Action Corporation...MATURA utilizes volunteers throughout the agency primarily assisting in Outreach enters and Head Start lassrooms; 261 volunteers donated 13,319 hours last year.

Action Corporation

Annual Report FY 2018

Helping People. Changing Lives.

MATURA utilizes volunteers throughout the agency

primarily assisting in Outreach Centers and Head Start

Classrooms; 261 volunteers donated 13,319 hours last

year. Low-income clients make up over half of this time.

This framework supports MATURA’s mission of empowering others. MATURA Administration and Weatherization Offices 207 N Elm, Creston, IA 50801 Phone 641-782-8431, Fax 641-782-6287

MATURA FaDSS Office 211A N Elm, Creston, IA 50801 Phone 641-782-8431, Fax 641-782-6287

MATURA Head Start Central Office 209 N Elm, Creston, IA 50801 Phone 641-782-6201, Fax 641-782-6302

MATURA Head Start Classrooms Bedford - Taylor Co. Head Start/ Little Dawgs Preschool 906 Pennsylvania , Bedford, IA 50833 Phone 712-523-2116

Corning - Adams Co. Head Start Corning United Methodist Church 901 Nodaway, Corning, IA 50841 Phone 641-344-6021

Creston - Union Co. Head Start 801 N Elm St, Creston IA, 50801 Phone 641-782-8002

Mount Ayr - Ringgold Co. Head Start/ Little Raiders Preschool 302 N Lincoln, Mount Ayr, IA 50854 Phone 641-464-3107

Winterset - Madison Co. Head Start 1726 N John Wayne Drive Winterset, IA 50273 Phone 515-462-1208

MATURA Outreach Centers See back cover for information.

MATURA WIC/MCAH/I-Smile/BFPC/ 1st Five, CCNC 210 Russell Street, Creston, IA 50801 Phone 641-202-7114, Fax 641-278-1141 WIC Cell Phones: (641) 344-6013 or (641) 344 - 6018

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Iowa WORKS Southern Hills 215 N Elm St, Creston IA, 50801 Phone 641-782-2119, Fax 641-782-7060

This year we have seen unexpected

events occur that have drastically

affected some individuals’ day-to-day

lives. One area we have been involved in

is disaster assistance through the state of Iowa.

When you have the opportunity to help others during their time of need,

it will change your perspective of what a disaster really is and how each

person’s needs are unique and require the proper approach to

helping them get back to where they were prior to the disaster.

MATURA has been providing disaster assistance to our

area for several years. Along with the many other

services we provide, it is our hope to strive to meet our

mission of assisting those in need in achieving self-

sufficiency, while strengthening them and improving

their quality of life.

Yours Sincerely,

Ron Ludwig

Executive Director

1

Locations

Message from

Each of us want and need stability in

our lives. There are people each of us

react with and look to for support each

day. If we are lucky, a caring family,

good friends and financial wellness go a long way towards providing us

with this needed stability and support.

This is many times not the case with the clients MATURA serves. For many

reasons, clients look to MATURA’s staff to provide this much needed stabil-

ity and support. This is why every one of you working at MATURA are so

important. Without your commitment to our clients, many would suffer.

On behalf of the Governing Board, I want to thank

every one of you in the MATURA family for every-

thing you do throughout the year for those in

need. Life for many, is improved because of your

commitment. We on the Governing Board realize

this and you have our continued support and

appreciation.

