Deer Creek Promise Community’s Early Learning Programs: Setting the Stage for Lifelong Success

A New Promise: Empowering Progress in Deer Creek

Delta Health Alliance (DHA) is a nonprofit organization that focuses on improving health and education outcomes in the Mississippi Delta region. As part of this commitment, DHA spearheads the Deer Creek Promise Community—an embodiment of its mission to uplift communities in the area. The Deer Creek Promise Community exemplifies the progress made within the broader Promise Neighborhoods program established by the U.S. Department of Education in 2010. This national program operates on the premise that thriving communities stem from holistic support systems. It targets underserved areas, aiming to break down barriers to success by fostering a cradle-to-career network of robust, comprehensive local support programs for children and their families, with excellent schools at the center.

The community grapples with high levels of poverty and underserved populations. This is reflected in towns like Leland and Hollandale, where the majority of students come from low-income families and Black and/or African American students comprise more than 90 percent of the student population. All schools qualify for Title 1A services, and every student is eligible for free lunch—clear indicators of the economic strain families face. Child poverty rates tower at 45 percent in the Deer Creek Promise Community footprint, in comparison to the national average of 17 percent. Educational attainment also struggles, with just 25 percent of Leland students proficient in math and 29 percent proficient in English and similar outcomes in Hollandale.

The Promise Neighborhoods program, grounded in these realities, aims to provide meaningful support. At the heart of the Deer Creek Promise Community lies a unified effort, bringing together health care, education, government, family, and community resources. This community-based, cross-sector collaborative spans prenatal care through high school graduation, paving a comprehensive path for improving opportunities for children in the community.

Early Learning Foundations

From birth through age 5, children’s brains develop faster than at any other time in their lifespan, laying the foundations for learning, health, and behavior. The Deer Creek Promise Community understands that a child’s early years significantly shape their future success in education and beyond. Research emphasizes that meeting kindergarten readiness benchmarks strongly predicts future academic achievement. Preparing students for kindergarten and later academic success starts in a child’s home, but access to excellent child care and tailored early learning environments is equally crucial.

The programs available through the Deer Creek Promise Community provide families with essential resources that aid in child development. By fostering this foundation, they aim to ensure continuous growth for children as they step into kindergarten and navigate their educational journey.

A Committed Team Driving Community Change

DHA fosters trust and positive relationships with families by employing staff who live in the communities and know the people they serve. This representative labor pool enables DHA to implement culturally congruent strategies and ensure resources and materials provided to families are community-informed. The Deer Creek Promise Community boasts low staff turnover, which speaks to the quality and impact of their work.

The success of DHA’s early childhood efforts in the Deer Creek Promise Community relies on family and community engagement. By meeting parents where they are and tailoring strategies to community experiences, Deer Creek Promise Community staff aim to boost parent involvement in programs. This involvement is key to maximizing impact for children and families.

The structure of early-age Deer Creek Promise Community initiatives comes from a handful of core programs, including Parents as Teachers (PAT); Linking Individuals, Neighbors, and Kids to Services (LINKS); and Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK).

Parents as Teachers

The Deer Creek Promise Community’s PAT program is a support hub for expectant mothers, new parents, and families. PAT prioritizes ensuring resources are connected to the people who need them most and is committed to building connections and fostering bonds among families facing similar situations.

In a region where access to quality medical care for pregnant women is often limited, leading to high infant mortality and pregnancy complications, PAT stands tall as a steadfast ally. These committed professionals aim to forge connections, offering essential support and guidance directly where needed. The PAT program offers group connections, led by a DHA parent educator, to share information about parenting or child development. It provides opportunities for families to connect and learn from each other’s experiences. Trained staff, passionate about improving lives, also visit caregivers and families in their homes, offering personalized support to promote healthy living and self-sufficiency.

Through PAT, Donna Ransome, a seasoned home visitor, has witnessed firsthand the program’s positive impact, sharing, “When we visit the family, we take care of more than just that child. We take care of the whole family.”

PAT empowers local women as health outreach workers, focusing on pregnant women and families with young children up to age 5. Health outreach workers embody the program’s ethos by actively listening, educating on nutrition and health, modeling positive parenting, and linking families to crucial social services. Michelle Williams, a PAT home visitor, highlights the program’s adaptability to meet parents where they are, acknowledging the diverse needs of each family. “No two families are the same,” she explains.

PAT has been a game-changer for JaMeka Hays, a participant with a 3-year-old and a baby on the way. She praises the genuine care and support she received, emphasizing how it bolstered her parenting skills and patience while instilling confidence in her approach to raising her children. PAT’s message that every child is different resonated with her, empowering her as a parent. “[PAT] has been a great experience,” she says. “I love that everybody is nice. Sometimes [in other community programming], you get people who don’t care, but they genuinely care about me and my family.”

