Berrien RESA is planning a 20th anniversary celebration for its Parents as Teachers program next month.
Outreach coordinator Laura Robinson tells us the international program has been around much longer, but it’s been two decades since RESA started organizing playgroups in Berrien County to connect parents with other parents so they could learn from each other.
“A lot of times when families start out with a baby, you can feel pretty isolated,” Robinson said. “And so what Parents as Teachers has done is they’ve created these what we call group events, and the group events bring families together.”
Robinson say Parents as Teachers also serves grandparents and guardians of all kinds. 13 playgroups are held each month for parents and guardians to discuss childcare topics while the kids play.
More than 900 adults and more than 1,000 kids took part in Parents as Teachers last year. Robinson says RESA just conducted a survey about everyone’s experiences and told us what respondents said.
“Here’s one that says, ‘We love being able to socialize with other parents and kids and be exposed to new toys and ways of playing.’ Here’s one. ‘Connecting with other parents while allowing our children to interact with each other. It allows a great place of much needed support every month.'”
The 20th anniversary will be held November 7 at the Northside Child Development Center in Niles from 10 to 11 a.m. Robinson says it will be a regular playgroup of reading, playing, and learning, but with the added 20th anniversary recognition. Everyone’s welcome.
