Support Program for Mothers Now Available for Women with Toddlers

Project Self-Sufficiency announces that the Parents as Teachers program offered by the agency is now open to mothers of children up to the age of three, in addition to those who are pregnant or who are parenting infants.  The program combines home visits with educational outings to help parents boost literacy levels and address health issues within the family.  The Parents as Teachers curriculum was created to help prepare children for kindergarten and to address developmental delays which might otherwise have been overlooked until the child entered school.

“Meeting with parents and their young children in the comfort of their own home allows us to be more effective as educators, because we can introduce and implement basic literacy tools immediately.  Children and parents are more relaxed in a home environment, so learning together becomes a fun activity that can be shared,” noted Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency.  The Parents as Teachers program at Project Self-Sufficiency combines weekly home visits with monthly Mommy Parties at the agency’s Newton campus.  The gatherings combine presentations about health, wellness, parenting skills, household safety, and literacy, with crafts and activities for children.  The events also give young mothers the opportunity to meet women in similar circumstances in a supportive environment.

The Parents as Teachers program at Project Self-Sufficiency is funded by a grant from the New Jersey Department of Children & Families.  Project Self-Sufficiency is a private non-profit community-based organization dedicated to improving the lives of low-income families residing in northwestern New Jersey.  The agency’s mission is to provide a broad spectrum of holistic, respectful, and comprehensive services enabling low-income single parents, teen parents, two-parent families, and displaced homemakers to improve their lives and the lives of their children through the achievement of personal and economic self-sufficiency and family stability.  Since 1986 Project Self-Sufficiency has served more than 19,500 families, including over 30,000 children. 

To learn more about the Parents as Teachers program, or to receive information about any of the other services offered by Project Self-Sufficiency, call 973-940-3500.