Early Years Initiative Archives - Early Learning Indiana

Rooted in Community: Serving Families Where They Live

Neal Butler — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 20:38:03 +0000

More than 200 families attended a community baby shower at Iris Family Support Center’s Family Resource Center (FRC) in Fort Wayne, many arriving hours early and standing in a line wrapped around the building. They came for diapers, hygiene products and a little something extra.

“We had no idea it would be that big. Families came dressed in their best clothes to get professional maternity photos. It was beautiful. For many of them, it was the first time they’d had anything like that – a moment to feel celebrated,” said Whitney Craig, Iris’s marketing and communications director.

Iris’s team knew the organization was well-positioned to make a deeper impact in Fort Wayne, but they didn’t expect just how quickly the need for early childhood support would grow or how powerfully the community would respond.

Through Early Years Initiative, Iris expanded two programs supporting children and families from pregnancy through early childhood. One of those is the FRC, which opened in 2023 in Fort Wayne’s 46806 zip code, where infant mortality rates are among the highest in the state.

“We intentionally placed the FRC in a neighborhood where families could walk to access support,” said Jessica Hicks, Iris’s community services vice president.

The FRC, which supports about 250 children, offers prenatal education, safe sleep classes and parenting education, as well as practical support like diapers, hygiene products and developmental screenings. But what sets the center apart is how its programming builds trust with multilingual and multicultural families through translation and meaningful connection.

More than 70% of the families that visit the center speak a language other than English – Spanish, Burmese, Haitian Creole, French, Rohingya and Swahili, to name a few. Cultural responsiveness is built into how the organization operates, with half of the center’s radio ads created in Spanish and printed materials available in multiple languages.

“We’ve had to rethink everything, from hiring practices, to how we design flyers, to where we advertise. When families walk in the door, we want them to feel like this is their space,” Craig said.

That intentionality extends to Iris’s long-standing Healthy Families Program, which has served Allen County since the 1990s. Expanded through Early Years Initiative, the program now serves about 500 children and includes the Parents as Teachers (PAT) curriculum, an evidence-based model that supports families from the third trimester of pregnancy through age three.

The Healthy Families team visits families at their homes, providing support with child development but also job searches, education, mental health referrals and more. That wrap-around approach is especially important for non-English-speaking families who may struggle to access services due to language or cultural barriers.

“Our team was so excited when we were able to bring in PAT. It’s practical and empowering. One part teaches families how to make developmental toys using items they already have at home. That’s a game-changer for a family that might not be able to afford new toys. We’re trying to reduce stressors, because when you reduce stress for a parent, you reduce risk for the child. That’s prevention work at its best,” Hicks said.

Team members reflect the communities they serve and Iris regularly offers the team cultural competency training to ensure families feel respected and heard. Sessions have included ways to support the Burmese community and how to better communicate with Spanish-speaking populations.

While both programs target families from pregnancy through early childhood, Iris takes a flexible, no-wrong-door approach to care. If a family enters the FRC but doesn’t meet the age cutoff for Healthy Families, the team refers them to other Iris programs or trusted partners in the community.

“It’s not about who we can serve. It’s about how we make sure every family gets connected to someone who can help. No one gets turned away,” Craig said.

Early Years Initiative has transformed their programs, they said.

“It validates the work we’re doing. Social work is hard. You don’t do it for the money. But when our team sees that people believe in them and in the families we serve, that matters. That fuels us,” Hicks said.

“This is what prevention looks like,” Craig added. “It’s support from day one, and it’s changing lives.”

NWI Program Grows with Families from Toddlerhood to Kindergarten

Neal Butler — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 14:26:38 +0000

When the little girl with Down Syndrome took her first steps, cheers and applause filled the classroom. Not just from the staff, but from her peers, too. It was a big moment for everyone, said Cherish Edwards, executive director at the Center for Possibilities in northwest Indiana.

Through Early Years Initiative, the Hobart program is transforming what early education can look like for children with special needs. The program, which serves children ages two to six, has long provided critical support for families whose children have developmental, physical or medical needs that typical preschool programs may not be equipped to accommodate.

