Child Care; Parent & Family Involvement; Parent Education; Professional Development; Quality Improvement
Status:
Active
Year Started:
Administered By:
Description:
Bright Start is the South Dakota governor's comprehensive early childhood/consumer education initiative to support early childhood physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development, parent education, and health care.
The main components of the initiative are the Parent/Infant Welcome Box and Responsive Parenting training sessions. The Parent/Infant Welcome Box is sent to every newborn infant in South Dakota. The box includes a video on early brain development, an Ages and Stages book, a music CD, and information on reading and music, immunizations, parenting classes, choosing child care, the Back to Sleep campaign, and other resources. Some of this information, including Ages and Stages, is also available on the Bright Start website.
Responsive Parenting training sessions are offered to parents of children ages birth to 3 in various locations statewide. The 6-week training helps parents understand how their child is growing so that they can be more responsive. Childcare is provided during the sessions.