RISE’s ParentChild+ Home Visiting Program Supports Dane County Families with School Readiness through Play
Although ParentChild+ was founded in 1965, it didn’t make its debut in Dane County until 2011. At that time, the United Way of Dane County found that children entering 4K did not have either the academic or social-emotional skills they needed to be successful in a classroom.
Supporting Children 18 Months to 4-years-old
RISE’s ParentChild+ home visiting program was tasked to help fill the gap. The program supports families with children 18 months to 4-years-old with early learning where it truly begins: the home.
Free, High-Quality Educational Books & Toys
Families enrolled in ParentChild+ are matched with an Early Learning Specialist, who visits their home twice a week for 30 minutes each visit. Families also receive free, high-quality educational books and toys to support their child’s engagement in early learning.
Success in 4K & Beyond
In home visits, Early Learning Specialists facilitate reading, play, and serve-and-return conversation between the child and their parent – their first and most important teacher – helping families turn everyday experiences into rich learning opportunities. Over the course of 92 home visits, parents and children gain the knowledge and experience needed for success in 4K and beyond.
At a time when rising costs are limiting families’ time, money, and energy, ParentChild+ helps lessen those burdens. Families who go through ParentChild+ report that the experience helped set aside uninterrupted time to engage in child-led play. The 24 books and 22 Melissa & Doug brand toys and art materials gifted to families save them money for other necessities.
After graduating from the program, parents have shared:
- “Since this program, my child is talking better and is more eager to learn different things.”
- “My child started talking a lot more and learned a lot through play.”
- “The program brought me and the kids together.”
- “RISE and ParentChild+ has given our family an experience we would have never had. The program has helped foster and strengthen our family experience by guiding and showing us the importance of family time through play.”
- “ParentChild+ is excellent because it helped us to understand and to see what our child focused on to try to help him more. Thank you for bringing many tools for his development.”
Learn More
To learn more about ParentChild+, and to see if your family is eligible to enroll, please visit www.RISEwisconsin.org.
