Helping Young Children Flourish
“Because of Parent Connections, our son is successful.”
Darcie’s four-year-old son, Connor, was at risk of being removed from his preschool program.
“We were able to manage his behavior well at home, because we could use strategies that the daycare wasn’t able to,” she said. “He’s very active. He’s always on the move; a lot of climbing, jumping, rolling around on the floor. There were a lot of behaviors the school didn’t think were safe, and they were concerned about him—or one of the other children—getting hurt.”
After trying several other programs that weren’t beneficial, Darcie turned to Wheeler’s Parent Connections program, funded by the United Way of West Central Connecticut and private philanthropy. Parent Connections is a no-cost, in-home service that provides information, support, and guidance to families with young children, ages birth to five, who have concerns about their child’s progress, growth, and development. The program serves children who may have had an assessment through a Birth to Three program and were not eligible to receive services, or received services through a Birth to Three program but are no longer eligible. The program also serves children who may have had an assessment through a Department of Education early childhood special education program. Families receive developmental guidance, connection to other resources, and education on how to address their child’s developmental needs.
“Since Parent Connections has been involved, Connor has not only remained in his classroom but he’s flourished,” Darcie says. “The center has shared with us that Parent Connections is, hands down, the most helpful program and resource they’ve ever worked with. They feel like it’s benefited not only Connor but also several other students and even staff. It has helped us to bridge the gap between home life and preschool. Because of Parent Connections, our son is successful. He’s ready to move forward and go into the school system next year, which has relieved a lot of stress at home.”
