The ABC's of supporting families: one program's experience. (From Our Members).

Parents and children are going to school together! It's early Monday morning and a young parent with toddler in tow hurries down the hall of the elementary school to the boy's classroom. After being welcomed by the teacher, the toddler heads for the familiar toy shelf, selects his favorite truck, and begins to play with other children. His dad takes a few minutes to sit with him and watch and listen as his son plays with his friends. Then, he joins the other parents in a nearby area of the classroom for a discussion group with the parent educator.

Such events are commonplace in six public schools in Baltimore County, Maryland. The county has pioneered early childhood education programs since the early 1970s. So it comes as no surprise that the Baltimore County administrators, having seen firsthand the results of early intervention programs, have taken this bold step of adopting a program that educates parents and their children together.

Researchers and educators always have known the importance of the early years in a child's life. More is learned during these years, and at a faster rate, than at any other time in a human's life. Parents, as the child's first teachers, have a critical role in the education of their child. Yet, parents rarely receive guidance in understanding their child's development or have help in sorting out the abundance of parenting information and advice that comes through the media and neighborhood. We tend to think that parenting comes naturally, that it's a skill or talent that comes along with making and birthing a baby. Unfortunately, that is not the case, especially in today's more complicated world. Childrearing cannot be left to common sense alone. Basic training in parenting is essential!

All parents want their children to be happy and successful in school. Parents proudly bring their children to kindergarten and look forward to the first conference when they will hear the teacher's views of their child. When the news is good and the first report a positive one, the chances are that the children and parents are off to a good start in the world of education. Unfortunately, far too many parents do not have such a positive beginning, particularly if the child has not had the benefit of preschool. Parents might learn that their child is not adjusting to school, is disruptive, or may even have learning problems. Recovering from that initial shock is often difficult, if not impossible, for parents. They often feel they have no place to turn.

At the Aliza Brandywine Center for Parent-Infant Development, however, families come together for support and to share the joys and concerns of parenting while their children interact. The center's ABC Program takes place in a room large enough to accommodate a small group of children, ranging in ages from 6 months to 4-1/2 years old, as well as their parents. The major portion of the room is a typical nursery school classroom setting with a block building center, a library, a housekeeping area, shelves with manipulative toys, a music center, and other centers reflecting the interests of the children and the teacher's creativity. A smaller area of the room, sometimes a cozy corner, is furnished with comfortable adult-size chairs and perhaps a table to accommodate the parent discussion group. This room arrangement is an expression of the ABC Program's philosophy as parents and children remain within sight of each other and yet can pursue their own development.

While the children are involved in nursery school activities, the parents discuss topics of mutual concern related to children, such as eating habits, temper tantrums, sibling rivalry, and learning to read. The parent educator plans a discussion program, but leaves room for flexibility so that parents can choose topics of particular individual interest or concern as well. For example, a parent having difficulty setting a consistent bedtime for her child may want to hear how other parents handle that situation. In the nursery school setting area of the room, the children are involved with an early childhood teacher and peers, participating in planned learning activities that are part of a written curriculum and designed to be purposeful and fun. It is not uncommon to see a child climb into the lap of his parent for a few minutes, to share something or simply get reassurance, and then go back to his peers. Likewise, the parent educator may pause the discussion to have parents observe specific behaviors of children as they play, or to point out how the teacher is handling a situation.

Currently, parents and children attend one half-day a week. A parent or a guardian must accompany each child. It can be a parent, grandparent, or other relative as long as it is a person who has daily contact with the child. The person must make a commitment to attend regularly. The question often arises of how this philosophy can work in today's society where both parents are employed and where there are a growing number of one-parent households. Isn't it difficult for parents to participate? Surprisingly, the teachers and directors of ABC have not found this to be a problem. Once parents have an opportunity to participate, they seem to move heaven and earth to enroll with their children and attend regularly. Parents need and want an arena where it's safe and helpful to discuss their children and where they can participate and not just be spectators. Several spaces in each class are reserved for families of children who have special needs. The designers of the ABC Program believe that in order for early childhood programs to provide the richest experience possible for children and parents, the group should reflect the components of society as closely as possible.

Recent surveys of parents participating in the program highlight the importance of the experience in easing the transition to pre-kindergarten and/or kindergarten, both for parents and their children. Administrators have noted that participation in the ABC Program provides parents and children an opportunity to be comfortable in the school setting, learn the school's expectations, meet many of the staff members, and become familiar with school rules and regulations. Most important of all, it helps parents understand their children's growth and development from an early age. The daily log, combined with frequent parent teacher conferences, keeps parents well-informed about their children's progress and helps to ensure that the first kindergarten conference has no unpleasant surprises for parents.

The ABC Program was designed and developed in 1970 at Towson State University under the leadership of Aliza Brandywine and Dell Kjer, professors in the Early Childhood Education Department. Their understanding of early childhood development and their deep conviction that parenting must not be left to chance inspired the development of this program. In 1996, the Baltimore County Public School System adopted the program and moved it from Towson State University into one of the county's elementary schools. The university has maintained close ties with the center, providing college students from many disciplines with the opportunity to work with the children and their families. The Center serves as a model for observation and research.

Awareness of the program and its value spread quickly by word of mouth; currently, seven programs affiliated with four elementary schools are operating. Because of space limitations in school buildings, administrators have been creative in finding other solutions. The development of community partnerships enabled administrators to locate appropriate space for programs in an apartment complex and in a community center. Many more principals have requested the program for their communities, but have been hampered by financial restraints.

Parents have commented that taking their children into a kindergarten program was easy and comfortable after the ABC experience. They also have said that their participation in the ABC Program helped them feel they were a part of the school. Those who work with the program believe that the benefits of having an ABC Program in every public school system--early intervention with a healthy beginning for children and the nurturing of effective parent-school relationships--ultimately would far outweigh the costs.

President Bush's State of the Union address mentioned the need for early childhood education programs, specifically Head Start. These words are gratifying to those of us who are working to see the day when young children and their families become a national priority with adequate funding to match. We are cautiously optimistic that maybe, just maybe, this will be the year for children. In the meantime, we are indebted to the creators and staff of the Aliza Brandywine Center and the Baltimore County Public School System for finding ways to implement programs for children and families.