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Family Connections outlines after-school, early-learning and holiday support programs
Summary
Family Connections of Easton presented program updates to the board, highlighting ParentChild+ pre-K home-visiting outcomes, after-school attendance, new community school coordinators, backpack/pantry distributions, and the upcoming "Stuff the Bus" holiday campaign. The presentation included participant counts and plans for Crazy Eights math club.
Kila Vincent, executive director of Family Connections of Easton, told the Easton Area School District board that the nonprofit is expanding community-school coordination and continuing a range of family supports including home-visiting pre-K, after-school learning, and food distribution programs.
Vincent said Family Connections, "We are the family center for Easton Area School District," and described the group's mission: to engage and support families, remove barriers to learning, and develop positive family-school-community partnerships. She introduced community school coordinators Stacy Banco (Chesterton) and Janine Eberhard (Paxonosa) and outlined initiatives that include a Blue Buddies program in partnership with the Easton Police Department, Title I math and reading nights, attendance and tardiness efforts, an after-school art program, and a VEDAM partnership with Saint Luke's.
Program numbers presented: Vincent said ParentChild+ had 28 families participate last year; participants are ages 3 through 5. She told the board that program graduates are "more likely to be prepared for kindergarten" and that graduates performed "10 months ahead of their peers from a chronological age perspective" on the measures Family Connections uses. For after-school programming, the district has about 80 students registered for the Chester Cougar Learning Club (CCLC) and about 100 for PALS at Paxonosa; both programs operate two days per week and provide snack and dinner meals. Family Connections will run a Crazy Eights math club from November through mid-January and plans baseline testing and follow-up to measure impact.
On family support and food assistance, Vincent said the organization provided services to more than 5,800 children and adults last year. In October the group distributed 538 backpack bags across schools; last year Family Connections distributed roughly 3,050 bags districtwide. The on-site pantry at Paxonosa served about 777 students and adults in October.
Vincent closed by describing the upcoming holiday fundraising effort "Stuff the Bus," which collects donated items and funds for an in-school holiday shop where families can select gifts. She invited community participation at several holiday events and said Family Connections will present to the board periodically to report progress.
Ending: The presentation was informational; no formal board action was requested during the report. Board members thanked Vincent and recognized Family Connections' role in supporting early-learning readiness and basic needs.
