Launching every child as a
healthy, lifelong learner by the
end of the 3rd grade.
Despite Serving Thousands, Many
More Children Need Our Help
Message from Eric Evans, DEPC Board Chair
I have found both in my personal life and
my professional career that the most noble
work, the work that creates the greatest good
for the most people, is often times the hardest
work.
Certainly this year has been a testament
to that for the Down East Partnership for
Children. Even in the face of the ever-looming
threat of changing political winds eroding
away at the funding base with which we
do our work, we have been steadfast in our
commitment to launch every child as a healthy,
lifelong learner by the end of third grade. This past year being our 20th anniversary, it
was a special time for us to stop and reflect on the good work that’s behind us and the
even greater work that still lies ahead.
There was so much good work that took place over the last 12 months, it would take
more than a letter for me to summarize it all. I do hope that you will read the entirety
of this report to see what we’ve accomplished. I would like to highlight a couple of the
projects that I think deserve a mention here.
With funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, we completed the fourth and final
year of the Ready2 Evaluation project this year with findings that are significant and
will help shape the partnership’s priorities for programs and services. The evaluation
shows that enhanced social and emotional skills, increased family engagement, early
literacy, and high quality early education lead to higher student performance at the
end of the third grade. This report is consistent with national studies that point to
the impact of high quality early interventions and will help us to continue to focus our
programs and services on these key priority areas.
This past year we also opened a model outdoor learning environment with Discovery
Park. We see this park as both a resource for the community as well as the model to be
followed in five other outdoor learning environments that will be created at schools
in Nash and Edgecombe counties. This new, evidence-based approach takes us from
building a playground to creating an outdoor learning environment. What might seem
as just fun and play to the children becomes a place for learning and social development.
As we look back, we see lots of great work has been done. But as we look forward,
we see there is much more to do. Despite serving thousands of children in Nash and
Edgecombe counties each year, many more children and families need our services. We
need to expand our reach to all children ages 0-8. But to do that, we need your help. So
if you believe in our mission, I encourage you to find ways that you can join in.
Whether it be serving on a committee, working as a volunteer, making a donation,
or all of these and more, help us as we help the children and families of Nash and
Edgecombe counties. It’s hard work, but with us you can make a difference.
2
Learning is Everywhere!
The Down East Partnership for Children
The Down East Partnership for Children is a nationally recognized nonprofit
organization designed to launch every child in Nash and Edgecombe counties as
healthy, lifelong learners by the end of the third grade.
DEPC builds:
• Strong Families
• Quality Early Education
• Healthy Children
• School Readiness
The Partnership coordinates:
Data, Community Planning And Resource
Development For The Early Education System
Over the past 20 years DEPC has created a model of services designed to support
children ages 0-8 and their families. Services currently provided through this model are:
• Family support focusing on meeting the social emotional needs of children and
family (Incredible Years, Parent Child Playgroups, Circle of Parents, Triple P);
• High quality early care and education (Smart Start Scholarships, NC Pre-K);
• Positive transitions for children and families between 0-5 and K-3 components of
the early education system;
• Schools ready to meet the unique needs of all children and families (Ready
Schools);
• Community leaders engaged and working together to support the entire
early care and education system, including health (Ready Communities);
• Community partners focused on increasing physical activity and improving
nutrition for young children and families (Healthy Kids Collaborative).
State of the Child in Nash
and Edgecombe counties
• 7498 children have one or both parents in the workforce
• 3886 children in licensed child care • 91% of children in child care are enrolled in programs with 3,
4 or 5 stars • 79% enrolled in 4 & 5 stars • Average star rating of child care programs in Nash and
Edgecombe Counties- 4.18 stars • 29% of children enrolled in licensed child care are subsidized • 35.5% of children in Nash and Edgecombe counties live in
poverty
• 15.8% of children in Nash and Edgecombe counties are obese
and 29% are overweight and obese
925
children
benefitted from
DEPC child care
scholarships and
NC Pre-K
5,042
children benefitted
from DEPC parent
education & support
programs
Down East Partnership for Children • www.depc.org
Learning is Everywhere!
A message from the Executive Director:
Last year was a year of celebration. Twenty
years of tenacious progress toward what was
just a vision that every child would be launched
as a lifelong learner by the end of the third
grade. It’s amazing to think about the impact
over the past 20 years. The thousands of hours
and volunteers who have given their time,
talents and treasures to build a system that
crosses class, race and geographic boundaries
and put the focus on young children and their
families, making our dream a reality.
Henrietta Zalkind
At home, at school, in the community,
learning is everywhere. This report hits only the
highlights from a very busy year. We should all read it with pride in what we’ve
accomplished together so far and with an eye to how we continue to “scale up”
and ensure that we reach every child and family.