Programs like PAT also positively affect parental labor force participation and contribute to building a skilled workforce in the region. By connecting adult program participants with medical and social services, such as child care, that address their individual needs and barriers to work, PAT and similar programs in the Deer Creek Promise Community’s early childhood pipeline help increase the number of people working or looking for work. All PAT home visitors and participants are also exposed to career growth opportunities, such as doula or lactation consultant training and certification. This exposure increases the number of skilled parents working or looking for work in the community. Census data show labor force participation among single parents with children under 5 in Leland has increased considerably since the Deer Creek Promise Community started.

Linking Individuals, Neighborhoods, and Kids to Services

Another program run through Deer Creek Promise Community is LINKS. LINKS Associates collaborate with parents one-on-one and craft family goals to boost academic success. They focus on connecting families with the exact programs and services they need to realize those goals. When a family faces a challenge like financial stress or mental health concerns, the LINKS Associate assists the family with referrals to appropriate resources. Staff attest to the program’s quick ability to build strong relationships—not just with families but also with the school district.

LINKS focuses explicitly on empowering low-income students in kindergarten through grade 12 who might face hurdles like chronic absenteeism, behavioral issues, or starting the school year below the 25th percentile in reading or math. These families receive 2 years of support, including monthly home visits. For families with children aged 0 to 5, LINKS encourages them to enroll children in formal child care and maintain regular attendance. This emphasis stems from the understanding that early childhood participation in structured learning environments sets a strong foundation for future academic success.

Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids

While PAT and LINKS work with families in their homes, SPARK also provides support within schools. The SPARK program identifies and addresses individual challenges using Kindergarten Readiness Assessment data, targeted small group sessions in schools, and monthly home visits. During the monthly visits, SPARK offers parent training and information to equip parents with knowledge and skills to more effectively assist their children in developing better literacy skills.

The goal of the SPARK program is to ensure children are not only prepared for kindergarten but also proficient in language and vocabulary, setting the foundation for a successful academic career. Nycole McCray has seen tremendous progress in her son, Zaiden, through the SPARK program. Thanks to the one-on-one sessions offered by SPARK, Zaiden’s literacy skills have shown significant improvement. Before enrolling in SPARK, Zaiden struggled to communicate with his family and teachers. Now, Zaiden is a leader in his class, and his parents remark that he communicates more verbally at home.

Roshunda Sample, a DHA staff member who has been with DHA’s Promise Neighborhoods since 2012, says, “From a data standpoint, we see growth across all our students who participate in the SPARK program at LSD [Leland School District]. I also see the growth when I see the smiles and the attitudes of the children involved who are now coming to school regularly because they enjoy being a part of something special at the school.”

Community and Schools: Expanding Access

DHA’s deep roots in Mississippi Delta communities, spanning over two decades, have fostered invaluable connections with licensed child care centers and family child care homes, facilitating direct linkages for families seeking providers in their vicinity. This robust engagement extends to their relationships with local school systems, a vital element across all Deer Creek Promise Community initiatives, especially in the early childhood focus.

To enrich the learning experiences of students, particularly those who have not had the opportunity for quality child care or Early Head Start, Deer Creek Promise Community provides transformative summer interventions: Small World and Promise School. These programs are designed to prepare students for the anticipated numeracy and language arts standards upon entering kindergarten. They also familiarize children with the school environment and set expectations for behavior, ensuring a smooth transition into the classroom.

Although prekindergarten is optional in Mississippi, DHA has championed community involvement to underscore the significance of early childhood education. Its efforts led to a significant expansion from a single prekindergarten classroom to three, ensuring broader access to high-quality prekindergarten education for all 4-year-olds in Leland.

Using Promise Neighborhoods grant funds, DHA and the Leland School District repurposed a building once used for storage. The renovation transformed the space for expanded learning opportunities in the new Leland Early Learning Center. However, while Leland thrives with resources and partnerships, the towns of Hollandale and Arcola need more resources, particularly in early learning centers. The limited availability of child care in these areas poses challenges, with families often experiencing long waiting lists or seeking care in neighboring towns.

Transportation barriers further compound the challenge, with some essential referrals located hours away, hindering access to crucial resources for residents in these rural areas. Despite these hurdles, recent Kindergarten Readiness Assessment results reflect notable progress in center-based learning enrollment and increased out-of-home care attendance, marking a positive trend in the region’s educational landscape.

According to the 2022 Deer Creek Promise Community Neighborhood Survey, reading rates among children prior to kindergarten reached an all-time high in Hollandale at 76 percent. These results are a testament to efforts in fortifying early literacy despite concerns arising from the pandemic’s impact on school readiness.

Collective Impact: When Communities Unite

In the face of significant challenges, the unwavering dedication and commitment of individuals involved in these programs remain a shining example. Their collective efforts continue to shape the lives of families, paving the way toward a brighter and healthier future.

The progress in Deer Creek Promise Community does not stem from a single initiative or partnership. Instead, it results from a comprehensive strategy, a blend of aligned approaches and collaborations. The interwoven narratives of participants and partners reflect a shared commitment—a powerful alliance in the struggle against entrenched challenges.

The Deer Creek Promise Community embodies dedication, reflecting collective action and a shared vision for a brighter future. It exemplifies the remarkable impact achievable when communities unite, fostering positive change for future generations.

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