Children who turn five by September 1, 2023 are eligible to start kindergarten this fall. The Kindergarten Readiness newsletter from Launch into Learning can help your child be ready for their first day! The campaign also supports initiatives such as Talk With Me, The Basics Howard County and Read With Me.

Celebrating love this Valentine’s Day goes hand in hand with one of the pillars of The Basics program: Maximizing Love, Managing Stress. Watch our video in English or Spanish to learn how babies thrive when their world feels safe and loving and how you can create a happy environment for your child.

Register to receive The Basics Insights text messages with information for your child’s developmental stage (materials are available in English or Spanish, and designed for children birth to age five).

To support the Howard County Diaper Drive:

10 to 11:30 a.m. / Virtual / Register

The Howard County Health Department maintains a Bilingual Behavioral Health Resources Directory. After viewing the directory, check to verify the provider accepts your insurance or provides sliding scale fees before scheduling. Visit hchealth.org or call 410-313-6300 for more information.

Explore Howard County Recreation & Parks (HCRP) summer camps at the Camp Fair at the North Laurel Community Center on Saturday, February 11, 1 to 3 p.m. Bring the whole family to this FREE event to enjoy a variety of activities and learn more about summer camps for kids ages two to 14. Attendees get $5 off next camp registration fee. View the HCRP summer activity guide for more information (financial assistance options are on page 49). Mark your calendars: online registration for Howard County residents starts February 1 at 6 p.m. (February 8 for non-residents).

HCC’s Kids on Campus program provides enrichment education for youth ages 6 to 17. Summer classes include morning and afternoon programs, running June 26 to August 17. Supervised lunch, before care, and after care are also offered. Signing up for a summer class is easy - view classes and register online.

Tuesday, February 14 / 5 to 6 p.m. (via Zoom) / Register

Presented by Verbal Beginnings, review the benefits of attending a summer program, including helping prevent skill regression while enabling your child to learn new skills.

“Children fall in love with books because of the memories created when they snuggle up and read with someone they love.” - Raising Readers

1.      Books are engaging. They encourage interaction through the touch and feel panels, which makes it fun and instills a lifelong love of reading.

2.      They build vocabularies. Children learn to associate textures they feel with a descriptive word.

3.      They enrich language. Children learn multiple words to describe textures, such as soft, fluffy, downy, and woolly.

4.      They develop fine motor skills. Books often have flaps to undo, doors to open, and rough, bumpy, smooth or shiny textures to explore.

5.      Multiple senses are in use. Children learn by seeing, hearing, doing, and touching.

To learn more, read “Why You Should Share Touch and Feel Books” by John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.

Powerful Tools for Caregivers presents topics and self-care tools for individuals caring for loved ones who need assistance. Caregivers can learn to reduce personal stress and curb negative self-talk; communicate more effectively; manage emotions; make tough caregiving decisions; and better understand dementia. The virtual workshop also offers tips to improve relaxation and exercise habits and boost physical and mental well-being, while enjoying the support and company of other caregivers. Free; for more information or to register, contact Kathy Wehr, caregiver support program manager, at 410-313-5955 (voice/relay) or [email protected].