appropriately serve children of all ages; such partnerships
are particularly important in working with young children. Service delivery for young
children and their families is often complex, involving many discipline -specific specialists
(e.g., physicians, educators, speech -language pathologists, physical and occupational
therapists, behavioral consultants) in addition to a school psychologist. Best practice
28
individual assessments, modeling effective practices), these activities are ultimately
designed to enhance caregiver competence. In sum, ECMHC is both a problem- solving
and capacity -building intervention. Another hallmark of early childhood mental health
consultation is the strong emphasis on collaboration. ECMHC's approach acknowledges
that in order to understand and address a child's challenging behavior, one must look
holistically at the environments in which the child functions (e.g., home, classroom,
community settings). This holistic or "ecological systems perspective" (Brack, Jones,
Smith, White, & Brack, 1993) in ECMHC necessitates that the consultant partners with
ECE staff and families to jointly assess the challenge, determine appropriate
intervention, and implement a coordinated plan of action across all settings. These
collaborative relationships are essential to effective consultation and have become a
special research interest in the field."
"To broaden the impact of mental health consultation, provisions need to be made to
widen access to mental health consultation in home -based care and education settings
(i.e., licensed family child care homes and unlicensed family/friend/neighbor
arrangements), and to expand the focus to include promotion and prevention activities
that benefit all children as part of the array of consultation services. Ideally, ECMHC
would be available to all early care and education settings and subsidized or
reimbursable through a variety of sources. In a clustered randomized control study of
Chicago School Readiness Program classrooms, outside observers found that teachers
receiving ECMHC had significant improvements in teacher sensitivity and enhanced
classroom management skills, compared with teachers in classrooms without
consultation (Raver et al., 2008). Observers also found that the classroom climates
improved after consultation, with more positive interactions between teachers and
children and fewer negative exchanges, in contrast to classrooms where no consultation
was present. Staff members also rated themselves as significantly more able to manage
children's difficult behavior after consultation in 9 of 11 studies reviewed by Brennan et
al. (in press; see, for example, Alkon, Ramler, & MacLennan, 2003; James Bowman
Associates & Kagan, 2003; Olmos & Grimmer, 2004). Finally, teachers have also
generally reported lower levels of job stress after they receive consultation services
(Green et al., 2006; Langkamp, 2003; Olmos & Grimmer, 2004)."
"Teachers in classrooms with ECMHC services reported that children had fewer
problem behaviors after these services were implemented (Bleecker & Sherwood, 2004;
Gilliam, 2007; Perry, Dunne, McFadden, & Campbell, 2008; Upshur, Wenz-Gross, &
Reed, 2008).... Finally, there is evidence that when mental health consultation is
available in early childhood programs, the rate of expulsion of children with difficult or
challenging behavior decreases Research suggests that consultants who are
integrated into program functioning, whom program staff view as "part of the team," and
27
several observations throughout the day, they can happen in conference rooms and as
follow up to trainings. It not only changes the way we interact with the children involved,
but it also changes the way a teacher interacts with their classroom and their job when
they have additional professional onsite support.
As requested during Conceptual Review Meeting on June le, 2014, here are more
research resources on the best practices in child care programs and early childhood
health services. They demonstrate how and why mental and physical health services
are provided on -site at Early Childhood Education Centers to enhance the services
being provided.
The source of each article is listed first, followed by the name of the article, quotes from
the article and then a link to the full article.
We are always available for further questions. We would also invite you to contact the
Early Childhood Council of Larimer County for experts and information on best practices
in Early Childhood (970-377-3388) and Regina Hariri at Touchstone Health Partners on
Early Childhood Mental Health Services (970-492-4212)
THE CENTER ON THE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL FOUNDATIONS FOR EARLY LEARNING
EARLY CHILDHOOD MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTATION
"The former and more traditional type of consultation aims to address the needs of an
individual child who is exhibiting challenging behaviors or whose social and emotional
well-being may be at risk due to a family crisis (e.g., death in the family, divorce).
Typically, child- or family -centered consultation is provided to the child's teacher(s) and
parents, and is focused on helping these adults support children more effectively. In
contrast, programmatic consultation takes a more systemic approach, focusing on
"improving the overall quality of the program and/or assisting the program to solve a
specific issue that affects more than one child, staff member, and/or family" (Cohen &
Kaufmann, p. 8)."
"Unlike traditional one-on-one therapeutic mental health services, ECMHC is primarily
an indirect approach. Early childhood mental health consultants (MHCs) strive to
improve children's social and emotional well-being by building the capacity of ECE staff,
parents, and other caregivers to promote healthy child development and manage
challenging behaviors. Consultants educate, train, and "coach" caregivers so that they
develop the skills and confidence to effectively address children's social and emotional
needs whether it be the needs of one child or an entire classroom of children. Although
the consultant may provide some direct services (e.g., observing children, conducting
W
Research Support for the Project
It is a long held standard in early childhood and education services in general that
whenever possible we do not take kids to services, but rather bring services to kids.