Last year was also a year of reflection and understanding about what works
and why, in order to launch the next phase of our work together. This year
brought the end of almost 12 years of work with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
that helped us to understand the optimal bundle, sufficient dosage and long
enough course of support needed for success.
In Nash and Edgecombe counties, we are fortunate that DEPC is seen as an
integral part of education and health development for our region. This year
we opened Discovery Park as a model outdoor learning environment and are
helping five elementary schools develop their playgrounds into outdoor learning
environments thanks to our ready schools and ready communities efforts. This
was a year of including and engaging the school, business and faith communities
along with parents to reach thousands of children and their families to make a
difference.
As we move forward into the next 20 years, we need to redouble our efforts
to strengthen our work together and continue to sharpen the focus in order to
ensure more children have the opportunity to succeed.
We know the future of Nash and Edgecombe counties depends on how we
treat our children today. We’ve had a great track record, but we haven’t crossed
the finished line yet. There are always hurdles along the way and we know we
are facing challenges ahead with shrinking budgets and limited resources. But
we know nothing is impossible if we work together. This is a journey where every
child and every family counts. And, we are counting on your help as we move
forward. Thank you for your continued support and all you do on behalf or young
children and their families.
16,931
children
0-8 years old
in Nash &
Edgecombe
Counties
1,136
early care
professionals
participated in
child care quality
training
1,194
volunteer hours
of service given
by 210
volunteers
3
Triple P Offers Positive Parenting Solutions
A new parenting resource is available that will help take the guesswork out of
parenting. It’s a new program about staying positive and supporting parents and
caregivers called Triple P – Positive Parenting Program.
Triple P
DEPC has nine trained practitioners who offer workshops or can provide help directly
for parents or offer this evidence-based program as a resource to employees or faith
communities. Triple P is distinctive in that it is not a “one-size-fits-all” course. It is a
system that offers increasing levels of support to meet the needs of individual families.
Parents can choose anything from attending one workshop on a broad topic that
affects their family with take home tip sheets like “Raising Resilient Children,” joining
a discussion group with other parents on a particular topic to scheduling one-on-one
consultation sessions around a specific parenting issue.
The N.C. Triple P State Learning Collaborative makes the program possible for
parents in our community to participate free of charge through the N.C. Department of
Public Health in collaboration with Nash County Health Department and through Race
to the Top funding.
The Triple P Program is heralded as being one of the world’s most effective
evidence-based parenting systems, with more than 30 years of ongoing research and
over 230 international trials and studies. It is designed to give parents the skills they
need to raise confident, healthy children and to build stronger family relationships.
Triple P gives parents simple tips to help manage the big and small problems of family life. Problems like toddler tantrums or teenage rebellion. Self-esteem issues. Bedtime battles. Disobedience. Aggression. Triple P can help you deal with them all – and
more. And Triple P is one of the best parenting programs in the world with evidence to
show it works for most families. It is designed for families with children ages 0-16 and
our community is very fortunate to have been chosen to participate.
Please visit the Triple P website for parents. Share it with your friends
and families: www.triplep-parenting.net. There is a wealth of useful
parenting information available there 24/7 and may just be the help
you need to move forward.
Parenting Program Getting Results
The Incredible Years is an evidence-based 16 week parenting curriculum that has
proven positive results for families. During the series, parents learn the importance
of spending quality time with their child and engage in child-directed activities with
a focus on praise, parental coaching techniques and positive behavior management
practices.
Positive
Parenting
Positive social and emotional skills
(such as recognizing and regulating
emotions, respecting differences,
listening and working with others)
were closely related to student
achievement. By developing children’s
social and emotional skills, we can
help them learn more effectively and
become the best students they can be.
Data from IY-2013
Negative Parenting Behaviors:
Decrease in harsh discipline and
inconsistent discipline.
Positive Parenting Behaviors:
Increase in appropriate discipline,
positive parenting and clear
expectations.
Child Behavior:
Decrease in the frequency of child’s
problem behaviors and degree to which
the behaviors are problematic for the
parent.
Incredible Years
Children enjoy time in DEPC’s indoor play space while parents participate in
the Incredible Years program.
4
Learning is Everywhere!
Family First Essential to Partnership Success
Social and emotional skills are most impacted by a child’s experiences from birth
and the early years before kindergarten and elementary school. This is why DEPC’s
Family Services program is so important. DEPC promotes these skills through a variety
of parenting programs and workshops and through a series of playgroups. All of the
40 children who completed a DEPC playgroup series maintained or improved social/
emotional development. Our staff is trained to work with parents and connect them to
the resources they need.
More than a DEPC philosophy, Family First is a free service for families in Edgecombe
and Nash counties providing families with easy access to free information and resources
to programs in these areas.