Thank you,

Charles Ambrose

Governing Board Chairman

Message from

Volunteers

30 Years Lydia Brumfield

25 Years Julie Lang

15 Years Danna Buls

10 Years Angie Pettit

Cindy Nelson

5 Years Brenda Sedlmayr Deborah Russell

Adair County

Dave Homan John Gruss Jack Brown

Adams County Leland Shipley Megan Boswell

Madison County Diane Fitch

Bob Duff David Courtney

Ringgold County Kraig Pennington

Dan Cunning Michell Ricker

Taylor County Charles Ambrose, Board Chair

Patty Weese Laura Jones

Union County Rick Friday

Elizabeth Green, Vice Chair Catherine Bristow

Early Childhood Kristie Nixon

Attorney Todd Nielsen

1st Five Public-private partnership bridging primary care and public health services. 1st Five supports health providers in earlier detection of social, emotional and developmental delays and family risk-related factors in children birth to 5, and also coordinates referrals, interventions and follow-up. Breastfeeding Peer Counselor (BFPC) Mother-to-mother support for breastfeeding moms and promotion of breastfeeding before and after delivery. Child Care Nurse Consultants (CCNC) Registered Nurses who provide on-site consulta-tion, training, and technical assistance to early childhood care and education providers. Child Health Program Preventative healthcare for infants and children, assistance for families who have no insurance or insurance does not pay for well-child visits. County General Assistance Emergency assistance for low-income residents in Taylor, Adair, Adams & Union Counties. Disaster Assistance Programs When a state issues disaster declaration and activates programs to assist persons, outreach staff work with local emergency management coordinators to identify families in the communi-ty that may have unmet needs. MATURA is able to then provide both Iowa Individual Assistance and Disaster Case Management Services for those families. Family Development and Self-Sufficiency (FaDSS) Assists families in focusing on strengths that the family has and how to build upon them to gain self-sufficiency. Head Start Provide eligible preschool children with a comprehensive program that focuses on: Early Childhood Education and Development, Health, Nutrition, and Parent Involvement. Healthy And Well Kids in Iowa (Hawk-i) Family outreach for no cost or low cost health care coverage. Crisis Programs Counseling and advocacy services to clients facing eviction and disconnection, and emergen-cy direct payment assistance to prevent families from becoming homeless. I-Smile Designed to ensure dental access to all children regardless of insurance coverage.

Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Program funded by Health and Human Services through the Iowa Department of Human Rights/DCAA, and has been established to help qualify-ing low-income Iowa homeowners and renters pay for portion of their primary heating costs. Applications are taken annually Novem-

ber through April.. Maternal Health Program Preventative healthcare program for pregnant and postpartum women, health education/nutrition counseling and support to encourage healthy pregnancy. Taylor County Volunteer Program Medical transportation, Friendly visiting, and Payee services to DHS-referred clients. Utility Program Various utility companies have established a fund for providing financial assistance to eligible persons, and most funds come from customer contributions. Weatherization Works closely with LIHEAP to help families increase their comfort and decrease home energy usage and cost. Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Youth, Adult, and Dislocated Worker Help participants develop a plan designed to lead them to employment. Provides guidance to career choices, information about local jobs and financial aid for training and on what employers are looking for on applications, résumés, and interviews. Provides supportive services and training assistance to help participants complete training to gain skills for work and with job search using information received from employers. Women, Infant, and Children Program (WIC) Provides the following services: nutrition education, health screenings and referrals, supplemental food assistance, and food packages tailored by dietitian to meet specific need of each individual. WIC is designed to serve: Pregnant women, Postpartum women, Nursing mothers, Infants and children 0-5.

Helping People.

Changing Lives.

2

Programs and Governing

Years of Service

County General Assistance

Emergency assistance is provided for low-income county

residents in Taylor, Adams, Adair, and Union Counties.

Information concerning this program can be obtained by

contacting the outreach centers in the counties listed on

back cover.

3

Assistance through

EMERGENCY FOOD

Assisted 2,169 families and

4,995 individuals with

emergency food packages.

EMERGENCY CLOTHING AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS

Served 49 families and 76 individuals

with emergency clothing and household items through donations.

HOUSING CRISIS ASSISTANCE

to 129 families and 317 individuals.

HOLIDAY OUTREACH

Assisted 625 families and

1,907 individuals with

Christmas gifts or

Holiday food packages.

ESSENTIAL HOUSEHOLD ITEMS

Served 239 families and 568 individuals with nonfood items: toilet paper, laundry

soap, toiletries and diapers.

MATURA Outreach Centers work with families that are in crisis, providing emergency assistance. These centers are successful due to the help of very generous volunteers in the community. Through the outreach centers we have helped with:

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

to 157 families and 372 kids.

TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE

to 102 families and 270 individuals to get to

work or to medical appointments.

EMERGENCY UTILITY ASSISTANCE

Provided 163 families and 400 individuals with

emergency utility assistance.

