Foundation Early Childhood Family Services ISD 196

The Foundation preserves the vitality of School District 196 by supporting quality educational programs for young children and families.

Early Childhood Family Services (ECFS) offers families in School District 196 with children birth up to kindergarten quality learning opportunities and resources. Your contribution will help families with young children become self-sufficient, improve their parenting and ready their children for school. You can make a big difference in the following programs: Family School Approximately 10% of the student population in District 196 is made up of English Language Learners. In an effort to accommodate the growing need for English language services the Family School program has grown from one site and nine families in 1987 to three sites and 90 families in 2008-09. The current waiting list for the program is 80 families, who often wait a year or more before they can enter the program. The Family School program serves the whole family while placing an emphasis on the educational success of each individual in the family. Teen Parenting Programs Young parents can be good parents if they have good parenting information and support from family members and the community. In a weekly ECFE class the licensed teachers provide role modeling and parenting information to young parents. They also focus on building a strong parent and child relationship and helping teens to find adequate resources. The childrenÕs portion of the program provides children with a sound early childhood experience. All of these factors help to prevent out of home placement of children. School Readiness Bridge to School is a preschool program for children who need to develop skills before they enter kindergarten. Each year 145 children attend this preschool and qualify for the program based on income, language or special needs. Early Childhood Family Education Classes (ECFE) ECFE classes are available to all families in School District 196 regardless of income. A sliding fee scale makes ECFE affordable to all families. Classes help families learn about and better deal with common parenting subjects, such as discipline, self-esteem, nutrition or getting ready for school.