It's A New Year, And We Could Not Be More Excited To Share Our January 2022 Family Network Newsletter

January 2022

2022-23 VPK

Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program (VPK) is a free educational program that prepares 4-year-olds for success in kindergarten and beyond. Children must live in Florida and be 4 on or before September 1st of the school year they enroll. Parents whose children are born between February 2 and September 1 of the calendar year may postpone enrolling their 4-year-old until the following year when their child is 5.

Parents can choose from different educational settings and various program options. Private child care centers, public schools, and specialized instructional service providers offer VPK. VPK providers have the flexibility to structure daily hours per week to meet the required number of instructional hours.

VPK School-Year Program - 540 Instructional Hours: Class sizes are not to exceed 11 students with a single lead instructor or up to 20 students with a lead instructor and an assistant.

Enroll Your Child Today!

Help Me Grow was designed to create an opportunity for parents to track their child's developmental growth and provide peace of mind. Your Family Is Eligible For:

Free developmental screenings - to identify possible social and emotional delays.
Follow-up care coordination - ensuring families receive the services they need.
Other community resources - promoting health and wellness for the whole family.

CALL 2-1-1 to complete your child's developmental screening TODAY!

Get Started HERE

We have a number of videos featuring some of our early learning experts who are here to offer us tips, tricks, and sometimes more complex explanations of early child development. Take a look and be sure to follow us on Facebook for more Parenting Pro Tips coming soon!

ELC Parenting Tips - Brain (Social and Emotional)

With half of Florida’s children who struggle with mental health not receiving proper treatment, it is time to ditch the stigma and get our kids the help they need. That’s why it is important to have access to proven resources that can help you identify and support a child in need. Simply Healthcare and the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FCAAP) have curated the following resources to support and strengthen mental health in children.

Learn More

"Rocking and Rolling"

During diaper changes and playtime on the floor, gently rocking your baby from side to side from her shoulders and then from her legs is a great way to help her learn how to feel and use the different segments of her body to move and start to roll. Once your baby is comfortable with this kind of movement and is beginning to initiate some of the movement on her own, you can also assist her in rolling from her back to her tummy (helping her support her head and neck if needed).

Textured Crawling Practice

Have your baby try crawling across bubble wrap or other textures that are taped to the floor. You can even make your own textured squares out of different craft paper and fabrics.

Did you know? Crawling is the foundation of so many important pieces of development including: bilateral coordination (using both sides of the body together to perform a task), core strength, reciprocal arm, and leg movements, hand strength, motor planning, balance, hand-eye coordination, and more!

Make your baby's baths fun, safe, and stress-free with these 5 Baby Bath Time Safety Tips Every New Parent Needs to Know

In the spirit of National Bath Safety Month, keep reading to learn about the different steps you can take to make sure your home and bathroom are safe, even from the inquiring and innovative minds of children.

Bubble Foam Bath

Bubble foam is easy to make and can be a fun activity in the bathtub. Check out how to make the recipe below, and get creative with the colors and "tools" you add. Be sure to create some safety guidelines for your little one, as it can get slippery!

How to make Bubble Foam

Winter Touch and Feel Book

Create a sensory touch and feel book that our toddler will love! You can use many materials that you already have in your home. Check out how Sarah from "Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls" created her version.

DIY Tutorial

I Have a Dream Cloud

Have your child draw a cloud on construction paper, and give them a strip of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and pink paper. Each strip of paper gets an idea (something your child wishes for) written on it. Have your child write with a pencil and then trace with a marker. Last, glue the strips in order to the bottom of the cloud. Have your child write “I Have a Dream…” (and their name) on the cloud. They turn out really cute!

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is January 17, 2022

Why We Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day: How to Explain the Holiday to Kids

It is important to celebrate the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and find ways to apply his teachings into our everyday lives and the lives of our children. Learn about this special holiday in January with this guide to MLK Day from Parents Magazine. Read More...

Exploding Snowman

Because you only need a few materials to do this simple STEM experiment for kids, it’s an awesome boredom buster to keep in mind for when you are looking for ways to hold onto Winter in the 75-degree weather!

Tip: Since it is nice outside, it may be best to do your "explosions" outside so your floors don't get messy.

Exploding Snowman

Are You Emotionally Overwhelming Your Kids?

Expressing extreme anger and frustration can be emotionally scarring to kids.

Children and adolescents are not fully developed emotionally and may not be equipped to handle a parent's outbursts.

To an adult, the difference between a genuine threat and blowing off steam may be clear. But to a child, they can seem like one and the same.

Children take what adults say seriously, and often literally, so it's important to moderate one's anger as a parent to not overwhelm them.