Volunteer (Taylor County)

This program is funded through

the Iowa DHS in Taylor County

which provides friendly visiting,

indirect services, and payee

services to DHS referred clients

who are often elderly and hand-

icapped individuals. This helps these individuals stay in

their home with some outside assistance.

1st Five Success Story: We had a 4-year-old child referred for behaviors and speech concerns. Mom was a

single mom and trying to work fulltime and manage her child. They were facing eviction from their apartment due to the child's behaviors. Our program focused on both the parent and the child's needs. Referrals to CHSC and speech for the child and mom was referred to local agencies for food, car repairs, counseling, and clothing. 1st Five provided home visits, education, and arranged referrals for family. Our goal was to ensure all needs were addressed and the family would be able to remain in their apartment and function safely. The goal was met and family was discharged. The child's behaviors are controlled and she is talking. Both mom and child go to counseling, mom's car is functioning, and they remained in the apartment.

FaDSS Success - I reside in rural Madison County, with my husband and three kids, Hunter (13), Beau (11), and daughter Kayleigh (5). I began working with FaDSS in early 2017, as a single mom, recently separated from a very toxic relationship, and only a few months sober off a more than 8-year addiction to methamphetamine. We were homeless, with nothing but the car we left in and the clothes on our backs. We stayed with my Grandmother until I could get on my feet. I had no confidence that I could be suc-cessful, starting over to create a normal life for my children and myself.

I reached out to my local church and Community Action Agen-cy. I signed up for Promise Jobs in Polk County, which covered childcare costs so I could job search. I quickly gained employ-ment at a small café in Winterset but due to the café hours, I was unable to make the mandatory 30-hour requirement. I compensated the remaining hours by volunteering at a local youth center where I could spend time with my own children. I later transferred to the Creston office and met my FaDSS work-er; not knowing she was going to be the most influential inspir-ing person to my success story.

With the support of Kristie, we quickly went from a 2-bedroom apartment to a three-bedroom home, while on an extensive waiting list for Section 8, making minimal wages and tips. Kris-tie signed me up for TBRA with rent assistance until Section 8 was approved.

I am blessed to be one of the success stories of how local community agencies and financial aid have empowered and given many women and families the opportunity to gain the skills needed to become self-sufficient. I owe much of my suc-cess to my FaDSS worker. I overcame obstacles and now pre-sent myself with pride and confidence.

With the assistance and guidance received from these pro-grams, we are able to financially provide for our family. I am 2 years clean from meth, active in church and volunteer at our local Community Action Agency while building healthy rela-tionships with friends and family. I am grateful for Kristie as well as for all of the valuable life lessons I have learned through this journey.

- Bethany, FaDSS Participant

FaDSS is an evidence-informed program focusing on long

-term change for families receiving Family Investment

Program (FIP) benefits. In FaDSS is provided in all 99

Iowa Counties through a network of Community Action

Agencies, faith-based organizations and other non-

profits.

Work Preparedness & Employment

In FY 2018 73% of families were involved in FaDSS

FaDSS Provides:

Work preparedness activities

Connections within communities

Assessment and screening of strengths and barriers

Skill Development:

Budgeting

Role modeling of healthy behaviors

Self-advocacy

Goal setting/attainment

Parenting skills

Assistance to communities to respond to families

with a low income who are facing multiple barriers

4

*In FY 18, 48 families were served in FaDSS program.

*73% were involved in a work preparedness activity.

*63% of families exited the program with increased

income.

*100% of participants accessed domestic violence

assistance.

*78% of families obtained safe and affordable housing.

TBRA is a rental assistance subsidy to make housing more

affordable for families. Families must be below 60% of the

area median income to qualify. Housing must be rent reason-

able and pass HQS inspection.

FaDSS families are given priority for this funding.

In FY 19 TBRA assisted 6 households with $29,920.44.

Family Development and

Tenant-Based Rental

Assistance (TBRA)

WIC SUCCESS: A very young mom in Clarke County came to the WIC clinic. Without transportation and no other family in Iowa, she was told by her peers that a young mom should not go back to school. Staff talked to her about her goals including returning to school. Mom did not know about newborn care, bathing or how to do oral care. Staff talked with her about calling her MCO to get transportation to the doctor’s office. Staff had finished clinic but sat with her for 30-45 minutes until her ride came and picked her up. She had not been buckling child into the car seat correctly so staff assisted with this too.

