“The collaboration between Jumpstart and Joliet Township Infant Childcare Center has improved the lives of three generations of Joliet families”
Easterseals Jumpstart Partnership with JTHS Infant Childcare Center Provides Support for Teens
Jumpstart parent educators and the Joliet Township Infant Childcare Center work collaboratively to meet the social, emotional, and childcare needs of teenagers and their children. This long-standing partnership includes a variety of services and programs.
Jumpstart programs include support groups and social events held on the high school campus where teen parents develop trust among peers. The programs lessen the parental isolation that sometimes occurs with pregnancy, childbirth, and new parenthood.
Home visiting services are also provided to teen parents through the Jumpstart program. During the visits, questions about bonding, child development, and parental growth are addressed. The parent educator brings a book to each visit, so that children begin to build their own home library.
The collaboration between Jumpstart and Joliet Township Infant Childcare Center has improved the lives of three generations of Joliet families. Thanks to the support at home and in the schools, teenage parents and their families experience less stress and feel welcome, wanted, and competent as parents.
About the JTHS Infant Childcare Center
The practitioners of the Joliet Township Infant Childcare Center (ExceleRate GOLD Circle of Quality), have been successfully providing nonjudgmental, empowering support and education for teenage parents enrolled in Joliet Township High Schools and their children since December 1995.
We provide licensed, high quality, loving infant/toddler care (6 weeks-3 years), during the school day to ensure this obstacle to a high school diploma is eliminated. We offer parent/child bonding activities, monthly support groups for teen dads, daily support groups for teen parents (facilitated by P.A.T.), family social events that include field trips, community members, grandparents, siblings, and anyone who is a support to the family. We use the Creative Curriculum for infants and toddlers, Teaching Strategies GOLD, and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire with parents so that they may guide, screen, and track infant/toddler developmental milestones.
