This monthly publication will provide you with events and tips we think you might find useful as you raise your young child(ren). Please contact Tricia Sabathne, Child and Family Educator, with any questions or if you are looking for additional resources, information, or supports for your child or family.

tricia.sabathne@d303.org

331-228-5727

Are you an important caregiver in the lives of a young child (0-5 years of age)? Join us for for the "What's Going On In Our Children's Growing Brains?" for information about brain development along with tips for boosting your young children's brain power during everyday routines and activities.

Registration appreciated for April 30th but not required.

Brought to us by the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago and held at Fox Ridge Early Childhood Center.

APRIL 9 - MAY 29 (8 Tuesdays)

All families with at least one 4 (by September 1, 2024) or 5 year-old living within the St. Charles School District 303 are invited. EVERYONE in your home is welcome to come together weekly. Each week includes a FREE meal, served to you, so you can focus on connecting with your family, having fun, and experiencing joy together. Following time with your whole family the children are given time to play together while adults talk in a group about parenting and self-care topics.

In April

Managing Childhood Screen Time with With Dr. Rupal Upadhyay. Listen here.

Applications are currently being accepted for CUSD 303's Preschool for All Program, which is funded by the Illinois State Board of Education for the 2024-2025 school year. The program provides a school experience for young children ages 3-5 years old (not eligible for Kindergarten) at Fox Ridge Early Childhood Center. Students are found eligible by taking into account various factors including delays in development, low income, homelessness, parent/sibling with a disability, parent education level, non-English speaking household, and others. Call 331-228-4834 for more information about how to apply.

Spanish interpretation available upon request during the 10:15 AM session.

Remaining sessions for this school year are April 29, May 6, & May 13.
Once you are registered you can attend anytime that works for you!

Unless otherwise noted all programs for Families (Ages 7 and Under with Caregiver) and are at the St. Charles Public Library at One Sixth Ave, St. Charles.

St. Charles Public Library Programs

• May 4 Star Wars Day (Ages 0 - 999) from 11 am - -3 pm. Enjoy activities throughout the entire library!
• May 6 Preschool Paint (Ages 3-6 with Caregiver) from 10:30 - 11 am in the Miller Haase Community Room. (Supplies limited to 20 children)
• May 8 Stories at the Nature Center from 10:30 - 11 am at Creek Bend Nature Center at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve, 37W700 Dean St, St. Charles
• May 9 Baby Water Play! (Ages 0-23 months with Caregiver) from 10 - 11 am in the Terrace Garden
• May 11 Paint the Path (All Ages) from 10 am - 12 pm in the parking lot.
• May 12 Create Your Own Suncatcher from 12 - 4 PM in the Helen Gale Story Room.
• May 17 Firefly Family Theater presents Grow!from 10 - 10:45 am in the Huntley Community Room.
• May 20 Baby Prom (Ages 0-3 with Caregiver) from 5 - 7 PM in the Helen Gale Story Room, Youth Services, and Terrace Garden.
• May 30 LEGO Beach Build from 3 - 7 pm in the Helen Gale Story Room.

Family Story Time in the Miller Haase Community Room from 10 - 10:30 am

Monday on April 29

Thursday on May 2

Located on the east side of LeRoy Oakes Forest preserve on the Randall Road Trail, enjoy a new story monthly

The St. Charles Public Library Youth Service Accessibility Collection brings thoughtfully curated materials to the Library and supports individuals with neurodivergent differences, auditory processing, language, motor, physical, sensory processing, and visual processing disabilities and delays. Through these materials, the Library aims to provide opportunities for families to utilize items which aid in everyday living and celebrate inclusion and access. The collection is located on the lower level in Youth Services. The St. Charles Public Library offers materials and services to accommodate library users of all ages.

Contact the library if additional accommodations are needed to support your experience at the library. We have a selection of assistive aid devices and sensory-friendly tools like noise-dampening headphones and fidgets available for use in the library. Please visit the Youth Services desk for assistance.