Providing services on site has a three -fold positive effect that has nothing to do with
bottom lines and everything to do with children, families and teachers. These services
are certainly effective off -site as well, but there are three specific areas where being on
site provides a dramatic increase in effectiveness.
The first area is in obvious comfort level of the children being provided these services.
Children who are in need of these services can be anxious, resistive and uncomfortable
with new places and spaces. If a child attends Young Peoples already, these children
do not have to transition to a new space at all and if a child is not already attending
Young Peoples, when they pull up in front of our site, they are not confronted with an
office building, but rather with a school where they can see other children, playgrounds
and a child friendly environment immediately. In addition, when parents are in an
appointment or when older or younger siblings need to be on site during a visit, there
are spaces for children to be supervised, engaged and safe.
The second benefit of onsite services is an ease for parents to access services. We
bring in services and refer parents and families to services constantly, at a rate of three
to five students per month — some for screening, some for observation and some for
additional services. We can bring in the professionals for screenings and observations,
but when it comes time for families to connect with the services, traveling off -site is a
challenge. The additional site is sometimes difficult for parents because they must take
public transportation, the additional site is sometimes difficult for parents because they
feel too stressed and busy, and the additional site is sometimes difficult for parents for
just the same reasons it is difficult for children — a strange and unfamiliar environment
can make us anxious and uncomfortable. In addition, parents are able to save time
when they do not need to travel to services.
The third large effect of on -site services is one I think many outside of the field have a
hard time recognizing, but is one of the areas that makes the biggest impact on the
environments in our classrooms. When there are other service providers around, the
teachers in the classroom automatically receive coaching and training from these
professionals. Currently, we call these providers and schedule times for them to come,
observe and then speak with teachers separately. When we want teachers to learn
about additional methods and ways of working with children, we hold trainings with
these experts. Though appointments will still be scheduled and trainings will continue to
happen, when service providers are on site, these conversations can happen during
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July 291h, 2014
To Whom It May Concern:
I'm writing to give my support to Heather Griffith's efforts to increase access to testing
and services for some of our most vulnerable children. As a Registered Nurse,
specializing in pediatrics, I know that access is one of the biggest barriers to young
children getting the testing and services they need. I work at a large hospital, with a
variety of specialties and services that kids can obtain. However, often their parents
aren't able to get them to the building. Either because of limited transportation or the
distance. When that happens we often simply don't see the child who needs us. At
sometimes great detriment to the child and their future.
The other reason I greatly support the work Heather Griffith is working to do is that even
when we do see a child for testing or services it is a very different environment for them.
Children thrive on consistency and being comfortable in their environment. It is very
difficult for them to learn something new in a new environment. Especially for a therapy
service it is very important that they are comfortable and confident in that environment.
So often the first few visits are just getting to know the child and making them
comfortable. This time would be greatly reduced if they were in a place the child was
already comfortable, like a preschool or day care center, a place set up for kids just like
them. In that kind of environment they will be much quicker to learn a new skill or even
test more accurately.
It is so important that we get early testing for kids who might need services. And when
those kids need a service they need easy and frequent assess to competent and
professional services. Certainly a fantastic way to accomplish that goal is to put those
services in a place that parents and children already are. I applaud Heather Griffith's
efforts to serve our smallest kids.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Lake BSN, RN, CPN, CCRN
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To whom it may concern:
I am writing to let you know that I believe in bringing services to the clients that Occupational
Therapists serve. I am a Registered Occupational Therapist working at Columbine Health
Services. I have been a resident of Fort Collins and Larimer County Since 1998. Clients that use
Occupational Therapy (OT) services are often better served when the therapist comes to where
they are. This is meeting the client where they are so they can work on the treatment plan with
the most efficiency. Occupational Therapy brings meaning and purpose to the way that clients
occupy their time. When we add OT services to our community we are bringing meaning and
purpose to the activities the clients are already doing in real world settings. This allows for
In order to increase efficiency of services both in results and cost we need to remove barriers.
Transportation is often a barrier for clients that are seeking services. In Fort Collins the public
transportation system can take up to two hours to reach a destination. This can be a burden for
people that are receiving services. When we bring the services to the places people already are
such as child care centers, we are providing accessibility and efficiency in receiving services.
It is well documented that early intervention promotes enhanced learning and development in
children. Early intervention allows the child to catch up to peers faster and provides a
framework for what to expect when the child enters the public school system. Occupational
Therapists can then support teachers and other school personnel by coaching them on techniques
to use with children and families.
I believe that hinging services to kids and families is important for treatment follow through,
support, and outcomes. Placing rehabilitative services in the community such as at Young
Peoples Learning Center will be a great addition to our community, and its overall functioning.
Thank You,
Aaron Oberndorf, MS OTR
3416 Killarney Ct.
Laporte CO 80535
(970)420-5143
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Children's Speech
& Reading Center
July 28, 2014
To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing to express our need in interest in office space that will be available at the Young People's
Learning Center. We are a not for profit pediatric speech -language therapy center and has grown
substantially in the last few years (more than 20% each year). We lease space on the south side of Fort
Collins and are at a point where our physical space is limiting our capacity to serve the children of
Northern Colorado.
