(Above) Tammy Pollitt, Brooke Davis, and Caylynne Dobbles from Birth to Five Illinois speak at STEP meeting.
This past Friday’s STEPUP meeting at Danville’s Second Church of Christ focused on another specific challenge for the Vermilion County area. The topic was early childhood development, and getting those under the age of six ready for school. Tammy Pollitt from Birth to Five Illinois mentioned that throughout the county there are over 6,000 children under the age of six, but only about 1,200 are in some kind of early development or pre-K program. Niah Hamilton, who runs the federal grant iGrow program for the entire county, says that’s a disturbing number.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: Especially when we know that the earlier they’re in some kind of program, the better they’ll be when they go into kindergarten, and third grade and fifth grade. Those things affect standardized testing. We’re just trying to hit it early, and I’m not really sure that the community knows that the earlier start the better.
Vermilion County iGrow Coordinator Niah Hamilton addresses Friday morning STEPUP meeting at Danville’s Second Church of Christ.
Tammy Pollitt says a main part of Friday morning’s session was to talk about why more families don’t have their children in some type of early development program, and how to bring more options to Vermilion County.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: What do we need in Vermilion County? Do we need more daycares, more daycare providers; do we need more teachers? How come the children are not going to daycare/early childhood education. That’s what we’re trying to figure out.
Hamilton says one thing that will help is the arrival of Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation in Vermilion County, and their opening of two FQHCs, Federal Qualified Health Centers, designed to serve everyone.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: I’m hoping with the Southern Illinois Health Care Foundation coming in, that we can expand on our services; get more home visitors.
SIHF’s plans for Vermilion County were first announced one year ago. The clinic for all area students based at Danville High School is set to get rolling with a newly hired health provider in Janaury. Work on the FQHC for the public, planned for the old St. Elizabeth Hospital site, is set to begin next year.
Families can be referred to iGrow, by themselves or any concerned individual, by calling 217-483-BABY (2229).
MORE ON NIAH HAMILTON AND iGROW (Note: Hamilton’s office is at District 118, but she coordinates iGrow for all of Vermilion County.)
