Building Strong Communities through Early Childhood Development, Parent Education and Family Support

Building Strong Communities Building Strong Communities through through

Early Childhood Development, Early Childhood Development, Parent Education and Family Parent Education and Family

SupportSupport

Birth25%

Wiring of the Brain!

Birth25%

One Year75%

Wiring of the Brain!

Birth25%

One Year75%

Three Years90%

Wiring of the Brain!

How Young Children LearnHow Young Children Learn

Relationships are at the core of learning

Social-emotional-intellectual learning are inextricably linked

Play = Learning The way adults interact with

children makes a difference

Objectives for ChildrenObjectives for Children

encourage social & verbal interaction among children & between parent & child

promote early brain development for early literacy, learning & eventual school success

have access to developmentally appropriate materials and activities

begin the process of lifelong learning

Objectives for ParentsObjectives for Parents increase parent

awareness & use of library services & materials

introduce parents to community agencies and resources

lessen sense of isolation

increase knowledge of child development & early literacy

support the parent as the child’s first teacher

provide a safe place in community to share activities with children when it is convenient for the family

encourage parents to talk, play, sing and read aloud early & often

feel confident & empowered

Objectives for LibrariesObjectives for Libraries

Broaden range of children’s services to include infant, toddler & parent services

Increase use of library materials appropriate for young children, parents & caregivers

Reach new and underserved audiences

Institute a new interactive relationship with the community

Become a vital community resource for healthy early childhood development, early literacy and family support

Develop staff capacity as family support providers

Core Components Core Components of a of a

Family Place LibraryFamily Place Library

Collections for Collections for Parents/Caregivers and Children Parents/Caregivers and Children

Beginning at BirthBeginning at Birth

Environment and SpaceEnvironment and Space

Environment and Space

Identify and build relationships with other family serving agencies and outreach to new and underserved audiences

Professionally Trained Professionally Trained StaffStaff

serving families through partnerships

infant brain development child development parent education space design collection development outreach and coalition

building running the Parent Child

Workshop documentation and

evaluation

Parent/Child WorkshopParent/Child WorkshopSignature ProgramSignature Program

Play-based and InformalPlay-based and Informal

Parent and Child TogetherParent and Child Together

Librarian serves as facilitator, Librarian serves as facilitator, early literacy and information early literacy and information

specialistspecialist

Community Resource Community Resource ProfessionalsProfessionals

• Speech, Hearing, Language & Early Literacy

• Child Development• Nutrition• Music, Play and

Health

Room DesignRoom Design

Play and Book Area Art Activity Area Resource Material Area

Room DesignRoom Design

Parent Child Workshop Parent Child Workshop Format and Audience Format and Audience

5 WeeksOnce per week 1 ¼ hours per sessionFor children 1-3 years and parents and caregivers Infant and preschool siblings may attend with registered toddler.

Parent ResponseParent Response “I’m putting more time and effort into being with her

and helping her recognize things. Now I shut off the TV, play music and read to her.”

“ I talk more and differently. I used to be silent. Now I interact and tell her what I’m doing and point to things and talk about them.”

“I let her ‘read’ more. She plays a bigger role now in making decisions, selecting books and songs “

I used to put everything away at home. Now I have books and other things on the tables to talk about.

It changed my relationship with my child, my relationship with other children and my relationship with other parents. I would not have missed it.

Family Place Library BenefitsFamily Place Library Benefits Have a proven framework and model Participation in the Family Place Training Institute plus

3 years of technical assistance including one on-site visit

Annually updated training materials Participation in National Family Place Libraries™

Symposiums and other training opportunities Affiliation with a nationally recognized family-centered

library initiative including use of the trademarked Family Place logo and materials

Recognition nationwide as a member of the National Family Place Libraries™ initiative (including inclusion on the Family Place website with links to your library’s website)

National Recognition Publications

Talk to Me Baby by Betty Bardige Learning to Read the Word,

Language and Literacy in the First Three Years, by Joanne Knapp-Philo

Many Families Many Literacies, an International Declaration of Principles, Denny Taylor, ed.

Additional publications include books published by ALA and Neal Schuman and articles in American Libraries, Family Support Magazine, and an entire issue of Zero to Three

National Partners

Sirius Thinking, producer of PBS’ Between the Lions

National Association of Mothers’ Centers

Parent Child Home Program

Get Ready to Read

Director’s CommentsDirector’s Comments “We implemented Family Place

in three library systems, Saginaw, Oklahoma City and Norfolk. I can say that in every location, the thing that touched people most was that people understood it and emotionally responded well to it. Family Place has given us a model that we can use immediately. It’s a model that works, a model that makes sense, it’s replicable and staff and the community love it. In each community, Family Place put the library on the radar screens of funders and the city councils.”

Norm Maas,Director of the Norfolk Public Library.

Librarian commentsLibrarian comments“Since becoming a Family Place Library, our library looks different, sounds different and feels different. The Family Place concept has opened up our minds to all that a library can be for its community. The training has provided us with a springboard, propelling us into creating new programs and partnerships, and acquiring new resources for our community. “— Family Place Coordinator, Shippensburg Public Library, Shippensburg, PA 

Family Place Family Place LibrariesLibraries™

www.familyplacelibraries.org