The Baby Fold Healthy Start families joined with families served by MarcFirst for an evening of soaking wet fun. Both agencies reported that the event designed for children receiving early intervention services had a very positive effect on the little ones (splishy splashy fun) and adults (learning from each other and building a community to support their children’s developmental needs).

Addressing issues early in a child’s life is the best way to achieve long-term results in education and healthy life skills. It really was a team effort, with a common goal in mind for our community—to provide the education and care that individual children need to fulfill their greatest potential and to watch their lives brighten our community.

Whether children need the calm of a canoe ride or a quiet walk along woodland trails—or the adrenaline rush of a leap off the water trampoline—East Bay Camp provides a place where Hammitt School children can explore the beauty and excitement of nature. While camp week offers tons of outdoor fun, one student Kelsey emphatically stated that “getting new friends” was the best part of camp. Some of those new relationships were with high schoolers from United Methodist, who join The Baby Fold staff each year to provide a memorable time of education and connection in God’s great outdoors.

Foster and adoptive children also get to explore East Bay activities throughout the year with The Baby Fold’s Camp Take a Break. This weekend camping adventure is designed to give parents a much-needed break and to provide kids an opportunity to bond with other children who are experiencing similar life situations. Click here to support kids’ learning and growth through summer outdoor activities.

Students at Fairview Elementary are enjoying summer programs thanks to creative teaching and guest educators. Whether it’s tie-dying a colorful t-shirt, creating a battery-operated propeller car, or learning about falcons, kids at Fairview love The Baby Fold’s Community Schools program. “Summer school provides an opportunity to keep kids learning throughout the year in a fun way,” says Rebecca Kinsey of The Baby Fold. “We’ve had great community connections this year—Miller Park Zoo, Advocate Fitness, Country Companies—sending their people to teach and entertain the students. The kids eat it up!”

“Yes! No! More! Stop please! All done! Hugs!” All words that parents hear from their children throughout their early childhood. These words help our little ones to tell us what they need and help us bond together. Children who are on the autism spectrum may struggle to use their voices to communicate, and this can cause great frustration for them. Furthermore, it can be a challenge for caregivers to meet the needs of their sweet ones when they cannot talk. The use of technology can bridge the gap between child and caregiver. Communication boards and iPads have pictures and signs that a child can point to in order to let a parent or teacher know what they are thinking and wanting. It’s amazing to see the power of these connective tools, when they allow children to be heard and understood. This greatly reduces the emotional upset that kids experience because they feel cut off from the world. The teachers at The Baby Fold use a variety of devices to give students a voice, and this empowerment accelerates learning and connection with others.

The Baby Fold is thrilled to announce that Stephanie JeanBlanc has joined our leadership team as Hammitt Junior/ Senior High School Principal. Stephanie has a wealth of experience as a Master’s level social worker with an advanced certification in education leadership. Her career blossomed at LaSalle-Peru High School, where she rose from Assistant Principal for Special Education and Student Support Services to Principal. Hammitt has been on Stephanie’s “professional bucket list,” as she has always dreamed of a leadership role at a therapeutic school that focuses on the whole child and that is built on trauma-informed best practices. Stephanie and her husband have five children and two dogs. She feels honored to be a part of The Baby Fold family, and we couldn’t be happier to have her!