With a database of over 200 community-based programs and services in our area,
our Family First counselors can connect your family to DEPC, and other community
agencies.
Maybe you are looking for assistance finding quality child care, assistance paying
for child care, before or after school programs, pre-kindergarten programs or ways you
and your family can just have fun.
Call the Down East Partnership for Children and ask for one of our Family
First Counselors at (252) 985-4300 or toll free at 1-888-285-0849.
Proven Program Increases Reading Time at Home
Raising a Reader
The research is clear — when families are involved, children’s academic achievement improves. Raising a Reader
helps families:
• Understand why sharing books regularly matters
• Excite children and families with award-winning books
each week that build the book sharing routine
• Establish connections to libraries to maintain literacy
habits at home
“When you read a book you can go anywhere,” said Angela Gray, otherwise known
as Ms. Dandelion - a storyteller and a coordinator of the Raising a Reader program.
“If they can read and have a love of reading, then children will succeed.” Each week
Gray visits classrooms in 3, 4 or 5-star child care centers and brings bags of books for
each child to take home and read with their
families. The children at Stepping Stone child
care center in Nashville eagerly wait to see
Ms. Dandelion each week and look forward
to her story time.
Raising a Reader is a proven program
designed to help families of children aged
0-8 develop, practice and maintain homebased literacy routines that are critical for
school success.
Down East Partnership for Children • www.depc.org
“Some families in our community don’t have the opportunity to get to the library,” Gray said. “This helps families
and it helps the community. Everyone knows they should
read to their children but during some of our parent workshops, parents understand
why it is so important through the science and brain development - it really clicks and
makes a difference.”
Raising a Reader is a 26-week program that provides three books each week to
every child to take home. The coordinator participates in a story time each week where
the children become engaged with the book and have fun. A basket of books from the
local library is also left for the teachers to use in the classroom. Parents of the children
in the project are also invited to participate in at least two parent workshops where
they will learn book-sharing strategies. One of those events will be at the local library
where parents may apply for a library card.
Raising a Reader by the Numbers:
This year 25 classrooms participated in Raising a Reader, reaching 472
children. Families increased their average annual reading time from 62
hours to 95 hours. That’s over 15,500 more hours of reading!
5
Evaluation Shows High Quality Education Makes a Difference
The Down East Partnership
for Children (DEPC), with funding
from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation,
completed the fourth and final year
of the Ready2 Evaluation project
with findings that are significant and
will help shape the partnership’s priorities for programs and services. The evaluation
shows that enhanced social and emotional skills, increased family engagement, early
literacy and high quality early education lead to higher student performance at the end
of the third grade.
This project tracked a group of children from kindergarten to the end of third grade,
looking at their academics compared to their early care and education experience, posi-
tive social and emotional skills, family involvement, and participation in the Ready2 Initiative that combined DEPC’s Ready Schools and Ready Communities programs. While
the new Common Core results brought the average number of students “on grade
level” below 50% both statewide and in the Nash and Edgecombe districts, students in
our study group with early care and education (ECE) experience were much more likely
to be on grade level by the end of the third grade and be on a path for success.
Our evaluation also found that parents having clear expectations about their child’s
learning goals, feeling welcome at their child’s school, and welcomed by their child’s
teacher were all closely related with higher reading EOG scores. Families in Ready2
schools are more likely to be involved in activities such as volunteering in the classroom
and attending PTA/PTO meetings, and their children scored higher on the Reading 3D
Standardized test and each item of the Mock Report Card.
Ready Schools, Ready Communities Initiative Impact Learning
Education must begin at birth to ensure that every child is ready for school. High
quality elementary schools must be ready for every child. And each school and the
school system must be surrounded by a community ready to work with the schools to
ensure that all children have the opportunity to be successful.
Here are some ways DEPC invests in improving school success in Reading and Math:
Reading initiatives like Reach Out and Read and Raising a Reader help connect children to a literacy rich environment. The Incredible Years program helps give parents
the resources and information they need to be successful. Support for early education
teachers helps ensure high quality care. Ready Schools/Ready Communities and
Ready School Teams help schools connect with communities and families to ensure
they are working together. School Improvement Plans, the Ready Schools Toolkit,
assessments and planning all help DEPC and the K-12 system work together with the
goal to launch every child as a lifelong learner by the end of the third grade.
The Ready Schools and Ready Communities initiative helps teachers and impacts
students’ learning. Over 75 leaders have participated to build the capacity of the local
community. Elementary schools that have participated in initiatives with the Down
East Partnership for Children have also increased their ability to meet the needs of all
children.
All Pro Dad: Supporting Male Involvement for Child Success
other male figures fill auditoriums across the region to share exactly what makes them
proud about their child in attendance.
All Pro Dad is proving successful in addressing a host of DEPC program goals.
