Bright Spots: February 2024 Winner

Congratulations to the February’s Bright Spots Winner – Brandy Warner of Cesa 11 Head Start!

Why was Brandi Nominated? 

For the last year, the Cesa 11 Head Start program has been transitioning their application and enrollment process to be fully paperless! Brandi Warner, the Database Management Coordinator at Cesa 11 Head Start, has been instrumental in developing forms in ChildPlus Online to make this transition possible. By leveraging ChildPlus Online, Brandi has streamlined operations, empowered staff members, supported their professional development, and positioned the organization as a leader in data collection. 

Identifying the Challenge: 

In an era where digital innovation is paramount, Brandi and the staff at Cesa 11 Head Start realized the necessity to make their application and enrollment process paperless. Motivated by the agency’s mission to Empower, Support, Educate, and Lead, they challenged themselves to utilize the power of technology to optimize the efficiency of their agency.  

The Innovative Solution 

The Three Steps to Paperless Enrollment 

• Step 1: Strategic Planning and Staff Engagement 
  Driven by the agency’s mission, the journey towards a paperless enrollment process began with meticulous planning and robust staff engagement. By empowering staff members to share ownership and provide input into the process, Cesa 11 Head Start fostered a culture of collaboration and innovation. This phase set the stage for a transition that aligned with the organization’s core values. 

• Step 2: The Transition Towards Paperless 
  Building upon the foundation of empowerment and collaboration, the next phase focused on transitioning towards a fully paperless enrollment process. Adding their enrollment forms into ChildPlus with the Module Designer feature allowed them to capture information without consuming massive amounts of paper. In fact, her team calculated that her program saved over 10,000 pieces of paper. Through the customization capabilities of ChildPlus and advanced reporting functionalities, staff members were equipped with the tools and knowledge to navigate this transformative shift. Brandi created videos, checklists, and data entry guides to help staff become comfortable and efficient with the process. This step not only supported staff members through training but also positioned them as educators, enabling them to share their expertise with colleagues and the management team.  

• Step 3: Leading the Program into a New Era 
  As the paperless enrollment system went live, Cesa 11 Head Start seamlessly collected enrollment information for their families. By utilizing Module Designer to create their enrollment forms in ChildPlus, the organization demonstrated its commitment to innovation and excellence.  The advanced reports allowed the data to be easily aggregated and analyzed. Staff members were empowered to lead the program into this new era, equipped with the skills and resources needed to drive impactful change. 

Key Takeaways for Your Agency 

1. Create implementation guides and a historical record  
   • Create Data Entry guides so staff knows exactly how to enter information into ChildPlus 
   • Add a program term picker to all your custom forms so you can easily identify and review current year information 

2. Involve your staff in the process 
   • Create a “Jane Doe” family in your database so staff can pilot new processes and give their feedback without compromising actual data 
   • Create checklists to ensure staff completes every step of the process 

3. Don’t give up! 
   • There will be highs and lows, but all the hard work is worth it in the end