As a mother of two boys, I am aware of age appropriate developmental milestones for my children - thanks to support systems such as my son’s pediatrician, family, friends, community programs and last but not least, modern technology. I am able to download apps on my phone that update me on what my children should be doing at their current age levels, and what activities I can do with them that encourage their development.

As parents, we understand that children will enter the school system, or start homeschooling around the age of 5-years-old. What can we do before that time to prepare them for that learning environment? Many resources focus on the early years – ages prenatal to 4-years-old. This is a great opportunity to have our children prepared before they enter kindergarten. Sometimes, parents are not aware of such resources, or do not have access them. Parents may also not understand that developmental milestones should be monitored. Shouldn’t children just naturally learn what they need to?

Some children do hit the standard milestones on time, but sometimes, children develop differently. There are many reasons for these differences, but the most important thing a parent can do is to be aware of the milestones, and talk to their child’s doctor if they do not see them reaching milestones at the appropriate times. Parents can also talk to their child’s doctor about developmental screening. Many doctors’ offices have a questionnaire that parents can fill out about their child, and then that can be used as a starting point to make sure their child is developing on track.

There are also many initiatives active in the community focused on supporting families. The Community Partnership for Children (CPC) initiative is the overall partnership in Sheboygan County that is focusing on families and their children, ages prenatal to 4-years-old. The Welcome Baby program fits under the CPC initiative, which will provide resource information to families either prenatally or at the hospital after their baby is born. This program will also refer families to home visitation.

Another initiative is called Born to Succeed, a pilot in Plymouth, organized by the Family Resource Center, which focuses on a model of collective impact that addresses early learning for children birth – 4-years-old. On June 3^rd, they hosted their first Developmental Day at Generations in Plymouth. It was a great success, with 24 children in attendance from the ages of 5-months-old to 4-years-old. These children received developmental screens and vision and hearing tests. The results provided parents with information about their child’s development. Many organizations came together to make this day possible. The support behind these initiatives is overwhelming, and I am happy to be able to witness so many working together towards a common goal. Born to Succeed will also offer activities such as parenting classes, parent support groups and home visitation.

So, you may be wondering, “How do these early learning initiatives fit together?” As of now, Born to Succeed will continue as a pilot in Plymouth, with the vision to expand that model across Sheboygan County. When it expands county-wide, it will then fall under the CPC initiative.

Wow – is our community busy, or what? As these programs are implemented through the support of local organizations and businesses, the puzzle pieces will begin to fit together. Bottom line – children and families will benefit from these amazing resources, and Sheboygan County should be proud of all the work that it is doing.