Speech -language skills are critical for a child to be prepared to enter school, develop strong literacy skills
and succeed developmentally, socially and academically. Our outreach efforts focus on helping families
understand that the time to access therapy for a child with a communication delay or disorder is well
before they enter school. And because of our ability as a 501(c)(3) to offer a sliding scale, there are not
financial barriers to accessing that care.
I have spoken with Heather Griffin about the possibility of using space at their facility part time. It would
not only provide much needed availability and access on the north end of town, but would provide
additional space to serve more children. Because of the nature of our work, we need private rooms to
work one-on-one with our clients. There are days and time slots during which all four of our therapy
rooms are occupied... when we are max'd out.
Sincerely,
Kathy Mason
Executive Director
KrteCare _
United
22
1330Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, Colorado 80525
ph 1970.419.0486 fx 1970.221.5751
www.csrckids.org 1 info@csrckids.org
City of Fort Collins
RE: Young People's Learning Center
To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing this letter in support of the additional services that Young People's Learning Center is
attempting to develop on Plum. As an Early Childhood Therapist, I see the importance and value in
providing services which are comprehensive for families in a one site community location. Many high
risk families have difficulty with transportation, keeping appointments at a variety of locations, and
accessing the type of services that their young children need to in order to be successful. This time in a
child's life is crucial and is often over looked leaving many children behind which has a long term impact
on their ability to grow to be successful member of our community. Instead there is a high cost to the
community and state a large. I have read much recently about the need for more comprehensive
programs such as these within our community and applaud Young People's desire to meet this need.
Providing these services within an early learning center is taking this concept to the next level meeting
the needs of the families in a setting which they trust. It is common for families to feel intimidated
when reaching out to additional programs in the community. Providing this type of wrap around
services increases success for the whole family. I have had the opportunity to visit a site much like this
in another community and am excited about the possibility that our community would be open to such a
model.
Thank you for your consideration,
Regina Hariri, M.S., CAC III
Early Childhood Therapist
21
EARLY
CHILDHOOD
COUNCIL
Of LARIMI K COUNTY
July 29, 2014
To Whom It May Concern,
This letter is provided in support for co -location of professional services and child care programs such as
that proposed by Young People's Learning Center. These services have the greatest success when
provided to children in their natural environment.
Previously services were provided to children on a `pull out' basis meaning children went to the
professionals office and received services at that location. More recently higher success rates for children
have been noted when children receive services in the environment in which they naturally spend time.
For many children this may be in their home setting but for a significant number of children whose
parents work this environment is in an early care and education setting (a.k.a. child care).
Benefits are greater in these natural settings because children learn to use the skills being taught in
environments where it has meaning to them. They can then continue to practice skills doing the normal
activities they do all day long and can receive immediate response about their success from adults to peers
in the process. Practice opportunities provided all day far exceed the results from short sessions with
professionals. Ideally, the supports provided involve and allow the classroom adults to better understand
the goals for individual children and support them in meeting their goals. Other children in the classroom
are provided opportunities to support their peers and even pick up skills alongside them. When one child
is learning to use socially acceptable skills instead of challenging behaviors other children are involved
and everyone learns and can practice these skills. In this case, the individual child is better supported by
the professional and the classroom teachers AND peer support is greater, empathy is greater and all
children have the potential to benefit.
Research demonstrates that the best services for young children support the "whole child", including
social emotional, physical, motor and cognitive development. Best practices in early care and education
programs include supports for all aspects of child development.
Co -location of professional services for young children along with and child care services supports the
ability of programs to best support children's development. Best practice suggests that close
collaborations among professionals and integration of services are necessary for optimal service delivery
(Shonkoff & Meisels, 2000).
Lisa Sadar
Quality Support Services Coordinator
1730 S. College Ave., Ste. 200, Fort Collins, CO 90525 • T. (970)377.3388 • F: (970)377.2866 • www.eccic.org
WORKING TOGETHER SO CHILDREN THRIVE
As the Fort Collins State Senator (SD-14), it is important to me that our community has the best and most
effective services that help create opportunities for all residents, especially our children. As a member of the
Health and Human Services; Local Government; and Business, Labor and Technology Committees, I
connect the dots, and early childhood development is the foundation. Helping YPLC to succeed in serving
our kids makes sense. Thank you for your consideration of my support, and feel free to contact me if need
be.
