About

You are the key to your child’s early learning and future success.

Research has proven that, more than any other factor, family will impact the future success of a child. That’s why we partner with families to provide support where it’s needed and encourage your input and involvement in all areas of your child’s development.

How can you be involved?

In more ways than you might imagine.

Home Visiting – Families in our home-based programs are invited to socialization activities to meet other families and engage with their children in a fun and supportive setting.

Early Learning Programs – Our center-based programs have monthly family activities. These include family workshops, parent-child activities, and literacy nights.

Parent Advisory Board and Policy Council – Depending on which program you enroll in, you have an opportunity to make your voice heard as a member of either the Policy Council or Parent Advisory Board. Each group meets regularly, providing important family input to the program.

Volunteer – Parents, guardians, and other family members are always welcome as volunteers. We invite you to spend time assisting in the classroom, chaperoning on field trips, or helping plan family events. If you have a hobby or talent to share—such as music, art or cooking—we invite you to come and share it with the children, families and, staff in the program.

Children love field trips—and we love taking them!

Field trips provide an opportunity to extend learning beyond the classroom. All of IAFCs Early Learning Programs provide field trip opportunities. For children under age two, or during winter months, field trips may be “in-house” visits from an aquarium, petting zoo, or storyteller. Children over age two (or families in our home visiting programs) will have opportunities to participate in external field trips to museums, libraries, farms, and other locations.

Teachers and parent educators select field trip locations that fit with the project being studied and children’s interests. We encourage you to share field trip ideas with your parent educator or child’s teacher. All field trips for home visiting families are family field trips, with the parent or guardian and child. In our center-based programs, we encourage you or a member of your family to attend field trips as a chaperone.

We can help you make sure your child attends school regularly.

Regular attendance is critical to a child’s academic success, starting in preschool and continuing through high school. Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students understand why attendance is so important for success in school and in life.

Teachers, family engagement specialists, and parent educators work together to help you ensure that your child attends school regularly and that your family is able to participate fully in the home visiting program. Let us know what barriers you are facing and what supports you might need.