“The best way to predict your future is to create it.”  

– Abraham Lincoln 

Happy New Year!!! A new year always presents new possibilities, and for us, that means we are thinking of more ways we can provide the highest quality early education services to the kids at The Children’s Center.

We have jumped right into a year full of new things to learn and new developmental milestones to hit! We are excited about all 2023 has in store!

Do you know the origin story of The Children’s Center?

The Children’s Center was founded in 1967 by Reverend Isaac Wilborn Jr. in response to a need for early education among children in the Hilton Head Island community. As a principal, Wilborn became aware that many elementary school children on the island were staying home to care for younger siblings and were missing school as a result. In response to this educational crisis, he gathered a group of concerned citizens and on May 26, 1967, the Child and Youth Development Center was born. Our organization’s founders were committed to creating a program that would help families afford early education and childcare while parents were away at work.  

Over 50 years later, the organization’s mission has not changed. We still exist to provide working families in the Lowcountry with affordable and accessible high-quality early education. Our goal is to provide a learning environment that enhances the multi-dimensional development of each child, with programs focusing on social-emotional growth, gross and fine motor skills, language and literacy, mathematics, and cognitive advancement. 

If you are interested in ways you can support The Children’s Center this spring, here are a few partnerships we’d love your help with:

For the second year in a row, we are partnering with Evelyn and Arthur to offer “Pashminas with a Purpose”. In the month of February, 100% of the proceeds from any pashmina shawl purchased at Evelyn and Arthur will be donated to The Children’s Center! 

Would you like to increase your gift to The Children’s Center now through April 16th, 2023? Birdies for Charity allows you to pledge an amount for every birdie made at the RBC Heritage Tournament (1,405 birdies in 2022) and your entire donation will go to The Children’s Center PLUS, the Heritage Classic Foundation will contribute an extra 20% on top of your total! IT’S A WIN-WIN! If you’d like to donate to Birdies to Charity click here: https://events.trustevent.com/templates/index.cfm…  

Thank you to our friends at Church Mouse Boutique Thrift Shop for their generous support of The Children’s Center. Your grant award of $10,000 will empower us to continue providing affordable high-quality early education to Lowcountry families! 

 

Understanding Developmental Delays

This past fall we focused on the South Carolina Early Learning Standards, and some appropriate developmental milestones for children between the ages of zero and five. Now, let’s turn our attention to early signs of developmental delays in preschool-aged children.

How can parents determine if their child is struggling developmentally or falling behind their age-appropriate developmental milestones? While the answer to this question is complex as every child is different, it is important to pay attention to potential signs of developmental delays. According to the CDC, early intervention is important because these services can better impact a child’s development long term. 

There are a few key areas of development to pay attention to in the first few years of a child’s life. Language and speech, vision, motor skills, social skills, and thinking and cognitive skills. WebMD lists a few signs in each of these areas that may indicate developmental delays in early childhood. We will summarize a few early warning signs here:

Language and Speech: By 3 – 4 months babies should babble and respond to loud noises. If by 7 months your baby is not responding to sounds it is advised to consult a medical professional. By the age of 1 a child should be using words like “mama” and should understand short phrases like “bye-bye”. At 2 years old a child should be able to speak 15 words, use short everyday phrases, and use speech to communicate their needs and desires. 

Vision: By 3 months, your baby should be following moving objects with their eyes, observe their hands and feet, be able to move their eyes in all directions, and eyes should not be crossed the majority of the time. Constant eye drainage is another sign it is time to consult a medical professional. 

Motor Skills: If children are not reaching for and grasping objects by 3 to 4 months, supporting their head well, or by 7 months if they have stiff or floppy muscles, it is time to visit a doctor.

Social and Emotional: By 3 months children should smile at people and pay attention to new faces. If by 7 months children are refusing to cuddle, not showing affection for caregivers, do not smile, do not laugh or squeal, and show no interest in games like peek-a-boo, these could be warning signs of social and emotional delays. 

Cognitive: By the age of 1 children should look for hidden objects, wave and use other gestures, and point to objects and pictures. 

For a full list of warning signs in each developmental category and at various early childhood stages, please check out the WebMD warning signs here. You can also check out this article from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and this comprehensive list of milestones from the CDC here. 

If you suspect your child may be experiencing developmental delays, a great resource is Head Start. Beaufort-Jasper Head Start is one of several programs sponsored by Beaufort-Jasper EOC. Head Start is a federally funded program that promotes the school readiness of children from birth to age five by supporting their development in a comprehensive way to meet their educational, developmental, emotional, social, health, mental health, and nutritional needs. 

Staff Spotlight 

Michelle Mitchell is the lead teacher in our Tadpoles classroom. Michelle recognizes the importance of emerging literacy and is dedicated to helping the children in her class recognize numbers and letters. Michelle provides a safe and consistent routine in her classroom so the children know exactly what to expect when she greets them with a smile as they arrive each morning. When she is not loving on the kids in her classroom she enjoys spending time with her children and grandchildren, bowling, and going to the park or to the movies. We are thankful for all she does to make The Children’s Center a wonderful place to grow and learn! 

 

Do you want to make a difference? We are looking for full-time and part-time employees! E-mail resumes to info@thechildrenscenter.org.