Developmental Milestones
Parents eagerly anticipate those big moments—the first smile, the first word, the first step. Those are just a few of the many, many developmental milestones your child will reach in the first five years of life. While babies develop with amazing speed, it’s also important to remember all children do so at their own pace. What should you look for at 3 months? At 12 months? By the time your child turns 4? The following links give families a guideline of what to expect—as well as warning signs that there may be a developmental delay.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
American Academy of Pediatrics
A child’s development covers many different domains: cognitive, language, gross motor, fine motor, and social/emotional skills. The Early Childhood Investment Corporation has put together a guide for parents that focuses solely on the social and emotional development of children birth to five years old. Click here to download the Social & Emotional Health and School Readiness.
What To Do If You’re Concerned About Your Child’s Development
Every state in the country has an early intervention program for young children who are experiencing a developmental delay or who have a diagnosed disability. In Michigan, it is called Early On, and it services children from birth to 36 months (3rd birthday).
Early On can provide a FREE in-home evaluation, and if needed, a service coordinator is also provided for free. To learn more, go to www.1800earlyon.org or call 1-800-EARLY-ON.
FREE services may also be available to children three years or older who have a developmental delay or diagnosed disability. To learn more about that, call your local school district.
Medical Home
What is a medical home? It’s your child’s doctor’s office or clinic. It’s where to take your child for:
- Regular checkups.
- Immunizations.
- Treatment when he/she is sick.
Every child needs a medical home! It offers the very best care for your child. Because the staff knows your child, they can:
- Catch little problems before they become big problems.
- Give you advice and help in caring for your child.
- Make sure your child gets checkups, screenings, and shots to stay healthy.
- Tell you about helpful community programs.
When your child is sick or hurt, call your medical home. You can call 24 hours a day/7 days a week. Call for help, advice, or an appointment.
Only go to the emergency room if your child could die or risk their health if they do not receive help NOW! If it’s not an emergency, call your medical home.
The Children’s Healthcare Access Program, an initiative of First Steps, is working to connect families to a high quality medical home.
Counseling Services
Is your family feeling stressed or overwhelmed?
Are you worried about your child’s behavior?
Are you fighting with your partner or child?
There is help!
Why would my child and I talk to a counselor?
- Behavior issues
- Tension with family members
- Problems in school or child care
- After a serious illness or loss
- Anxiety or stress
- Depression or withdrawal
- A development delay
- Alcohol or drug use
- Mental illness in the family
Services available to families and children in Kent County include:
- One-on-one counseling at home or school or in an office
- Group counseling
- Help with parenting
Are you interested in learning more about mental health services for you and your child?
Ear Infections
Ear infections are one of the most common childhood illnesses. They can be very painful—keeping both children and parents from a good night’s sleep. Even though ear infections are often uncomfortable, they are usually not serious. You can almost always wait until morning to call your child’s doctor’s office or clinic.
Symptoms of an ear infection:
- Pain, pressure or a clogged ear
* If your child isn’t old enough to explain it to you, look for other signs, such as tugging at the ears. - A fever of 100.4 or higher
* Be sure to check your child’s temperature in the ear that does NOT hurt - Increased fussiness
- Difficulty sleeping or lying down
- A change in appetite
- A temporary loss of hearing
- Pain with swallowing
Before you call the doctor, there are several things you can do at home to help relieve the pain of an ear infection.
- Give your child an over the counter pain reliever like ibuprofen, often sold as Advil or Motrin, or acetaminophen, often sold as Tylenol. But remember—do not give ibuprofen to children younger than 6 months old.
- Apply a cold or warm pack on your child’s ear—whichever is most comfortable.
- Using prescription numbing drops can help. They contain an anesthetic that can relieve the ear pain your child is feeling. They do not prevent or stop an ear infection—but they can make it feel better.
Questions About Asthma, Nutrition, First Aid or Other Health Issues?
You can learn more about dozens of health topics for you and your child at the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital website.
If you have specific questions about asthma, you can learn more at the Asthma Network of West Michigan. The Asthma Network provides intensive case management to low- and moderate-income children and adults with asthma. It also provides education to those caring for individuals with asthma—physicians and nurses, school and child care personnel and family members.
Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital and the Asthma Network of West Michigan are First Steps’ partners in the Children’s Healthcare Access Program.
Quality Child Care
Are you looking for quality care for your child? If so, you aren’t alone. More than 60% of all infants, toddlers and preschoolers in Kent County have both parents in the workforce and are cared by someone other than their parents or guardians.
The Early Childhood Investment Corporation has launched a new system of online early learning resources called Great Start CONNECT, including a new statewide database of the 14,000 licensed/registered child care and early education programs in Michigan. Click here to learn more about Great Start CONNECT.
So what should you look for when selecting care for your child? Kent Regional 4C and the West Michigan community developed standards for child care and early education. Included among them:
The Caregivers:
- Interact with children often
- Treat all children with respect and consideration
- Help children develop responsibility, self-control, turn-taking and problem solving
The Environment or the Program:
- Is based on child development theories and the individual child’s interests
- Includes all children regardless of ability or need
- Offers a balanced daily schedule—quiet/active; inside/outside; neat/messy
The Partnership with Parents:
- Provides information about the facility’s philosophy and goals for children
- Has an “open-door” policy—parents are welcome any time
- Caregivers and parents work together to make decisions about the child’s growth and development
The National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies suggests the following five questions for families to ask before selecting care:
- What is the adult child ratio? For babies, the recommendation is no more than 1:4—one adult for every four babies. For a 4-year-old , it is no more than 1:10.
- What is the group size? The NACCRRA says smaller is better.
- What are the caregiver qualifications? Does the caregiver have a degree or special training in early childhood education?
