Hey All!
It has been a very long time. We have been in our Bradley office for 1 year and 5 months. I know this seems like a weird anniversary to be blogging on, but this is the anniversary of our Open House. So it seemed more appropriate than back in April.
Today we are serving 77 kids
Man… it has been a year… A lot has happened. September 13, 2018 we had 5 home visitors, including me, in the office. Today, we have 7! Last year we had 13 children enrolled and receiving services. Today, we are serving 77 kids and their families! Talk about growth!
We have been able to offer 61 groups
We have been able to offer 61 groups in a variety of setting this past year. We have held Baby Book Club at our office as well as in two different libraries in Watseka and in Clifton. This coming year we will be adding a few more so be sure to look for Baby Book Club in the Gibson City area! We were also able to host a family picnic at Perry Farm and visit Willowhaven Nature Center a few times to see MooMoo the guinea pig.
Free developmental screenings all around the community
Another amazing part of our job has been being able to offer free developmental screenings for young children in our communities. Little Me Studio, WIC at the Kankakee Health Department, McDonalds, Bradley Public Library, Kankakee Public Library, Watseka Park District, and 7 different schools have allowed us to come in to offer those free screenings! How incredible is it that in one year, we were able to find many other organizations that want to help support the development of children 0-3 and into preschool!
Community partners continue to be so supportive
Community partners continue to be so helpful and supportive of the work we do with families. WIC, Pregnancy Resource Center of Kankakee, Little Me Studio, EI, Bourbonnais School District, St. Mary’s Hospital, and the Community Arts Council have supported our work this past year as well as many other people.
An amazing year of growth
This has been an insane year. There have been times where I feel like we have got it together and then times when I feel like maybe we need a lifeboat… But ultimately this year has been an amazing year of growth for the Jumpstart Program. We have been blessed by our community partners so that we can continue to support the families we work with.
Hopefully it will not be another year before I blog for you again. But there are no promises… This next year could be more hectic than the last!
Look at us go.