BONUS: There is an Adult Accessibility Collection too! Find it on the main level's southwest corner.

Use a First/Then Board to navigate your visit: First/Then Board

View a story on YouTube to prepare: Video

Learning to read begins long before kindergarten. Reading to your child is one of the best ways to boost their brainpower. Any child from birth to entering kindergarten can participate in this self-paced early literacy program.

Come into the Library to sign up and get a paper log. Check in at the Library when you finish a log and move your canoe up our pretend river. When you finish 1,000 books, you’ll receive a fun, musical prize!

If you read just one book per day, you will reach 1,000 before the child is three years old. Join us on this journey to help create a brighter future for your child.

Access for All: If you family participates in any of the following programs you are eligible for the financial assistance program (significantly reduced-cost of membership and admission):

• WIC
• SNAP
• TANF
• EI/IEP/504
• Access DuPage
• Early/Head Start
• Medicaid/All Kids
• Section 8
• Childcare Subsidy (CCAP)
• Foster Care/Guardianship
• Refugee/Asylum Status

Adaptive Play Time: Modified environment for play and learning for children and their caregivers. Intended for families with disabilities and/or those who may need a calmer environment to experience the Museum.

Sunday May 19 & Sunday June 23

5:30 - 7:00 PM

All Drive Thru Models. No ID or documentation needed. First come, first served while supplies last.

• April 27 in Aurora at Wesley United Methodist Church, 14 N May St from 10 - 11:30 am
• May 13 in Wheaton at Immigrant Solidarity, 311 S Naperville Rd, from 4-5:30 pm
• May 13 in Aurora at Our Lady of Mercy, 701 S. Eola Rd, from 4:30 - 6 pm
  
• May 7 in Elgin at Old Sherman Parking Lot, 901 Center St, from 4-5:30 pm
  
• May 28 in Elgin at Buena Vista Apartments, 1287 Fleetwood Rd (Behind building 1213) from 4 - 5:30 pm

Find a food pantry or soup kitchen near you.

Did you know the Salvation Army St. Charles (Tri-City) Community Center has a food pantry? Eligible families receive food as well as diapers, if needed, monthly. To access the food pantry, registration is required and visits to the pantry are by appointment only.

The Salvation Army St. Charles (Tri-City) Community Center
1710 S. 7th Avenue
St. Charles, IL 60174
Phone: (630) 377-2769 | Fax: (630) 377-2849

• You can receive 3 months of childcare while you look for work or attend school?
• If you are employed at a childcare center or childcare home, you can receive $1 copay
• There is no copay for families that are displaced?

Find Childcare & Early Learning Programs Near You

Many families do not have dental insurance. Well Child Center's mission is to provide ALL children with dental services regardless of their parents' ability to play. From 1 to 18 - with or without insurance - they can receive a comprehensive, full service dental exam.

Muchas familias no tienen seguro dental. La misión de Well Child Center es proporcionar servicios dentales a TODOS los niños independientemente de la capacidad de pago de sus padres. Desde 1 año de edad hasta los 19 años, con o sin seguro puede recibir un examen dental integral de servicio completo.

Do you want to learn English? We will match you with a tutor who will teach you one hour each week. You can take the class in the morning, afternoon or evening at the library or another public place. To qualify, you must be an adult who lives or works in St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia, Elburn, Campton Hills, LaFox, Lily Lake, Wasco or Wayne.

The St. Charles Park District welcomes participation in all activities by individuals with disabilities and special needs by working cooperatively with the Fox Valley Special Recreation Association. The District is committed to inclusion by providing public recreation services in the most integrated setting, providing to the maximum extent feasible for interaction between people with and without disabilities.

Kane County All Our Kids (AOK) Network resource guide. Includes phone numbers for crisis intervention, dental care, counseling & behavioral health, child safety, counseling & behavioral health, food & nutrition, emergency shelter, and more.