- What is the turnover? It can be hard on a child if caregivers come and go.
- Is the program accredited? If it is accredited, it means it has met voluntary quality standards that are typically higher than state licensing requirements.
Tuition Free Preschool
Why should I consider preschool for my child?
Preschool is an important step to prepare your child for future success. A high quality preschool can help get your child ready to read and ready to learn. Research shows children who attend a quality preschool program often have better social skills (such as being able to follow a routine and get along with others), better test scores and are less likely to repeat a grade.
There are two tuition-free preschool programs in Kent County: the Great Start Readiness Program and Head Start.
Head Start is for 3- and 4-year-old children. Families must meet income guidelines. To learn more about Head Start, contact Michigan Family Resources online or at 616-453-4145 or 800-472-6994.
The Great Start Readiness Program is for eligible 4-year-old children. Most school districts in Kent County, as well as some community agencies, have a GSRP preschool program. If you would like to learn more, contact your local school district.
- Byron Center Public Schools
- Caledonia Community Schools
- Cedar Springs Public Schools
- Comstock Park Public Schools
- Godfrey Lee Public Schools
- Godwin Heights Public Schools
- Grand Rapids Public Schools
- Grandville Public Schools
- Kelloggsville Public Schools
- Kenowa Hills Public Schools
- Kent City Community Schools
- Kentwood Public Schools
- Lowell Area Schools
- Northview Public Schools
- Sparta Area Schools
- Thornapple Kellogg
- Wyoming Public Schools
- West Michigan Academy of Environmental Sciences
- Grand Rapids Community College Laboratory Preschool
- United Methodist Community House
- YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids
Getting Ready for Kindergarten
The first day of kindergarten is one of the most exciting days in a young child’s life, but it can also be a bit scary and overwhelming. There are many things you can do to help your child get ready for kindergarten. The Michigan Department of Education has a few suggestions:
- Maintain a daily routine that includes mealtimes, snacks, and bedtimes.
- Be sure your child’s shots and health check-ups are current.
- Make sure your child has plenty of play and outdoor time.
- Play with your child.
- Listen to your child.
- Talk to your child.
- Read to your child.
- Write with your child.
In Michigan, children must turn 5 on or before December 1 to enroll in kindergarten. You may have a lot of questions as your child starts school. Should you consider Young 5’s or developmental kindergarten? What will your child do in kindergarten? How can you help your child become a reader? The Michigan Department of Education has put together a series of “parent guides” to help answer those questions.
Play, Talk & Read With Your Child
Your baby is born ready to learn. The first three years of life are the most important for brain development. When you talk, read and sing to your child, you’re helping to build a healthy brain. Through play, your child learns how things work, how to solve problems and how to get along with others.
How can you turn everyday moments into learning opportunities?
- When your baby is in the bath, talk about how the water feels.
- When you toddler is getting dressed, talk about the clothes he’s putting on and the parts of his body.
- When you’re at the grocery store, talk about the different kinds of fruit you see and the colors on the cereal boxes.
- When you get in the car, sing along to nursery rhymes and children’s music.
Download the 2010 Calendar for Literacy and Early Learning.
There are many online resources with suggestions of simple, fun things you can do to help your child learn to talk and read. These are just a few:
Play Grow Read! campaign at the Kent District Library
Programs
There are many opportunities to get together with other parents and children to share stories, songs and play. Most libraries in Kent County regularly offer free story times and playgroups for babies, toddlers and preschoolers.
To learn more and for a schedule of activities, go to:
Bright Beginnings, a partnership of the Kent ISD and its constituent districts, offers a number services to families with children birth to kindergarten entry. Bright Beginnings playgroups are provided free of cost throughout Kent County. For more information and a complete schedule, go to Bright Beginnings.
Community Resources
Are you wondering what kinds of services and programs are available for your family? The Child and Family Resource Council’s “Family Resource Guide” includes resources for:
- abuse and neglect
- adoption
- childcare
- counseling
- education and training
- emergency services
- grandparent information
- health information
- illness and special needs
- parenting classes
- prenatal classes
- recreation and education
- respite care
- substance abuse
- support services
- transportation services
You can find the “Family Resource Guide” online.
Looking for activities for you and your children? Grand Rapids Family Magazine publishes a monthly calendar that can be found online.
Websites for Preschoolers
There are a number of educational and fun websites with games and activities for preschool-age children. Here are a few popular sites you may want to check out with your child. While some of them do sell products or subscriptions, all of these sites also include many FREE activities.
PNC Grow Up Great PNC Grow Up Great is a 10-year, $100 million school readiness initiative to help prepare children from birth to age five for success in school and life. The site is a collaborative effort of PNC and Sesame Street and includes wonderful activities and resources for young children and their families.
Starfall This site concentrates on reading and learning letters. There are many online storybooks as well as literacy-based games.
Sproutonline An extension of the PBS Sprout cable television channel, this site features characters like Elmo, Thomas the Tank, Angelina, Bob the Builder, and Barney. It includes games, videos, crafts, and activities.
Preschool Activity Box This site has ideas for crafts and other activities for families to do with their young children.
Sesame Street This site has educational games, videos, and other activities for toddlers and preschoolers—all with their favorite Sesame Street friends.
Nick Jr Dora, Diego, and other Nick Jr. characters are featured on this site full of games, crafts, and recipes.
Playhouse Disney Games, music, stories, and other activities are all part of this site based on the characters of Playhouse Disney—Mickey, Handy Manny, and the Little Einsteins.
Lil Fingers Lil’ Fingers is a storybook site for toddlers with educational games, storybooks and printable coloring pages.
American Library Association The American Library Association has compiled a list of kid-friendly websites that promote literacy and learning.