The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
OberlinKids continues to impact youngsters
OberlinKids, a United Way of Greater Lorain County collaborative, is celebrating its sixth year of collective impact with a giveaway.
OberlinKids’ current and new members have a chance to have gift cards mailed to them for updating their annual On Track for Kindergarten screenings during June, according to a news release.
On Track for Kindergarten has been streamlined and now can be done online in fewer than 30 minutes and receive a personalized report.
On Track is available by paper and can be done over the phone with assistance through OberlinKids Director Jenn Keathley at 440371-0113.
OberlinKids’ mission is to ensure all Oberlin children enter school healthy and ready to learn, according to the release.
The focus is on creating an equitable impact to support children and families through systems change, research and evaluation, advocacy and programming.
Children and their families participate in annual play-based developmental and social-emotional screenings through On Track for Kindergarten.
Registered families have access to free literacy kits, Lorain County Imagination Library, playgroups, family engagement programming and family fun events, according to the release.
If a child has an identified need or concern, the family is supported in attaining appropriate evaluations and/or services.
A goal of OberlinKids is to have children ages from infant to 5 in Oberlin as registered members of this program.
“Kindergarten readiness is vital to a child’s success in life,” said Keathley. “Research shows that kids who start school behind remain behind.
“Our mission is to create a positive impact on the children and families in our community. Even if a parent or caregiver does not have concerns about their child they should still complete a screening every year to make sure the child is staying on track.
“Everyone can benefit from knowing what ways they can boost their child’s learning through play. OberlinKids provides not only the results of the screenings but also a variety of ideas to support your child as they grow.”
Families that reside within or plan to open enroll to the Oberlin City School District and have children age birth to kindergarten, can register for the free services at oberlinkids.org by calling 440-371-0113.