Junot DíazJunot Díaz, honorary chair and featured speaker at The Parent-Child Home Program’s inaugural gala, was awarded the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and is a tenured professor at MIT. His critically praised, bestselling debut book, “Drown,” led to his inclusion in Newsweek’s “New Faces of 1996.”

At right: Díaz enjoying his gift from the Program.

A PROVEN BEGINNING FOR SCHOOL SUCCESS SINCE 1965

PArent-ChilD home ProgrAmN E W S L E T T E R

Fall 2010Volume 11, Issue 1

literacy Champions, the Parent-Child home Program’s First Annual gala

On November 16, 2010 The Parent-Child Home Program hosted the inaugural Literacy Champions fundraising gala at the Yale Club in New York City. The eve-ning was hosted by Greg Kelly, co-host of Good Day New York, and featured Junot Diaz, Pulitzer Prize winning author of “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao,” as the honorary chair and featured speaker. The evening honored financial expert, Bill O’Brien, CEO of Direct Edge, America’s newest stock exchange, who spoke pow-erfully about his support for the Program, “When I was first approached about tonight’s event, it was an easy decision for me to get on board. That’s because The Parent-Child Home Program is all about unlocking a child’s potential. And it’s even more than that because of the home-based approach. Everyone can get behind helping children, that’s easy, but The Parent-Child Home Program goes a step further, helping the parents, which helps the entire family and makes success so much more likely.”

The inaugural event opened with a cocktail reception and a wonderful silent auction from 6:30 to 8:00 and was followed by a seated dinner for over 280 guests. The evening’s event was co-chaired by Melissa Skoog Dunagan, Eric Hess, and Tanya

Zaben. The energetic and enthusiastic Benefit Committee was a mix of New Yorkers from the worlds of fashion, art, and finance. The Penguin Group provided wonderful support, connecting us with Junot Diaz, providing gift bags for attend-ees, and donating to the silent auction.

Julian Gomez, Parent-Child Home Program Board Member and a Program graduate, and Sarah Walzer, Executive Director, described the Program to the packed ballroom, highlighting the Program’s powerful impact on the families who participate—building literacy-rich home environments, and bridging the achievement gap by preparing low-income children for school success and high school graduation. The evening concluded with a spirited live auction and wonderful jazz from the Sharif Zaben quintet.

The funds raised will support the expan-sion of the Parent-Child Home Program’s effective, hands-on approach to bringing literacy and school readiness to families who have not had educational or econom-ic opportunities. Thank you to everyone for supporting this critical school readiness program for young families and for making our inaugural gala an astounding success. More photos on page 5.

Bill O’Brien, Our Inaugural Gala Honoree5

Literacy Champions, The Parent-Child Home Program’s First Annual Gala

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A Story of Success From Our FL Guatemalan-Maya Center Site3

Run! Jump! Skip! Dance! Young Children Need to Move4

Thank You to Our Recent Supporters5

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two key supporters of the Program’s expansion, nancy Douzinas, President of the rauch Foundation, and Abby o’neill, enjoy the inaugural gala!

We were overwhelmed by the huge turnout and generosity of our supporters at our in-augural gala on November 16th. The gala’s success was a wonderful demonstration of the power of the Program. Even in these challenging economic times, we continue to see increased interest and support. This summer the United Way of King County, WA announced a $25 million campaign to take The Parent-Child Home Program to scale, reaching at least 1,200 families a year. We are delighted to be working with them on this exciting expansion. As part of this westward expansion, we have recently hired Nancy Ashley as our Washington-Oregon Regional Coordinator. Nancy originally “met” us when she assisted the Business Partnership for Early Learning with the implementation of the Program in Seattle; now she will be working with com-munities in Washington and Oregon to help start new sites and expand existing ones.

As we expand, we continue to find new ways to share the knowledge base and skills we have developed over 45 years of implementing the Program. This year the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care awarded The Parent-Child Home Program a grant to implement an ARRA Early Literacy Initiative. With this stimulus grant, Massachusetts Parent-Child Home Program staff are providing a series of workshops to family child care providers focused on early literacy concepts over a developmental continuum. The content of the workshops comes from the Parent-

Child Home Program curriculum and our MA Program staff are able to share their extensive knowledge on building early literacy and school readiness skills into home environments and caregiver/children relationships (For more on these work-shops see below).

