Early Start Birth to 3

Serving families with children ages birth to three (including prenatal), the Early Start Birth to Three Program is an Illinois State Board of Education Block Grant Initiative. Our purpose is to strengthen families and promote the well-being of children through parent education and support.

We believe:

• Parents and primary caregivers are the first and most important teacher in a child's life. The parent and child relationship should be nurtured, celebrated, and preserved.
• Parent education, supportive services, and community resources are available to all families.
• The uniqueness of every family is respected by understanding the context of the history and culture of the families and our community.

 

The central goal of the program is to help parents develop the skills and confidence needed to encourage and foster their children's healthy development, therefore enhancing the children's ability to function well on school entry.

The program is organized to create empowerment through information and activities. Parent education information includes, but is not limited to, child growth and development, personal development, childbirth and child care, healthy family systems, family relationships, healthy mothers and healthy infants prenatal and postnatal, child abuse prevention, and developing parenting skills.