Thanks to a three-year grant from the R.I. Department of Health, some 300 family child-care providers and parents have now completed The Incredible Years, a 14-session series that offers proven strategies for reducing aggressive and challenging behaviors in children.

"If I could, I would come back to repeat it," said one enthusiastic participant after completing the course. "Today I am a new provider with more experience and intelligence," said another. An external evaluation conducted recently by the Bradley Center for Evidence-Based Practice on the second year of our three-year program found statistically significant increases in the participants' confidence in managing the behavior of the children they work with, and in their use of positive and proactive approaches to discipline.
The Incredible Years is one of our most popular courses and always has a waiting list. We offer it in English and Spanish as often as funding allows. Shown above is a group that completed the course in December.

Bob Sousa from the Isenberg Family Early Childhood Center at the JCC in Providence talks about how T.E.A.C.H. RI has made it possible for him to pursue a degree at CCRI, earn promotions and increase his compensation. Khadija Lewis Khan, director of the Beautiful Beginnings Child Care Center in Providence, describes how T.E.A.C.H. scholars in her program bring what they learn in college into their classrooms, and how she has watched them grow professionally and personally as a result of their courses. Click here to see the full report.

 

R2LP AmeriCorps members are staffing tables at the Providence Student Registration Center to greet parents and children, and let families know about free resources available to them. Parents and other caregivers of children entering kindergarten in the fall are all invited to participate in Mind in the Making, an eight-session workshop (offered in English and Spanish) that covers the essential life skills children need to succeed. Families who also have younger children (newborns to age 3) are encouraged to participate in Providence Talks.

Kindergarten registration runs through March 14. Click here for more details on the registration process and the programs we're promoting.

By December 2017, Ready to Learn will deliver Mind in the Making to more than 2,500 family members and school personnel (Pre-K to Grade 3) in Providence, thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and matching funds from critical partners.

Shown in the photo at the top of this newsletter are AmeriCorps members Rosanna Montecino (left) and Martha Rodriguez. Shown in the book corner we've set up is Alicia Nunez, a Providence parent and a MITM facilitator.

See the full list of professional development courses scheduled for this winter in English and Spanish. Register soon to avoid disappointment. Ready to Learn Providence is a major partner in the state-funded Center.