Parenting is truly a journey. You may have started planning months in advance for that journey, created a budget and have your destination set – or so you thought. On the other hand, this journey may have jumped out at you and yelled, “Surprise!” No matter the start, all families benefit from a strong support system and additional information.

The Sheboygan County Community Partnership for Children (SCCPC) is a collaboration between many organizations to support families through their parenting journey.  Support may be a first-time family having their child, where a Welcome Baby Resource Specialist from Family Connections visits them at the hospital to inform them of community resources and of the Parents as Teachers home visiting program through the Family Resource Center.

SCCPC support is the on-going free Community Screening Day event where their child is screened for appropriate development anywhere from age 6-months to 4-years-old. This is an exciting partnership between school districts and other nonprofit organizations to offer screenings at earlier ages to give parents peace of mind that their child is meeting appropriate developmental milestones.

The SCCPC is also excited to add another way to support parents and caregivers here in Sheboygan County – Parent Café workshops. These events are also free to any family and are a collaboration between United Way of Sheboygan County, Family Connections, Head Start, Lakeshore CAP and Above and Beyond Children’s Museum.

At a Parent Café workshop, parents and caregivers bring their children and enjoy a delicious meal together. Afterwards, children will have activities set up for them with quality childcare staff, rated by Youngstar to ensure a safe environment. During this time, parents and caregivers will discuss different parenting topics in groups. Throughout the time together, the groups will rotate tables and continue discussing various topics of interest. Parents and caregivers are able to discuss topics that are important to them, which will then apply directly to their life and potentially strengthen their support system through new friendships.

For more information on the Welcome Baby program, Community Developmental Screening events and Parent Café Workshops, visit www.sheboygancpc.org. You can also contact Corrissa Frank, Sheboygan County Community Partnership for Children Coordinator at corrissa@uwofsc.org or call (920) 458-3425.