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Grants and playgroups highlighted as a driver of early engagement; parent shares bilingual playgroup experience
Summary
Grant coordinator Maura Denker reviewed CFC and Parent Child Plus programs funded by the Department of Early Education and Care, and parent Patricia de Leon described how bilingual playgroups and home visiting helped her child gain social confidence and connected her to community supports.
Maura Denker, who coordinates community family programs, told the committee that two state‑funded grants — the CFC (Coordinated Family and Community) and Parent Child Plus — fund free playgroups, home visiting, parent leadership events and outreach across Bourne.
"Everything that we do was free," Denker told the committee, describing story walks, math and science mini‑curricula, library partnerships, and multilingual outreach targeted to families with young children, including military households. She said the grants aim to close early‑learning equity gaps and to connect families with resources and community partners.
Parent Patricia de Leon spoke afterward about enrolling her child in the PC Plus home visiting and bilingual playgroup programs after moving to the area. "I was hesitant to going… but I did. I actually got there late… and honestly it was the best thing I could have ever done," De Leon said, recounting how her daughter became more confident and how the playgroup connected her to other Spanish‑speaking families.
Denker emphasized that the programs operate four‑partnership councils and collaborate with the Bourne Public Library, Joint Base Cape Cod and local preschools to extend services. She also noted the parent leadership events and community festivals (including a recent "Bourne Around the World" celebration) as ways grants foster engagement.
Administrators said the programs have waitlists for some services and available slots are allocated by eligibility; Denker encouraged residents to contact the coordinators or the district website for registration details.