We are also delighted to announce the addition of a new board member, Catha Day-Carlson. Catha brings a wealth of experience and energy to the board. She has both an MBA and a Masters in Education and founded a non-profit or-ganization, Children We Care, to support the educational needs of at-risk children, particularly in communities affected by hur-ricane Katrina. Catha has already begun to work with Program staff on outreach in Mississippi and Louisiana. Finally, we pay tribute to two long-time Board members and even longer time Program supporters who retired this year, Dede Frank and Nina Ambrosino. Dede and Nina have supported the Program for many years as a volunteer home visitor and a community advocate and for the past five years (Dede) and ten years (Nina) as committed members of the Board and the Program Committee. We thank them for their service and their many, many years of commitment to the Program.

Thank you all for everything you do for the Program. Sarah E. Walzer, Executive Director

letter from the executive Director

Board of Directors

Executive Committee

Eric W. Hess, PresidentDirect Edge | Jersey City, NJSonia W. Hamstra, First Vice PresidentAIG Asset Management | New York, NYDoris Kertzner, Second Vice PresidentFormer Coordinator Great Neck/Manhasset Parent-Child Home Program | Hempstead, NYHoward Landsberg, TreasurerWeiserMazars LLP | New York, NYJane C. Spencer, SecretaryNew York, NYBarry A. Berman, Member-at-largeNexPet/Grandma Mae’s Country Naturals New York, NYTai Chang Terry, J.D., Member-at-largeTime Warner Inc. | New York, NY

Directors

Barbara H. Baskin, Ed.D.Professor Emerita, Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NYCharles L. ButtsFormer Ohio State Senator | Cleveland, OHCatha Day-CarlsonNew York, NYBrenda DiLeoDeloitte & Touche LLP | New York, NYTracy Dodd, SPHRCA Technologies | Islandia, NYMelissa Skoog DunaganSkoog Productions, LLC | New York, NYLisa Filomia-AktasErnst & Young LLP | New York, NYHillary A. Frommer, J.D.Farrell Fritz, P.C. | New York, NYJulian A. Gomez, J.D.Sojitz Corporation of America | New York, NYThea Kelly, Past PresidentDorothea Kelly CPA, LLC | Dorset, VTJoan F. Kuchner, Ph.DStony Brook University | Stony Brook, NYEverett MilesMerrill Lynch | New York, NYJames M. MolloyBarclays Capital | New York, NYMarlene M. MotykaDeloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP New York, NYRobert C. MunroeMcKinsey & Company | Los Angeles, CAKristian M. WhalenVestar Capital Partners | New York, NYTanya Zaben Tanya Zaben Design | New York, NY

National Center StaffSarah E. Walzer, J.D.Executive DirectorMichele Morrison, M.Ed.Training and Program Support DirectorPatricia G. Peters, M.Ed.Resource Development DirectorMary L. Durel, M.Ed.National Expansion DirectorCesar Zuniga, M.S.Research and Evaluation DirectorAmy S. Hamper-GilmoreSite Certification and Training AssociateMelissa Biles, M.A.Senior Research AssociateDina ShahverdiOffice ManagerPema Domingo-Barker Communications and Outreach Associate

Regional CoordinatorsNancy Ashley | Washington/OregonAndre Eaton, MSW | New YorkBeth Fagan | IrelandCarol Rubin | Massachusetts

State Funds Workshops for Family Child Care Providers in massachusetts

With a stimulus grant from the MA Early Education and Care Department, Parent- Child Home Program staff are conducting workshops for family child care providers on expanding literacy and school readiness activities with the children in their care. Participants report success implementing what they have learned with the children. They especially enjoyed how the children responded when given the opportunity to tell the story in their own words. One provider reported that one of her children copied her many voices while trying to retell the story they read together. With so many low-income children spending pre-school and after school time in family child care settings, it is wonderful to be able to share The Parent-Child Home Program’s knowledge of early literacy and learning with these providers.

