Program areas at Family Center of Washington County
Early intervention is a developmental service available to families of children from birth up to the third birthday, for whom there are developmental concerns due to identified disabilities, or whose typical development is at risk due to certain birth or environmental circumstances. The goal is to help children learn the basic and brand-new skills that typically develop during the first three years of life, such as: physical (reaching, rolling, crawling, and walking); cognitive (thinking, learning, solving problems); communication (talking, listening, and understanding); social/emotional (playing, feeling secure and happy); and self-help (eating, dressing). With your support 227 children made gains in development to bring them closer to their peers.
Our child care support services program offers the following services: help finding child care, help paying for child care, and providing professional development to child care providers. Our child care referral specialist provides 119 families with information on how to locate quality childcare,what questions to ask providers when they call and visit, and ways to buildpositive child-parent-provider relationships. Our child care financial assistance specialists determine eligibility for Vermont's subsidy, which assisted 335 low to middle income families with paying for childcare.
Our 5 stars state accredited early childhood program serves 49 children from 6 weeks through 5 years. This fully-inclusive program serves typical children and children with special needs. The children receive quality care critical for early brain development, building cognitive, social and physical skills that will serve them for a lifetime. Our curriculum is designed to meet the developmental needs of children. Play is the primary means of encouraging skill development. The children are given the opportunity to actively manipulate materials and the physical environment and thus gain new skills by playing with each other and interacting with adults. Each child develops or learns at his/her own rate and new skills are acquired when that child is developmentally ready.
Other programs designed to help build resourceful families and healthy children to create a strong community. At the Family Center it's always about the Family.