BABY TALK OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY

Language, Literature & Love for Infants

412 W. Second Street

Taylorville, Illinois 62568

(217) 824-5695

Gwen Podeschi

Project Coordinator

Welcome to Baby TALK's web site. Our mission is to encourage parents in the nurture of their very young children (ages 0-3 years).

Using a method of anticipatory guidance, Baby TALK provides information and services to parents to equip them for challenges and to help them enjoy their children's development.

Baby TALK is a non-profit organization which provides assistance to parents of young children by providing information to parents, developing early childhood parenting education programs.

Our mission is to encourage parents in the nurture of their very young children (ages 0-3 years).

Using a method of anticipatory guidance, Baby TALK provides information and services to parents to equip them for challenges and to help them enjoy their children's development.

Baby TALK's three basic goals for parents are:

1. to encourage parents in establishing a nurturing relationship with their children and to reinforce positive parenting practices;
2. .to teach infant development information to parents in a timely and usable fashion in order to help them understand child behaviors;
3. to suggest developmentally appropriate activities for parents to enjoy with their children in order to enhance the child's development as well as the parent-child relationship.

Baby TALK will continue to deal with every parent on the assumption that all parents care about their children and want what is best for them.

Baby TALK will promote language interaction of all types, including an emphasis on reading to children of all ages, believing that reading aloud, more than any other single activity, promotes a child's learning as it enhances the parent-child relationship.

Baby TALK will remain dedicated to a service delivery model which is readily accessible for families and which allows them to receive services meaningful for their needs rather than imposing an agenda which may not be as helpful to them. This will include efforts to go where parents are already: to health care providers, to human service agencies, to neighborhoods, and to homes.

Baby TALK will continue to serve as a resource to all parents raising children in the Decatur area, but will commit more intensive efforts on behalf of parents whose children may be at risk for educational failure.

Baby TALK will become a resource for professionals throughout the United States.

Baby TALK will grow as a model for other communities and a publisher of materials usable for parents and children in many settings.

Baby TALK will provide and facilitate training and continuing education for professionals working in the field of early childhood parental training.

Baby TALK will conduct innovative research on the effects of early childhood education and early parental training for the purposes of designing effective programs. The findings of this research will be published.