Sincerely,
John M. Kefalas
State Senator, Fort Collins (District 14)
19
State Senator
JOHN KEFALAS
Colorado State Capitol
200 E. Colfax Ave, Room 338
Committee
Denver, CO 80203
Capitol: 303-866-4841
Committee
June 19, 2014
COLORADO
State Senate
State Capitol
Denver
City of Fort Collins Building Services
Attn: Rebecca Everette, Cameron Gloss, Peter Bames
281 North College Avenue
Fort Collins, CO 80524
Dear Rebecca, Cameron & Peter:
Vice Chair:
Local Government Committee
Member:
Health and Human Services
Member:
Business, Labor and Technology
It has come to my attention that Young Peoples Learning Center (YPLC) has begun remodeling their
preschool and child care center to include space for additional professionals who provide therapy
intervention services for young children. On -site screening, support, consultation and direct family services
will enhance their early childhood development programs. YPLC is seeking a zoning variance from the City
and has made the case that these services are integral to a holistic model of child care. I wish to express my
support for their efforts because from a policy and service -delivery perspective I agree with such a model, and
anything we can do to streamline the approval process will help YPLC, a critical non-profit in our
community.
One of my top -priority policy areas concerns expanding economic opportunity and reducing poverty, and
quality early childhood education is essential to achieving these goals. Children who are in high -quality
programs that provide comprehensive child care services, including therapeutic and health services when
needed, are children who thrive and are better prepared to succeed in school. Investing in early child
development is wise and ultimately is one of the best ways for addressing child and family poverty.
18
0A- Early Childhood Education Association of Colorado
r Shaping the picture www.coloradoecea.org
comes to the mental, emotional and psychological needs of children, and ultimately
also for their parents.
Not only I, but I am confident all Board Members of our Association, would
wholeheartedly support such an effort to bring these services on -site to any child
care enter. I hope you will approve this effort, too. Please feel free to contact me if
you wish further conformation about my belief in this on -site service.
Best regards
Kathryn Hammerbeck
Executive Director
1245 East Colfax Avenue, Suite 205 • Denver, CO 80218 • 303-860-7174 • 800-870-7174 • F: 303-831-7830 • info@coloradoecea.org
' .- Early Childhood Education Association of Colorado
rs��ngth Future www.cNorddoema.org
City of Ft. Collins Planning Department
Ft. Collins, CO
June 19, 2014
Dear Fort Collins Planning Department:
I am writing this letter on behalf of Dennis Griffith and the Young Peoples Learning
Center. The Early Childhood Education Association of Colorado is a non-profit
organization dedicated to providing support and guidance in the management and
administration of child care centers. We were established in 1985 and have become
the second largest child care association in the nation. We represent over 400
licensed child care centers, preschools, and school -age programs. As Executive
Director of ECEA, the Griffith's have asked me to give my opinion about the
appropriateness of having such staff as an Occupational Therapist, a Speech and
Language Therapist, and a Behavior and a Family Therapist on -site at a child care
center.
Although it is true that all children do not need such services, for those that do, to
have them on -site is a wonderful advantage. The children can be assessed in a
setting they feel comfortable in. That assessment can be done both by observation
and direct communication with the child in this setting, allowing for a very reliable
diagnosis. Then treatments can be tried and proved with little delay. This provides
for maximum effectiveness. There are many studies that show how this type of
treatment is the best approach possible.
In addition, on -site services are financially economical. Statistically, children from
lower income homes, or who are otherwise disadvantaged, are most commonly in
need of these services. By no means is this exclusive to them, but having these
services available on -site is a great financial benefit to anyone who can use them.
This concept is relatively new to our profession. There are few child care centers
that at this point have considered such services; however, Head Start programs have
offered comprehensive services to the children they serve for 40 years. If the
Griffith's are successful in this endeavor, there will be other centers in Colorado who
will be seeking the value of their experience. Since starting my own child care center
over 25 years ago, I have seen thousands of changes in standards and requirements.
There is more focus on caring for the whole child including physical and social -
emotional health. This kind of approach is the newest and most innovative when it
1245 East Cofc Avenue, Stitt 205 • Denver, CO 80218.303-8W7174.800-870-7174 • P. 303-831-7830 • Wo0a*xadoecea.org
EARLY
CHILDHOOD
COUNCIL
F L A RIM E R COUNTY
June 17, 2014
To Whom It May Concern,
Research demonstrates that the best services for young children support the "whole child", including
social emotional, physical, motor and cognitive development. Best practices in early care and education
programs (a.k.a. child care) include supports for all aspects of child development.
Experts are increasingly focused on the specific need for early childhood mental health support. For
young children, this is structured differently than the stereotypical "one hour session" approach that is
used for adults. Early Childhood mental health specialists work in the child's natural environment by
observing the child and supporting the adults (e.g., parents, child care workers) in modifying their
interactions to meet the child's needs. Although the mental health provider may also provide direct
services with the family, this early childhood mental health consultation model is a promising practice
being adopted across the country.
Co -location of mental health and child care services supports the ability of programs to best support
children's development. Best practice suggests that close collaborations among professionals and
integration of services are necessary for optimal service delivery (Shonkoff & Meisels, 2000).
