MACOMB – Early Beginnings and the Regional Office of Education (ROE) #26 have again earned a prestigious endorsement by Parents as Teachers’ national center as a Blue-Ribbon Affiliate, making it one of the top-performing early education and home visiting partners within the organization’s network.
Early Beginnings provides eligible families with information, support and encouragement they need to help their children develop to their full potential, prenatally to three years of age, through home and center-based programs. All services are offered free of charge to area families.
Early Beginnings earned this recent Blue-Ribbon Affiliate Status of Excellence designation upon conclusion of its 2018-2019 Annual Program Review and Performances Measures report.
“To be again named a Blue-Ribbon Affiliate affirms that Early Beginnings continues to serve as a high-quality early education provider within the home visitation and parent education field,” says John Meixner, ROE26 Regional Superintendant of Schools. “Early Beginnings’ administrators consistently implement the Parents as Teacher’s evidence-based program model and curriculum, ensuring children and parents receive the very best in early education and instructional support.”
Families in McDonough, Fulton, Hancock, and Schuyler counties reap the benefits of services delivered in this program, including home visits, group connections, child screenings and connections to community resources. Parents are provided knowledge and resources to prepare their children for a stronger start in life and greater success in school.
Among Early Beginnings greatest strengths identified by the national office is supporting families with quality personal visits and “Play to Learn” groups. Through this effort, families get connected with much-needed community resources while ensuring children enrolled are developing at their full potential through regular developmental, social-emotional and physical health-related screenings.
Early Beginnings earned its initial Blue-Ribbon Affiliate designation in October 2017 for the 2017-2018 school year. To be awarded this coveted designation, a member agency must demonstrate commitment of all essential requirements as outlined in the Parents as Teachers program model.
About Early Beginnings/ROE 26
Early Beginnings provides child development and parenting education for families expecting and with children through a personal visit and a group program customized for the needs of the family. Early Beginnings is a prevention initiative program that receives the majority of its funding through the Illinois State Board of Education’s Early Childhood Block Grant. It also receives support from the McDonough County United Way to provide childbirth education and assistance. For more information on Early Beginnings and other programs through ROE 26, please visit http://roe26.net/.
About Parents as Teachers
Parents as Teachers is an international, non-profit organization that promotes optimal early development and learning, and to ensure the health of young children. Parents as Teachers provide an evidence-based home visiting model and are a center for innovation in promising practices. Parents as Teachers designs and develops quality research-based and evidence-informed curricula and trainings for early childhood family support professionals.
For more information, please visit www.ParentsAsTeachers.org.