Program Components

There are two primary program components and other auxiliary activities that sustain the foundation, vision, goals, and objectives for the Baby Steps, Inc. Parent Empowerment Program.

Parenting Sessions

A curriculum specialist (Ph.D.) developed the initial curriculum at the inception of the program in 2003 and has continually worked to update the program educational modules since that time. Parents of the children served (infancy to age five) attend weekly education sessions designed for parents to learn developmentally appropriate ways to enhance their child’s development. Only one child in the family is selected as the target child for the Baby Steps program; however, all children in the family are given support through other family activities. Activities are developed and materials are written primarily to teach parents strategies to enhancing their child’s language development skills. Our initial work was based on the longitudinal study by Hart and Risley (1995), in their book Meaningful Difference In The Lives of Young Children, which validated the difference between cognitive and language develop skills of children who live in families where the children are engaged in active conversations. Thus, we started our work by teaching parents the significance of their having conversations with their children about ordinary happenings and things in their immediate environment. This emphasis and practice is still carried forth. Additionally, we teach parents ways to expand and validate their children’s comments. Later we began to emphasize the importance of integrating pre-language, literacy and mathematics by involving the children in ordinary activities—for example, while folding clothes, the parent talks about the clothing (this is your shirt, your shirt is blue, your shirt has three buttons). Parents are taught how to read books to their children and how to engage them in the arts and other readiness skills. Throughout the modules parents are given tips on ways to encourage and validate their infant, toddler or preschooler as well as general developmental knowledge about preschoolers. Songs, nursery rhymes, and finger plays are built in. For an example of the curriculum, contact Ivy Lovelady, at lei2@bellsouth.net.

Weekly Home Visits

Professionally trained home visitors visit parents and their child in the home. The same philosophical and conceptual framework embedded in the weekly parent education sessions is also carried forth in the home visit sessions. This valuable opportunity offers parents and child an enriching opportunity to bond with the home visitor. In addition to modeling and engaging parents and child in literacy rich activity, this time together also strengthens the relationship bond for the child, parent and home visitor. The home visitor first models an activity with the child while parents looks on and encourages. Afterward parents practice the activity with the child. Materials are taken to the home and left with parents and child in order to practice over the next weeks. Materials (books, art materials, tape player, music, puzzles, games, etc.) are selected based on the interest and developmental level of the child and the need of the parent as well as the instructional lesson.

Auxiliary Program Components

We believe and value as a foundation to learning that children and family perform better if they are emotionally and physically well. Thus, many activities are carried forth in the community to support our belief. Community partnerships are important to accomplishing our mission to have a community with happy, healthy and educated children. Therefore as part of our instructional program and community events, strategies are developed and implemented by a community alliance and Baby Steps staff to emphasize building healthy families. More specifically, we have implemented health initiatives in collaboration with the public schools and early childhood centers by implementing the OrganWise Guys Health Program (www.organwiseguys.com) as one of the strategies or activities. In collaboration with Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) Kids, we have opened a local health clinic in to serve preschoolers’ needs in a manner that includes preventive, maintenance and restorative dental care for pre-school children. We are grateful for funding from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation to support our health initiative.

To enhance services to young children we deliver instruction to preschoolers in three ways:

1. When parents attend parent education sessions, their children attend a Literacy-Art Education program. Activities to support a thematic theme engage the children in active learning activities;

2. Once weekly, Baby Steps children who are now enrolled in kindergarten and first grades come to our site for an instructional enrichment session on a selected theme with activities centered on a specific book; and,

3. Once weekly, a Baby Steps instructor visits each early childhood centers (3) to present an integrated lesson of art, language, health and math readiness, based on the interest and developmental level of the child and the need of the parent as well as the instructional lesson.