Sincerely,
Beverly Wood Thurber, MSW, MPA
Executive Director
1730 S. College Ave, Ste. 200, Fort Collins, CO 90525 • T: (970)377.3388 • F: (970)377.2866 • www.eccic.org
WORKING TOGETHER SO CHILDREN THRIVE
LjjiA
Early Childhood Program
--Poudre School District --
Carolyn Martin, Director
Poudre School District, Early Childhood Education
Fullana Early Learning Center
220 North Grant Avenue
Fort Collins, CO 80521
carolvnmO psdschools. of
970.490.3195
July 28, 2014
Dear City of Fort Collins Planning and Zoning Board,
I've been asked by Young People's Learning Center to write you with information about co -locating such services as
family and behavioral therapy, occupationallphysical therapy, and speech and language pathology in their child care
center.
Within the early childhood field, reducing barriers to services for infants and children with identified needs is a best
practice. Locating intervention services within a program or site reduces barriers.
Co -location ofservices can help child care providers support the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
reauirement that from birth. children with disabilities receive appropriate early intervention services to 'prepare them
for further education, employment, and independent living. "
If you have further questions for me, please contact me.
Thank you,
Carolyn Martin
Fullana Learning Center
220 North Grant Avenue' Fort Collins. CO 80521 * www.psdschools.org/departmentlearly-childhood
14
Community Support for the Project
It is very important to Young Peoples Learning Center that we are a part of the overall
Early Childhood community both in our neighborhoods, in the city of Fort Collins, in
Larimer County, in Colorado and beyond. Being connected in this way allows us to stay
up on trends, research and best practices for what is good for kids. It also means that
there are many experts and stakeholders in the community who are aware of our project
and wanted to express their support for this project.
Please take some time to read the following letters of support:
• Bev Thurber, Executive Director, Early Childhood Council of Larimer County
• Carolyn Martin, Director of Early Childhood Education, Poudre School District
• Katheryn Hammerbeck, Executive Director of Colorado Early Childhood
Education Association
• John Kefalas, State Senator, Senate District 14
• Lisa Sadar, Quality Support Services Coordinator, Early Childhood Council of
Larimer County
• Regina Hariri, Early Childhood Therapist
• Kathy Mason, Executive Director Children's Speech and Reading Center
• Aaron Oberndorf, local practicing Occupational Therapist
• Elizabeth Lake, BSN, RN, CPN, CCRN
13
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meet the needs.
Kern County, CA eliminated its building permit fee for
child care facilities
City partnerships are important to overcome challenges of improving the local child care system.
Site child care facilities near employment centers, homes, schools, community centers, etc.
Encourage retention of existing and development of new child care facilities in neighborhoods
Incorporate child care and social services into affordable housing, activity centers, and
transportation hubs
Remove any potential barriers to the construction or new centers in the Land Use Code; in
particular explore barriers resulting from the City's "change of use" regulations.
Create incentives for construction of new child care centers (particularly those serving low
income families) such as currently provided for affordable housing projects, including priority
processing, impact fee delay, development review fee waiver, administrative construction
fee waiver, etc.
Create new Land Use Code regulations and/or incentives for siting facilities such as near
transit and major employment centers.
Promote child care facilities in the City's Transit Oriented Development overlay zone and in the
new planned unit development regulations
Remove Barriers in Land Use Code: Explore removing potential barriers to the construction or
new centers in the Land Use Code; for example, explore barriers resulting from the City's
"change of use" regulations
Create Incentives in the Development Review Process: Explore creating incentives for
construction of new child care centers (particularly those serving low income families) such as
currently provided for affordable housing projects, including priority processing, impact fee delay,
development review fee waiver, administrative construction fee waiver, etc.. Encourage Child
Care Facilities in the TOD Overlay Zone and new PUD regulations. Explore promoting child care
facilities in the City's Transit Oriented Development overlay zone and in the new planned unit
development regulations.
Amend Land Use Code: Review Procedures for new Child Care facilities: Explore amendments
to the Land Use Code such as adding child care centers to the list of permitted uses in the
Neighborhood Conservation Low Density zone district subject to administrative review; and, in all
four of the zone districts which permit child care centers subject to review by the Planning and
Zoning Board, make them subject to administrative review
11
and mental health, safety, and wellness of the
community. Allocate funds to the Human Services
Program to assist local human service providers."
And, "Consider the location of and Transportation to
Health and Human Services" (SW2.6, page 105), as
follows: "Encourage health and human service
providers to carefully consider locations of new
facilities and transportation implications, provide
transportation to services, and coordinate with the
public transportation system.
Watsonville, CA, integrated child care facilities into its Again, we are one of the only Child Care
downtown bus station. This enables parents to
efficiently drop off their children via public
transportation.
Delano, CA, requires a child care needs assessment
for new development projects.
White Plains, NY, expanded the number of zone
districts allowing child care facilities.
Riverside, CA, has expedited fast -track permitting of
child care centers.
Some cities have worked with affordable housing and
private developers to incorporate child care facilities
into development plans.
San Mateo County, CA includes onsite child care as
one of many traffic mitigation measures available to
large development projects.
Encouraging retention of existing and development of
new child care facilities in neighborhoods (City of Los
Angeles, CA).
