The Early Years Count!
An education initiative
of the Community Foundation
of St. Joseph County
Early Years Count!, coordinated by The Family Connection since 2001, focuses like a laser on raising quality in Head Start, early childhood centers, preschools, registered ministries, and family home providers.
Upcoming Training
EVENING WORKSHOPS
Explorando grupos grandes
En este taller interactivo enfocado en las edades preescolares, aprenderemos juntos sobre el significado de los grupos grandes. Se compartirán estrategias e ideas para llevar a cabo los grupos grandes en nuestro salón de clases.
Designed for preschool teachers
February 25
5:45-7:45
Creating Powerful Book Reading Time with preschoolers
Books are the gateway to great learning opportunities!
Would you like to maximize your book reading time? Let's explore ways to excite your preschoolers with books!
Designed for preschool teachers
March 11
5:45-7:45
Planning & Recall Time with older toddlers
Have you ever tried to implement
a formal Planning and Recall time
with older toddlers and thought
“Where do I begin?”
Designed for toddler teachers
April 10
5:45-7:45
ECAP PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOCUSED IN ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
Circle of Influence
Please join us for a discussion on the implementation of shared decision-making and participative management.
FEBRUARY 4, 2025
Noon- 2:00 pm
Free Little Library
Have you visited Ann and Sue's Little library yet? It is tucked away just outside of the Notre Dame campus, at Kelly Park. Help us keep it stocked with books! We are collecting book donations, especially looking for children's books. Thank you.
We stand in solidarity against injustice, racism, and hate. Our team shares in the collective outrage and heartbreak of our nation. We realize we have much to learn and unlearn. We are reading, watching, and listening. We are looking at ourselves as individuals and as an organization. We are learning to sit with discomfort. We are grateful for the grace offered by Maya Angelou who says, ‘Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.’ We are committed to doing better by ‘using our mouths to speak out against injustice, our noses to sniff out implicit bias, our eyes to identify privilege, our ears to listen to the people of color experience, our hearts to cultivate empathy for the oppressed, and our hands to take actions and make change.’ (@ohhappydani)
- The Family Connection Team
Visit our photo galleries
We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve been selected as a proud recipient of an Early Years Initiative grant from Early Learning Indiana! We’re stepping up our efforts to provide crucial support for infants and toddlers in HighScope classrooms in St. Joseph County. This grant empowers us to offer Infant Toddler HighScope training and curriculum support to Spanish speaking childcare providers, ensuring a brighter future for our little ones. Stay tuned for updates!
FREE BOOKS
in the mail every month for children
birth to five in St. Joseph County!!!
Thanks to the Community Foundation and a host of dedicated funders.
Information and registration here.
A growing collection of useful links to state and local resources and like-minded national organizations.
We are always on the lookout for qualified candidates with early childhood and/or elementary school expertise.
Find us:
132 N. Lafayette Blvd.
South Bend, IN 46601
Call us:
(574) 237–9740