How does the program work?
The program consists of 8 two-hour parenting sessions held twice a week for four weeks, with follow-up meetings three times a year for ongoing family support.
Curriculum topics include:
Curriculum topics include:
- Understanding early brain development
- The importance of a secure attachment
- Supporting young children’s cognitive, language, social, and emotional development
- The profound importance of talking with and reading aloud to very young children
- Understanding and responding to children’s needs and problems
- Setting limits, gaining cooperation
- Positive guidance for infants and toddlers
- Developmental milestones of infants and toddlers
- Managing parent stress
- Enriching activities for infants and toddlers
Why is it so important?
Neuroscience and other research demonstrates that a child’s success in school and adulthood is largely determined in the first three years of life when 80% of the brain is developed and essential foundations are laid for literacy, numeracy, and non-cognitive skills. There are enormous social class differences in parental activities that help develop the infant and toddler brain – resulting in limiting future life opportunities for many low income children by age three. This program will aid in reducing the ongoing socioeconomic inequalities in our region. Infant-Toddler Success is a research-based parent education program for at-risk families with children aged 0-5 years which provides 8 parent-workshops sessions – and 4-month follow-ups -- offered by California State University, San Bernardino. Partners with the medical, faith-based, city and county school communities, and others will encourage parent participation. The parenting curriculum is based on the most recent research on early brain development, attachment parenting, responsive and positive child guidance.
These parenting workshops address the vital issue of children from lower income households being at-risk by age 5 for poor cognitive and socio-emotional skills. Since 0-5 years is the critical window of time for meaningful intervention for disadvantaged children, the target population is low and moderate income families with infants and toddlers. The focus of the program is on the creation of a secure attachment between young children and their parents, and helping parents learn appropriate ways to support their young child’s cognitive, language, social, and emotional development. As neuroscientists have concluded, if a child’s brain architecture hasn’t developed sufficiently during the 0-5 period, that child is highly unlikely to succeed in school or adulthood.
These parenting workshops address the vital issue of children from lower income households being at-risk by age 5 for poor cognitive and socio-emotional skills. Since 0-5 years is the critical window of time for meaningful intervention for disadvantaged children, the target population is low and moderate income families with infants and toddlers. The focus of the program is on the creation of a secure attachment between young children and their parents, and helping parents learn appropriate ways to support their young child’s cognitive, language, social, and emotional development. As neuroscientists have concluded, if a child’s brain architecture hasn’t developed sufficiently during the 0-5 period, that child is highly unlikely to succeed in school or adulthood.