Increasing family engagement and male presence in local schools, encouraging positive
interaction with children, and encouraging healthy active play are just a few. All Pro
Dads is in 8 sites across two school districts. Schools interested in starting All Pro Dads
should contact DEPC.
Community Fellows Critical to
Connecting Families
“If we want kids in classrooms to perform well, we know there needs to be
involvement from home,” said Tim Griffin, Children’s Pastor at First Baptist Church. “If
there’s not much support at home - it’s a difficult process. Home involvement equals
student success.” Griffin participates in the All Pro Dad initiative, a national program
headed by former NFL football coach Tony Dungy to promote male involvement in
a child’s life. DEPC, working with area schools and faith-based institutions, helped
organize program sessions for our region. Fathers, grandfathers, family friends, and
6
So many opportunities for a child to learn and grow can be found in our
communities. This year, 12 community leaders participated in Community
Fellows training. Following the training, 90% reported increased awareness, knowledge and capacity to refer families to DEPC and other community
services. Trained leaders, both past and present, are critical for deepening
community ties and finding more families to connect children with services
and opportunities to learn. To become a Community Fellow and participate in
targeted training and action learning, please call us!
Learning is Everywhere!
Playgroups Offer Fun, Fellowship for Families
Playgroups are offered two times per year in
10-weeks sessions for Infant/Toddlers and
Preschoolers (Birth-5), and in July for 0-5 year
olds.
Playgroups:
• are held either at Discovery Park or in the
DEPC’s indoor play space which houses a
variety of developmentally appropriate toys
and activities, as well as a unique water
play area
• give parents an opportunity to interact
with their child in a structured environment
while working with their child on social-emotional, language, cognitive and motor
development
• give children who have never been in a formal childcare setting an opportunity to
learn and practice important social-emotional skills that will help them become
successful in school
• help parents learn about child development, appropriate behavior management
techniques, support their child with learning new skills and connect with other
parents who have children going through similar developmental stages
• are fun for both the parent and the child!
Circle of Parents Network Provides Support
The Down East Partnership for Children’s Circle of Parents support group for families
who have children with special needs has been in operation for 6 years. A network of
parents meeting together four times per month to share ideas, celebrate successes and
address the challenges of parenting a child with special needs is co-facilitated by both
DEPC staff and Parent Leaders. Parent Leadership is a strong component to the Circle of
Parents support group and during this past year, DEPC Staff worked with several Parent
Leaders to help them gain the necessary skills to lead weekly Circle meetings, become
stronger advocates for their own child and support other parents in advocating for their
children.
• Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development
• Social and Emotional Competence of Children
Using the Strengthening Families Approach, DEPC’s Circle of Parents Program works
with the families and children to build five protective factors within their family system
in order to mitigate the risk of abuse and neglect.
DEPC offers a strong Children’s Circle of Kids Group, which meets in collaboration
with the parent group. Led by DEPC staff, trained child care providers and volunteers
the children have opportunities to strengthen their own social skills by participating in
group activities. By focusing on the Protective Factor “social and emotional competence
of children”, the children learn to self regulate their behaviors and effectively communicate their feelings, which in turn has a positive impact on their relations with their
family, other adults and peers.
The Protective Factors are:
• Parental Resilience
• Social Connections
• Concrete Support in Times of Need
The network of the Circle of Parents support group speaks strongly to the protective
factor “social connections” as many of DEPC’s Circle of Parents families get together
outside of group time to support each other by providing both emotional support and
concrete assistance in the form of transportation, meal planning and child care assistance. As a Parent Leader in the Circle of Parents support group, Carleen Perry states
that she has grown as a leader and feels fortunate that she has been able to help other
families who are in similar situations as her own.
Reach Out and Read Partners with Medical Community
DEPC offers Reach Out and Read as its literacy program offered through medical
providers. Reach Out and Read provides children from 6 months to 5 years of age
with a new book at each well-child visit. This book is also used in the visit as a tool
for doctors to provide parents with information on how to read to children at each
developmental stage.
well-child checkup and a talk with the doctor about the importance of reading.
Currently six medical practices and 13 medical care providers are participating in
Nash and Edgecombe counties. More than 70% of families reported reading with
their children several times a week or daily.
According to Reach Out and Read onethird of the nation’s kindergarteners begin
school without the basic skills necessary for
learning to read. And research shows that
reading to children, even at the earliest ages,
builds their vocabularies and gives them a
greater desire to read.
At local participating medical providers,
1,834 children have received books at their
Down East Partnership for Children • www.depc.org
7
Discovery Park is now open! We are grateful to the generous
partners like PNC, Shape NC, Cummins Rocky Mount Engine
Plant and the Rocky Mount Community Foundation, who
helped us open Discovery Park, a model outdoor learning
environment, designed by NCSU’s Natural Learning Initiative,
located at the partnership’s office in Rocky Mount. It is open to
the public during daylight hours.