Until recently, the center operated with just two classrooms and could serve up to 18 students. Now, the program has expanded – adding a third classroom, enlarging its two-year-old room and increasing its capacity to 31 students. The expansion created 13 additional seats in a program that often has a waitlist.

“Some of these kiddos, if we’re not going to meet their needs, they’re not going anywhere,” Edwards said. “They’re staying home with nurses or respite workers, without the opportunity to socialize or learn the skills they could be developing.”

The program supports a wide range of children, including many on the autism spectrum, as well as children with cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, chromosomal microdeletions and other complex medical needs. While Indiana requires a 10-to-1 student-teacher ratio for this age, the center maintains significantly lower ratios: around 3-to-1 in its two-year-old room and 5-to-1 in its older classrooms to ensure the children get the support they need.

This individualized approach supports children with varying levels of need. One child who came to the center at age 3 had the developmental function of a 3-month-old. Staff worked with her on lifting her head and turning it. Others arrive pre-verbal, and teachers may use sign language to support their communication. The center prepares children by teaching basic classroom routines and fostering social-emotional development.

“Peer pressure can be a good thing. We’ve seen kids overcome feeding sensitivities because they see everyone else eating the same food. We had a foster child who, after just a week, started using the toilet because all the other kids were,” Edwards said.

The center runs year-round, something that’s especially valuable for children on the autism spectrum who benefit from structure and familiarity.

“Continuity of care is so important. We’re a small team – six teachers, an assistant director and myself – and the kids see all of us every day. Even when they move to a different classroom, the transition is smooth because they already know the teachers,” Edwards said.

That close-knit environment creates lasting bonds with families. Some children begin the day they turn two and stay until kindergarten. One family, whose daughter will graduate from the program this summer, has been part of the center for six years.

“We had her brother first, and her mom was pregnant with her (daughter) when he started. It’s hard to say goodbye when we’ve been such a big part of their lives for so long,” Edwards said.

While the center primarily supports children with disabilities, it also supports typically developing children to model behavior and foster inclusive learning, which sticks with children long after they leave. One parent recently received a note from a kindergarten teacher who said she could tell the child had attended the center.

“He was the only one playing with the nonverbal children with autism on the playground. We’re teaching empathy, tolerance and what it means to include others – at age two,” Edwards said.

Innovation in early education is especially important today as many families rely on child care and society becomes more skilled at identifying and supporting a wide range of developmental needs.

“In the past, so many kids were lumped into special education without really understanding what they needed,” Edwards said. “Now, we can personalize their experience and help every child reach their full potential.”

JUST Community’s Doulas Empower Families on Indy’s Near Westside

Neal Butler — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 13:26:34 +0000

Doulas are changing the narrative for families on Indianapolis’ near westside.

Through Early Years Initiative and with support from Hawthorne Community Center, JUST Community is building powerful partnerships with local early learning programs, delivering a two-fold impact. Trained, community-based postpartum doulas offer much-needed support to parents of newborns. Those same families are then welcomed into the JUST Play program – a unique, toy- and education-based early learning model built for children from birth through age three.

JUST Play is more than a curriculum, it’s a movement. Families receive high-quality educational toys and books grouped by ages (0–12 months; 12–24 months; and 24–36 months), along with simple, effective guides for caregivers. The goal is to help young children meet critical developmental milestones and increase parents’ confidence in supporting that growth through everyday interactions like singing, talking and reading.

The program also taps into a vital, often overlooked relationship – the trusted home child care provider, said Nicole Carey, JUST Community’s founder and executive director.

Two educators operating family child care programs in Indianapolis are involved in the cohort, serving as “community bridges.” These educators not only deliver care, but check in with families, mirror play-based activities and reinforce the learning and well-being strategies introduced through the program.

The Early Years Initiative exists to elevate organizations, like JUST Community, working to ensure infants and toddlers develop foundational knowledge and skills that support their future learning and development.

This organization’s cross-training is a workforce development win, an early childhood booster and a community-based healthcare solution all rolled into one.

“This kind of collaboration matters because early childhood doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It intersects with maternal health, education, poverty and equity. When I think about innovation in early learning, I don’t just think about what’s happening on the ground. I think about how we can collaborate with larger organizations to create a robust foundation, and how we mobilize our resources to do the most good,” Carey said.

