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Guest column: The importance of early childhood education
Suzan Gage, Special to the News-Herald
The older children get, the more we can see how significant their younger years were in their development. Experiences occurring during this period provide the foundation for them as individuals when they grow older. With a strong foundation, they can grow into successful adults.
This is why the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida (ELCNWF) emphasizes the importance of early education and the effects it can have on your children beyond their youngest years.
There are many tools available that contribute to a child’s future success, but two big factors that help ensure your child is on track for a bright education: consistently doing checkups on how they’re developing and understanding the far-reaching impact childcare teachers have on a child’s life.
These go hand in hand as parents and guardians search for resources that will help them navigate the complexities of raising a child and setting them up for success.
It’s vitally important for parents to understand just how ready their children are for kindergarten, both physically and developmentally. ELCNWF is partnered with Help Me Grow Northwest Florida, which offers free developmental screenings to children younger than 9 who live in Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties.
The screening begins with a simple questionnaire that will help families better understand their child’s growth and ensure that they are on the developmental track to success. Help Me Grow Northwest Florida knows how crucial early intervention is and encourages parents to use the screenings to celebrate their children’s milestones.
This service will also connect a family with a professional if early intervention is appropriate. The results of these screenings can also be shared with childcare teachers so they’re able to understand and accommodate each child’s unique needs.
Childcare teachers are the building blocks for a child’s educational success, and they set the foundation for our children’s lifelong learning experiences. Kickstart Success addresses the need for more childcare teachers in our local communities and early learning centers.
This is a tremendous opportunity for local residents to launch a career in early education, making a difference in the lives of the next generation. Becoming a childcare teacher at your own child’s learning center is a great way to make a meaningful impact in your community while spending precious quality time with your own child and being a mentor to their peers.
ELCNWF recognizes that it takes more than just one thing to ensure every child has a bright future. Developmental screenings and childcare teachers work to enhance local childcare centers and support improved early education. The result is nothing short of better outcomes for all our area’s children.
Suzan Gage is the executive director of the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida. For more information on Help Me Grow Screenings and Kickstart Success, visit elcnwf.org.
Wellness During the Holidays
There are a few simple things that we can do this holiday season to help our children stay mentally and physically well. Diet plays a critical role in our wellness and foods such as berries, green vegetables, and pumpkin seeds promote brain development and support immune health.
Fatigue, body aches, and feeling down can be a sign that your child is overdue for a wellness check, but don’t forget about their brain’s health! Mental health challenges can be overwhelming during the holiday season. This is to be expected when routines are off, family members you haven’t seen for a while are crowded in your personal space, and there’s tons of funny looking food without a chicken nugget in sight.
Here are some tips for helping your child combat stress:
- Plan ahead and consider creating a safe space for your children to express themselves in new places. Reflect and respond to your child’s thoughts, feelings, and needs which will create an atmosphere of understanding and acceptance for your child and help prevent problems.
- Pick your battles and try to use humor. Finding a way to laugh with your child will help relieve their body’s stress response and redirect from negative feelings.
While children pour into their caregivers for support this holiday season, it is important that we don’t forget to pour into ourselves. Self-care can replenish a parent’s energy, focus, and positivity. Whatever strategies you choose to keep you and your family well, be intentional and do it with love. For more tips on how to promote your child’s wellness during the holidays, contact our Help Me Grow team at [email protected].
Free family program offers development screenings for children
By COLLIN BREAUX November 2, 2023
Parents of young and growing children may wonder if their child is on the autistic spectrum or if they are developing in a healthy way–and looking for assistance resources.
Help Me Grow Northwest Florida is able to provide such screening and referral services. The free and confidential program is available to families in Washington and Holmes counties–as well as Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, and Jackson counties.
Developmental screenings are available for children under nine years old. Parents can complete an online screening and learn more information at ScreeningsHelpMeGrow.org.
“We help families monitor their child’s development,” Help Me Grow Northwest Florida Early Childhood Care Coordination Manager Alyssa Gray said. “If there is a need, we make a referral.”
Screenings allow parents to see where their kids are on the developmental path and monitoring children can help parents see how their young ones are growing, Gray said.
Addressing developmental challenges early is important since much of an individual’s physical and mental formation takes place early, she said. A recent survey of registered voters in Northwest Florida found that 8 in 10 residents agree that developmental screenings are critical to making sure children are on the right developmental path, according to a news release.
A lot of concern is had regarding children being on the autistic spectrum, according to Gray. One of their screenings checks for autism in toddlers.
Several families who have used Help Me Grow have “walked through that journey,” Gray said. One mother in particular has learned to embrace “new parenting models” after learning her child was autistic.
“Some of our greatest success are giving mom and dad peace of mind that their child is developing well,” Gray said.
Help Me Grow is “parent-driven” and does not tell parents what they’re doing is wrong or how to handle their child’s unique needs, she said.
“Working with these families early on can change the trajectory of their child’s development,” Gray said.
Father’s Parent Cafe
September 10, 2023 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
A Father’s Parent Cafe will be held at Life Out Loud Church on Sunday, September 10th, from 1-3 PM. The afternoon will consist of peer-to-peer learning and deep self-reflections through facilitated conversations with other fathers and father figures. Additionally, there will be door prizes, gift cards, and a BBQ dinner provided!
Join us for an impactful discussion on What Drives You? by registering on the link below. We’ll see you there!
Help Me Grow gets $60K grant for ‘Parent Cafes’
As featured in:
Special to the Floridian
Updated: September 9, 2022
Help Me Grow of Northwest Florida has been awarded a $60,000 grant it will use to establish and support new “Parent Cafés,” in-person gatherings of parents in Jackson and other counties served by the organization.
The parents will be there to share with each other their challenges, their solutions to them, and generate ideas among themselves as they meet each time. There’s also a virtual-attendance option.
In a press release, the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida describes this as an opportunity for Help Me Grow “advance family engagement,” with the parent-led and staff supported café sessions organized along some set themes that help keep the focus trained on furthering family resilience, social connections, support, knowledge and competence.
The grant was bestowed by the Help Me Grow National Center. The intent of the grant is to expand support to local parents and caregivers and to assist in outreach to families and local communities in: Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, and Washington counties, the release advised.
Stories & Screenings by Help Me Grow
May 19, 2022 @ 9:30 am – 11:30 am
An event for families with children ages birth to 5. Includes storytime and developmental information for you and your child!
Jackson County Public Library
2929 Green St, Marianna, FL 32446
Starts at 9:30AM (CST)
Only 25 spots available for each age group.
(Ages Birth to 2) (Ages 3-5)
To register, complete an online Ages and Stages questionnaire. https://www.asqonline.com/family/cb450c
A Help Me Grow specialist will contact you to discuss the screening results, and provide details for attending the event.