The park features natural learning areas, a village area, an
earth play area, a new oodle swing and a new play area for
infants and toddlers. A stage also creates opportunities for
entertainment at the park. Thank you to all who made this
dream come true.
8
Learning is Everywhere!
A Focus on Health: An Integral Part of School Success
In Nash and Edgecombe counties, we are fortunate that the DEPC is seen as an
integral part of education and health development for our region. What are we doing
to make a difference? Here is an overview of some of DEPC’s efforts toward the health
and well-being of young children and their families.
• Implementing an action plan for obesity prevention, including family and community engagement
• Expanding and creating outdoor learning environments throughout the community
• Incorporating strategies to increase activities and improve nutrition in child care
programs through Shape NC and NAPSACC (Nutrition and Physical Activity Self Assessment in Child Care)
• Increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables
• Increasing the role of doctors in preventing obesity and improving literacy through
Reach Out and Read
• Providing high quality early education programs supporting social and emotional
health for young children 0-8
• Developing a Medical Toolkit for area pediatricians to connect families to programs
Healthy Kids Collaborative
The Healthy Kids Collaborative is a two-county initiative based at
DEPC and funded with Kate B. Reynolds, Robert Wood Johnson, and
Smart Start Funds. Members of this collaborative include representatives from all levels of government, nonprofits, private businesses,
and community advocates.
The mission of the group is to reduce the obesity rate of children
age 2-4 in Nash and Edgecombe Counties. This community effort
is done through low-to no-cost activities with the community and
working on policy and practice changes that benefit the community
as a whole.
Daily blog offers
healthy recipes
Get Dinner on the Table is a tool for all busy moms and dads
trying to juggle work, family and a household. It offers daily recipes
that are easy dinner ideas designed to make life a little easier and
avoid swinging through the drive-thru.
The blog is maintained by DEPC and may be found on the home
page of DEPC’s web site: www.depc.org. You may also find the blog
at http:getdinneronthetable.wordpress.com. Once on the site, look
in the bottom-right corner of the page to “follow” the blog. This will
allow you to receive an e-mail each day with the featured recipe.
School Playgrounds Transforming Thanks to Grant
Thanks to a grant from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable
Trust, DEPC is transforming existing playgrounds into Outdoor
Learning Environments at five elementary schools in NashRocky Mount Public Schools and Edgecombe County Public
Schools.
This project brings communities together to create learning
environments that allow students to explore nature, engage
in physical activity and receive opportunities for hands-on
learning. The schools to receive the renovations include
Baskerville, Williford, Carver, Coker-Wimberly, and
Bulluck.
Natural elements in the parks will allow for play and learning
spaces that are physically and developmentally appropriate for
a variety of ages. The outdoor learning environments will not
only increase the learning and physical activity opportunities
for students, but it will also provide increased community
involvement at every location.
Down East Partnership for Children • www.depc.org
9
20th Anniversary Celebration
Down East Announces Endowment Fund
10
Learning is Everywhere!
Celebrating Week of the Young Child
2014 Sponsors
The Week was
launched with a
ribbon-cutting for
Discovery Park.
Platinum
Silver
Barnhill Contracting Company
Bronze
Area child care centers
visited Discovery
Park for the first time
after renovations!
City of Rocky Mount
Brenda Crocker
Riverside Printing
Sheetz
Simmons & Harris, Inc.
Children and families
participated in Family
Literacy Night at
Braswell Memorial
Library with a night of
storytellers and fun.
Each child went home
with a new book.
Donation
Kaplan Early Learning Company
Standard Insurance
Think & Grow Child Care Center
In-Kind
Chick-fil-A
Hardee’s
The Rocky Mount Peacemakers
SAVE THE DATE!
Celebrate Week of the
Young Child with DEPC
Community
and business
leaders toured
Nash Community
College’s Shape
NC Model Early
Learning Center.
April 12-18, 2015
Join us as we
celebrate young
children, teachers,
parents, caregivers
and our community
during this special week.
Look for updates at
www.depc.org.
Down East Partnership for Children • www.depc.org
State of the Child
Luncheon featured
discussion of
outdoor learning.
11
Investors, Funding Partners
Abundant Life Ministries*
Tammy Adams
Pattie Allen
Pat Allen*
Will Alston
Stephanie Alston*
Lloyd Anderson*
Shawna Andrews*
Kenneth D. Arrington*
Peggy Bader*
Wells Fargo Bank
Carol Barker*
Margaret Barnes
Barnhill Contracting Company
Barnhill Family Foundation
Viola Barnes-Gray*
Brenda Battle
James Battle*
Gloria Batts
Melvia Batts
Barbara Batts*
Kim Bayless
Cassie Beamon*
Fred Belfield
Amy Belflower-Thomas*
Cindy Bennett*
Alice Berry*
Ann Bishop*
Boddie-Noell Enterprises, Inc.
