ECCO Plus Helps Parents Pursue Better Careers
Community Action Council is a private nonprofit organization with the mission to prevent, reduce and eliminate poverty in Central Kentucky.
One of its largest and longest-running operations is Head Start – a group of federally-funded programs for families with low income with children birth to age 5 years old that provide comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition and family engagement services.
The Council’s Head Start programs take what is known as a “two-generational” approach to child development.
This means its services never consider a child in isolation, but simultaneously seek to support parents and other adult family members in meeting their education and career goals.
A perfect model of the two-generational approach is the Council’s Employment and Child Care Opportunities Plus (ECCO Plus) program.
Launched in 2014, ECCO Plus provides parents enrolled in the Council’s Head Start programs with the opportunity to receive training in high-demand career fields – all while receiving comprehensive, high-quality education for their children at no cost.
The first available ECCO Plus track offered participants the opportunity to study and work toward the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, a nationally-recognized credential for career advancement in early childhood education.
A second track, first offered in 2016, leads to a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).
Participants complete a 16-week training program, including both coursework and behind-the-wheel vehicle experience.
Successful candidates obtain a class B CDL with Passenger (P) and School Bus (S) endorsements.
Lastly, a third ECCO Plus track enables participants to work toward a State Registered Nurse Aide (SRNA) credential.
Participants pursue a four-week course at Maysville Community and Technical College (MCTC), and upon completion become eligible to take the state exam to become an SRNA.
Graduates in all tracks are qualified for positions with a variety of employers and receive job placement assistance through the Council’s existing partnerships.
To date, a total of 72 individuals have received their CDA credential through the ECCO Plus program, with the vast majority having obtained employment as a result, either within one of the Council’s own Head Start programs or in other early education settings.
The newer CDL and SRNA tracks have produced a total of seven Head Start parents obtaining the SRNA credential and an additional seven earning a CDL.
For these tracks too, the majority of graduates were successfully employed soon afterward in their respective fields or related occupations.
The Council has found that ECCO Plus graduates see an average increase in earnings of $8,500 annually.
The Council estimates that the program represents a return on investment to the community of more than $1.2 million.
The success of the ECCO Plus program is directly connected to changing workforce needs.
Both locally and nationwide, there is a dire need for qualified early educators, as well as drivers to provide safe, efficient transportation services for children in the public school systems.
In rural areas, where employment opportunities are limited, there is a continuing demand for personnel in the medical field, such as SRNAs.
The increased earning potential resulting from training in these fields can make the difference between living above or below the poverty threshold.
The Council is currently accepting applications for Head Start as well as its ECCO Plus career tracks.
Info: visit commaction.org or call (859) 233-4600.