Southern Seven Head Start plans Community Child Find screenings

Parents with children under age 5 years of age who are diagnosed with a developmental delay or disability can often find it difficult to get the services their child needs prior to kindergarten. 

During April and May, Southern Seven Head Start and area pre-kindergarten programs are planning to offer their annual, free community Child Find screening events. 

The purpose of the events is to identify children, ages birth to 5, who live in the lower seven counties in Illinois who require services and are enrolling in the programs for the 2021-2022 school year.

The events are conducted as part of the Preschool for All, PFA, program. PFA is a program funded by the Illinois State Board of Education, ISBE, that brings together qualified staff, a proven curriculum, and parent involvement to help prepare children for success in school.  

Screenings for children consist of game-like activities that are conducted by Child and Family Connections.

In Illinois, the Child Find Project provides public awareness services as part of the comprehensive Child Find system.   

Child Find is a component of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA, that requires states to identify, locate and evaluate all children with disabilities, ages birth to 21, who are in need of early intervention or special education services.  

Head Start programs focus on children ages birth to 5 years, while pre-kindergarten programs are for children ages 3 to 5. 

The goal of the Child Find Project is to educate the public about the importance of early intervention and early childhood special education services for eligible children as early as possible in their development.  

The project is in charge of the development and statewide dissemination of resources and service information to Illinois schools, early intervention providers, health care providers and the general public. 

Head Start is a comprehensive child development program funded by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services which serves families with young children ages birth to 5. 

Services include the areas of education, school readiness, social service, health and family involvement. 

Illinois State Pre-K is a preschool education program funded by the ISBE Early Childhood Block Grant Program.

The program serves childrend ages 3 and 4 and is designed to improve school readiness through education and parent education services.  

Both programs are available at no cost to parents.

Child Find Screening Locations, Dates, Information

This year’s Child Find Screening location dates and information include:

Jonesboro: April 26, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Jonesboro Elementary School, located at 309 Cook Ave. in Jonesboro. Appointments can be made by calling 833-5148.

Anna: April 26, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lincoln Elementary School, located at 108 Warren St. in Anna.  Walk-ins are welcome, with no appointment necessary. 

Dongola: May 3, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Dongola High School, located at 1000 High St. in Dongola. Appointments can be made by calling 618-827-4441 to schedule an appointment. 

Tamms: May 3-4, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Egyptian Elementary School, located at 20023 Diswood Rd. in Tamms. Appointments can be made by calling 618-776-5251 or 776-5756.

Cobden: May 5, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cobden Elementary School, located at 413 N. Appleknocker Dr. in Cobden.  Appointments can be made by calling 618-893-2311.

Lick Creek: May 20 and May 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at United Missionary Baptist Church, which is located at 125 United Missionary Baptist Ln. in Buncombe. Appointments can be made by calling 618-833-2545 to schedule an appointment beginning the week of April 19.

The health department  said that the following items need to be brought to the screening appointment: 

Child’s certified birth certificate and proof of family income (one month of pay stubs or 2020 W2s or taxes). 

For more information about the community Child Find screening events in the area, contact Southern Seven Head Start at 618-634-2297.

 

The Gazette-Democrat

112 Lafayette St.
Anna, Illinois 62906
Office Number: (618) 833-2158
Email: news@annanews.com

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