Family Connections awarded ARPA funds from Cuyahoga County
Cuyahoga County Council awarded $250,000 to Family Connections of Northeast Ohio from the Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, to provide literacy programming to 150 kindergarten students and families in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights school district.
Our flagship program, Family School Connection, has been providing successful kindergarten literacy home visiting services to students and families for more than 12 years. Through this grant, we will also expand our footprint into the Collinwood community served by Councilwoman Stephens in Ward 10 who sponsored our proposal with the County Council.
Prior to the pandemic a significant number of kindergarten students began the school year unprepared. As the result of the pandemic, many more children are starting school lacking the basic academic and social emotional skills needed for school success.
Family School Connection targets children who lack the kindergarten readiness skills of alphabet knowledge, rhyming, blending, segmenting, and phonemic awareness all needed for reading success. This funding allows Family Connections to hire additional Family Coaches to partner with teachers in classrooms, conduct bi-monthly home visits with families to link home and school, provide families and students with reading toolkits, literacy activities and materials, and offer family group gatherings.
“On behalf of the Family Connections Board, we are grateful to receive this funding to help reach families with young children. My two children were program participants in the past and I can attest to the positive impact services had on as they prepared to enter kindergarten. I received parenting strategies that have contributed to their continued positive educational journey, now in middle and high school.
The pandemic has put a spotlight on the importance of additional academic and family guidance needed as we look to post pandemic recovery approaches. In addition to services executed in my community of residence, CH-UH district, I look forward to seeing increased partnership and intentional collaboration to allow us the opportunity to offer services to families that need us the most.” Tiffany Scruggs, Board President
Music with Marisa
Family Connections and Marisa are excited to bring you a FREE virtual music class for children ages birth to 6 years and their caregivers on Zoom.
Also have on hand: A friend (stuffed animal/favorite toy), a shaker egg or similar noisemaker, and a scarf-like object for each participant.
Tuesdays 10:00 am (sessions run approximately30 minutes)
Register here:
Sponsored by the Joanie Adler Program Fund.