Partners in Family Child Care
Research shows that literacy development in young children is facilitated when they are in high quality early education and care programs. We also know that family child care providers seek training to ensure high quality environments for the children in their care. Children’s Institute and our partnering agencies offer in home professional development to promote early literacy development in an emotionally supportive context.
Audience:
- Family child care providers
Goals:
- To increase high quality family child care settings
- To increase family child care providers’ knowledge of and skill in facilitating literacy-rich environments for the children in their care
- To increase literacy skills in children in family child care settings
Benefits:
- Providers receive individualized information and support for lesson planning, literacy activities, and improving the quality of their relationships with children
- The program uses a home visiting approach, which means providers do not have to leave their homes nor sacrifice income to attend trainings
- Providers can problem-solve, share ideas, and receive social support from each other during monthly group meetings
- Families receive free developmental screenings and information about community resources for children and families
How it Works:
- A highly trained professional comes to the home of the provider twice a month with materials, ideas, and information chosen especially for the provider and the children
- Components of the home visits include the research-based and evidence-based programs, Parents as Teachers, and Early Literacy Program
- With parental consent, research-based tools are used to screen the children for developmental risk factors as well as early learning and literacy
- Children and families with potential needs may elect to receive referrals to existing community services
- Providers may choose to participate in the Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC) offered in a group setting to help support and improve caregiver and child relationships
- For children who qualify, we can facilitate enrollment in a Rochester City School District prekindergarten program
- The program is driven by the needs of the providers and families to ensure that the time and resources spent will result in happier and more satisfied customers
Partners:
- Family Child Care Satellite Network of Greater Rochester at Rochester Childfirst Network
- Family Resource Centers at Crestwood Children’s Center
Awards and Recognitions:
- The program has been identified by the Rochester Education and Literacy (REAL) commission of the mayor of Rochester as a community effort that advances the strategic plan of the REAL commission with the outcome of increasing children’s literacy, as well as their physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development
The importance of high-quality early education is well documented both locally and nationally. A longitudinal study by HighScope shows that an investment of $1 in quality early childhood education will pay back $7 in saved social costs. Based on that research, the City of Rochester’s Literacy Movement includes the strategy of enrolling young children in high quality early education programs in order to help Rochester become the most literate mid-sized city in the United States.