Parent Contact update

July 2023

Finding Your Footing:

Using Your Family Experience to Impact Systems Change

Your friends at the EIPLP are at it again! Preparations are underway for the next cohort of our introductory leadership series Finding Your Footing: Using Your Family Experience to Impact Systems Change. This training series is designed for parents/caregivers of children under the age of 9 who are receiving or have received EI services in Massachusetts.

The Finding Your Footing series takes place virtually one Saturday morning per month from September through June. Our content experts will guide our participants as they dive into topics like:

CliftonStrengths Finder to understand your personal strengths and how to put them into action
telling your story (led Bethany Van Delft, host of Moth mainstage storytelling events)
the fundamentals of effective communication
conflict resolution and negotiation skills
and many more!

Parent Contacts are strongly encouraged to apply, and their applications will be prioritized. Keep an eye out for more information about how to apply!

Resources & Opportunities

Supporting Young Children's

Brain Development

Serve and Return works like a game of tennis or volleyball between child and caregiver. The child “serves” by reaching out for interaction—with eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, babbling, or touch. A responsive caregiver will “return the serve” by speaking back, playing peekaboo, or sharing a toy or a laugh.

You may have seen this video of an father and child sitting together on a couch talking together floating around on line. It is a great (and extra adorable) example of the serve and return. The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard has lots of information about how children's brains grow, and how the people in their lives can support healthy long term brain development. You can check out their information on the serve and return here to learn more about why interactions like this are important for babies and young children.

Family Stories Wanted

Did you know the EIPLP features family stories in every one of our newsletters? It's one of the ways that we make sure that family voices are represented in the MA EI Community.

We are looking for parents/caregivers who want to share part of their EI experience. It can be about your first EI visit, a visit that really made a difference for your child and family, a time where you advocated for your child's needs, a training or workshop you attended (live or in person) and the impact if had on your child/family, or any other part of your EI experience you think people should hear about. Email liz.cox@mass.gov for details!

Summer Safety Guidance from the Department of Public Health

With summer approaching, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) reminds residents to take recommended common-sense precautions to keep everyone, especially young children, safe this summer.

You can access the full guidance here.