​​Last year, the Educare Learning Network received a grant from the Red Nose Day Fund at Comic Relief USA, half of which has been allocated across all Educare schools to support innovation, peer learning and professional development efforts.

Educare West DuPage is excited to use Red Nose Day funds to offer special projects and new opportunities—focusing on innovative learning and support.

​Infant Massage—Parent Educator Certification Training

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​​With Red Nose Day funding, Educare West DuPage staff received certification in infant massage. Educare West DuPage then offered infant massage classes to new parents like Dulce and Jesus.
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Dulce says, “She [baby Althea, 6 months old] seems comfortable and happy… and stays calm.”

Read about Educare West DuPage’s infant massage training and how it helped Dulce, Jesus, and their baby! ​

​Enhancing Kindergarten Readiness with Handwriting Without Tears
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​When Katie Suriano began teaching at Educare West DuPage, she identified an opportunity to develop its pre-K handwriting curriculum. Katie suggested the Handwriting Without Tears (HWT) curriculum--which builds handwriting skills while maintaining a child-focused, play-based pre-K environment. 

With Katie's help, Educare West DuPage has expanded the HWT curriculum into all of its pre-K classrooms. Katie also became a HWT trainer and works with her colleagues to translate songs and activities into Spanish.

Read about how HWT helped Mateo (pictured here with Katie) go from scribbles to a detailed self-portrait and also printing his name!

Helping Parents Speak Baby TALK
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Educare West DuPage Family Engagement Specialists, like Sonia Romo, utilize tools designed to bridge communication between infants and their parents. With the support of Red Nose Day funding, Sonia had the opportunity to learn the Baby TALK community family support model and implement it with families.

Staff trained in the Baby TALK model give families examples of what their children are thinking and feeling in language they can understand, and guide them to reflect on what their children express and experience. 

Read how Baby TALK helped Sonia (pictured here with Arielle) interpret Arielle's behavior as anxiety about having a new baby in the house and how Arielle now shows affection for her baby brother—feeling calm and happy.
In 2018, the Educare Learning Network received a grant from the Red Nose Day Fund at Comic Relief USA, half of which has been allocated across all Educare schools to support innovation, peer learning and professional development efforts.