Several leaders in early learning programs have completed doula training themselves. One educator, originally recruited to pilot JUST Play, joined the first cohort of doulas and now supports mothers through childbirth, postpartum recovery and early parenting.

Gary Church Empowers Families to Transform Futures

Neal Butler — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 13:10:26 +0000

A parent is a child’s first and best teacher, and a new program in Gary is supporting families throughout their child’s early education journey.

Culturally grounded and community-rooted, the Family Empowerment Program is designed to support parents and caregivers with a goal to nurture Black families in a way that’s deeply affirming, practical and rooted in legacy. Based on a nationally recognized curriculum from the National Black Child Development Institute and supported by the Black Child Development Institute – Chicago (BCDI), Trinity United Church of Christ now offers the program to families with children from birth to age three – one of the first of its kind in the state.

“This program was developed for us, by people who look like us,” said Kathalene Harris, program director. “It’s culturally specific, built around African proverbs, and it creates space where grandparents, foster parents, moms, dads and married couples can come together and learn from each other.”

Delivered virtually through Zoom, the program offers flexibility for busy families and those who may not have access to transportation.

“We don’t care if your baby is crying or if your child’s hanging on you during class,” said Sandra Mosley, who oversees organizational development and outreach. “It’s a no-judgment zone. Come as you are.”

Each Saturday, participants engage in two-hour sessions led by master’s-level early educators. They also receive a backpack of learning materials designed to reflect and celebrate Black children, including skin-tone-inclusive dolls and books that represent their communities.

“One of the things I fell in love with right away was the backpack. For a child to see what they look like from an early age reflected in their toys and books – it’s incredibly powerful,” Mosley said.

While the curriculum includes essentials like early literacy, math and health, it also focuses on identity, connection and agency.

The Early Years Initiative exists to elevate organizations, like Trinity United, working to ensure infants and toddlers develop foundational knowledge and skills that support their future learning and development. The Family Empowerment Program, which averages about 10 to 15 families per session, runs year-round, with new cohorts starting every few months. While summer participation can dip, the team is preparing for a robust fall session, and they’re hoping to grow their reach to 60 families.

The team recruits with boots on the ground. They attend community events, including city council meetings. They keep flyers in their cars. If they see someone with a child at Walgreens, they talk to them, Mosley said.

One mom told Mosley, ‘This is the first time I’ve really seen my son for who he is.’ He was two. And by the end of the program, she saw real progress. He hit milestones he hadn’t reached before.

Another participant shared how the program helped her shift her approach to discipline. She had grown up with strict rules and physical punishment, but the program helped her find tools to understand her children as individuals.

Graduations are held in person, giving families the chance to celebrate with each other.

“By the time graduation rolls around, there’s a real bond. Parents feel empowered. They feel seen. And they’re already sharing what they’ve learned with others,” Harris said.

“Our pastor speaks about the history of education in the Black community, and then we let the parents share their experiences. It becomes its own recruitment tool – hearing those stories, seeing that pride.”

Through it all, the program continues to show what’s possible when families are given the support, resources and respect they deserve.

Kids’ Voice Champions Early Learning for Children in Foster Care

Neal Butler — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 14:01:20 +0000

Kids’ Voice of Indiana is addressing a critical service gap – young children in foster care who are often left out of education conversations because they haven’t started kindergarten.

With funding from the Early Years Initiative, Kids’ Voice launched Little Voices, Big Futures, a new phase of its Educational Liaison (EL) program with a focus on early learners, in October 2024. The program expansion made it possible to add a full-time, multilingual liaison dedicated specifically to the younger age group.

“We weren’t getting referrals for that age group,” said Lacy Wooten, who leads the EL program. “I think a lot of that was a lack of awareness that children that young even had educational needs. But they do – they have huge needs. These are the years when children learn how to be around others, how to hold a pencil, how to communicate. If we wait until they’re five to start paying attention, we’ve missed a huge opportunity.”

The day-to-day work of the educational liaison is extensive and hands-on. They coordinate with family case managers, guardians ad litem [a court appointed person who represents the best interests of a child], therapists, doctors and families to assess a child’s needs and build a plan. This might mean arranging evaluations for speech or developmental delays, helping families enroll their children in preschool or accompanying caregivers on visits to early learning centers to ensure they’re a good fit.

