Youth Group
Jul 31, 2008 05:00PM ● By Super Admin
Among the many reasons South Placer County residents have to count their blessings is KidZKount – the DBA name for the programs and services offered by the Placer Community Action Council, Inc. (PCAC), a nonprofit organization that offers Head Start and Early Head Start programs, as well as State Preschool.
According to the group’s Executive Director, Denyse Cardoza, KidZKount is the vital connector that links together PCAC’s impressive menu of services, partnerships and collaborative agreements. As such, it assists families and children of differing backgrounds from Placer and Nevada Counties. Armed with that ambitious responsibility, it is fair to say that KidZKount is really in the business of empowerment. Its vision: “To establish children and families as our Nation’s Top Priority,” is clear; its mission: “To empower children and their families to maximize their full potential through opportunities for growth and change,” is admirable; and its values: “Creating and fostering a supportive environment which promotes trust, respect, professional growth and quality leadership,” are aligned with those whom it aims to serve.
KidZKount helps fulfill both its purpose and its promise by providing a variety of programs customized to address the specific needs of individual local families, including a number of center- and home-based development services. “Our goal is to help support families with social service needs, continuing their education and training in program governance,” says Cardoza, who, together with the organization’s key players, works tirelessly to do just that.
As is typical with nonprofits, however, KidZKount and PCAC are not immune to fund-raising challenges. The majority of funds that the organization receives come directly from the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. In fact, 80 percent of Head Start programs are federally funded. PCAC is responsible for raising the additional 20 percent through non-federal resources, including in-kind donations from service providers, as well as parent and community members. Grants and events help supplement and fund non-federally sponsored programs. Locally, KidZKount’s Sixth Annual Golf Tournament, which will be held at Auburn Country Club on October 6, 2008, is instrumental in helping the nonprofit reach its 20 percent goal so that it can continue to offer vital services, including medical endowments to families who cannot afford health and/or developmental procedures for their children, and a myriad of worthy programs.
If funding makes KidZKount possible, its comprehensive programs make it successful. Designed for the whole family, these programs involve goal setting, home visits, classroom volunteering, etc., which result in services like the KidZKount Kindergarten Readiness Summer Camp funded by First Five Placer, the Daddy Read to Me program, and others of value to the community and its families. Naturally, Cardoza gives the community, the organization’s partners, and its staff credit for helping KidZKount provide such quality services. She says, “Strong relationships make it all possible.”
A variety of upcoming recruiting events will help fill KidZKount’s program enrollment for the next year. For details on how you can help, please call Recruitment Coordinator, Melinda Dudley, at 530-886-4103. If you would like to be a sponsor for the golf tournament, or if you are interested in enrolling your children in KidZKount programs, or for volunteer opportunities, please contact KidZKount at 530-885-5437.
According to the group’s Executive Director, Denyse Cardoza, KidZKount is the vital connector that links together PCAC’s impressive menu of services, partnerships and collaborative agreements. As such, it assists families and children of differing backgrounds from Placer and Nevada Counties. Armed with that ambitious responsibility, it is fair to say that KidZKount is really in the business of empowerment. Its vision: “To establish children and families as our Nation’s Top Priority,” is clear; its mission: “To empower children and their families to maximize their full potential through opportunities for growth and change,” is admirable; and its values: “Creating and fostering a supportive environment which promotes trust, respect, professional growth and quality leadership,” are aligned with those whom it aims to serve.
KidZKount helps fulfill both its purpose and its promise by providing a variety of programs customized to address the specific needs of individual local families, including a number of center- and home-based development services. “Our goal is to help support families with social service needs, continuing their education and training in program governance,” says Cardoza, who, together with the organization’s key players, works tirelessly to do just that.
As is typical with nonprofits, however, KidZKount and PCAC are not immune to fund-raising challenges. The majority of funds that the organization receives come directly from the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. In fact, 80 percent of Head Start programs are federally funded. PCAC is responsible for raising the additional 20 percent through non-federal resources, including in-kind donations from service providers, as well as parent and community members. Grants and events help supplement and fund non-federally sponsored programs. Locally, KidZKount’s Sixth Annual Golf Tournament, which will be held at Auburn Country Club on October 6, 2008, is instrumental in helping the nonprofit reach its 20 percent goal so that it can continue to offer vital services, including medical endowments to families who cannot afford health and/or developmental procedures for their children, and a myriad of worthy programs.
If funding makes KidZKount possible, its comprehensive programs make it successful. Designed for the whole family, these programs involve goal setting, home visits, classroom volunteering, etc., which result in services like the KidZKount Kindergarten Readiness Summer Camp funded by First Five Placer, the Daddy Read to Me program, and others of value to the community and its families. Naturally, Cardoza gives the community, the organization’s partners, and its staff credit for helping KidZKount provide such quality services. She says, “Strong relationships make it all possible.”
A variety of upcoming recruiting events will help fill KidZKount’s program enrollment for the next year. For details on how you can help, please call Recruitment Coordinator, Melinda Dudley, at 530-886-4103. If you would like to be a sponsor for the golf tournament, or if you are interested in enrolling your children in KidZKount programs, or for volunteer opportunities, please contact KidZKount at 530-885-5437.