| Name | Ellwanda |
|---|---|
| Last Name | White |
| Home Address | 7871 Slatermill Drive Ooltewah, Tennessee 37363 United States |
| Organization Name | Purpose Point Learning Academy (PPLA) |
| Describe Your Role In The Organization | Executive Director of Purpose Point Learning Academy – oversees operations and hires staff |
| Organization Address | 4801 Highway 58, Unit 105 Chattanooga, Tennessee 37416 United States |
| Website | https://www.pplacha.org |
| Best Phone Number To Reach You | 423-242-8308 |
| Alternate Phone Number | 423-364-7878 |
| Email Address | adminppla@purpose-point.org |
| Alternate Email Address | soprano2grl@yahoo.com |
| Please Describe Your Project In Detail | The demand for childcare to meet the needs of working parents gained momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic. Employers became exposed to the vulnerabilities of the system and how quickly a halt in childcare availability could devastatingly affect the economy. For single heads-of-household – many of whom worked in essential, service, and other low wage jobs – the challenge to maintain employment was especially daunting; no childcare, no workers. In the City of Chattanooga, small business owners were confronted with a March 2020 mayoral mandate to shut down personal service, restaurant, and other retail businesses. Hamilton County School closures were replaced with virtual classes, elevating awareness to the lack of technology access in low- to moderate-income homes. Citywide food drives to feed students of Title I schools – that generally offered free and reduced breakfast and lunch programs – became the norm. A reduction in workplace attendance amongst major employers, job layoffs and losses, as well as affordable housing shortages and evictions, left vulnerable families and essential employees with the complicated question of what to do with their pre-school and school-age children. Prior to COVID, 2,000 early childhood seats were needed and, since COVID, an additional 2,000 seats are now needed; bringing the total need to 4,000 early childhood seats, according to the United Way of Chattanooga, Chattanooga 2.0 and Early Childhood Matters education initiatives. On Oct. 4, 2021, in the midst of COVID and rising cases of the Omicron variant, Purpose Point Learning Academy was licensed by the State of Tennessee to open its doors. Some 46 – out of 99 licensed-to-capacity childcare seats – were filled; and, though the challenges families faced at the height of COVID had somewhat diminished, the need for available childcare placements at the learning academy and other childcare centers continued. To meet this challenge, Purpose Point Learning Academy hopes to offer additional childcare placements to families with small children living in our targeted 37416 and 37406 zip codes. Most important, with American Rescue Program funds, the academy can provide tuition scholarships to families living below the poverty line, who are unable to pay or ineligible for state assistance. As a result of COVID, a number of calls to the learning academy come from parents, who have lost their jobs. However, if they are unemployed or not enrolled in an educational institution, they do not qualify for childcare assistance under Tennessee’s Certificate and Smart Start programs. Temporary financial support to pay for childcare services through 2024, as well as financial literacy training for parents, can assist them in securing livable wage jobs, meeting the state’s requirements for childcare assistance, and becoming self-sustaining. Currently, the learning academy offers wrap-around childcare services to 46 pre-school age children (ages 12 months to 5 years) and 10 school-age children (ages 5 to 12 years). These wrap-around services include daycare, before-school and after-school educational programs. Though the academy is licensed for 99 childcare placements, to maximize COVID safety standards, Purpose Point Learning Academy seeks to increase its preschool capacity from 46 children to a total of 64 preschoolers. In addition, the learning academy is seeking funding to purchase two vans to provide free transportation, primarily to families living in the low- to moderate-income community of East Chattanooga (37406), as there are few childcare centers in this area. Though public transportation is available to and from the academy, which is located in the Highway 58 area (37416), the costs would be a burden to these families. Also, Purpose Point Learning Academy is one of a few nonprofit childcare facilities offering services to children with special needs, of which there have been increased calls for children with Autism and developmental delays from these communities. Other funding requests to support this increase in childcare placements are: updated technology and Autism and STEM curriculum; staff training, supplies and equipment to meet the growing number of children with special needs; staff training and parental assistance for those families dealing with grief, social service needs, and behavioral and mental health challenges, as a result of COVID; as well as COVID-related education, training, and cleaning supplies. |