“It could be something as simple as a child not speaking clearly or not speaking at all. We work to get them evaluated and connected to the right services, whether that’s through a school district’s developmental preschool or an outside provider,” Wooten said.

Children in foster care face steep challenges, from trauma and instability to inconsistent access to services, and those challenges often impact their ability to thrive in school.

“They’re already going through a traumatic time, which delays development. If they’re not in school, that adds another layer. We don’t want them starting kindergarten already behind,” Wooten said. “We’re talking about children who’ve already had so much taken from them. But if we can give them access to education – if we can show them they matter from the very beginning – we’re giving them something no one can ever take away.”

Amy Pangburn, a grant writer for Kids’ Voice, emphasized the long-term impact.

“We really look at this project as a way to ensure these children – who are in foster care through no fault of their own – have a fair chance to access early learning opportunities just like any other child. That can set them on a completely different path in life,” she said.

The Early Years Initiative exists to elevate organizations, like Kids’ Voice, working to ensure infants and toddlers develop foundational knowledge and skills that support their future learning and development. Before the expansion, Kids’ Voice served fewer than 20 of the hundreds of preschool-aged children in Indiana’s foster care system. By 2024, they were serving more than 80 children with plans for continued growth.

Kids’ Voice is uniquely positioned for this work. As the court-appointed advocates for every child in Marion County’s child welfare system, the organization has a clear view of the systemic gaps.

“We’re the constant. While everything else in their lives might be changing – the foster placement, the school, the case manager – we’re still there,” Pangburn said.

Kids’ Voice’s expertise in both education and child welfare makes the organization a trusted partner for families navigating overwhelming situations.

“A lot of the families we work with never graduated from high school themselves. So, we’re not just helping a child get into preschool. We’re trying to break a cycle,” Pangburn said. “When we invest in a child’s early years, we’re investing in their future, in their family’s future and in the future of our state.”

HealthNet Focuses on Families in the IndyEast Promise Neighborhood

Neal Butler — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 18:36:07 +0000

Great things happen when community organizations join forces to amplify their impact.

Last year, staff with IndyEast Promise Neighborhood, a community initiative working to prepare students in the near eastside and Martindale Brightwood neighborhoods for college and career success, met with the HealthNet team to discuss needs and opportunities for support. Home visits in early childhood emerged as a clear need; HealthNet had deep experience with the Healthy Families early childhood model but lacked the capacity to serve all referrals in the IndyEast Promise service area.

In a stroke of good timing, the organizations, in collaboration with John Boner Neighborhood Centers and Edna Martin Christian Center, were able to add a Healthy Families team to serve the IndyEast Promise area through Early Years Initiative. With nine locations in central Indiana as well as a Bloomington location, HealthNet serves families from diverse backgrounds and offers services in Spanish, Burmese, Haitian Creole, Hakha Chin and other languages, making them the ideal partner to expand services to the IndyEast Promise neighborhoods.

The Healthy Families model includes developmental screenings, connections to community resources, parenting education and more. The program serves families with children from birth to age three, and families must enroll before the baby is three months old. If a family doesn’t qualify for Healthy Families, the team can refer them to the Parents as Teachers program through Edna Martin Christion Center, which has broader guidelines for enrollment. When families graduate from Healthy Families after the child turns three, if they are still in need of consistent support the team is able to refer them to the Parents as Teachers program as well.

In addition to the Healthy Families team, the Early Years Initiative allowed for the hiring of an engagement specialist to increase community outreach. “Adding our engagement specialist has been really helpful,” said Brianne Biancardi, Healthy Families program manager. “She attends tons of community events, she attends job fairs, she’s really making those connections within the community and making sure families know about our services and how we can support them.”

Early literacy also has been a key focus area of their Early Years Initiative work. “We’ve always encouraged literacy, of course, but through Early Years Initiative we’re able to be more intentional about focusing on early literacy with each family,” said Kendra Scott, Healthy Families supervisor. “One of the things we do with our families is set goals, and since we’ve started to focus more on literacy, we’ve had multiple families set literacy-related goals. One mom of four said ‘I want to make time to read to my daughters every night for 30 minutes, because it will help my daughters at school’. Another parent set a goal to read to her three children before bed 3-4 nights each week, something the family does not currently do.”