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Florida expansionIn its second year of serving families, the Palm Beach County, FL Parent-Child Home Program is funded by the Children’s Ser-vices Council (CSC) of Palm Beach County, a special countywide taxing district that supports programs to improve the lives of the county’s children and their families. In July 2009, CSC established the Healthy Beginnings System of Care comprised of over 16 evidence-based intervention programs designed to meet a broad range of needs for families with young children.

As a part of the Healthy Beginnings System, the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County was selected as the Lead Agency for the Parent-Child Home Program, overseeing the direct services subcontracted through five local agencies serving families based upon their culture and language. The Palm Beach County Parent-Child Home Program site cluster is unique because of this sup-port from the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County, a community non-profit with over 20 years of service dedicated to promot-ing and achieving literacy for all the county’s residents. The Literacy Coalition provides literacy programs for 30,000 children and adults, including Literacy Americorps providing over 42,500 service hours per year.

The five local partner agencies are: ASPIRA of Florida, Inc., serving Hispanic families; The Guatemalan-Maya Center, serving Guate-malan-Maya families; Minority Development and Empowerment, Inc., serving Haitian/Haitian-American Families; NOAH, Inc., serving families living in The Glades, Florida (a farming community); and the Sickle Cell Foundation, serving African American families.

The Program will be serving 286 families countywide with up to 34 weeks of service per program year (and an additional 24 weeks for children enrolled under the age of 2). Each family receives not only the minimum 23 books and educational toys per program year, but every third week is introduced to two activities that are related to the books and toys.

For more information contact Cobi Dunn Baker, Parent-Child Home Program Director, the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County, (561)279-9103.

A Story of Success From our Palm Beach County, Fl guatemala-maya Center Site

This is a story about a child who entered The Parent-Child Home Program just over two months ago, at the age of 20 months, un-able to speak at all. During the intake, we realized she couldn’t pronounce a single word, including “mom” or “dad.” When she attempted to speak, she only babbled, making incomprehensible sounds. Her father believed her language difficulties were due to a lack of oxygen at birth. Comparing her development to that of his four older children, he was concerned she had sustained perma-nent brain damage and thought she might need more help than The Parent-Child Home Program could provide. Hesitantly, the family agreed to enter the Program.

When we began, the child’s mother, who works full-time, was too tired and distracted to engage in the home visits and the child was unable to concentrate on the books and toys. During the home visits, the child ran and jumped all over the house, so the Home Visitor began to use games and music to focus her attention. This tactic worked, and as the child’s attention span developed, so did her language. As she began to learn and use real words at an as-tounding pace, the mother, encouraged and excited by the prog-ress she was seeing in her child, got more involved in the Program. She began participating fully in home visits and the Home Visitor could see a real relationship, built on enjoyment and learning, building between mother and child, while before, their relationship was based just on meeting the child’s basic needs. This parent-child relationship further facilitated the child’s development.

The change in the home environment was evident during the “play food” activity. The whole family engaged with and supported the child and language development was just a part of the game. The child, her sisters, and her mother set up a pretend buffet, with a fancy Guatemalan table cloth and all kinds of pretend Guatemalan food, including chicken. As the whole family and the Home Visitor pretended to eat together, everyone seemed engaged, relaxed, and happy. Amid the fun and laughter, the Home Visitor asked the child to name the food, and she named some of it correctly. When she was done, she said, “I want cookies,” and got up to get some

pretend cookies, speaking a full sentence where just two months before, she was unable to pronounce a single word. After the pretend dinner, the child and her sisters built a fort and pretended it was a food store. The Home Visitor asked the child what she wanted to buy from the store and she named several foods. When the Home Visitor left, the mother, building on the session, began cooking a real chicken.

It is this kind of family engagement and fun that have allowed this child to succeed in learning language so quickly. It is wonderful to see, in every visit, how The Parent-Child Home Program has inspired this family, particularly the parents who were so filled with doubt and concern for their child when the Program began.

By: Amanda Escalante, Guatemalan-Maya Center Site Coordinator

Another family from the guatemala-maya Center demonstrates the unique practice of home visiting in traditional dress. Shown here is home visitor maria mendez working with Jasly and her mother.

