Family Centers Launches Campaign to Help Kids Reach Developmental Milestones
Family Centers, along with the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC), is launching the Help Me Grow Campaign – a new initiative designed to increase the developmental screening available to children birth to five years of age, while linking at-risk children to necessary services.
“All children can benefit from developmental screening. Screening lets us catch potential developmental delays early on, and provide young children with the help they need to succeed,” comments Myra Jones-Taylor, Executive Director of the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood. “Too many young children still arrive at public school without having their developmental delays identified or getting the services and support they need during the critical early years of development.”
Family Centers, along with several partners, will host several Community Cafés throughout Stamford this spring to provide parents a forum to learn more about how they can help their children reach important developmental milestones. The first event will be held on April 3 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Hillandale School. Additional Community Cafés will take place on April 12 from 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon at Neighbors Link and April 23 from 5:30-7:30 at DOMUS.
Parents interested in attending one of the Cafés should call Helma Gregorich at (203) 324-3167 to make a reservation. Attendance is on a first-come, first-served basis.
“The mission of the Help Me Grow Program is to identify children who need this help early on in their development,” says Karen Foley-Schain, Division Director for the OEC’s Family Support Services Division, which oversees the Help Me Grow Program. “The best way to identify the children who need help is through developmental screening, the use of a formal screening tool to check on development periodically from birth to five years. This screening is typically performed by health care or early care and education providers. It is our intention that the Help Me Grow Campaign bring visibility to our message through events to be held in April, May, and June in different communities around the state.”
Without developmental screening using a formal screening instrument, we can only identify 30% of the children who need help. The Help Me Grow Campaign, through the Community Cafés, will spread the word about universal developmental screening and early intervention, so we can identify 70%-80% of the children at-risk of developmental or behavioral delay and get them the help they need to succeed in school and in life.
Family Centers is a private, nonprofit organization offering education and human services to children, adults and families in Fairfield County. More than 2,400 professionals and trained volunteers work together to provide a wide range of responsive, innovative programs. A United Way, Community Fund of Darien and New Canaan Community Foundation partner agency, Family Centers is a member of the Connecticut Council of Family Service Agencies and the Alliance for Children and Families and is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The agency is licensed by the State of Connecticut Departments of Public Health and Children and Families. Visit www.familycenters.org for additional information.
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