Incorporating child care and social services into
affordable housing (City of Fairfield, CA)
The City/County of Denver recently announced
READY KIDS DENVER, which calls on the City to
take a leadership position and act as a focal point for
a public/private effort on early childhood care and
education, looking at what services already exist, the
gaps, and how to direct existing resources to better
10
Centers located within walking distance
of the Max and the downtown area.
This speaks to the fact that having
childcare in neighborhoods is actually a
traffic saving and preferred aspect of a
community.
education; family services; referrals; and, parenting
education classes.
The Community and Neighborhood Livability Chapter
directly mentions child care as a "supporting use" in
all neighborhoods, including: Urban Estate
Neighborhoods (LIV 27.3, page 78), Low Density
Mixed -Use Neighborhoods (LIV 28.2, page 79); and,
Medium Density Mixed -Use Neighborhoods (LIV
29.2, page 80). Child care as a "supporting use" is
mentioned in all of the "Districts", including:
Downtown District (LIV 33.6, page 86); General
Commercial Districts (LIV 34.2, page 87); Community
Commercial Districts (LIV 35.2, page 88);
Neighborhood Commercial Districts (LIV 36.1, page
89); Employment District (LIV 38.1, page 91); and,
the Industrial District (LIV 39.1, page 92).
Child care is also indirectly addressed in the policies
for neighborhood schools in regard to coordinating
with the school districts in the use of schools by
"providing opportunities such
as ... neighborhood ... services" (LIV 24.2, page 76).
The topic of early childhood care and education is
directly addressed in the Safety and Wellness
Chapter, including: "background" section (page 102),
as follows: "Access to community services, including
education and early care, can have a positive impact
on the economic vitality of the community through
increased workforce productivity and well-being, as
well as providing benefits to the community as a
whole."
Early childhood care is indirectly mentioned under the
umbrella of human services in the policy —
"Coordinate with Health and Human Service
Providers" (SW2.5, page 105) as follows: "Rely on
health and human service organizations to provide
community health and human services, and focus on
improved communication, education, accessibility,
and collaboration in order to enhance overall physical
0
These provisions in the city codes speak
to the City's acknowledgement that child
care services ought to be part of the
city's planning for neighborhoods. We
recognize that the few concerns
expressed by the community speak not
to the changes happening, but to current
operations and that the city has
demonstrated through these policies that
they are in support of our current
operations.
Having early childhood education
services in neighborhood creates
neighborhoods that encourage parents
to walk and bike to services.
It seems to us that the neighbors
expressing the concern have alternatives
to mitigate their concerns during our
drop off and pick up times that do not
negatively impact our work with children
or put undo stress on those neighbors.
(in addition to the zoning regulations). This can be
costly for opening new child care centers in existing
development, for instance in the Downtown area.
Children who have received high quality child care
score higher on tests of both cognitive and social
skills in their early teens than children in low quality
care. (Source: Rhode Island KIDS Count [2005])
Research has clearly shown that early childhood care
and education benefits the community (Source: Early
Childhood Education for All, recommendations from a
conference sponsored by Legal Momentum Family
Initiative and the MIT Workplace Center, 2005). Some
key findings include:
• Every dollar invested in quality early childhood
care and education saves taxpayers up to thirteen
dollars in future costs.
• The Perry Preschool Study followed participants in
a high -quality program for more than 40 years and
found that, as adults, they were less likely to be
arrested, more likely to own a home, and more
likely to be employed (Schweinhart et al, 2005).
• Quality early childhood care and education
prepares young children to succeed in school and
become better citizens; they earn more, pay more
taxes, and commit fewer crimes.
• Accessible, affordable, and quality child care
benefits the social and financial needs of parents
and the educational and development needs of
children.
• The location and availability of child care supports
other community development principles and
policies including community and neighborhood
livability, sustainability, and transportation mobility.
PSD offers prenatal, infant and toddler services (birth
to age three), including prenatal parent education
support; home visits; educational, hearing and vision
screenings; socialization opportunities; and,
partnerships with local child care centers. PSD also
provides developmentally appropriate early child
P.
High quality child care is very important
to the future of the children and families
of Fort Collins. Making a difference in
the lives of children is why we are in this
business.
We believe PSD does a great job at
serving children. However, they do not
have the capacity to serve all children all
day. We would like to develop this
model as a way to create quality
programs in the community.
City Support for the Project
The City of Fort Collins published a report in December of 2011 entitled "Snapshot
Report Sustainable Community Development: Early Childhood Care and Education"
The following points are from THAT REPORT. Please feel free to follow this link to the
full report: http://www.fcgov.com/socialsustainabiIity/odf/childcare-report.pdf
P. Points from the Report,_
75% of families report a lack of child care options for
_,771-7
Providing these additional services
their children with special needs
allows us to serve additional special
needs children.
Generally, current demand for child care space
exceeds capacity reported by child care facilities.
Enrollment rates are projected to increase and will
exceed the 2010 capacity in future years; a 22.5%
enrollment increase is projected by 2020.
Child care should be part of economic development
policy.
