Family Literacy

Baby TALK collaborates locally with Richland Community College to offer GED, Adult Basic Education, English as a Second Language, Job Skills and other adult education classes for Baby TALK families.  Adults receive instruction from Richland teachers and children participate in Baby TALK’s STEPS Program (Success Together Experiencing Play and Stimulation).

 The goals of this program are as follows:
           
        1)      To provide adult education and early childhood education in a comprehensive approach;

        2)      To empower parents to recognize and deal with parenting issues; and
 
        3)      To promote parent-child interaction.

 This program meets four mornings each week and includes adult instruction, early childhood education, parenting instruction and parent-child interactive literacy activities.  Families receive home visits once a month.

Parents experience both individual and group parenting sessions on site each week.  Individual parenting sessions allow for more help with personal family issues, while group sessions build social skills and camaraderie around each person’s parenting efforts.

 Support services are provided to enable families to participate successfully in the program.  These services include transportation, collaboration with case managers, and mental health services.

Because these families spend approximately twelve hours each week together, they often develop important supportive relationships within the program.  When parents achieve their GED or similar goal, they often stay involved in the program in job skills, parenting, early childhood education, or—in a number of instances—as employees of the program.

Even Start

Comprehensive education for the entire family--one family at a time--is hoped to be a key in helping young families get an even start in life. The educational program called Even Start was initiated by the federal government in the late 1980's and funds were distributed nationally. In the early 1990's, states were given the responsibility to administer funds.

Fall 1996 marked the beginning of Even Start in Decatur, Illinois. The program is a joint effort between Baby TALK, the Macon County Health Department and Richland Community College. There are four key elements to the Decatur program, which is housed at the Health Department.

GED classes for the parent(s), taught by GED instructors from Richland Community College. (Job training classes or community college courses can also be part of the program.)

Child education provided for children (up to age 7) of participants. Baby TALK provides the child education, which includes an emphasis on child development.

Instruction and support for parenting skills delivered one-on-one by a Baby TALK educator.

Parent-child interaction.

The GED classes are small, with a limit of 20, and students work individually at their own competency level. All are parents, or expectant parents, who have not completed high school and are poor. Students in the GED class are treated as responsible adults and are expected to work hard, no matter their age or circumstances. Some people earn their GED in one semester; others could take years to be ready.

The child education portion of Even Start has a high ratio of adults to children. Not only are the children cared for, but their developmental level is evaluated either by a Baby TALK educator or a referral agency. Goals are established for each child, whether for normal or delayed development, and shared with all child education workers and the parents. A charting systems tracks what goals are identified, as well as times they are worked on at Even Start. Toys and books are available through Baby TALK's lending library to assist parents working on specific goals at home.

Before each one-on-one meeting, an inventory of family issues--such as discipline, feeding, sleeping, sibling rivalry, toilet training, child care, etc.--is filled out by the parent.

"The one-on-one time with each parent is very unique to this program," says Cindy Bardeleben, Baby TALK educator. "In a group setting, some people are shy about talking, and others monopolize the conversation. The inventory is a starting point for finding out what they really want to talk about during the individual meetings. At the meeting we find out their specific needs and get to the heart of any problems."

Three Even Start sessions have now been completed--Fall 1996, Spring 1997 and Summer 1997. The program is very intensive, meeting three times a week. Every other week also includes a Family Fun activity, such as making playdough or going to the local zoo. Participants are also expected to devote a lot of time outside of class to homework and working on child development goals.