Regular book donations to each family also help them build a home library with bilingual, age-appropriate materials. Even though the Healthy Families model is focused on children ages birth – three years old, other family members in the home benefit. Scott shared a story of one family with a baby, a preschooler and an elementary-school aged child. The oldest child was struggling with reading and literacy skills and was falling behind in school. Through visits and conversations with the Healthy Families home visitor, the mom realized she needed to take a more active role and work with the child at home; she now sets aside 15 minutes each day to read one-on-one with each child to focus on improving critical literacy skills.

Capacity is always an issue, and Biancardi would love to continue to add staff members to accommodate every family who is referred for services. For now, the team remains committed to reaching as many families as possible, ensuring that every child in the program has the support they need to thrive. As the program materials say, “Every family has a story and every story matters to Healthy Families.”

Parents as Teachers Program Empowers Families during Critical Early Years

Neal Butler — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 17:33:43 +0000

Parents are a child’s first and most important teacher, shaping early experiences and values and laying the foundation for the child’s future success. A new initiative from the Edna Martin Christian Center aims to support parents in making a positive impact in the critical early years.

The Parents as Teachers® program is an evidence-based early childhood home visiting program that serves families with children prenatally through kindergarten. Edna Martin Christian Center, a community-focused organization supporting the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhoods on the near northeast side of Indianapolis, added the Parents as Teachers program to its slate of early childhood initiatives in 2024.

“We have three main areas of emphasis,” said Angielena Williams, EMCC director of early childhood special initiatives. “We focus on parent-child interaction, development-centered parenting and family well-being, and we do this by having certified parent educators go into the homes and walk alongside the family on their parenting journeys.”

Parent educators connect with families during regular home visits, focusing on child development and ensuring children are meeting milestones by using screening tools such as the Ages & Stages Questionnaire® (ASQ) and the ASQ social-emotional assessment (SEAM™). Parents are screened for signs of postnatal depression, and the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME)® tool is used to evaluate improvement in the child’s environment over time. This comprehensive set of screenings provides the parent educator with the data needed to refer children for early intervention or connect parents to support resources; close collaboration with agencies such as First Steps removes barriers that many families typically face in accessing care.

One unique aspect of the Parents as Teachers program is the opportunity for group connection. “Once a month, we invite our families to come out to socialize with other families. We feed them really well,” laughs Williams, “and provide activities for them to do with their children, focused on a different child developmental topic each time.”

Families join the program through referrals from partner organizations such as My Healthy Baby, are identified as candidates by EMCC’s family success team, or find out about the program through the team’s involvement at community events. “We also have a lot of our families share about the program with friends – we love the word-of-mouth referrals when a family has found the program to be valuable enough to share.”

Currently, the Parents as Teachers program includes four parent educators, each with a caseload of 15-20 families. The Early Years Initiative supported the addition of bilingual parent educators, helping to ensure culturally competent care for the growing population of Spanish-speaking families within EMCC’s service area. “We really believe in the value of continuity of care,” Williams said, “so whenever possible we try to have the same certified parent educator with the family throughout the continuum.”

Although the Parents as Teachers program is only a year old, the success stories of impacting learning and development continue to build. Williams shared the story of one family who was residing at Coburn Place, a shelter for women and children experiencing domestic violence. The family’s two-year-old wasn’t speaking much and was behind on developmental milestones when the family entered the Parents as Teachers program. Now, a year later, the family has moved out of the facility and into their own town home, the child is meeting all developmental milestones, has lots of words and has shown great strides in social-emotional skills as modeled by the parent educator. The mom is now part of EMCC’s Parent Advisory Board, using her experience to help shape the program’s future.

Henry County Community Foundation: Collaboration Leads to Improvement and Expansion of Child Care Services

Neal Butler — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 14:26:39 +0000

The Henry County Community Foundation (HCCF) is taking major steps forward in addressing one of the community’s most pressing issues: infant and toddler care. Through a collaborative effort closely coordinated with the Henry County Childcare Network, HCCF is playing a crucial role in expanding child care services and creating a collaborative of local child care providers to share best practices for family engagement and implement curriculum and assessments. As part of the Early Years Initiative, HCCF has been able to create a growing partnership that helps local providers expand and improve their services and meet the community’s demand for child care.

