Ministry of Education The Child Development Programme Child Development Programme Tynes Bay House 37 Palmetto Road Devonshire DV 05 Bermuda
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Resources Also available to all families enrolled with the Child Development Programme: Toy Library This area is stocked with developmentally appropriate toys that can be checked out for two weeks. Parent Library Located on the lower level, this library has books for both parents and children. Parents can use this library as a resource to get more information on specific topics e.g. toilet training, dealing with death, and sleep issues. A variety of parent magazines are also available for in-office use. Newsletters These are produced each term. Information provided is in a reader friendly format, and gives suggestions for family centered activities, as well as upcoming events. Developmental Information booklets The 2 and 2 1/2 year old booklets are left with parents at the time of screening. The 3 and 3 1/2 year old booklets are mailed out when children reach that specific age. The King Edward Memorial Hospital Project - This project, started in 2004, is aimed at introducing families to the Child Development Programme prior to the two year screening. Parents are offered a congratulatory gift bag containing booklets, flyers and DVD s on topics related to development birth to three years and a child s first book. Table of Contents Welcome.........5 Introduction......6 Mission Statement....7 Staff & Services Provided......8 Staff & Services continue....9 Screening & Assessment....10 Verbal Interaction Programme (VIP)...11 Portage Programme.. 12 Occupational & Physiotherapy.. 13 Behaviour Management Programme..14 Speech/Language Programme..15 Family Counselling....16 Parent Education...17 Resources.....18 Page 18 Page 3
Parent Education provide educational groups for parents, e.g. Parent/Infant group, 1,2,3,4 Parents course and Language Learning workshop provide information about development in the first year assist families with discipline strategies to deal with common childhood behaviours offer strategies to facilitate the development of language skills Services are delivered by a team of trained facilitators. HOW IS IT DELEIVERED: Workshops are provided several times throughout the year in an interactive setting for parents to discuss concerns. Sessions are offered once a week, over either a 3 or 4 week period. Based on need, workshops are also offered for articulation, swallowing/feeding. Parent Education Team: Page 4 Facilitators may vary. Page 17
Family Counselling assist families to understand and make sense of challenging situations. provide support to families related to parenting, child development, and family issues assist families by providing information and guidance in order to access additional community resources. Services are delivered by our licensed clinical Counsellor. Counselling services may be on site or home based, and are tailored to meet the individual needs of the family. This intervention seeks to focus on the strengths, while facilitating growth and harmony within the family unit. Sessions are approximately one hour in duration. Family Counsellor: 1 Counsellor - Master Degree or equivalent in Marriage & Family Therapy or Counselling or a related field Welcome Warm Greeting on behalf of the entire team of staff at the Child Development Programme, a service of our Ministry of Education. The Child Development Programme, or CDP, as we are often called, is community resource for all families who have children between the ages of birth and four years. We exist to be of support to parents across Bermuda with young children our youngest citizens and our country's future. CDP has discovered that parents usually desire to give their children the best, with the hope that their children will become the best that they can be. CDP has also discovered that parents welcome ideas for parenting, a very special and challenging responsibility. Research shows that the positive involvement of parents, who are the most important persons in the world to a child, is the most important factor in a child s success. This is a primary reason that CDP is committed to working in partnership with parents to support their relationships with their children and to enhance their children s early development. Assisted by this booklet (website), we invite you to learn about the wide array of services CDP is able to provide for children 0-4 years and their families. Involvement with our agency on the part of families is completely voluntary. This said, we strongly encourage families to take full advantage when services are offered by the Child Development Programme because, as our slogan says, Early Intervention is the Best Prevention when it comes to any challenge that can impact development. All CDP services operate with five core values. We are: Family Centered - Families guide the work we do and are the primary decision makers; Relationship Based - WE acknowledge that all learning occurs within the context of relationships; the path to our most effective work is through relationships, and theses relationships support us personally and professionally; Strengths Based - We focus on the strengths of children, families and staff to build relationships and guide interventions: Ecological - We consider the larger environmental context in which children, families, staff and programmes exist as we carry out our work; and Reflective - We take time to think individually and collectively about our work with families and each other, which enhances the quality of what we do, how we feel and influences our interactions. Please feel free to pass by our office at Tynes Bay House, 37 Palmetto Road, Devonshire, DV 05, Bermuda (Tel: 295-0746), to become familiar with your free government resources in the Child Development Programme. A warm welcome will await you. Many thanks to all willing to partner with us in the interest of the total wellbeing of Bermuda s children! Jennifer A. Manders, M.A. Child Development Coordinator/2003-2009 Page 16 Page 5
Introduction The Child Development Programme (CDP) is a support service that targets families in Bermuda with children between birth and four years of age. CDP has always believed that its array of early intervention resources can enhance the ability of Bermuda s parents and families to support and foster healthy, lifelong development in their children. Involvement with CDP is voluntary on the part of families. Parents are offered developmental screening and assessment services, as well as a variety of Intervention options, tailored to needs that are identified. General educational resources for families with young children are available in the form of books, magazines, booklets, DVD s, newsletters, and developmentally appropriate toys. Page 6 Speech/Language Programme promote the development of language comprehension and language expression assist with articulation, speech fluency, and appropriate voice use to pronunciation (easier for parents to understand) facilitate the development of swallowing and feeding skills Services are delivered by certified speech-language pathologists seconded to CDP from the Department of Health. Following referral and a formal evaluation, or following a screening process, speech-language intervention can be delivered through play-based activities. This is carried out through regular treatment sessions in which parental participation is necessary. Sessions are approximately one hour long. Speech/Language Team: 1 Supervisor - Masters Degree or equivalent in Speech/Language Pathology 2 Speech/Language Pathologist - Masters Degree or equivalent in Speech/Language Pathology Page 15
