The Nassau BOCES Parent-Child Home Program (PCHP) is currently working to expand its programs into more Long Island communities. The PCHP, an early intervention program designed to help educationally at-risk preschoolers, transforms the home into a child’s first classroom.
This free family literacy program has been serving Long Island families for more than 50 years. Research has shown that children who receive early intervention are 50 percent more likely to be ready for kindergarten than their peers and are 30 percent more likely to graduate from high school.
Trained early literacy specialists visit the home twice a week and work with parents to help them become their child’s first teacher. Home visitors teach parents to foster language development and pre-literacy skills in their children through talking, reading and playing. Families receive a new book or educational toy every week to help enhance learning. By the end of the two-year program, students are fully prepared to enter preschool.
“The Parent-Child Home Program prepares young children for success in school, as well as in life,” said Assistant Coordinator Regina Farinaccio. “The program supports a closer relationship between parent and child, and helps parents to develop skills that ensure school readiness, which can have profound impacts on children’s academic performance.”
To be eligible, families must have a child who will be two years old by December 1, 2016. The parent or primary caregiver must be available for two 30-minute home visits every week and be willing to help prepare his or her child for school. Families must reside in eligible school districts, or register for a waiting list in other communities. The program is currently available in English and Spanish; other languages may soon be available.
For more information, please contact Regina Farinaccio or Sheila Bush at 516-622-6807, or visit the Parent-Child Home Program online at http://www.parent-child.org/.
About Nassau BOCES
A vital regional resource, Nassau BOCES offers state-of-the-art programs for learners of all ages and abilities as well as cost-effective services for school districts and municipalities. We empower students to achieve their maximum potential in alternative, artistic, outdoor, special education, virtual, and career and technical environments. We offer adult education and a variety of programs that are vital to improving the Long Island regional economy. In addition, our technology services form the backbone of many school districts’ infrastructure. As the county’s educational leader in implementing the state’s reform efforts, we are helping to shape the future of education. To learn more, visit www.nassauboces.org and like us at www.facebook.com/nassauboces.
—Submitted by Nassau BOCES
