Baby TALK Celebrates 25th Anniversary

November 28, 2011

By THERESA CHURCHILL - H&R Senior Writer

DECATUR - When 21-month-old Nathan Heckman feels frustrated and needs help, he's more apt to bang his fists together than melt down.

That's one reason his mom, Jessica Heckman of Forsyth, is thankful for Baby TALK.

Come Sign With Me classes, such as the one Heckman and her son took, were added in 2003 to help fulfill the mission the agency started out with in 1986 to enhance child development and nurture parent-child relationships during the critical early years.

Its acronym standing for Teaching Activities for Learning and Knowledge, Baby TALK kicked off its 25th anniversary celebration Thursday with a news conference and reception in the Decatur Public Library.

Representatives of Archer Daniels Midland Co., Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Community Foundation of Decatur/Macon County, Decatur Memorial Hospital and St. Mary's Hospital, Decatur School District, Neuhoff Media and Tate & Lyle were among supporters extending congratulations.

Nan Gaylen, director of the Millikin University School of Education, said the university would not have an early childhood education program, much less one of the same quality, without Executive Director Claudia Quigg and Baby TALK.

Another recent accomplishment by the agency is launching an Early Head Start program last school year serving teenage parents trying to complete their high school educations, doubling Baby TALK's annual budget to about $2.3 million.

Taking Nathan and little sister Hannah, 6 months, to a Baby TALK Times session Thursday morning is actually what brought Heckman to the library. "It's challenging to keep these two entertained," Heckman said.

But, as children's librarian Katie Gross pointed out, Baby TALK sometimes causes tantrums instead of preventing them.

"When you hear stories about a child in a car seat driving down Martin Luther King throwing a tantrum to come into the library, that's pretty powerful stuff," she said, adding that Baby TALK brought 4,458 people to the library last year with its programming alone.

"I've had the most perfect partner for 25 years," Gross said.

Quigg said anniversary festivities will conclude next June with a special children's event the day after the agency's third annual Grillin' in the Garden fundraiser.

tchurchill@herald-review.com|421-7978

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