Calhoun County First Steps has awarded Calhoun County School District a $65,743 grant to assist in implementing a Parents As Teachers Program for 40 families in the county.

The program is based at the Bethlehem Center, 307 Caw Caw Road, St. Matthews.

The Parents As Teachers Program is founded on the belief that parents are experts regarding their own children. The work of Parents As Teachers is grounded in these basic beliefs:

* Parents are their children's first and most influential teachers.

* Learning begins at birth, learning is life long and learning is reciprocal.

* The early years of a child's life are critical for optimal development and provide the foundation for success in school.

* All children and families deserve the same opportunities to succeed, regardless of any demographic, geographic, or economic considerations.

* An understanding and appreciation of the history and traditions of diverse cultures is essential in serving families.

The program provides four components:

* Personal visits - Regular personal visits are the primary service delivery component. During visits, parent educators share age-appropriate child development information with parents, teach them to observe their child's development, address parenting concerns and engage the family in activities that provide meaningful parent/child interaction.

* Group meetings - Parent group meetings provide opportunities to discuss information about parenting issues. Parents learn from and support each other and practice parenting skills.

* Screening - Annual developmental, health, hearing and vision screenings are conducted for early ide.jpgication of potential developmental delays and health, hearing and vision problems.

* Resource network - Parent educators help families identify and connect with needed resources and overcome barriers to accessing these resources.

Story Hour is held at the Bethlehem Center at 11 a.m. the first and/or fourth Wednesday of each month. Parenting workshops are held monthly at 6:30 p.m. in the Calhoun County High School cafeteria.

To learn more about the Parents As Teachers Program or to participate in this program, contact Everleen McFadden at Bethlehem Center at 803-655-5268 or Virginia Newman, executive director of Calhoun County First Steps, at 803-655-5126.

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