5

Parent Engagement Information/Transition Parent/family events were offered in all of the counties we serve:

Open House 2 Parent/Teacher Conferences 2 Home Visits Orientation Day Parent Meetings (various topics) End of the Year Celebrations

MATURA Head Start Child Assessment Summary - The area of mathematics and language had the lowest percent of children meeting or exceeding. Professional Development for the 2019-20 school year will be as fol-lows: Continuation of Practice Based Coaching. Training will include support of curriculum fidelity

and math activities in a developmentally appropriate way.

Number of Center-based Classrooms

Bedford (in partnership) 2 Creston 3 Mt. Ayr 1 Winterset 1 Corning 1

Medical and Dental Information

Children who received physical exam

Children who received dental exam

Fiscal Year 2018 Funding Head Start Budget $952,902 Head Start Training $16,429 Total $969,331 Head Start In Kind $242,333 Total Budget $1,211,663 State Pre-K Funds received 2015-2016 $68,837

Enrollment School Year 2017-2018 Funded Enrollment 113 Cumulative* Enrollment 136 Average Monthly Enrollment 98 Cumulative* Enrollees Requiring IEP 19% Children with Health Insurance 96% *(includes any child enrolled at least one day)

2017-2018 Child Outcomes:

3 year old program -The highest percentage gain for

3 year olds was in literacy. The percentage of children

meeting literacy goals went from 37% in the fall to

90% in the spring with a 53% increase.

4 year old program -The highest percentage gain for

4 year olds was in mathematics which was an increase

of 53% from 33% in the fall to 86% in the spring.

Head Start

100%

91%

0

The Weatherization Assistance Program is a low-income energy efficiency program designed to make the homes of low-income clients more energy efficient, thereby saving money. The program also provides important health and safety services. MATURA’s Weatherization Program was able to complete 22 homes during the 2018 fiscal year in our six county service area.

MATURA received 1,970 applications for the Low - Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and approved assistance payments to 1,938 house-holds to supplement their heating costs. MATURA also assisted:

68 families in crisis with 24 furnace repairs/replacements,

10 heaters, 1 deliverable fuel payment, 4 emergency reconnects, 6 service continuity, and 24 emergency

cooling air conditioners/fans.

The total expenditure for furnace repair/replacement furnaces was $40,787.99.

6

Weatherization

Low-Income Home

Energy Assistance

Energy saving measures include sealing air leaks, installing insulation in attics, walls, and crawlspaces, and tuning or upgrading heating systems.

Funds for the weatherization program come from the Department of Energy, LIHEAP, Alliant Energy, and MidAmerican Energy. We also have a wonderful partnership with our local SICOG and were the recip-ients of a grant helping with the cost of weatherizing homes.

Adair, $32,357.35

Adams, $32,644.09

Madison, $13,244.97

Ringgold, $74,090.68

Taylor, $11,016.04

Union, $91,191.73

WEATHERIZATION FY 2018 -FUNDS PAID BY COUNTY

Child Care Nurse Consultant (CCNC): Performance Measures:

# of visits by a consultant: 103 # of programs participating with a

nurse consultant (unduplicated): 36 # of programs participating (may fit into more than one category)

Non-registered: 1

DHS registered: 19

DHS licensed: 16

DE regulated: 0

QRS level 3: 3

QRS level 4: 15

QRS level 5: 4

7

CCNC Maternal Health

% of women with a past preventive

visit: 67.2% ( 2% )

% of infants ever breastfed:

82.7% ( 2%)

% of women who had a dental visit in

the last year:

22.36% ( 9.5%)

% of infants breast- fed exclusively

through 6 months : ( 1.2%)

% of infants born to pregnant women receiving prenatal

care the first

trimester: 80% ( 4%)

% of women served (MH program) who

report a medical

home: 30%

Unduplicated number of MH clients: 161. Note, this is the unduplicated number. Most clients receive more than one ser-vice.

The closeness of staff living in the communities we serve, creates an extra measure of compassion and concern and promotes “going the extra mile” to assure clients who are expecting or who have just delivered receive education and support that is vital to a healthy pregnancy and post-partum period. Every RN employed by MATURA is cross-trained to provide the other MH services. This avoids missed opportu-nities due to the MH nurses serving another client or the MH nurse gone from clinic that day. Cross training also extends to the WIC program so every RN is well versed in promoting and supporting breastfeeding and nutritional issues and concerns.