Parent-Child Home Program Activities

run! Jump! Skip! Dance! Young Children need to move

Young children need opportunities to move their bodies every day. Practicing large motor activities will help your child develop balance, coordination, and muscle control, each skill building on the other. Sometimes parents struggle with their toddler or preschooler bal-ancing on the back of the couch, jumping on their bed, or climbing up shelves. Providing children with safe indoor and outdoor opportuni-ties to move and climb can reduce the temptation to engage in these riskier activities.

Remember your child needs both structured and unstructured op-portunities to burn off energy and practice using their large muscles. These opportunities will help your child stay healthy and fit, and focus better on tasks that require con-centration and the ability to sit still. Children should go outside every

day. As long as they are dressed for the weather, they should have an opportunity to take a walk, or play at a playground, in a yard, or at a park, anywhere they can prac-tice walking, balancing, jumping and running on surfaces such as grass, gravel, and sand.

Your child will progress from walk-ing (at approximately age one) to running, and then to hopping and jumping (age two). Once these skills are mastered, a typically developing child will learn how to skip, gallop, sideways gallop, and leap (at about age three). You might need to teach your child some of these skills, and your child will need practice before mastering them, but they will experience this prac-tice as fun, not work.

With winter coming, it is important to have lots of indoor movement

activities available that will enable your child to remain active and de-velop her/his motor skills, balance, and dexterity. Great indoor activities include:

l Dancing to music

l Jumping on pillows or cushions set on the floor

l Climbing up and down stairs

l Tossing or kicking a foam ball

l Rolling a ball back and forth while sitting

l Throwing a bean bag into a laundry basket or other container

l Creating an obstacle course

l Laying a hula hoop on the floor and letting your child jump in and out of the circle.

Be creative and get active, both indoors and outdoors!

www.parent-child.org

The next time you shop at Amazon.com, please consider supporting The Parent-Child Home Program by clicking the Amazon.com link on our website, http://www.parent-child.org. Your purchases will benefit The Parent-Child Home Program.

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(All available through the Books, Toys and Tips section of our website)

the Parent-Child home Program recommends

Small World Toys Gertie Ball

This colorful rubber ball is covered with “mini bumps,” making it easy for a young child to both throw and catch. For a child just learning these skills, which involve both balance and hand-eye coordination, this ball is ideal.

Lady Bug Bean Bags

These bean bags are great for throwing, catching, tracking, and learning to count from one to six. They can be used to toss at targets or in games you create with your child.

Melissa & Doug Band in a Box

Ten fun musical instruments are included in this set, including maracas, hand cymbals, and a tambourine. Children will naturally move to the rhythms of the music they create. Family members can take turns making the music and being dancers and marchers.

Soft Play Forms

This five-piece set includes vinyl pieces that are sturdy enough for toddlers to climb and slide on, yet light enough that a child can rearrange them. Made of wipe-clean vinyl.

Bill O’Brien joined Direct Edge as Chief Executive Officer in July 2007. Prior to his appointment to Direct Edge, Mr. O’Brien was Senior Vice President at The NASDAQ Stock Market, having held senior manage-ment positions in NASDAQ’s New Listings

and Market Data units. He has a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law. Mr. O’Brien is married and the father of three children.

When asked about his role as honoree at The Parent-Child Home Program’s inaugural gala, he noted: “It is an honor to be selected for this distinction by The Parent-Child Home Program. This may be the inaugural gala, but the Program has a 45-year track record of helping low-income children and families. It is a cause I personally believe in and support. Many of us take for granted the benefits of reading, playing, and conversation, the interactions between parent and child that are crucial

to developing a young child’s mind, but there are households where that is not the norm. The Parent-Child Home Program helps families of low-income children bridge this gap and I am happy to be associated with their work.”

