Lincoln CLCs value a core set of “principles” which promote greater positive impact on CLC participants, cohesiveness among partners, and more purposeful initiation of comprehensive services to neighborhoods. Lincoln CLCs will be guided by the following set of principles:

COLLABORATION – Partnerships are the best way to maximize resources and create synergy. Partners will work for and with families, neighborhoods, and one another to ensure local strengths and needs are considered. Partnership involves a commitment to mutual relationships and goals.

INTEGRATION – CLC services will be connected and purposefully coordinated with school and community to assure an efficient and respected use of partners’ expertise and resources.

LIFELONG LEARNING CULTURE – People learn and grow differently. Through professionally developed staff CLCs will account for these different learning styles and will promote learning opportunities for all children, youth, families and neighborhood residents.

OUTCOME FOCUSED – CLCs have greater impact when providing services which are aligned with CLC initiative goals. Service effectiveness will be measured by improvements in student learning and development, stronger families and healthier neighborhoods.

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP – Leadership and accountability are shared among all stakeholders. Parents and neighborhood residents have multiple opportunities to partner in decision making and to determine service opportunities most beneficial to them.

NEIGHBORHOOD BASED – All neighborhoods have unique strengths and needs. CLCs value the uniqueness of each neighborhood and adapt services and opportunities so that the neighborhood capacity is optimized.

SETTING THE STAGE THROUGH THE MOU
(Memorandum of Understanding)
PROCESS

What is an MOU?
MOU stands for memorandum of understanding. MOU’s are designed to clarify and define the roles and expectations of a working relationship between a School Site Community Learning Center and a Community Based Organization (CBO) and/or other partners that may bring services and resources to your site.

Why would your site want an MOU?
The best working relationships are characterized by clarity of purpose and communication. When beginning a partnership there are many questions to answer: What exactly is your partner going to provide? What is your site going to provide to the partner? Who will be responsible for what? When? How long? What can both parties reasonably expect from their partnership? These are but a few questions that may come up which MOU’s can help sort out.

How do we go about constructing our own MOU?
Developing a basic MOU is not difficult. In fact we have a template for use in future partnerships.

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
Between
West Lincoln Community Learning Center and
Family Services Association, Inc.

This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) describes and confirms an agreement between West Lincoln Community Learning Center/LPSDO and Family Service Association. The purpose of the agreement is to formalize and clarify expectations and relationships between all parties. For the purpose of the MOU, Service Provider is defined as an agency representative providing services to students and adults on a school site affiliated with the Community Learning Center programs.

COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER/SCHOOL SITE RESPONSIBLITIES:

• Provide a designated person responsible for supporting and maintaining the community partner/service provider at the school site.
• Provide, site specific, orientation and review for the community partner/service provider.
• Provide reasonable space, as agreed upon by site supervisor and service provider to facilitate services to students and adults.
• Provide reasonable resources to facilitate services (e.g. access to telephone computers, and communication mechanisms).
• Notify service provider, as soon as known, of any schedule changes that will interfere with service provision.
• Notify service provider of any key staff changes
• Complete annual performance review data collection in collaboration with service provider.
• Facilitate regular meetings with service provider to ensure services are reflective of best practices, meeting quality standards and are meeting the needs of students and adults utilizing the services of the Community Learning Center
• Invite service provider to school wide event.

AGENCY/COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ensure program staff receives site orientation for the Community Learning Center.
• Provide a descriptor of services to be provided at the Community Learning Center:

  1. Actual services being delivered
  2. Personnel assigned to deliver the program
  3. Days and hours of the service
  4. Length of time the service is intended to be delivered

• Submit required service provider information:

  a. Child abuse register check
  b. Criminal history check
  c. Proof of liability insurance
  d. Childcare health check

• Familiarity and compliance with the LPSDO parent/student handbook
• Designate person in the agency to act a liaison to Community Learning Center site
• Notify community learning center site supervisor of any staff changes
• Maintain a standard of professionalism and behavior consistent with Community Learning Center expectations
• Complete all evaluation date information in collaboration with site supervisor
• Complete the daily attendance sheet and submit to site supervisor
• Agree to share information on students with appropriate school staff to maximize student success
• Notify site supervisor if service provider staff will late or unable to attend. The agency is responsible for providing a substitute or replacement.
• As mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect, report to Child Protective Services as necessary. Inform site supervisor.

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