Annie Bost*
Shanna M. Bottoms*
Gladys C. Branch*
Brenda Brewer
Valerie Bridges*
Monique Brown*
Vonda Buie*
Angela Burton*
Wade Burton*
Peter and Stephanie Bynum*
Lela Chesson*
Shelton Chesson*
Child Care Services Association
Church of the Good Shepherd*
Andrew Ciesielski*
City Of Rocky Mount
Jennifer Cobb
Annetta Cobb*
Gerry Cobb*
Sherita Cobb*
Jason C. Cockrell*
Brenda Collins*
David Combs
Frank J. Courts
Sharon Crestetto
12
Brenda Crocker
Carol Crocker*
Kim Croom
Cummins Engine Foundation
Eric L. Cunningham*
Patrick Curry*
Karen Dameron*
Davenport Motor Company
Christi Davis*
Josie Davis*
Sherron Deal*
Wayne Deal*
Migdalia Deleon*
Jennifer Derby*
Catherine Dickens*
Debbie Dildy*
Division of Social Services
Joel and Monica Dood*
Brenda Draughn*
Sandra M. Drum*
Laura V. Durham*
Shawn Dwyer*
Ann Edge
Edgecombe Charitable Foundation
Edgecombe County
Shelly Edmonson
Educational Insights Inc.
Maria Antonia El Faysal*
Evening Optimist Club of Rocky Mount
Dawn Ezzell
Delton Farmer*
Lawrence Farmer
John Farrelly*
David & Marianne Farris*
Cindy Feagans*
Paula Flythe*
Pell Foster*
Debby Futrell
James David Gailliard*
Marshall A. Gallop
Garcia-Cruz Family*
Jerome Garner*
William Gee*
John Gessaman*
Mildred Goldman
Verna Graff-Gessaman*
Graff Gessaman Consulting, LLC*
Amy Green*
Jama Greene
Becky Griffin*
Connie R. Griffin*
Sterling Grimes*
Deana Guido
John and Rebecca Gurganus*
*Contributed to DEPC’s Endowment
Carol A. Gworek*
Angela Hagans*
Mary Ann Hamm*
Grace & Vason Hamrick*
Uteen C. Hargrove
Harriet & George Thorpe Foundation
Karen Harrington*
Lowell and Margaret Harris*
Charlene Hedgepeth*
Shelly R. Hendricks*
Kristian Herring*
Teresa Herring*
Betsy Hester*
Kimberly Hickerson*
Caroline & John High
Charlotte High
Abby Hines*
Joyce Hines
Thomas Holland*
Lisa Holloman
Mazie P. Holloman
Greg & Carol Hutchins
Steve and Regina Jared*
Jacqueline Williams Jenkins*
Johnston County
Kyle & Danielle Johnson*
Renee Johnson*
Samuel W. Johnson
Judy S. Jones*
Sandra Jones*
Shawanda Jordan*
Sandra Joyce*
Freda Joyner*
Kaplan Early Learning Company
Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust
June Kearney*
Howard Kendrick*
Ann R. Kent*
Little John Kent*
Maureen Kroncke
Karen Lachapelle
Jo Ann Lamm*
Belinda Landis
Corinne E. Landis*
Charles Lane
Tommy and Trevor Lane*
Jeannie Ann Lankford
Al LaRose*
Lewis and Lori Lawson*
Laurie Y. Leary*
Lillian Lemelle*
Linda C. Leonard
Heather Lewis*
Melissa Lowry*
Barbara Lucas*
Pamela Lyons*
Greg Malhoit
Linda Mann
Brittney Martin Mays*
Frances Martin*
Sheila Martin*
Tim and Joy Martin*
Soloman & Nedra Maryland*
Pat Mauldin*
Josh Mays*
Mary McAdams*
Ruth McDowell*
Emma Ruth Melvin
Anthony Mitchell*
John Mitchell*
J. Edgar Moore
Mount Pisgah Presbyterian Church*
Deborah Muller
Nash County
Nash County Health Department
Nash Health Care Systems
NC Center for Nonprofits
Nicholas Bunn Boddie &
Lucy Mayo Boddie Foundation
Janessa Nieves*
Chris Noble*
Jennifer M. Nocar*
North Carolina Community Foundation
N.C. Partnership For Children
Laura O’Neal*
Maria Ortega*
Sarang Palsule*
Haywood Parker*
Tiffany Parker*
Deidre Parks*
Beth F. Parrish*
Charles Penny*
Sonja Person
Joy Phelps*
PNC Foundation
Karen Ponder*
Angela Pope*
Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina
Jay & Amy Quigley*
QVC
Stacey and Louis Rawls*
Lisa Renfrow*
Bryan Rhodes*
Cheryl Rice*
Annette Richardson*
Brad & Nicole Richardson*
Ciji Richardson
Gladys Richardson
Learning is Everywhere!
