Quad Cities Early Childhood Coalition

Parent Resources

Breastfeeding Support

Gain support, encouragement, information & fabulous socialization for pregnant & breast feeding moms. The meetings are sponsored by Local La Leche League (LLL) & Nursing Mom’s Groups.

Virginia: (Nursing Network) Meetings are held every 4th Wednesday @ 10 am at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (Look for the bright red door) 231 3rd St. So. For more info or if you have questions please call Briita (218) 290-0496 or brittan@gmail.com

Hibbing: Meetings are the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 11:30 am at the First Lutheran Church (corner of 22nd St. & 3rd Ave. E.). For questions or more info, call Angela (218) 940-7676 or atschweiby@yahoo.com

Ely: (LLL) Meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 6 pm. Please call for locaion. Brianna (218) 365-0869 elismom8@yahoo.com

Grand Rapids: (LLL) Meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 10:30 am at the Itasca Resource Center located at 1209 SE 2nd Avenue (off Pokegama Avenue behind UBC). Questions? Call Jenni (218) 326-6518

She’s One Smart Mom, She’s Got text4baby
Get FREE messages each week on your cell phone to help you through your pregnancy and your baby’s first year. Text BABY to 511411. Text4baby is an educational program of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition.

Warmline: A Peer to Peer Support Service
The Warmline is a telephone contact line that provides information, support, encouragement and referrals to consumers of mental health services. We also provide general information on mental health community activities and referrals for family members and the public at large. Someone to talk to, someone who will listen. Completely confidential, no caller identification. Tuesday through Sunday, 4 to 10 p.m. Call 218-740-3190, 218-740-0011, 1-877-404-3190. Generously funded by St. Louis County, The Miller Dwan Foundation, The Northland Foundation, and The Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Network of Northern Minnesota.

New Publication on Inclusive Early Childhood Education
How can early childhood professionals and families provide quality, inclusive early childhood education for young children with and without disabilities? That’s the question addressed in Impact: Feature Issue on Early Childhood Education and Children with Disabilities, published by the University of Minnesota Institute on Community Integration.

In this new publication, researchers and practitioners discuss strategies for identifying and providing quality, inclusive programs; staff from inclusive early childhood programs around the country describe their approaches; and parents reflect on their experiences with early childhood education and inclusion for their children. This Impact issue is published online and in print. To receive a free print copy, call the Institute’s Publications Office at 612-624-4512.

How do you know if your child or grandchild can hear you say, “I love you?”
NEW! Minnesota’s newborn hearing screening and Help Me Grow: Infant and Toddler Intervention video (30-seconds) is available on YouTube.

Minnesota’s child development and parenting information available on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube
Because more and more people are receiving information from social media these days, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) recently joined the social media movement by establishing a Facebook page and a Twitter account.

They are using these tools to complement their other communication efforts such as the state of Minnesota Parents Know website, periodic listserv distribution and the regular Early Learning Services information on the MDE Web pages. One of the main benefits of Facebook and Twitter is speed – if you are following us on either of these sites, you will hear about Web-based parent tools, videos, resources and announcements.

We encourage everyone interested in child development, early childhood education and parenting topics in Minnesota to become a “fan” of our Facebook page and a “follower” of our Twitter account, as well as a “subscriber” to our YouTube account.

Does Your Child Have Health Insurance?
MN Health Care Programs have free and low-cost health insurance for children and families who qualify. (Medical Assistance has no monthly premium. MinnesotaCare has a monthly premium based on household income.) Income is one factor for qualifying. For more information, call the Virginia Health Department at 749-0600, call 977-KIDS-NOW tollfree, or visit the state’s website, www.dhs.state.mn.us/healthcare.

New Service Answers Concerns about Your Child’s Development
The Minnesota Department of Education Division of Early Learning Services has a toll-free number that parents, professionals and others can call if they have questions or concerns about a young child’s development or want to refer a child to infant and toddler intervention or preschool special education.

Call 1-866-693-GROW (4769).

The toll-free number is part of a statewide public awareness campaign for Help Me Grow, Minnesota’s infant and toddler intervention and preschool special education for children birth to kindergarten entrance. The number makes it easy to refer a child to a local interagency early intervention committee (IEIC) or school district.

Professional staff will answer questions about child development, provide callers with early childhood resources, and take referral information for Help Me Grow. This service has been available since August 2008 and many parents and medical providers use it on a regular basis.

Source: June 5, 2009 - Learning Matters, Minnesota Department of Education.

Children’s Community Mental Health Services
The ADAPT program provides community & school based mental health services in 12 school districts within St. Louis County.

* promotes positive social, emotional behavioral skills
* reduces negative feelings & behaviors
* improves skills through experiential education, recreational & art therapy
* develops anger management skills
* develops appropriate coping techniques
* develops independent living skills

For more information contact the Range Mental Health Center Inc. at 741-4714 or 1-800-450-4714.

Northland Special Education Cooperative
The cooperative is comprised of 11 cooperating independent school districts and one private residential school. The resources available through the Northland Special Education Cooperative are intended to provide staff and parents with information to assist them in planning and programming for students with disabilities. If you have more questions, contact 741-5284 or 1-800-450-4772.

Downloadable Audio Library Books
Check out the Virginia Public Library website and have the joy of easy access to audio books which can be downloaded to your computer of MP3 player. Call 748-7525 or 748-7529, or log on for more details.

MInnesota Parents Know
This informative website is a great resource! Click on MN Parents Know and have access to information on a variety of topics. Also check out their information about getting your child ready for Kindergarten!

Minnesota Early Childhood Advisory Council
The Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC) makes recommendations to the Governor and legislature, including proposed legislation on how to effectively create a high-quality early childhood system in Minnesota in order to improve the educational outcomes of children. The goal of the council is to ensure that all children are school-ready by 2020.

Mesabi Range College
Offers early childhood classes. Many classes are available online. To view an entire course schedule, please check out their website and click on the schedule under EDAS and EDUC.

Virginia WIC Program Schedule
1-800-450-9777, Ext. 7604 or 749-0604
Check for the schedule and information on other Public Health Services!

Early Literacy Resources from Hennepin County Library

— Birth to Six - For parents/teachers/caregivers of young children to support children who are getting ready to succeed in school.
— ELSIE: Early Literacy Storytime Ideas Exchange - Search ELSIE to find books that help children develop the early literacy skills needed for learning success. Lern how to emphasize skills in a fun, interactive story sharing experience.