The Cradle to Kindergarten Program is an early literacy initiative available exclusively for new babies born at Lake Health whose families reside in Painesville City. Cradle to Kindergarten provides at-risk families with free books, materials, and support to empower and engage parents in their child’s literacy development. Books and materials are offered in both English and Spanish thanks to a generous donation from the Lake County United Way, specifically the efforts of Mr. Don Joss, former Director of Community Impact at the United Way. The Painesville City Local School District has partnered with the United Way, Lake Health, Pam Kennedy, Early Literacy Consultant of the State Support Team Region 4, and the Lake County General Health District to make this program available to parents of newborns residing in Painesville City.
It may seem early, but studies show that the first five years of children’s lives are crucial to their overall development. The experiences that children have during their formative years set the stage for later learning. In order to ensure that our district's children are best prepared to succeed in school, we are inviting Painesville City parents to enroll their newborn babies in the Cradle to Kindergarten Program. If you or someone you know is planning to deliver their baby at Lake Health, please inquire about the Cradle to Kindergarten application for enrollment upon the baby's delivery!
Upon enrollment, families will receive a free welcome kit and will be contacted by a Painesville City Schools' staff member or a volunteer from the nearby community who has been trained on the importance of early language development. Volunteers in the program will reach out to the participating families to schedule quarterly home visits. As long as the baby resides in Painesville City, these visits will occur approximately every three months until the child enters Kindergarten at Elm Street, Chestnut, or Maple Elementary School. The purpose of the program's home visits is to supply at risk families with new books to build their home libraries as well as to share tips, skills, and activities that they can easily implement with their child according to his or her interests and age. Our hope is to increase Kindergarten readiness and build positive, long-lasting relationships with school families before their children even step foot in one of our buildings.
Please call Amber Torres, Site Coordinator of Painesville City's Family Resource Center, at 440-392-5548 if you have questions regarding the program or if you are interested in volunteering! We are currently in need of approximately 20 volunteers, and we will provide training and ongoing support for all volunteers.