**photo courtesy of the Regional Office of Education #33
Seventeen family educators with the Regional Office of Education #33 Prenatal to Age 3 Program and Family Literacy work directly with families and their children in the home. Assistant Director Jennifer Sharp explains the activities and resources that are associated with the program:
“We base those activities off of the child’s needs. We help our families get connected to resources, help them meet goals, and just support the parents as best we can. We do partner with Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank out of Galesburg, so every family that is enrolled in our program, their child gets 50 free diapers a month, plus period supplies and wipes. We bring books to every visit for the families and the children to keep to promote that early literacy component. We have several of our staff that are car seat certified, just pretty much anything that they need. So, when we walk into a families’ home, and they are in need of something, we do our absolute best to get them connected to the resources.”
Additionally, through the Parents As Teachers curriculum provider, the Regional Office of Education #33 received grant funds to purchase a transportation van.
