EARLY CHILDHOOD SUPPORT

“Interfaith has helped families like mine not panic for the next day and to calm the worries of what’s to come.” – Rachel, past participant in CfK program

CfK provides early childhood education scholarships that allow parents to choose high-quality child care and education programs, along with case management, parent education and support, mental health support, and basic needs assistance.

To learn more or get started, contact your IOCP staff person, such as your Case Manager or Neighborhood Program Coordinator. If you do not have an IOCP contact already, please call the front desk at 763-489-7500, or email clientintake@iocp.org.

• ParentChild+
  The Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis Parent Child+ program is a free home visiting program for families that promotes creative ways to learn through play, enhances parenting skills and helps children prepare for school.
• Wayzata Public Schools Early Learning Outreach Team
  • Do you have concerns about how your child is growing and learning?
  • Did you just move into the district and need school district information?
  • Do you have questions or need help registering your child for preschool?
  • Are you looking for one-to-one parent support?
  • Would you like to connect with other families and children?

  If so, the Wayzata Early Learning School’s (WELS) Outreach Team would like to connect with you! WELS offers a variety of early learning opportunities for children ages birth to five including preschool, parent and child classes, early childhood screening, intervention programs, and much more! We offer both in-person and virtual classes. Our Outreach Team can assist you with class registration, scholarship information, get you connected with community resources, and/or answer questions about our programs and school district. Call us to learn more about our free family activity classes!

  For more information, visit the Wayzata Schools Early Learning website, call 763-745-5290, or email ConnectAt3@wayzataschools.org

  Navigating Hennepin Child Care Assistance 

  If you are in need of childcare, you can call Hennepin County Child Care Assistance (CCAP) at 612-348-5937 to check your eligibility and begin the application process. Please let Caring for Kids staff know if you have any questions regarding this application process or any other childcare related questions at cfkteam@iocp.org.

  Parenting Resources

  Caring for Kids is proud to be a part of Little Moments Count, a statewide community awareness campaign focused on supporting parents and communities to understand the importance of talking, playing, reading and singing early and often with children. Research shows that these types of positive interactions and experiences in early childhood greatly impact health and well-being outcomes later in life. Learn more about the science of brain-building. 

• Help Me Grow Minnesota  offers videos and articles on child development
• Think Small: Parent Resources
• Check out this insightful video from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, which discusses the importance of play, and how such “serve and return interactions” like play are easy to do, especially through practice.