Participant Perspectives of the School Readiness Planning Process. Larry King Center Evaluation

In September 2009 the Council for Children's Rights unveiled the Larry King Center for Building Children's Futures (LKC). The LKC serves as a resource to the community "maximizing the effectiveness and impact of work being done for children by providers, agencies and funders." The LKC has chosen three initial priorities to address in Mecklenburg County: creating access to health and mental health care, reducing the incidence and impact of abuse and neglect, and ensuring that children are ready for school. This report examines community feedback on an initial community planning process and plan for one of the LKC's initial priority areas, early school readiness. This report summarizes the LKC's theory of change, describes the initial planning phase for the school readiness action plan, and highlights the participants' perspectives regarding the planning process. The report also examines the perceptions of community engagement partners and action team members in relation to how the implementation of the plan will go. By incorporating feedback from the community, the LKC can improve the process for future initiatives. Moreover, the participants' feedback on potential barriers to plan implementation can lend insight into some areas where the LKC may want to focus attention as this plan is being implemented. Some of the major highlights from the report and recommended next steps include: (1) Interest in the topic, either professionally- or personally motivated participation in the action team process; (2) Elements related to the success of a multi-agency effort were apparent in the action planning process; (3) Community engagement partners and action team members rated the school readiness plan highly; (4) The Larry King Center was considered to have displayed strong leadership skills; (5) The diversity of the individuals involved in the planning process could be expanded; and (6) Contextual factors may pose challenges for implementing the plan. (Contains 5 figures, 7 tables, and 3 footnotes.)