Board of Directors
LaToyche S. Richardson*
Lolita Richardson*
Riverside Printing Inc.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Catherine Roche*
Kathleen M. Roche*
Rocky Mount Community Foundation, Inc.
Albert & Shirley Rodgers*
Laura Rogers
Scott and Amy Rogers*
Julie Rowe*
Saint James Baptist Chruch*
Karen Salacki*
Ken Sawyer
Alice Schenall*
Lena Sessoms*
Mary Tom Shannon*
Stacie Shatzer*
Linda Shaw
Sheetz
Kimberly Sieracki
Cornelia Singletary
Doris Smith*
Jane M. Snow
David Snow*
Christy Southall*
Kristi Southern*
Deborah Sperati
Standard Insurance & Realty
Angela Staton*
Donnell M. Staton, Jr.*
STEP
Darryl V. Strother*
Kim Sutton*
Stephanie Sutton*
Erin Swason*
Katrina Sweet*
Tar River Foundation/Civic Club
Faye Taylor*
Garry Terry*
Kate F. Tharin*
Ginny Thatcher*
Think and Grow Day Care Center 2
Dorsey Tobias*
Jeff Tobias*
Kathy Todd
Brack Townsend
Anne L. Townsend*
Cheryl A. Tufts*
John Turnage*
Michael Turner*
Colavito Tyson*
United Way Tar River Region
Universal Leaf North America U.S., Inc.*
University Of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Angela Urquhart*
Susan Wallace*
Wanda King Wallace*
Trudy Waters*
Randolph & Lillian Watkins*
Chris Watson*
Emily Watson*
Greg Weatherford*
Laura Weber*
Mary Wells*
Joyce West
Betty Ann Whisnant*
Hazelbelle P. White*
Katherine Wilder
DH Williams
Anne M. Williams*
Marlo Williams*
Donald Williamson
Amy Karnehm Willis
Bryan & Carla Wilson
Timothy Wilson
Jamie Wilson*
Tim and Wendy Wilson*
Ann Winstead*
James T. Worthy*
Heather Yandow*
Henrietta Zalkind*
Down East Partnership for Children • www.depc.org
Officers & Committee Chairs
Board Chair: Eric Evans, Edgecombe County
Vice Board Chair: Jama Greene, Medical Practice Professional
Treasurer: Angela Burton, Word Tabernacle Church
Secretary: Angela Burton, Word Tabernacle Church
Linda Mann, CCR&R Advisory Committee Chair
Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce
Verna Graff-Gessaman, Community Outreach Committee Chair
Graff Gessaman Consulting
Karen Lachapelle, Evaluation Committee Chair
Edgecombe County Health Department
Members
Melvia Batts, Nash County Department of Social Services
Fred Belfield, Jr., Nash County Commissioner
Dr. Valerie Bridges, At-Large Seat, Edgecombe County Schools*
Catherine Roche, Braswell Library Director
Art Bradley, Edgecombe Cooperative Extension
Lorenzo Carmon, Edgecombe County Manager
Tasheema Davis, Parent
John Farrelly, Edgecombe County Public Schools
Debby Futrell, Area L AHEC
Charlene Hedgepeth, Child Care Center Provider
Dr. Anthony Jackson, Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools
Ken Jones, Eastpointe
Deborah Lamm, Edgecombe Community College
Gina Lane, Eastpointe*
Bobbie Martin, Tarboro Edgecombe Chamber of Commerce
Robin May, At-Large Seat, Nash-Rocky Mount Schools*
Sarang Palsule, Cummins Rocky Mount Engine Plant
Barry Richardson, Head Start
Cynthia Rackley, Family Home Provider
Ken Sawyer, Southern Bank & Trust Co.
Marva Scott, Edgecombe County Department of Social Services
Gloria Sutton, Braswell Memorial Library*
Lesa Walton, Edgecombe County Cooperative Extension*
Tim Wilson, Poyner & Spruill
Bobbie Williams, Edgecombe County DSS*
Deena Woodruff, Nash County DSS*
Kelvin Yarrell, At-Large Seat, City of Rocky Mount
* Designee
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Funded Programs and Services
Annually, DEPC invests more than $6 million into the local
economy by supporting 16 programs in 9 agencies or
organizations, as well as contracting with 30 providers in
our Infant Toddler and NC Pre-K networks.