Efforts to help local providers expand their services and connect with other child care providers have been strengthened thanks to a close partnership with the Henry County Childcare Network (HCCN), a nonprofit that creates a web of quality care for all children. It is a training, resource and opportunity network for the county that works to bring together local organizations, providers and stakeholders to strategically address the need for quality early childhood education and care.

HCCF has participated in HCCN’s events that gather child care providers together for training. At one event, teachers enjoyed lunch, giveaways and a valuable presentation on fostering literacy in the classroom. Another event, the S.T.E.A.M Maker Fair, equipped educators with books and six innovative kits to enhance their teaching.

When providers come together to learn and collaborate with each other, it offers opportunities to address their needs. At past meetings with HCCN, providers had expressed an interest in increasing infant and toddler seats. In response, HCCF and HCCN created a grant application for providers to help meet their goals and increase seats for infants and toddlers, which are in high demand in Henry County.

One of the recent successes from these efforts has been the expansion of a beloved local child care provider who has served the community for many years. Holly Massengale, who operates Country Kids Child Care, a Paths to QUALITY™ Level 2 licensed family home, reported having 20 infants and toddlers on a waiting list. However, with the support of HCCF and the Early Years Initiative, she was able to build an additional site, adding 14 new infant and toddler seats, and hire additional staff. She now has two licensed family homes. She celebrated the expansion with an open house, giving the community a chance to see firsthand the impact.

HCCF’s support has also funded two more child care providers. Since joining the Early Years Initiative, HCCF has supported providers to add a total of 24 seats in Henry County.

While the foundation is still in the early stages of some of these efforts, the future looks bright. HCCF is focused on continuing to foster collaboration between providers and addressing the ongoing needs of the community. By working closely with local organizations and listening to the needs of both providers and families, HCCF is building a sustainable framework for child care services in Henry County.

Their work is not just about creating more child care seats; it’s about ensuring that every child in the community has access to quality care and education, setting them up for a brighter future.

A Collaborative Path to Kindergarten Readiness in Southern Indiana

Neal Butler — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 19:57:13 +0000

Align Southern Indiana has partnered with Building Blocks to provide quality improvement services to local child care providers through the Regional Training Center (RTC) program. Designed to improve best practices and raise the quality of early learning, the RTC program is making a difference in southern Indiana. The goal is simple but powerful: to help children overcome obstacles and achieve kindergarten readiness, especially in communities facing challenges.

Many local child care providers in the five counties that Align Southern Indiana serves lack access to professional development and structured educational curriculum. Instead of fostering early learning, many providers offer basic babysitting-type services. These circumstances set the stage for children entering school without the necessary skills for success.

Superintendents across the five counties, representing 13 school districts, shared with Rita Shourds, president and CEO of Align Southern Indiana, and Aleisha Wilson, president and CEO of Building Blocks, that children were coming into school unprepared for formal learning and that social and emotional challenges were prevalent. One of the earliest assessments conducted by Align Southern Indiana revealed that only 18% of incoming kindergarten students could pass a readiness assessment in all four key areas. This startling data highlighted the urgent need for change.

“Prior to this, nobody has really taken on this initiative this broadly. We asked ourselves, ‘How do we prepare these kids for kindergarten?’” said Shourds.

Through regular meetings with stakeholders, the community recognized the need for a comprehensive approach. Align Southern Indiana and Building Blocks stepped forward and began implementing the RTC model to transform child care providers into early learning educators, using data-driven and research-based strategies.

As part of the Early Years Initiative, the organizations initially aimed to impact 10 classrooms but quickly exceeded expectations and engaged providers representing 33 classrooms almost immediately. Recruitment comes easily, as program leaders and child care professionals are now calling and asking to participate. A recent provider training in partnership with Building Blocks and SPARK Learning Lab had 103 registered participants; the SPARK team said it was one of the largest trainings they had ever held in Indiana. 

