Vision Statement:

All children in Catoosa County will be born or placed into a stable, self-sufficient family
and achieve healthy, mature, and productive citizenship.

Goal 1:  All children in Catoosa County will obtain their optimal physical, educational, social and emotional development.

Objectives:

    * Increase the percentage of students who graduate on time to 75% by 2011.
    * Reduce the rate of students absent more that 15 days to 5% or less.
    * Decrease the pregnancy rate among unmarried teen females to less than 25 per 1000, and reduce sexual activity among all teen.
    * Reduce the percentage of teen mothers giving birth to another child before age 20 to below 15% by 2011.
    * Increase the percentage of babies born to mothers who received prenatal care and do not smoke or drink during pregnancy (both to 80%).
    * Reduce the percentage of participants who have involvement with the Juvenile Justice system.

Strategies for Middle & High School:  Performance Learning Center & Communities in Schools project; Why KNOw and other abstinence programs; Project Alert, SUPER, and Club Hero—substance abuse prevention;  Teen Council community service and leadership development; School Renaissance programs; Partnership Big Help Day and mentoring programs; Nurturing Parent classes; Catoosa Attendance Review Team (CART); Teen Health Fair; KidsNet Northwest; and Intervention Days at Catoosa high schools.

Stragegies for Elementary School:  Catoosa Kid’s Day; Catoosa County Children’s Fund; School Renaissance programs; Partnership Big Help Day, and mentoring programs; after school tutoring; Good Touch/ Bad Touch personal safety program; Catoosa Attendance Review Team (CART); Title 1 parent involvement; Nurturing Parent classes, and other parent/ guardian educational opportunities; and KidsNet Northwest program.

Strategies for Birth to Pre-K:  Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy; Pre-K & Head Start outreach programs;  Perinatal Case Management; Childbirth Classes; Nurturing Parent classes; Car seat checks; Parents As Teachers (PAT) program; Babies Can’t Wait; Prenatal smoking prevention activities; and  March of Dimes program for newborns.


Goal 2:  All children in Catoosa County will live in a stable family environment free from violence and abuse.

Objectives:

    * Reduce the rate of substantiated child neglect to less than 20/1000 by 2011
    * Reduce the rate of substantiated child abuse to less than 2.3/1000 by 2011
    * Increase the number of adult residents who earn their GED and/or receive employability training.
    * Increase the number of local foster homes by 3 each year through 2011.
    * Reduce the non-violent crime rate (age 17 or older) to less than 50 /1000 by 2011.

Strategies for "Our Neighborhood Place":  Battlewood site Family Team Meetings (FTMs) and Individualized Courses of Action (ICAs); collaboration & training with CPS/ DFCS workers; adult literacy/GED & employability training; center-based parent education; substance abuse education; on-site public & mental health classes; residents association;  Natural Helpers support; on-site Battlewood Head Start program; center-based after-school and out-of-school activities; mentoring for school students through Young America & Club Hero; elder support at Battlewood & Catoosa Gardens; community support services for emergency needs; and support services for other sites—Arbor Mill, Hickory Grove, Oglethorpe Ridge, and Sherwood Forest (all activities are implemented through the CPPC Coordinator).

Strategies promoting safe & stable families:  Title 1, Pre-K, and Head Start parent outreach activities; Family Crisis Center domestic violence programs; Catoosa County Meth Task Force; Adult Learning Center literacy & job skills programs; Prevent Child Abuse Catoosa awareness education & activities; Foster Parents support & recruitment; Time Out For Families program; and Seamless Summer lunch program.