Bill o’Brien, Ceo of Direct edge, our inaugural gala honoree

honoree Bill o’Brien, Board President eric hess, and executive Director Sarah Walzer with a classic Parent-Child home Program toy

Our Recent Foundation and Corporate SupportersCommonwealth of MassachusettsThe Rauch FoundationGrowth Philanthropy Network/Social Impact ExchangeYouth, I.N.C.W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone FoundationStella and Charles Guttman Foundation, Inc.Junior League of Long IslandPamela and Richard Rubinstein FoundationFrederick E. Weber Charities CorporationUnited Way of Long IslandErnst & YoungCombined Federal Campaign

Our Recent Individual DonorsAnonymousAshley and David BerkAnthony & Olga DukeRobert FliegelJames KennedySandra ShanzerMary LittellVerna MaddenNancy and Burton MalkielMr. & Mrs. George D. O’NeillJoanne Polichetti Robert PreatoriusCoral RiceAlice RosenfeldDaniel & Louisa TarulloAnne ThompsonRon Torre

In Memory of Phyllis Levenstein– Michael & Carolyn Wiplich

In Honor of Henry Loetzerich– Dara & Bruce Baird

Literacy SuperstarThe Rauch Foundation

Platinum Sponsors International Securities ExchangeITG

Gold Table Sponsors Bank of America/Merrill Lynch Farrell Fritz, P.C.Goldman SachsGreg & Kim Lippmann Marlene Motyka & Jonathan LawrenceTelXMr. & Mrs. Kristian M. Whalen

Silver Table Sponsors Barry Berman and The Gal FoundationCACitadelDirect EdgeMelissa Skoog DunaganEquinix Lisa Filomia-Aktas David & Mary FranasiakJulian Gomez The Hamstra Family Eric W. HessInternational Integrated Solutions, Ltd. Knight Christoph Knoess & Tanya Zaben Lauren & James MolloySluman Family Charitable Trust Fund at the Chicago Community TrustDavis & Tai TerryVestar Capital Partners

Wall Street Network Solutions- Network Infrastructure ServicesMr. & Mrs. Danny Weingeist

Bronze Ticket SponsorsDaniel S. Braverman Esq., Braverman, PLLC Catha & David CarlsonThe Peter and Helen Haje FoundationHewlett-Packard Howard LandsbergJP Morgan ChaseWilliam & Miechelle O’BrienDoug Penick, Goldman SachsDiane & Richard SchenkmanSloane and Company LLCJane & David Spencer Studley Inc. Commercial Real Estate AdvisorsMichael & Judy Walzer

Journal SponsorsBarry Berman and The Gal FoundationBedford Cost SegregationConvergexDede & Woody FrankKattenMuchinRosenman LLPLatham & Watkins LLPThe Walzer/Barrett Family

Patron SponsorsMichael Bird Stanley Butterfuss & Lee PepeBrenda Di LeoDorothea KellyBrian MarshallKenneth & Kathleen MarshallSherri King & Patrick O’ConnorMr. & Mrs. George D. O’NeillJanet & David Offensend

Dale PonikvarSun Trading LLCTaconic Investment PartnersLee Townsend Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Weber

FriendsAshley AltschulerMr. & Mrs. George Billard Steve & Angela Bonnano Charlie Butts Linda Bergen Eric BommerCarol CarlsonCDI/LLC Jasmine ChangBeth & Sam Chapin Kevin ClanceyMichelle ClarkLisa CorveseKaren Dealey Jean Di Bona Jocelyn & Christopher Dimsey Tracy DoddSusan Webb & Jean-Francois Dreyfus James Elrod Executive NetworksRobert FeinsteinKimberly FlasterHillary FrommerWilliam & Karen Frommer David & Jane GertlerEric GoldmanJoan HaslamJonathan HorowitzMelanie Seymour Holland Rachel HovnanianMary Tyler JohnsonDoris & Stan Kertzner

Susan Deutch KonopDaniel KrittmanJoan KuchnerSasha LazardJohn & Anne Linville Los Ninos ServicesThomas & Sonia LoBue Malkin & RossElizabeth Manko Angela Mariani Media Marketing/Fern BlackMichael Meisler Jeanne MeisterSarah Min & Mathew PincusRobert Munroe Brian O’ConnorNancy PhlegarR. Spencer Potts Peter Rappoport & Marcia MarleyVirginia Brooks Robinson Courtney RosenJennifer RossanJoan Roselle Erin RussellLisa Savino Sealund & Associates Benjamin & Martha SeiverSandra SzakachAngelia Schmidt Dr. Tracy ThurkowRon TorreSimona VassilevGerard VonKoolbergenSarah Walzer & John BarrettCathy WhalenThe Whelan Group Mr. & Mrs. McLelland W. WilcoxMartha & David Zornow

thank You to our recent SupportersThank you to all those who have supported The Parent-Child Home Program’s national center. Your support enables the Program to reach out to new families in new communities, as we strive to ensure that all children have the opportunity to enter school ready to learn.