Behaviour Management Programme Mission Statement address parenting needs with regards to non-compliance teach parents to catch your child being good assist parents with setting limits and developing daily routines Services are delivered by a team of qualified professionals with backgrounds in counseling and educational psychology. This programme is delivered through home-based sessions. These sessions require full participation from parents/guardians while skills are being modeled. Duration of the sessions may be based on the specific needs of each family, but range between 45 and 60 minutes. A minimum of 12 sessions is needed for effective change. We are committed to working in partnership with families to enhance the development of children from birth to four years of age. CDP helps families to identify their needs and goals, provides support and information, and enhances parenting skills. Behaviour Management Team: 1 Supervisor - Masters Degree, or equivalent in Child Development Counselling, Psychology, Social Work or related field 1(Behaviour Management) Home Intervention Worker - Masters Degree in Child Development, Psychology, Counselling, or related field We believe in encouraging families to use personal and community resources in order to realize their child s potential. Page 14 Page 7
Staff & Services Occupational & Physiotherapy The Child Development Programme (CDP) is made up of a staff of caring professionals from multiple disciplines. Most positions require a minimum of a Master s degree, and at least two years experience working with children and their families. Screenings & Assessment Developmental screenings are offered to all children between 24 and 30 months of age via an invitational brochure mailed to prospective families. If the brochure is not received, parents may still call and schedule a screening. Screenings may also be offered, by referral, to children under 24 months of age. Verbal Interaction Programme (VIP) - This programme, adapted from the Verbal Interaction Programme (now called the Parent-Child Home Programme in the U.S.) developed by Dr. Phyllis Levenstein, is a general enrichment programme that models techniques for the parents/guardians on how to generally talk and play with their child. Occupational & Physiotherapist An occupational therapist and a physiotherapist are also available to address motor needs. Portage Programme Modeled after the Portage Programme from Portage, Wisconsin, U.S.A., this programme is designed for children with overall developmental delays. Participation is family guided by a home intervention worker. Page 8 Occupational Therapy - address fine motor skills, sensory processing, and visual-perception. self-help skills, and play skills Physiotherapy - address gross motor skills, paying particular attention to muscle tone, balance and coordination, and joint alignment advise on orthotics and specialized equipment. conduct motor screenings for premature babies Services are delivered by registered therapists based at CDP from the Department of Health. A referral from your physician is required for OT/PT evaluations. Therapists are specialized in sensory-intergration and neurodevelopmental therapy. Programs are designed for the specific needs of your child and may include: sensory-motor activities, positioning, environmental adaptations, and the prescription of equipment. OT/ PT Team: 1 Occupational Therapist - Masters Degree or equivalent in Occupational Therapy and eligible for registration with the Allied Health Professional Council, Bermuda 1 Physiotherapist - Masters Degree or equivalent in Physiotherapy and eligible for registration with the Allied Health Professional Council, Bermuda Page 13
Portage Programme Staff & Services cont d... enhance your child s overall development use developmentally appropriate activities provide emotional support to parents Assist parents in accessing community resources equip parents with skills and confidence to help your child reach his/ her fullest potential Services are delivered by a team of staff qualified in Early Childhood and Special Education also known as Home Intervention Workers (HIW). Portage sessions begin with an informal assessment to determine your child s specific needs. Following that, developmentally appropriate activities are planned and carried out week by week. Parent involvement is a very important component of this programme. Each session is approximately one hour. Parent Support Groups are offered. Behaviour Management Programme Based on the work of Dr. Rex Forehand, this programme enables the parents/guardians to learn more effective strategies for managing their child s inappropriate behaviour. Speech/Language Programme This programme is intended for children with communication delays/disorders. Parents/guardians are provided with strategies that address their child s individual communication needs. Family Counselling This programme is intended to advance and promote the emotional well being of families with children from birth to four years of age. Parent Education This programme offers parenting workshops to teach practical strategies for positive parenting. Language learning groups are also offered by the Speech-language Pathology team. Portage Team: 1 Supervisor - Masters Degree, or e3quivalent in Special Education, Child Development or a related field. 2 (Portage) Home Intervention Workers - Masters Degree or equivalent in Special Education or Child Development or related field. These interventions are offered to families individually or in combination. Involvement in CDP services is voluntary. Page 12 Page 9
Screening & Assessment Verbal Interaction Programme (VIP) allow you to monitor your child s development give you the opportunity to discuss parenting and child related concerns provide you with a detailed look at specific areas of development offer recommendations for improving your child s performance Services are delivered by a psychologist and a team of development testers. Screenings can be delivered anywhere between 24 and 30 months. Assessments are available via referral, or are recommended if further follow-up to the screening is deemed necessary. Sessions last approximately 1½ hours. increase communication between you and your child show you how to improve your parenting skills introduce you to developmentally appropriate toys provide a foundation for future school success Services are delivered by trained Parent Support Home Visitors (PSHV), supervised by a VIP Coordinator. The PSHV models how to use books and toys to assist with learning. This is done during thirty minute sessions. Testing Team: 1 Psychologist - Doctoral degree in Child Psychology or Developmental Psychology or equivalent. 3 Developmental Testers - Master s Degree, or equivalent in Child Development, Child Psychology or related field Page 10 VIP Team: 1 Coordinator Masters Degree, or equivalent in Counselling, Social Work or related field. 4 Parent Support Home Visitors Certificate for Child Care Assistant (NTC) or equivalent Page 11