Birth to Three Blog
Somos Latinx Families: A Family to Family Real Talk Conversation
July 31, 2023
SAVE THE DATES: Every other Monday, beginning October 2 through November 27, 2023, 3-4:30pm (ET) This free, 5-episode virtual conversation series offers a safe and welcoming space to hold conversations for, by, and with Latinx families. Explore what it means to be a parent as part of the Latinx community, raising Latinx children while navigating U.S. mainstream cultures, and connecting Latinx cultural identities to physical and mental well-being. Join us as we create a Latinx parent community of mutual learning and support. The series begins on Monday, October 2, 2023, and will be held every other Monday, from 3 to 4:30 PM ET / … Continue reading
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Family to Family Real Talk Series: Parenting while Rising to Child Development Challenges
July 31, 2023
SAVE THE DATES: September 25, October 23, November 6, December 4, and December 18, 2023. All are welcome to join and engage in these powerful conversations. This free, 5 episode virtual conversation series offers a warm and inviting opportunity to connect with other parents and families of children with differences in or challenges to their development. Through a series of conversations with parents of children with developmental differences, challenges, or disabilities, we will explore the unique as well as common experiences of loving and raising children whose developmental process and journey is delayed or atypical. We will discuss the challenges and joys … Continue reading
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Positive Parenting Tips
July 19, 2023
The Centers for Disease Control has resources listed on their website organized by age, from infants to teenagers, for parents and providers to learn more about early childhood development, positive parenting, safety, and health. Find the resources here.
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Fun Summer Learning Activities for Infants, Toddlers, and Children
July 19, 2023
Looking for Fun Summer Learning Activities? Consider Brain-Building Through Play Activities Three core principles of child development include fostering responsive relationships, strengthening core life skills, and reducing sources of stress. Play is an effective way of supporting all three. With support from the LEGO Foundation, the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University has created a series of handouts with playful, age-appropriate activities for children, from newborns to adolescents, that are easy to do at home or just about anywhere! Check out the handouts here. Want to learn more about the importance of play in learning and development? Check … Continue reading
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The Sparkler “Once Upon a Time” summer learning program (Birth – 5 years old) launched for CT families on July 3rd.
July 6, 2023
Please encourage all families to join us for weekly folktale told by a storyteller from the culture where the story originated including learning activities! We hope parents/caregivers with young children can have some fun while learning over the summer (see the Camp 2023 Schedule down below). Please click the links below to access the first story, family and or provider facing websites, and the provider kit. Week 1: The first story is about the First Fire: A Cherokee Legend https://playsparkler.org/once-upon-a-time/ Here’s the family-facing website: https://playsparkler.org/campsparkler23/. Here’s the provider-facing website: https://playsparkler.org/campsparklerproviderkit23/ Provider kits in English, Spanish, and Chinese! https://playsparkler.org/campsparklerproviderkit23/ Camp 2023 Schedule … Continue reading
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Family Resources from Sesame Workshop
June 7, 2023
Sesame Workshop has launched a new website packed with free content (e.g., resources, research, videos). New search tools and navigation features allow users to discover and share resources more easily than ever before. Explore by topic, resource type, and even favorite characters. Some resources are organized by Sesame Workshops “impact areas” – emotional well-being, foundational knowledge and skills, creativity and playful problem solving, and self-identity and belonging. Pull-down menus from the Family Resources tab subheadings offer topical resources ranging from ABCs and 123s to tough topics like homelessness and traumatic experiences. There’s also a new school readiness section to help … Continue reading
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Leadership Academy Cohort 3 Recruitment!
April 28, 2023
Please see the attached notification from Dr. Mary Beth Bruder and Darla Gundler referencing the recruitment for the Leadership Academy Cohort 3!There will be a webinar on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 from 4:30-6:30.
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The Four Pillars of Infant Mental Health and associated links to more IMH information
April 5, 2023
Four Pillars of Infant Mental Health is a one page handout on an Introduction to Infant Mental Health for Medical Professionals. Please feel free to share widely.
