When I was introduced to the Sheboygan County Community Partnership for Children Coordinator position, I was very excited of the possibility to be involved with this new initiative. With my background in marketing and development in support of education programs at a local nature center, I related to the importance of early learning and supporting families. Each community has many resources in support of child development, and creating a partnership that capitalizes on these opportunities is important.

The Community Partnership for Children (CPC) will strengthen the relationship between early learning resources to provide better access for families in Sheboygan County. As of now, we are focused on birth to four years old, but with the vision of partnering with organizations to benefit children from cradle to career in the future.

As a mother of two boys - one that is two years old and another that is 3 months old - I crave information regarding the development, safety and health of my children. Each parent or caregiver has certain needs in order to raise their children. Since the early childhood system is so complex, we are looking to take the next steps to set a foundation for the partnership to empower children and families with the knowledge of resources that are available.

We have conducted our first strategic planning meeting this month, and look forward to continuing this process in February. Specifically, we are starting to develop the Welcome Baby program. This new program will provide parents of newborns with a visit from a Family Resource Specialist who will connect these parents with resources based on their needs. We continue to see funding for the CPC as a whole, and specifically for the Welcome Baby program.

If you are interested in learning more about the CPC or would like to be involved, please contact me at corrissa@uwofsc.org. I look forward to coordinating this partnership in support of the community’s children and families.