Sunrise Children’s Foundation (SCF) Responds Virtually to Continue to Serve 12,500 Families of Children 0 – 5 years
Providing Essential Supplies to Families including Food, Diapers and WIC Benefits
The Sunrise Children’s Foundation (SCF) families are some of the most vulnerable in the City of Las Vegas, including homeless, foster and those living at 100%-200% of the poverty level. In response to COVID-19, the non-profit is working diligently to ensure parents and their children still have access to essential supplies including: Food (including baby formula), Diapers, wipes and other essential infant toddler supplies as well as, WIC nutrition benefits and subsidies.
From the first day announcement from CCSD on the mandated classroom closures, the management team at SCF quickly responded with a strategic planning meeting to assess how to stay connected virtually with each other and its 12, 500 families.
Within 10 days, SCF had issued 105 devices preprogrammed to only allow authorized software that aligned with its prior assigned devices, which resulted in more than 145 staff members, the ability to administer Early Education services remotely in southern Nevada.Thanks to Dr. Bergeron and her team for their quick action and leadership, the Office of Head Start has already granted critical flexibilities for programs to continue to pay their staff, even though classrooms are temporarily closed. This enabled the EHS programs at Sunrise to remain responsive to families. Our resilient childcare center staff, home visiting staff and family advocates remain active and are staying in touch with families several times weekly. “Our Early Head Start (EHS), NV Ready, Nevada Home Visiting (MIECHV) and Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) will not be falling behind on their important Pre-K education activities.” stated Tiffany Alston, SCF’s newly appointed Director of Programs.
While SCF’s five WIC (Women, Infant and Children) clinics were deemed socially essential services, their 40+ employees continued to report to work, abiding by CDC safety guidelines, in order to virtually assign benefits to its 12,000 participants. Nevada WIC, funded by USDA, has also allowed the clinics to remain functional. While the clinics are now closed to walk in traffic (besides those needing breastfeeding support equipment), WIC staff proactively planning weeks in advance, protectively making sure food benefit packages are issued and breastfeeding support remains supported.
Sunrise Children’s Foundation (SCF) delivers a full scope of services from birth to five and provides a comprehensive continuum of care to ensure that children in Nevada have a chance at success. The organization’s mission is helping children to fulfill their potential of safe, healthy and educated lives through three main programs, Early Head Start, The Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters Program (HIPPY) and Women, Infants, and Children, a special supplemental nutrition program (WIC).
Founded in 1993, SCF currently provides multiple programs throughout Clark County, employs approximately 190 individuals and touches the lives of over 150,000 children and families annually.
About Sunrise Children’s Foundation:
Sunrise Children’s Foundation, is non-profit corporation organized solely for pediatric health and education. Founded in 1993, SCF delivers a full scope of services from birth to five and provides a comprehensive continuum of care to ensure that children in Nevada have a chance at success, all free of cost. Sunrise Children’s Foundation programs support a myriad of critical areas focusing on optimal child development including prenatal care and breast-feeding education; infant and toddler health and development ; wellness, nutrition and health education; parent education; reading and literacy skills; and positive family relationships. For more information, visit our website at sunrisechildren.org. Friend us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SunriseChildrensFoundation or follow us on twitter at @sunrisechilfdtn.