NC Pre-K Teachers and Directors in Union County were all smiles learning about Be Active Kids, an award winning, signature program of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation. This innovative, interactive health program for children ages birth to five is available to adults working in child care centers, child care homes, and schools across North Carolina.
As a follow up activity, from the training, teachers were provided beach balls and an activity sheet titled, "50 Things To Do with a Beach Ball".
Their assignment was to send Suzanne Walters, NC Pre-K Program Administrator pictures of a classroom beach ball activity. Mrs. Tarlton shared pictures of her NC Pre-K students being active and working together as a team with their beach balls.
Our brains grow faster between the ages of 0 and 3 than at any later point in our lives. We need to invest in programs and policies that support early brain development in infants and toddlers, because they yield significant returns in the long run through more years of education, more employment, and better health as an adult. That's why ZERO TO THREE created the Think Babies™
campaign: to make their potential our national priority.
The science is clear: We must act now to ensure a positive future for generations to come. And with your help, we can make sure that our elected officials make babies a priority. We have a chance to create a world in which babies and parents have what they need to thrive and reach their fullest potential.
Join the Think Babies™ campaign and be part of the team that's fighting for their future.
Sign up for campaign updates.
Parents did you know you can sign your child up for free books? Or do you know of a child care community, Sunday School group or organization that would like to partner with us to bring the
Dolly Parton Imagination Library to children in Union County? Children must be younger than 5.
Give us a call at 704.226.1407 for more information. Each child we sign up gets a free reading buddy courtesy of Alliance for Children and PetSmart.
Nurturing Parenting Program
J
ohn, a dad of 2 small children, had been the victim of domestic violence from his children's mother. He would often use himself as a shield so the kids, ages 2 & 3, would not be the ones receiving mom's physical abuse. In the course of the Nurturing Parenting Program, funded by Alliance for Children and the help he received, John was able to secure employment, move out of the motel room he was staying in and into an apartment, and obtain a 50B protective order against the mom. He stated at graduation that he not only grew as a dad, but as a man and it was worth being a role model to his kids. He said that his own father didn't actually play with him, and he didn't want to be like that. John now enjoys coming home from work, getting on the floor with his kids, and playing with them and their toys.
Parenting Support and Nurturing Parenting Program - provides intense parenting education sessions for families struggling with the parenting role or who are experiencing the early stages of child maltreatment.