FY 18 Child Health National Performance Measures (NPM)

(required) *Comparing to FY 17

% of inform completions:

71.01% ( 48% )

% children fully immunized by

24 months:

76% ( 8%)

% of adolescents ages 13-15 fully

immunized:

76% ( highest level in

the state)

% of 13-15 year old females and males vaccinated for HPV:

49% ( highest level in

the state)

% of children & adolescents served

who report a medical home:

94% ( 20%)

# of children ages 9-71 months

receiving developmental screening using

parent completed screening tool

365

Clients who are newly eligible for Medicaid are made aware of their benefits. We had the second highest inform completion rate in the entire state last year. Staff are cross-trained so regardless of which staff member encounters a client, they will receive accurate information critical to his or her health. This also means that every staff member is well versed in well-child needs, anticipator guidance and referrals to needed programs and services. Lead screenings are provided, regard-less of insurance, per protocol. Devel-opmental screenings are performed when clients report a medical home but have no indication that well-child appointments are made or kept. Possible developmental delays have been uncovered simply because staff looks beyond reports of a medical home. These discoveries often move the client’s family to actually estab-lishing a medical home rather than just claiming to have one.

FY 18 Maternal Health National Performance Measures (NPM) (required) *Comparing to FY 17

# of parent completed

developmental screens provided:

533

# of children receiving an emotional/ behavioral assessment ( ex: ASQ: SE)

38

# of parent completed emotional/ behavioral

assessments provided:

39

# of health care clinics receiving education and

support for the use of developmental screenings and/or brief emotional/

behavioral assessments:

4

Lead screenings performed:

396

% of adolescents with a preventive services visit in the last year: 10-14 years: 79% 15-18 years: 83% 19-20 years: 42%

Child &Adolescent

Heath

8

Women, Infants,

and Children (WIC)

Below are WIC numbers for FY 2018 for total of women, infants, and children. Our num-bers did decrease a bit over the year, following the state trend of decreased WIC partici-pation. The outreach focus was to increase the percentage of those enrolled with benefits.

We went from 81.05% at the beginning of the fiscal year to

86.13% at the end of the fiscal year.

422 416 409 397 389 395 383 396 392 395 409 405

429 429 418 404 404 401 394 404 400 398 400 389

1895 1867 1831 1830 1819 1812 1747 1763 1756 1759 1799 1801

0

500

1000

1500

2000

October November December January February March April May June July August September

WIC Numbers FY 2018

Women Infants Children

Trainings/ in-services completed by BFPC: November - Review contact schedule, focus

documentation, MARs (Monthly Activity Re-ports)

December - MARs and Focus Documentation corrections.

January - Breast reduction and breastfeeding- Milk Mob

February - Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Issues Guidance on Informal Milk Sharing for Healthy Term Infants

March - Using the "next contact" feature in Focus.

April - How common are unsafe infant sleep practices - Medscape

July - Placental ingestion and breastfeeding - Milk Mob

August - Universal Precautions September - MAR corrections Statistics related to peer counselors:

# of mothers/babies served by peer counseling: 128 Ever-breastfed rate for WIC agency: 76% Ever-breastfed rate for peer counseling clients: 43%

1st Five is a public - private partnership bridging

primary care and public health services in Iowa.

The performance measure for this year was the

number of referrals from one of the practices. We

received the incentive. We engaged Greater

Regional Medical Center and received 24 referrals.

I-Smile

HAWK-i

1st-Five

Breastfeeding Peer

Counseling (BFPC)

Our I-Smile program is provided, first, by RNs within the WIC

clinic environment. We reach the 0-5 year old population,

providing oral health instruction before dental disease has set

in. These services include screening, risk assessment, topical

fluoride varnish, oral hygiene instruction and nutritional coun-

seling for control and prevention of oral disease.

Secondly, the I-Smile at school staff provide sealants to those

who have a signed consent in the school setting. Sealants are

then applied to healthy teeth. We serve second through sixth

grade in Adair, Adams and Union counties.