| Please explain how your project meets the requirements of the American Rescue Plan | Purpose Point Learning Academy will primarily target its available childcare services to residents living in the 37406 and 37416 zip codes. According to U.S. Census Data, recorded in 2019, approximately 30,000 individuals live in these two communities. A large percentage (80.4%) of residents in 37406 are African American, and a third of residents (33%) live below the poverty level. Median household incomes and home values are nearly half of those in the City of Chattanooga. At least a third of residents in 37416 reportedly have no earnings, with almost half (47%) of those living in 37406 reporting no earnings. Since opening in 2021, the learning academy has closed its doors twice, as a result of COVID exposure. Initially, the academy was shut down for a week, due to quarantine guidelines required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Hamilton County Health Department. As guidelines changed, the facility was required to close a second time for a 48-hour period. Approximately 25% of African Americans in Hamilton County are vaccinated, and children 5 and under have not been approved for the vaccines. As a result, Purpose Point Learning Academy has had to implement additional precautions to prevent future exposure. The academy is seeking funding to purchase the necessary cleaning supplies and to be able to provide COVID-specific training for all staff members, as well as educational seminars, one-on-one counseling, cleaning supplies and masks, and transportation to the learning academy (37416) and Purpose Point Health Center (37406) for COVID tests and vaccinations. Every week, families served by the learning academy report a diagnosed case of COVID or COVID-related symptoms. Also, children attending the learning academy are expressing more aggressive behaviors, a direct result of the isolation, grief, social and emotional trauma their families have experienced during the pandemic. Some parents attending one-on-one sessions at the learning academy have cried and expressed feelings of depression, anxiety, and a lack of knowing what to do about their child’s behavioral issues or their family circumstances. Purpose Point Learning Academy would like to provide trauma-informed care training to its staff and have a professional counselor meet with parents to offer confidential, follow up services. |
| Where would your project take place? | Purpose Point Learning Academy, Chattanooga, Tennessee |
| How much will your project cost in total? | 600000 |
| Do you have any matching funding sources from other local governments, private entities, non-profits, or philanthropic entities for your project? | No |
| Please describe the source and list amounts of any other funding. | |
| What portion of the project are you asking the city to fund? | |
| If funded, when would your project start? | October 4, 2022 |
| How long would your project take to complete? | Two years -- thru October 2024 |
| What milestones would you use to measure your project’s progress? | Increased number of children at the learning academy Increased number of parents able to obtain employment and/or enrollment in an educational institution Increased number of below poverty level families eligible for state childcare assistance Increased number of children from 37406 zip code Increased number of staff hired to provide quality childcare Staff trained to provide childcare services to children with special needs Increased number of children with special needs enrolled Increased number of parents educated in COVID-related protocols, cleaning and vaccines Increased number of parents benefiting from financial literacy training; regularly paying on time Free transportation for children and their parents in 37406 and 37416 zip codes Retrofitted playground, learning tools and equipment for children with special needs Updated technology, equipment and Autism curriculum available for staff |
| How would you ensure accountability and transparency throughout the project lifecycle? | Purpose Point Learning Academy will provide reports and other documentation, as required, to the City of Chattanooga to support grant reports to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, City Council, etc. These reports will outline funding uses, expenditures, milestones reached, and other information requested. City representatives also are encouraged to visit the academy. In addition, the State of Tennessee requires a final report from childcare agencies receiving TANF and other certificate program funds provided for childcare services to those families qualified for assistance. The state also visits Purpose Point Learning Academy to conduct on-site audits of the academy’s records for compliance, as well as participates in tours. The learning academy just completed a state visit on January 27, 2022 and was found to have no violations. The learning academy also provides an annual report to the Purpose Point Community Resource Center, which is the 501c3 nonprofit arm of Mt. Canaan Baptist Church and has oversight of the academy. In addition, Purpose Point Learning Academy posts photos and information on its website and Facebook page (Purpose Point Learning Academy) and seeks available opportunities to market its daycare, before-school and after-school services to the media and throughout the City of Chattanooga – particularly, to those families in need of our services. |
