Southern Oregon Child And Family Council Inc

SOUTHERN OREGON CHILD AND FAMILY COUNCIL, INC. IS COMMITTED TO BUILDING A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR LOW-INCOME PREGNANT WOMEN AND CHILDREN AGE BIRTH TO FIVE AND TO HELPING BUILD STRONG FAMILIES. WE PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SERVICES, FAMILY SUPPORT, HEALTH, NUTRITION, DISABILITIES AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.

HEAD START - HEAD START TEACHES CHILDREN, THREE TO FIVE YEARS OF AGE, SCHOOL READINESS AND SOCIAL SKILLS THAT HELP THEM LEARN THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES. PRE-SCHOOLS SERVING 874 CHILDREN ARE LOCATED AT 22 CENTERS THROUGHOUT JACKSON AND JOSEPHINE COUNTIES.

EARLY HEAD START - EARLY HEAD START BUILDS HEALTHY, NURTURING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN INFANTS, TODDLERS AND THEIR PARENTS AND SUPPORTS THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF PREGNANT WOMEN. CENTERS PROVIDING SERVICES TO 157 PREGNANT WOMEN AND CHILDREN AGES ZERO TO THREE ARE LOCATED AT 8 LOCATIONS WITHIN JACKSON AND JOSEPHINE COUNTIES.

OTHER ACTIVITIES - THE LISTO FAMILY LITERACY PROGRAM HELPS LOW-INCOME SPANISH-SPEAKING FAMILIES LEARN LITERACY SKILLS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. THE PARENTS STUDY ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) AND BASIC GED CONTENT KNOWLEDGE, SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN RECEIVE HELP WITH HOMEWORK AND PRESCHOOL CHILDREN LEARN SCHOOL-READINESS SKILLS. PARTICIPATING FAMILIES MET TWICE WEEKLY AT TWO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS IN JACKSON COUNTY. 90 ADULTS ATTENDED ESL AND BASIC LITERACY CLASSES, 101 SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN RECEIVED HOMEWORK HELP, AND 106 CHILDREN AGE 0-5 LEARNED SCHOOL-READINESS SKILLS. 1,470 SEMI-WEEKLY, AGE APPROPRIATE, AND CULTURALLY-SPECIFIC EDUCATION PACKETS WERE SENT TO CHILDREN DURING THE PROGRAM YEAR.THE FAMILY CONNECTION IS A REGIONAL PARENTING HUB FOR JACKSON AND JOSEPHINE COUNTIES WHOSE GOAL IS TO IMPROVE FAMILY STABILITY THROUGH EDUCATION/SKILL BUILDING. THE PROGRAM PROVIDES PARENTS WITH COMMUNITY RESOURCES, OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN AND GAIN EFFECTIVE PARENTING SKILLS, WHILE BUILDING PEER SUPPORT NETWORKS. DURING THIS YEAR THE FAMILY CONNECTION SERVED 1,000 PARENTS, 806 CHILDREN TRAINED 7 PARENTING EDUCATOR PROFESSIONALS IN EVIDENCE BASED PARENTING EDUCATION AND PROVIDED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING TO 41 PARENTING EDOCATORS.

USDA - HEALTH, NUTRITION, MENTAL HEALTH, AND DISABILITIES SERVICES PROVIDES SCREENINGS FOR ALL HEAD START/EARLY HEAD START CHILDREN WHILE WORKING WITH PARENTS TO HELP EACH CHILD BE UP-TO-DATE ON THEIR MEDICAL CARE. IN MARCH, 2020, THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WAS A MAJOR DISRUPTOR FOR THE PROGRAM WITH STATEWIDE CLOSURES OF OUR CENTER LOCATIONS EFFECTIVELY SHUTTING DOWN MANY OF OUR SERVICE OFFERINGS. IN THE SECOND YEAR OF THE PANDEMIC, SOCFC RESUMED IN-PERSON SERVICES. HOWEVER, CENTERS HAD TO BE TEMPORARILY CLOSED FOR CONTINUED QUARANTINE PROTOCAL AS DISTANCE LEARNING SERVICES, HOME EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND HEALTH AND NUTRITION REFERRALS WERE STILL OFFERED TO ALL FAMILIES.