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NERGN Educational Opportunity
March 21, 2023
“The New England Regional Genetics Network (NERGN) advances the health and well-being of individuals with genetic conditions by connecting them with genetic services, educating professionals to improve systems of genetic care, and supporting families in New England. NERGN is offering FREE training for early intervention specialists to help them address questions of genetics in their profession. See flyer attached for more information and contact email.” Flyer Located HERE
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DRAFT FFY23 Part C Application
March 16, 2023
Each year Connecticut submits an application to the US Department of Education (ED) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) for about $5M in funding to support the administration of Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA Part C). Here is a link to the draft FFY23 Part C Application. Written comment on the draft application must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 28, 2023. Comments should be sent to the attention of Nicole Cossette, by mail at the Office of Early Childhood, 450 Columbus Boulevard Suite #205, Hartford, CT, 06103-1835; by Fax 860-622-2789 or by … Continue reading
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Birth to Three Sleep Survey
February 24, 2023
If you are a provider in the early intervention system, please consider filling out this survey developed by one of our Leadership Academy Participants: https://forms.gle/jadw4mNyBTSKcAsD8 This survey is being used to collect information related to the prevalence of sleep concerns with the families we serve and how we, as Birth to Three Providers, are able to identify and support these concerns. This 10 question survey should only take 1-2 minutes to complete. Thank you for taking the time to provide me with this valuable information.
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Activities for Bonding with Young Children
February 15, 2023
Try these fun games and activities with children and watch how their eagerness to learn and their relationship with their caregivers grow! Resource from Zero to Three.
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9th Annual Infant/Toddler Conference
February 15, 2023
Bridging Strong Relationships between Families, Caregivers, and Staff Members Sponsored by EASTCONN Early Childhood Initiative Register now for EASTCONN’s 9th annual Infant/Toddler Conference. The conference will be held Friday, March 3, 2023 from 8am-3:30pm at the EASTCONN Conference Center in Hampton, CT. The day is designed for teachers, caregivers, family service staff, Birth to Three providers, DCF workers, and administrators that serve the youngest learners. For more information on the day and to register, check out the flyer in English and Spanish.
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2021 SPP/APR Submission is Now Online!
January 9, 2023
This is a link to the Final Submission of the combined State Performance Plan / Annual Performance Report along with the State Systemic Improvement Plan. It is a very long document, best viewed online. As usual, Connecticut continues to do very well on both the compliance and results indicators. The APR is due to the US Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs by February 1, 2023. For more information about the SPP, click here. If you have any questions or comments please email amanda.kach@ct.gov.
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Parent Support Program
December 15, 2022
The Saint Joseph Parenting Center is a nonprofit organization that provides free parenting support and education to the community. Their classes are offered in both English and Spanish. Their “Dads are the Difference” program starts in January 2023! Check out this flier in English and Spanish for more information!
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December 14, 2022
Birth to Three Early Interventionist Roundtables! We are looking for Early Interventionists working with Hartford families, to join our roundtables so we can learn from providers about current referral processes, child assessments, and the steps taken for children identified as ineligible for early intervention services. Monday January 10, 2023 via Zoom 6:00- 7:00 Thursday, January 19, 2023 – via Zoom 3:00pm – 4:00pm Thursday, January 26, 2023 – Virtual via Zoom: Morning session 10:30-11:30 am and Afternoon Session 1:00pm – 2:00pm To sign up https://uconn.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_251KbRMMNkM8aiO We will send Zoom link after registration
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How is My Child’s School Doing? Using Information from the EdSight Portal to Understand School and District Performance
December 8, 2022
Join us for an interactive workshop to learn about the information available in EdSight and how to navigate the system. This workshop will guide you through tools that show overall school and district performance, like the Connecticut Report Cards and the Next Generation Accountability Index. You will also learn how to find information for specific student groups, such as English language learners or students with disabilities—presented by: Ajit Gopalakrishnan, Chief Performance Officer Connecticut State Department of Education. December 14, 2022, 5–6 p.m Register here!
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