| If successful, how would your project benefit the community? | A majority of families currently supported by Purpose Point Learning Academy (90 percent) are single heads-of-household. Those employed are in blue collar jobs (targeting men, like construction, transportation, public works, etc.) and pink-collar jobs (targeting women, like hotels, restaurants, insurance companies, hair salons and beauty supply stores). These are families with multiple children and low-to-moderate incomes. As part of this grant request, Purpose Point Learning Academy is seeking funding to provide scholarships to families living below the poverty level, who are ineligible for state assisted childcare programs, including Tennessee’s Certificate and Smart Start programs. As a result of COVID, a number of calls to the learning academy come from parents that have lost their jobs and are in need of childcare, so they can seek livable wage jobs. However, if they are no longer employed or not enrolled in an educational institution, they do not qualify for childcare assistance from the state. During the two-year period of this ARP federal funding, these parents will have the opportunity to seek skilled training, gain employment and/or enroll in an educational institution that provides advanced training for future employment. They, then, will be eligible for state assistance to pay the learning academy for its childcare services. In addition to lessening the unemployment rate among these parents, children attending Purpose Point Learning Academy will become kindergarten ready; those attending after-school care will be afforded a safe, learning environment; and, unlike other traditional childcare facilities in the 37406 and 37416 communities, children with special needs will receive quality care tailored to their individual needs. |
| How will you attract community buy-in for your project? | Purpose Point Learning Academy has and continues to receive calls from families seeking available spots in our daycare, before-school and after-school programs. Most requests are via word-of-mouth, as current families market our services and professional care to their friends, family members, and especially to those families with special needs’ children. The learning academy has an open-door policy, which offers tours, and we will continue to market our services via family testimonials, radio announcements, and Facebook and website posts. In the 37406 community, which is one of our targeted areas, two affiliated programs are located: Purpose Point Health Center and The Village, both are benefitting this community. Also, the Purpose Point Community Resource Center, our umbrella agency, has a well-respected reputation in the 37406 and 37416 communities, offering additional outreach programs that provide food distribution, health services, COVID testing and vaccines, youth mentorship, career readiness training, family counseling and other resources. |
| Name | Pastor Ternae Jordan, Sr. |
| Contact Information | 423-598-9365 |
| Name | Walter Hitchcock |
| Contact Information | 423-322-4988 |
| Name | Lucia Cook |
| Contact Information | 570-650-4676 |
| Name | Timothy Scotton |
| Contact Information | 423-598-9796 |
| Name | Andrew Thompson |
| Contact Information | 423-468-0404 |
| Name | Gregory Williamson |
| Contact Information | 248-830-9132 |
| Name | Hal Bowling |
| Contact Information | 423-400-6422 |
| Name | Ken Stripling |
| Contact Information | 423-432-9696 |
| Name | Mark West |
| Contact Information | 423-240-8288 |
| Name | Lurone Jennings, Sr. |
| Contact Information | 423-314-3861 |
| Name | Stephen Duggins |
| Contact Information | 423-635-7113 |
| Name | Lorraine Miller |
| Contact Information | 423-260-6344 |
| Is there anything else you would like us to know about your project? | The vision for the learning academy came as a result of Pastor Ternae Jordan – who established Purpose Point Community Resource Center – realizing we could no longer wait until children were 14 years of age to try to stop their engagement in violence; we had to start at a much earlier age. Years earlier, and after officiating over 105 youth funerals, Pastor founded Stop the Madness, a nonprofit that worked with youth to curb violence and give them a place of refuge after school and during the summer months. Stop the Madness would expose teens to a different way of life through mentorship. Today, Purpose Point Learning Academy (PPLA) is a developmental, high-quality, early learning program; providing a nurturing, safe and positive environment for children, ages 12 months to 12 years of age. We strive to provide a program of integrity, hospitality, innovation, inclusiveness and diversity in a stimulating environment for young children, where they can safely explore, play, create and grow in all areas of development: physically, emotionally, socially, spiritually and intellectually. As the executive director of Purpose Point Learning Academy, I bring with me 30 years of experience, as the licensing supervisor for the State of Tennessee’s child-care and adult-care licensing program, representing Hamilton, Bledsoe, Grundy, Marion and Sequatchie counties. |