A lack of affordable, quality, convenient child care
YPLC is located just blocks from CSU,
reduces worker productivity.
the largest employer in Fort Collins, and
Businesses' ability to attract and retain workers is hurt
near the downtown area, one of the most
by lack of quality child care.
essential business employment areas of
town. Quality care options need to be
available in this area.
Lack of transportation for lower income parents
YPLC is located a half block from the
continues to be a significant problem-,
Transit -Oriented Development Overlay
Transfort hours do not begin early enough or go late
Zone. We are one of only 3 Child Care
enough for many jobs; lack of Sunday service; and,
Centers located within walking distance
often requires multiple transfers that results in parents
of the Max transit system. We are also
who need to rely on public transit are unable to first
open more a greater majority of the day
drop off children and then get to work on time
than most Child Care Centers (6:30 am
to 6:15 pm, many care options are only
available from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm.
Most zone districts in the City allow child care
We realize that our project request does
centers, and most require a development review
not include creating a new location, but
process, with neighborhood participation.
many of the requirements we are subject
A new child care center that is a change of use
to for this review are creating the same
triggers building code and fire department regulations burden on our system of care.
V
comfortable would be an incredible asset to not only his health, but the neighborhood
families that the school serves.
Laurel
To whom it may concern:
My name is Nicole Stafford and I reside near Young People's Learning Center located
on Plum Street between Remington and Matthews. I am writing in support of the
proposed construction project that will add office space above the current building
where zoning allows.
Knowing the diversity of families that Young People's serves, as well as the abundance
of families in our neighborhood, I believe it would be a benefit to our children and
families to provide such services as speech pathology and family therapy. There are
many barriers that keep parents from seeking and obtaining these services for their
children when they are needed such as time, money, fear and denial. I believe these
services, when located in a familiar place and convenient location, will be better utilized.
Best, Nicole T Stafford
1.0
Neighborhood Support for the Project
Hi Heather - just returned from a month of travels and hope things are going forward for
your plans. I worked on faculty at UNC and was director of Children's Speech and
Reading from 1999 - 2006. 1 have been working as an SLP in the Early Childhood
Program (developmental preschool, Headstart and other community based settings) in
Cheyenne since then. We do a lot of family education as well as direct evaluation /
support embedded in the classroom / childcare setting. I agree that on -site services in
a natural setting is best practice for young children. Keep me posted on your plans -
am not looking at doing private practice, but enjoy being involved more locally. Can't
get more local than 1 block from my house! My phone is 970 690-6612.
Best of luck - Debra Dunn
We are residents of the neighborhood near Young People's Learning Center (805
Locust St.) and both of our children have been enrolled at YPLC. As a family that values
our neighborhood and community, we try to use local services whenever possible. We
believe that the additional services planned for YPLC will be of great value to our kids
and our neighborhood.
Roze Hentschell & Tom Cram
was thrilled to learn that YPLC would be adding therapy services to their already
phenomenal programs. We are a YPLC family and live in the neighborhood as well. We
are quite lucky to have them in our community!
Taylor
I live in the neighborhood near Young People's Learning Center and my 9yr old son has
attended their preschool and camps since he was three. I think that having occupational
and physical therapists, speech and language pathologists, and family and behavioral
therapists will be a great addition to the services they offer, and that the families will
benefit greatly from having them offered.
Abby Hartley
I live in the neighborhood & my son currently attends Young Peoples Learning Center.
am excited that this addition & remodel is creating room for more valuable resources for
not only my son but the community
Bevin Parker
My son attends Young People's on Plum and loves it. To have increased services, such
as physical therapy or behavioral health therapists at the place that he already feels
5
Traffic Services deemed that this project did not meet the
minimum threshold for a traffic study. We are in agreement of this
assessment. The percentage increase of people on grounds at
one time we believe will be about a 4% increase.
We are basing this on several factors. According to the latest
findings of the Health and Well -Being of Children Chartbook, 40%
of children aged 4 months to 5 years are at risk of developmental
delay. With an average of 80 clients at Young Peoples on Plum
and 25 clients at Young Peoples on Mathews, that would be 42
clients from two Young Peoples locations. Based on our
experience, we assume about 1/3 of these clients would refuse
services for one reason or another. We also assume the offices combined would see
about 10 clients per day. We believe 30 of the 50 available appointments would be
Young Peoples clients with just about 20 spaces available for additional clients.
Risk of Developmental Delay
Among Children
Aged 4 Months-5 Years
The goal of adding these services is to serve our children better and we believe the best
model for doing so is to bring in services who would be able to dictate their own
practice. This means allowing them to see other clients. However, we believe these
additional guests to our site would not be a majority of the work happening in the
service providers' offices.
We have spoken with potential service providers whom we hope to work with in order to
design spaces specifically around their needs.
• The Speech and Language service offices are small and do not include space for
a desk or file storage. They are designed as satellite offices for an agency to run
"sessions" with clients only. (Please note the plans submitted with this review
show only one office — that space should be divided in half to provide two smaller
offices)
• The Behavior and Family services offices are designed to give clients and
providers space to meet, but there are no spaces for receptionists or assistants.
