Six hundred books delivered to at-risk families in DuPage County
Parents as Teachers, a nationwide program run locally by the DuPage Regional Office of Education, has been creatively connecting with DuPage families during Illinois' shelter in place - as well as working alongside the Regional Office of Education and the Illinois Department of Transportation to deliver 600 books to DuPage school-age children.
The Parents as Teachers (PAT) program takes a holistic approach to strengthening at-risk families by serving pregnant women and families with children from birth to age 3.
During twice monthly home visits, PAT parent educators come alongside parents to help ensure school readiness, increase parent knowledge of child development, provide testing for early detection of developmental delays, and prevent child abuse and neglect. At each visit they also give each child a carefully chosen, age-appropriate book.
"We believe parents should be the first and best teachers a child has," explains Dr. Darlene Ruscitti, the DuPage Superintendent of Schools. "Giving parents the resources they need - such as books - levels the playing field and helps children succeed at school," Ruscitti said.
When Gov. Pritzker ordered a shelter-in-place last month, PAT program director Vickie Trotter and her team got creative in connecting with their 125 families by using video chats, WhatsApp, and texting. But they haven't stopped there. Because one of PAT's goals is to work with families to establish a home library, they are also continuing the program's book distribution via no-contact delivery.
"If a family remains in our program from birth to age three, they will have accumulated 72 books," Trotter explains.
That's a lot of books, but thanks to federal grants, the Regional Office of Education has been able to pre-purchase hundreds of books for the program, which they keep in storage until needed.
Recently, Ruscitti was thinking about how they could help additional DuPage families while kids are home from school, and those books came to mind. "We had the idea to distribute books to the districts, who in turn could give them to families in need. The only challenge was how to move 600 books."
That's when Ruscitti says she remembered that the Illinois Department of Transportation had told her they were always willing to help if she needed it.
So after making a few phone calls, DOT jumped in, delivering 50 books in English and ten books in Spanish to each of 10 school districts in DuPage County - totaling 600 books.
"The districts were already passing out meals to families in need, so they added a book to the food bag, and the families were thrilled," Ruscitti explained.
Trotter says she was glad the books could be put to immediate use.
"Providing books to the districts was a way to continue to promote literature, as well as partner with school districts that are already partnering with us through the PAT program," Trotter said.
Ruscitti agrees. "It was wonderful to see how all these people and organizations came together for the sake of the children during this pandemic. Food and books seem like simple things, but they are making a difference in DuPage families, and the Regional Office of Education is excited to be a part of it."
About the DuPage Regional Office of Education
The DuPage Regional Office of Education is a service organization whose responsibilities are defined by Illinois School Code, Illinois Administrative Code, Illinois State Board of Education mandates, and stakeholder needs. The essential role of the office is to provide high quality service and support to all stakeholders and collectively expend every effort to meet the special responsibility to prepare our children for the world they will face.
In addition to the myriad services provided directly to educators and schools, the office also provides services and support to community members, private schools, parents, children, business leaders, and others.
About Parents as Teachers (PAT)
Parents as Teachers, a national organization, was developed in 1981 as a pilot project for first-time parents of newborns in Missouri. Educators had noticed that children were beginning kindergarten with varying degrees of readiness, so early childhood professionals suggested a program that would provide early detection of developmental delays and health issues, as well as parent education to help parents understand their role in encouraging their child's development. Since 1985, Parents as Teachers has expanded to all 50 states and six other countries. Grounded in the latest research, Parents as Teachers develops curricula that support a parent's role in promoting school readiness and healthy development of children.