Duplicated services according to age group are:

<1 year: 737 1-4: 2421

5-6: 252 7-13: 2078 TOTAL: 5488

Month Enrolled Enrolled with

Benefits

October 2338 81.05%

November 2358 79.18%

December 2247 81.49%

January 2261 80.94%

February 2245 81.02%

March 2209 82.03%

April 2192 79.70%

May 2138 82.46%

June 2158 81.37%

July 2169 81.10%

August 2190 82.15%

September 2091 86.13%

Outreach to instruct about HAWK-i (Healthy and

Well Kids in Iowa) to specific groups include:

Schools

Providers

Faith-based programs

Special Populations (factories/businesses)

Other (Libraries, Extension, Health Fairs and

Wellness Expos)

Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA)

Serving citizens who seek us out for job search assistance:

We support our local businesses by presenting employment

opportunities to our customers. There are multiple types of

jobs in the following areas: healthcare, manufacturing, retail,

maintenance and truck driving.

Assistance to customers through partnerships

The local area is fortunate to have great

partners who work with us to serve cus-

tomers, especially those with barri-

ers. The local vocational rehabilitation

staff, adult basic education/literacy staff,

department for the blind, and workforce center staff meet

monthly to coordinate services for common customers to

avoid duplication and add extra services and benefits to

those residents of our region who need extra help in gaining

employment or education opportunities.

FY 2018 CSBG Year - End Client Characteristics

9

Workforce Innovation

and Opportunity Act IowaWorks Response to Business Closures

Staff went onsite to visit with employees that were being affected by business closures to discuss center services, filing for unemployment and possible training assistance. Staff were able to reach out to employees that were employed with Shopko in Red Oak, Greenfield, and Mt. Ayr and the Afton Care Center in Afton.

Work Experiences Staff assist the youth, where like an internship, they gain the skills needed to prepare them to enter the workforce: an improved work history and work references, along with an opportunity to actively participate in a specific work field. They are mentored throughout the experience and given advice to make them successful in their employment. Sever-al of our Work Experiences have lead to full-time employ-ment for the individuals.

Total unduplicated # for whom characteristics were obtained :

2,065 Persons 8,873 Families

The full 990 and Audit are posted on our Home Page of our website:

http://www.maturacommunityaction.com

The Des Moines Register solicits donations for

Embrace Iowa and partners with the Iowa

Community Action Association to help households

experiencing an emergency or hardship with short-

term financial help. MATURA was able to pass on

those funds to pay for items not normally covered

by MATURA funds. See the chart below for break-

down of how funds were dispersed.

Forty-five (45) MATURA applications were approved.

Twenty-seven (27) of those households with children

were served with Embrace Iowa funds totaling

$10,998.20.

10

MATURA Financials Embrace Iowa

The Promise of Community Action

Community Action changes people’s lives, embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities, and makes America a better place to live. We care about the entire community, and we are dedicated to help-ing people help themselves and each other.

Helping People. Changing Lives.

Mission Statement

MATURA Action Corporation shall provide quality programming for families and individuals in need, assisting them in achieving self-sufficiency, strengthening families and in improving their quality of life.

Adair County 354 Public Square

Greenfield, IA 50849 (641) 743-2424

Open Monday - Friday 8:00am-4:30pm

Adams County

1402 Hull Street Corning, IA 50841

(641) 322-4096 Open Monday/Wednesday/Friday

8:00am-4:30pm

Madison County

1724 N John Wayne Drive Winterset, IA 50273

(515) 462-4704 Open Monday - Friday

8:00am-4:30pm

Ringgold County 306 S Garfield

Mount Ayr, IA 50854 (641) 464-2401

Open Monday - Thursday 8:00am-4:30pm

Taylor County

607 Madison Street Bedford, IA 50833

(712) 523-3144 Open Monday - Friday

8:00am-4:30pm

Union County 207B N Elm

Creston, IA 50801 (641) 782-8431

Open Monday/Wednesday/Friday 8:30am-4:30pm

Outreach Locations MATURA’s designated counties include Madison, Adair, Taylor, Union, Ringgold, and Adams Counties. A few of our services extend into surrounding counties. Please visit us at http://www.maturacommunityaction.com to see the service area of each of our programs and services.