Braswell Memorial Library
• Raising a Reader
Child Care Services Association
• WAGE$
Down East Partnership for Children
• Child Care Resource & Referral
• Family Services
• Provider Services
• Coordinated Subsidy
• Healthy Kids Collaborative
• Ready Communities
• Ready Schools
• Research & Development
Edgecombe County Department of Social Services
• Flex Funds
Edgecombe County Public Schools
• Preschool/Kindergarten Transition Program
• NC Pre-K
Halifax-Warren Smart Start
• Child Care Resource & Referral
Nash County Department of Social Services
• Flex Funds
Nash County Health Department
• Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for
Child Care Programs
Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools
• Early Childhood Transition
• NC Pre-K
Wilson County Partnership for Children
• Child Care Resource & Referral
More than $103 million has been invested in the
community from 1994 to 2013.
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DEPC Financial Overview
Fiscal Year End 6/30/2014
Revenue & Support
Government Grants.............................. $5,653,812.00
Foundation Grants...................................$511,029.00
Private Contributions............................... $60,608.00
Interest & Investments................................$8,062.00
Other Receipts........................................... $12,851.00
Total Revenue & Support..............$6,246,362.00
Expenditures
Programs & Supporting Services
Child Care Subsidy................................ $3,863,924.00
Family Support........................................$478,352.00
Child Care Resource & Referral................$642,838.37
Ready Schools/Ready Communities........ $138,207.63
Research & Evaluation.............................$233,552.00
Healthy Kids Collaborative.......................$317,383.00
Total Program Services................. $5,569,983.00
Management & General.......................... $511,534.00
Total Expenditures..........................$6,185,791.00
Change in Net Assets................................$60,571.00
Net Assets, Beginning of the Year...........$733,226.00
Net Assets, End of Year............................ $793,797.00
(Unaudited)
Research & Evaluation
Ready Schools/
Ready Communities
Healthy Kids Collaborative
Child Care Subsidy
Child Care Resource
& Referral
Family Support
Learning is Everywhere!
Contribute
How you can invest in Nash and Edgecombe’s future
You can:
Contact the DEPC
• Volunteer your time. Share your time and expertise. Volunteer on the playground,
provide office and event support or participate in community events/programs.
For up-to-date information about the partnership or to partner with the DEPC visit
www.depc.org. For questions or to reach someone about how to get involved, call DEPC
at (252) 985-4300.
• Join a committee. Some of DEPC committee options include the Ready Schools,
Healthy Kids Collaborative, Community Outreach or NC Pre-K.
• Stay connected. Sign-up for DEPC e-alerts & publications at www.depc.org. To sign
up for Smart Start e-alerts go to www.ncsmartstart.org.
• Speak up about children’s issues. Invite DEPC to speak at your civic club meeting or
event. Write your legislators to let them know the impact of DEPC.
• Make a donation. Every contribution matters!
• Contribute materials or supplies. In-kind discounts or donations of materials/supplies for a variety of activities.
Yes! I/We would like to help the Down East Partnership for Children launch lifelong
learners with the following:
o Join a committee o Join the DEPC mailing list
o Sign-up for e-alerts and the electronic newsletter
o Volunteer o Make a donation
My gift is in the amount of:
o $25 o $50 o $100 o Other amount
To make your gift with a credit card please visit our website at: www.depc.org. Please
consider a regular montly donation.
Name_______________________________________________ Organization_____________________________________________________
Address______________________________________________ City______________________________ State__________Zip_______________
Phone___________________________________________ E-mail_____________________________________________________________
The Down East Partnership for Children Endowment Fund
I SUPPORT THE
Down East Partnership for Children
Endowment Fund
Enclosed is my tax-deductible gift of $___________________
for the DEPC Endowment Fund. Please make check payable to NCCF.
The Down East Partnership for Children of Nash and Edgecombe Counties
is a non-profit organization located in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. DEPC is
“Committed to launching every child as a healthy, lifelong learner by the end
of the third grade.”
Because today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders, parents and workers,
the DEPC believes everyone has a stake in making sure that all children have
the experiences they need to thrive. By building a community that supports
the unique needs of each child and family, creating and increasing access to
high quality early care and education, and surrounding each child and family
with coordinated community resources, together DEPC and our communities
can give children the very best opportunities they need to grow and learn.
Gifts may be made in many forms, and gifts of all sizes are most welcome!
The Down East Partnership for Children Endowment Fund is invested and
administered through the North Carolina Community Foundation.
Down East Partnership for Children • www.depc.org
o Benefactor ($10,000-up)
o Sponsor ($5,000-9,999)
o Patron ($2,500-4,999)
o Sustainer ($1,000-2,499)
o Friend ($1-999)
For more information about NCCF, contact:
Kelly Lee, Regional Associate
(252) 973-1205,
[email protected]
www.nccommunityfoundation.org
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