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We want to extend a heartfelt “Thank You!” to the generous donors who supported our Inaugural Gala on November 16th at The Yale Club in New York City. Their support translated into record breaking revenues for The-Parent Child Home Program!

Benefit Committee Co-Chairs and Board members tanya Zaben and melissa Skoog Dunagan kick off the evening

SAVE THE DATE

The Parent-Child Home Program Annual Conference

May 23-24, 2011

long island marriott hotel and Conference Center

Uniondale, new York

Keynote speaker: ellen galinsky, President and Co-Founder

of the Families and Work institute.

For further information, contact:

info@parent-child.org

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage Paid

Permit #352Garden City, NY

1415 Kellum Place, Suite 101 Garden City, NY 11530-1690

516-883-7480 516-883-7481 (fax)

www.parent-child.org e-mail: info@parent-child.org

The Parent-Child Home Program is an innovative,

literacy and parenting home visiting program

that strengthens families and prepares children to succeed

academically.

Where to Find the Parent-Child home Program

ARIZONA: Phoenix CALIFORNIA: Los Angeles, Modesto, Santa Ana CONNECTICUT: Greenwich DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Ward 5 FLORIDA: Monticello, Palm Beach County-ASPIRA, Palm Beach County-Guatemalan-Maya Center, Palm Beach County-Minority Development & Empowerment, Inc., Palm Beach County-NOAH, Inc., Palm Beach County- Sickle Cell Fdtn. Of Palm Beach County, Wauchula ILLINOIS: Chicago- Carole Robertson Center for Learning, Chicago- Gads Hill Center MASSACHUSETTS: Barre, Boston/Dorchester, Brookline, Cambridge, Clinton/Nashoba, Framingham, Greenfield, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Lynn, Marlboro, Medford, New Bedford, Newton/Needham/Wellesley, North Adams, Northampton, Pittsfield, Plymouth, Quincy, Salem, Shirley, Somerville, Springfield, Taunton, Waltham, Ware, Wareham, Watertown, Worcester MICHIGAN: Ferndale, Pontiac MINNESOTA: Minnetonka NEW JERSEY: Milltown NEW YORK: Brooklyn- Excellence Early Learning Academy, Brooklyn- SCO, Brooklyn/Brownsville- SCO, Brooklyn- Women’s Prison Association, Buffalo- The Belle Center, Buffalo- King Urban Life Center, Buffalo- Jericho Road Ministries, Centereach, Center Moriches, Child Care of Nassau County, East Ramapo, Freeport, Great Neck, Mastic Beach, Nanuet, Nassau BOCES, North Rockland, Oyster Bay, Port Washington Library, Queens- SCO, Roslyn, Shirley, Suffolk Homeless Project, Westbury, White Plains PENNSYLVANIA: Armstrong County, Beaver County, Bedford County, Blair County, Cambria County, Chester/Montgomery Counties, Columbia County, Easton, Erie, Fulton, Juniata & Mifflin Counties, Greene County, Hanover, Huntingdon, Indiana County, Lancaster, Luzerne County-South, East, West, Lycoming-Clinton, McKees Rocks, Monessen, Nanticoke, Northumberland, Philadelphia, Phillipsburg, Scranton, Washington County SOUTH CAROLINA: Camden, Charleston County School District, Dorchester SD#2, Dorchester SD#4, Florence SD#1, Florence SD#2, Florence SD#3, Florence SD#4, Florence SD#5, Georgetown, Horry County Schools, Lancaster, Lexington School District#1, Richland School District, Williamsburg County Schools TExAS: Dallas-Cooke, Grayson, Fennin, Hunt, Palo Pinto, Somervell, Johnson, Hood Counties WASHINGTON: Seattle- Southwest Youth & Family Services, Seattle- Neighborhood House/Rainier Vista Area, Seattle- Neighborhood House/New Holly Area, Seattle- Atlantic Street/Rainier Beach Center, Yakima BERMUDA: Hamilton CANADA: Brandon (Manitoba) IRELAND: Dublin, Inchicore