The RTC program is designed to shift providers away from a daycare model and toward becoming centers of early childhood education. The RTC provides continuous coaching to child care providers, with weekly check-ins to ensure fidelity to the curriculum and help providers address challenges. Training sessions cover a variety of topics, including early childhood education best practices, social-emotional learning and classroom management.

The success of the program truly relies on collaboration. Align Southern Indiana and Building Blocks have partnered with local school districts, early childhood experts and community stakeholders to create a support system for providers. Frequent site visits ensure the program is being implemented effectively across the region. As the community starts to see results, other partners are stepping up and contributing funding and resources to ensure program sustainability.

The program’s data-driven approach is key to measuring success. The initiative not only focuses on qualitative improvements but also on gathering data that shows how well children are progressing toward kindergarten readiness and each child’s individual improvement. This helps local leaders make informed decisions about where to invest resources in early childhood education.

As the Align Southern Indiana team looks to the future, the vision is clear: a region where every child is prepared for kindergarten and where high-quality early childhood education is the norm, not the exception. By bringing together stakeholders, investing in early learning and providing data to guide decisions, Align Southern Indiana is setting the stage for a brighter future.

“Our families need help,” Shourds said. “If we can start these kids off right in kindergarten, they’ve got a better chance of passing iREAD and high school graduation. I would like to think in 20 years that our college attainment is up, that our economic development opportunities are up. Hopefully it’s a springboard of so many positive things that can happen for our five counties.”

"When Ms. Brittany returned to the building, she was so excited about the training provided by the Early Learning Indiana grant! She has over 20 years of experience and said she learned a ton and couldn't wait to share with others."

Sara Porter, Principal, Greater Clark County Schools

Turnstone Center Expands Services for Infants and Toddlers with New Case Manager Role

Neal Butler — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 18:40:06 +0000

With support from the Early Years Initiative, Turnstone Center for Children and Adults with Disabilities in Fort Wayne was able to expand its services by developing a dedicated case manager position. This strategic addition allows Turnstone to better address the unique developmental needs of infants and toddlers and move quickly to responsive interventions after early detection.

Jess Davis now serves as Home & Community Case Manager for Turnstone’s Early Years program. Her initial task was to educate families about the program’s goals and how it stands out from other services, which families have responded to positively. She then addressed the program’s waitlist, ensuring each family on the list was properly connected to the services they needed. Turnstone offers an array of services including occupational therapy, speech therapy and physical therapy, and Davis can also connect families to additional resources such as counseling and child care. Acting as a central point of contact, Davis helps families navigate the various services and ensures a cohesive and efficient experience for the child. Now, with new referrals coming in, she follows up promptly to engage these families in the Early Years program.

With a dedicated case manager, Turnstone has been able to make in-home visits standard for families in the Early Years program. This is a crucial step in quickly connecting children with the services they need. By focusing on in-home visits, Davis ensures that each family’s unique needs are met and treatment plans are aligned with their goals. She has enjoyed building deeper relationships with families during these visits, noting that in-person interactions allow for a more comprehensive understanding of each child’s situation compared to phone calls alone.

In-home visits are especially beneficial for multi-language speaking families, which make up half of Davis’s caseload. These families often work with interpreters, and it’s helpful for Davis to have an opportunity to connect with them face-to-face.

In addition to in-home visits and ensuring children receive therapy, Davis also works one-on-one with families to ensure their treatment plans are progressing smoothly and to refer them to any additional services they may need, either through Turnstone or other resources in Fort Wayne. It is helpful that Turnstone offers a broad spectrum of services all under one roof. Many families appreciate the convenience and coordination of multiple forms of support in a single location.

As the Early Years program continues to grow, Turnstone is exploring ways to expand its offerings, including the potential integration of augment therapy. This cutting-edge therapeutic approach uses augmented reality to create rehabilitation exercises and wellness games designed to enhance therapy outcomes while encouraging movement at home. Augment therapy may be especially helpful for children who are waiting to receive occupational therapy.

Thanks to the Early Years Initiative, Turnstone continues to strengthen its commitment to helping infants and toddlers get the care they need during their most crucial developmental years.

“Not only is he excelling and others have noticed his progress, I have learned more about my child and how much he can achieve. His success makes my mom's heart proud!”

Jen Miles, mom of a child involved in the Early Years program