BOURNE — Superintendent Kerri Anne Quinlan-Zhou and Early Childhood Grant Liaison and Program Facilitator Maura Dankert are pleased to announce that Bourne Public Schools has been awarded funding that will allow local families to participate in the Parent-Child Plus program.
The $75,000 grant was awarded to Bourne Public Schools by the Department of Early Education and Care as part of the Parent-Child Plus program, a parenting, early literacy, and school readiness program designed to support parents in building critical school readiness skills, including language, literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional through verbal interaction and educational play between parents and their young children.
Building on the work of the Bourne For Children Children Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) grant, also funded by the Department of Early Education and Care, the Bourne Parent/Child Plus program adds an extra layer of engagement to support families of Bourne Public Schools’ youngest canalmen.
“I am excited to initiate this program into our district and provide Bourne families with all of the amazing resources that the Parent-Child Plus program offers,” Superintendent Quinlan-Zhou said. “The ideologies of the Parent-Child Plus program align with our overarching Building Bridges Initiative and I look forward to working alongside them.”
Grant funds will be used to purchase Verbal Interactive Stimulus Materials specifically, 12 brand new books and 11 brand new toys for families utilizing the program to keep. Funding will also be used to purchase a child development tool, known as the Ages and Stages Questionnaire – Social Emotional ( ASQ-SE). The ASQ-SE helps families become more knowledgeable about their child’s social and emotional development by identifying whether or not infants and young children’s social and emotional development requires further evaluation to determine if referral for intervention services are necessary.
To date, the process of hiring Early Learning Specialists has begun in preparation for the home visiting process, with the first visits anticipated to begin the week of Feb. 27
Bourne residents seeking to participate in the program should contact Maura Dankert at Bournedale Elementary school. 508-743-3800 x6751.
The Parent-Child Plus program will be available to Bourne residents with a child or children ages of 18-48 months.
“On behalf of the entire department, I want to express our gratitude to the Department of Early Education for this generous grant,” Dankert said. “This funding allows us to provide Bourne families with resources that will help their children thrive.”
About the Parent-Child Plus Program:
The Parent-Child Plus program is designed to give Parents or caregivers the opportunity to become actively involved in their child’s education by learning fun, creative, and effective ways to play and read with their child.
The program is a two-year home visiting program that takes place during the school year, with the option of extending through the summer months. Throughout the duration of this program, a trained Early Learning Specialist will bring free educational toys and books for children to keep. The program is fully funded through the department of Early Education and Care.
To learn more about the Parent-Child Plus Program, click here.
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