Family Support

Ready Parents

Administered by the Office of School Readiness of Cleveland County Schools, project serves the Ready Parents project serves Cleveland County children birth to five years and their parents at locations throughout the community and on-site in the Cleveland County Schools Parent Resource Center at Graham Elementary School.  Services offered include monthly one-time parent interest workshops, quarterly family events collaborating with the Parents as Teachers and Community Play & Learn projects, occasional one-on-one consultations, referrals to community resources, and at least fourteen 4-6 week rotating series of parenting classes utilizing the Active Parenting 1, 2, 3, 4 curriculum.  A Parent Education Specialist implements this program which is supported with Smart Start funds.  For more information call the Office of School Readiness at 704-476-8174

 Community Play and Learn

Administered by the Cleveland County Partnership for Children, the Community Play and Learn Groups project serves children birth to five years and their parents throughout the community and on-site in the Partnership for Children’s Annex building on Market Street in Shelby.  Services provided include planned parent-child interaction; early literacy building by incorporating the Motheread Story Exploring model utilizing specified books and activities in each session; additional age-appropriate ideas for parents’ use at home; modeling of appropriate parenting techniques; social-emotional development; parent networking; and a referral resource for other necessary services. Family Night events are offered to participating families that this activity co-hosts along with PAT and Ready Parents Smart Start funded family support activities.  Play and Learn sessions occur on a weekly basis at each of the established sites.  For more information call: 704-480-2892

Parents as Teachers

Administered by the Office of School Readiness of Cleveland County Schools, the Parent As Teachers staff conducts at least one home visit per month to participants using the Parents as Teachers model and Born to Learn Curriculum, provides developmental screenings using Ages and Stages Questionnaire, provide group meetings, links families to needed community resources, incorporates literacy activities and tips during home visits and helps parents enroll children in the Dolly Parton Imagination library to receive a free book each month.  Primary services focus on families in the county with children age birth through three years, however, services may be extended to families with four to five year olds depending on specific and identified needs. In addition to family support services to families,  Parent Educators have obtained certification by PAT National Center. For more information call: 704-476-8174

Family Support Network of the Foothills

Administered by the Partnership for Children and supported by the Family Support Network of North Carolina, the Family Support Network of the Foothills provides support for families of children with special needs who reside in the five county catchment area of the Shelby Children’s Developmental Services Area: Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln, Rutherford, and Polk.  Support for families include training for parents to support each other, promoting community education programs for families and providers, facilitating parent support groups, and identifying community supports and resources for families with children who have special needs.  For more information call: 704-482-2893.