Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Early Childhood Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Gift Connect outlines birth-to-3 literacy and parent-support program for Wilmington
Summary
Gift Connect told the education committee it will launch a birth-to-3 literacy and caregiver program in Wilmington this fall, combining music-based activities, an app and community pop-ups to train parent leaders and promote kindergarten readiness.
Gift Connect representatives told the Wilmington City Council Education, Youth and Family Services Committee on June 11 that the nonprofit will launch a birth-to-3 program in Wilmington this fall aimed at strengthening early bonding, parent caregiving practices and kindergarten readiness.
"Gift Connect's mission is to amplify the importance of birth to 3 development," said Jessica Gibson, a presenter for Gift Connect, describing a curriculum that uses music, "edutainment," technology and community pop-ups to train caregivers and build local peer leaders. The group said it will adapt lessons from a literacy project it runs in Kenya and from national models discussed at a recent symposium.
Gift Connect said its model combines short multiweek cohorts and intermediate pop-up events. Kima Fouldens, identified in the meeting as the organization's early education consultant, told the committee the sessions include "six loving habits," a lullaby component and a song-generator app that the nonprofit has launched on Apple devices; an Android version is under development. The presenters said the program includes food- and nutrition-literacy elements and trauma-informed parent supports.
Program milestones cited to the committee include a planned October–December first cohort and aims that organizers described as a year-one target of training roughly 125 caregiver leaders and delivering in-home and pop-up sessions to an initial group of families. Gift Connect said it held a local symposium with 65 participants and is partnering with local organizations including Eastside Charter School (STEM Hub), Kingswood Academy, My Sister's Keeper, A Better Chance for Children, Network Connect, the Community Education Building and faith-based groups.
Council members praised the initiative and asked about links to state policy and child-care providers; presenters said they are coordinating with Delaware Health and Social Services home-visiting and child-care networks and are discussing advocacy steps for early-childhood policy. Gibson said the organization is "being careful about what we lobby for and how we lobby" while partnering with existing advocacy groups.
Ending: Gift Connect plans to begin cohorts in October and asked council and community partners to help recruit caregivers and host pop-ups; no committee vote was taken.
