ParentChild+
This program has been operating in Central and Northern Berkshire County for the past 25 years. In 2015 it was CHP’s pleasure to expand it to South County.
The program is based at CHP Family Services with generous grants from Berkshire United Way, the Department of Early Education and Care, and the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.
Katelyn Parks | Home Program Coordinator
(413) 528-0457 or kparks@chpberkshires.org
Is your child heading to preschool or kindergarten?
Children have only 1,800 days from birth to the start of kindergarten. Each of these days is critical to their school readiness and success. Too many children fall behind before they even set foot in a classroom and they struggle to catch up.
But we can intervene and interject falling behind. We help families find the path to school readiness and succeed together.
The ParentChild+ program is a free, nationwide mentoring program, operating in several locations in the Berkshires, that helps young children (ages 16 months to 3 years), and their families get ready for the transition to school. Participants in ParentChild+ through CHP Family Services must reside in Southern Berkshire County. There are no income requirements.
How does the parentchild+ program work?
Our Early Learning Mentor visits with the child and family/caregiver twice weekly for 30 minutes. Mentors share reading and playing skills that support child development. We then offer a continuation of the program for two years and follow the public school calendar.
We help to:
- Empower caregivers by sharing knowledge, skills, and resources to start early education in their own home
- Give the child the skills needed for success in school
- Strengthen caregiver-child attachment to build family resilience
ages & stages
Children enrolled in the ParentChild+ program are eligible for the Ages & Stages developmental screening. This screening tool can be the basis for family support services offered by CHP and other area agencies.