We have had interest from therapists in renting this as a very part time space as
a second job for a therapist or for therapists to rent on an hourly basis to
accommodate clients very part time.
• The Occupational or Physical therapist's office is the only office we anticipate
having a full-time therapist in its space. The tools used by this therapist are
difficult to bring from one place to another and it is unlikely they will choose to
travel. This is the only office designed with specific and sufficient office or desk
space.
H
Currc,nt Business Profile
Young Peoples Learning Center is a well -established business with no record of
violations or complaints
• In business since 1978 and the only child care center in the Downtown Business
District
• At Plum Street location since 1994.
• Oldest privately owned child care center in Fort Collins and have been committed to
quality care for kids throughout that time.
• The 209 E. Plum Street location has been a child care center since 1962.
"We acknowledge and hope to help any neighbors feel good about our presence,
but feel strongly that more families have purchased their houses in the neighborhood
BECAUSE our services are close by and that anyone who has purchased their
home after 1962, were already aware these services existed in the area and chose
to be a part of this neighborhood
• The City does not have any record of zoning complaints or violations for this
property. Ever.
• We are very invested in our community and doing what we can to improve both our
neighborhood and Fort Collins as a community.
o Attend Downtown Business Association meetings
o Work with the Climatewise program
o Our Executive Director is the President of the Board of the Early Childhood
Council of Larimer County.
o Our owner is part of the board of the Colorado Early Childhood Education
Association.
Numbers
- . - • - .. -
MMM• - .. -
Number of children served at this location
95
120
Number of Children on grounds at one time
65
67
during the busiest time of day
Number of Families Served at all locations
260
275
Number of Staff employed at this location
17
17
Number of staff on grounds at one time,
8 — 10
10 — 12
during the busiest time of day
Note that we can help an additional 25 families who are at the greatest risk of
developmental or other delays with very little change in the amount of traffic or parking
impact on the neighborhood.
3
Scope of the Project
Adding the full additional second story to our building improves aesthetics, energy
efficiencies and maintenance demands for the school. Because we are developing the
space, we would like to use it to improve the quality of care for the children in our
program.
At this time, we bring in speech and language therapists, behavioral and family
therapists and occupational therapists to screen our children, provide services to our
families and train and coach our teachers.
When services are brought in, they currently meet with children and families in
administrative work spaces and storage areas. These environments are not the most
effective places for these service providers to do their work. We have spoken with the
service providers we work with about what kind of spaces they would need in order to
provide services on our site. The feedback we received led us to design the space.
We do anticipate that service providers would want and be able to meet with clients who
were not current families of Young Peoples Learning Center. However, we have
analyzed this ratio and believe that about 60 to 800% of the appointments each week
would be YPLC clients. This is based on the percentage of children needing
intervention to avoid risk factors and the load we believe the providers could carry. The
number of clients receiving services may be even higher simply because the services
are readily available to Young Peoples' families. We have not put this practice into
effect, and it could be significantly more or less, but we believe an additional 10 — 20
appointments may be generated each week for non-YPLC families — two to four per
day. Per city conditions of approval for this project, we will limit appointments from non
YPLC clients to be 40% or less of the appointments held by providers in the new office
space.
We are here to provide early childhood education services to children and families
specifically because we believe in the power of the change we can make on our
community by doing this well. We know that providing these services catches children
and families at a critical time in their development. When children are provided services
early, they need far fewer interventions in school or as adults and parents themselves.
We want to do the best for our children and we want to create a model that works for
community child care centers. We do not rely on funds from government or
foundations, we accept low-income clients receiving state assistance and we work with
community organizations whenever possible.
z
Young Peoples Learning Center
209 E. Plum Street - Phase 2
Owners/Operators
Dennis Griffith, Janice Griffith, Heather Griffith
4217 Braidwood Dr., Fort Collins CO 80524
info@youngpeopleslc.com, (970) 566-0058
Planning Objectives
We are Young Peoples Learning Center and we are seeking approval for a project
which will do great things for children and families in Fort Collins, particularly in the
downtown and university districts.
We would like to add a second story on top of what has been a flat roof for many years.
The addition of space will allow us to provide onsite professional services which will
greatly add to the quality of care we offer. This addition will also improve the visual
presentation of the site for the neighborhood.
We are presenting a lot of material in this overview and have a lot of support for our
program both in information to share from community member, our own expertise,
research and documents from the field of Early Childhood Education as well as letters
from local stakeholders and experts.
Getting kids ready for school needs to be a priority of the Fort Collins community. Doing
well in school is critical to success in life and adding these services to our program is
one way to maximize the success of young children. Accomplishing these goals has
been our focus since 1978.
The project is presented in this document according to the following outline:
- Scope of the project
- Neighborhood support for the project
- City support for the project
- Community support for the project
- Conceptual Review Letter
- Answers to questions presented at Conceptual Review
- Answers to questions presented at the neighborhood meeting
- Improvements that go above and beyond city requirements
1