The East Haven Family Resource Center (FRC) was established in 1998 at the D.C. Moore elementary school. Today, East Haven Public Schools is pleased to announce the grand reopening of the Family Resource Center at Momauguin School which began on November 1, 2016. The FRC’s fundamental purpose is to promote an integrated and comprehensive support mechanism for all of East Haven’s parents and their children.

Throughout the past 19 years, the East Haven FRC has been a home for countless families to access important information needed to sustain both a student’s educational success by providing a foundational support to children and to also help parents build a nurturing family environment. From its humble beginnings of just one parent educator working part-time for 19.5 hours each week to a now highly successful program with a staff of two (2) parent educators working 100 hours weekly, the goals and objectives defined by the Center’s Mission statement have not changed; to be focused not only on each child’s development in a comprehensive school setting, but to also establish strategies that will help the family support the development of their child through adolescence.

Currently, the Family Resource Center is supporting the East Haven community by working diligently designing supportive programs that offer both in-home visitation, as well as holding weekly playgroups that begin with our youngest residents (8 weeks) at various locations in town. These are thirty-four (34) families that regularly attend group connections and playgroups that are not enrolled in our home visitation programs. Additionally, the Family Resource Center provides quality childcare and School Readiness services to many of our other local educational contributors. Some of the programs that the FRC works hand-in-hand with to provide extended services, support, and collaboration are:

• Advocation of at-risk children to the Birth-to-Three Program; throughout the district there are many children who have been supported by the B-to-3 program, although many times they are not. The Parent Educators who conduct our playgroups are often the first municipal contact with those parents who have special needs children that have not previously received services. When this happens the FRC Parent Educators are then able to offer support and direction to the services their child may need for the very first time. The staff are then able to provide those tangible services that can then support the whole family unit. Additionally, the FRC helped screen those children entering the Pre-K program this year. Each child who registered for the various Pre-K classrooms was assessed with either the Dial 4 or Ages and Stages Screening. The purpose for the screening was to help each program identify any inherent problems not previously recognized and supported. This year the joint enterprise screened 210 children who were entering our various Pre-K programs and made recommendations that have now been put in place.
• Offering before- and after-school programs; the FRC is a senior partner in providing both before and after-school activities that assists the families and children of working parents. Through these programs, children are afforded quality care, instruction and exercise that strengthens and promotes an extended nurturing environment beyond the traditional school day. Through the various funding streams, the FRC has been servicing upwards of 85-100 children each day.
• Instruction awareness through Families in Training (FIT); This is a program that offers instruction to improving a family’s nutrition while promoting family unit activities. Through this program the FRC staff can offer tips on positive change behaviors, building a healthy foundation for the family and goals the family can achieve. This year we have already started six (6) Families in Training (FIT).
• Sponsoring families to utilize the East Haven Adult Learning Center to obtain English language instruction and high school completion; when working with families who are new to the area our staff can direct families to avail themselves to greater assimilation and participation within the community by taking classes. This is done by working with the Adult Ed staff to help family members access those classes which then promotes active personal growth and can then provide additional family security through education. This partnership has afforded many of our families the opportunity to develop life-long learning models we see as sustaining community stability and growth. Some of the programs our FRC families are utilizing right now are the ESL, ABE, GED, NEDP and Naturalization classes.
• Continued support for our in-town or family-in-home daycare providers with professional development opportunities; the FRC staff offers professional development and guidance to all in-home and licensed day care providers. This is an ongoing enterprise that gives the providers the connection to standards and best practices to enrich the home education setting. At this time, a total of nine (9) ECE Providers (East Haven Daycare providers) are using our services. The FRC visits these providers to support and assist with the educational components the Office of Early Childhood hopes all children are receiving before entering the school system. This includes helping providers understand the CTELDs which are the educational standards all Pre-K children should have in their toolbox and strategies for positive behavioral outcomes.
• Positive Youth Development; This element of our program engages families to develop productive and constructive principles that enhances both a child’s strengths that can then promotes positive outcomes. Our office is currently collaborating with Momauguin teachers and students on a Thanksgiving project to recognize individual and community awareness that supports gratitude and thanks for all the bounty we have been afforded as a people, town, and nation.
• Dial “211”; an opportunity to offer resource and referral services the families may need to access. The Family Resource Center informs families to the many resources found in both the local community and New Haven county in general. The purpose is to help meet any of the needs they might have. These needs vary from food support, child care, education, mental health, other health services, and activities for children. The FRC is currently working with the District and local agencies to provide upwards of 20 food backpacks each Friday to help families get through weekend nutritional needs.

The FRC also sponsors family connection nights that draw well into the hundreds of active participants (Pasta and Literacy Night, Winter Wonderland, and Week of the Young Child events) all activities that strengthen the bonds between family, schools, and the community at large. Recently (November 9) 156 people attended the Pasta and Literacy Night at the Overbrook Early Learning Center. Together with our partner Read to Grow, families were able to come together, have dinner, listen to interactive renditions of Dr. Seuss stories, and also have the opportunity to take home a book of their choice. Additionally, we are actively helping ten (10) families participate in the Raising Readers program to promote family literacy.

If you or your family reside in the Town of East Haven, you are welcome to experience the Family Resource Center and the many services it can provide. Please look for our newsletter and scheduled activities on the East Haven Public Schools District website or stop in at our new office at Momauguin School, 95 Cosey Beach Road.

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Overbrook Early Learning Center School Hours

Before School Care 7 AM to 8:45 AM

School Day 8:45 AM to 3:00 PM

After School Care 3:15 PM to 6 PM

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Overbrook Early Learning Center

Dress Code

All preschool 3 and 4 year-old students are required to follow the

East Haven Public School District Dress Code

Dress code guidelines and information can be obtained by clicking on the link below:

Dress code

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School Readiness Meeting Schedule for 2019-2020

Meetings will be held at the

Overbrook Early Learning Center,

54 Gerrish Avenue

12:30 P.M.