Parenting
4C offers an array of programming for today’s families, empowering families with information to make informed choices about child care and to giving families resources to better care for their children.
Finding high quality child care is a common challenge for families today. Understanding the differences among all of types of child care in Indiana is complicated. And comparing quality among the options can be overwhelming. 4C provides free, personalized referrals to legally operating care. Child care referrals from 4C are based on Paths to QUALITY, Indiana’s child care rating system, giving you an easy-to-use to tool to help you simplify your search for child care and find the best quality care for your child.
Families with infants and toddlers and families with children who have special needs face additional and unique challenges, especially when looking for child care. 4C provides specialized support for families facing these challenges. Upon request, our highly trained referral specialists will enhance your child care referral service by making calls to verify vacancies, further saving you valuable time and energy. You will also receive quarterly, customized packets in the mail with information pertaining to your child’s development. Our Inclusion Specialist is here to assist you with ensuring an inclusive, healthy and positive child care experience for your child with (or without) special needs. Through the Indiana Partnership for Inclusive Child Care, our Inclusion Specialist offers free consultation, resources and assistance for families seeking inclusive child care. Likewise, through Better Baby Care Indiana, our Infant and Toddler Specialist provides free consultation, resources and assistance for families with children under the age of three.
Children don’t come with instructions, but 4C offers classes and services for families that are based on the latest brain development research and present real-life, practical solutions for parenting challenges. 1,2,3,4 Parents! is a workshop for families with young children in which parents learn discipline methods that work, how to prevent temper tantrums, how to make rules that children will follow, and how to establish routines that make life easier. This workshop is offered at no charge to families and includes a handy Parent’s Workbook and tips booklet to take home.
In the first few years, children learn more and at a faster pace than at any other time in life. You help shape your child's future through the kinds of experiences you provide. Your baby was born to learn, and as a parent, you are your child's first and most important teacher. 4C is here to help by offering Parents as Teachers, a parent education and family support program serving families throughout pregnancy until their child enters kindergarten, usually age 5. Parents are supported by certified parent educators trained to translate scientific information on early brain development into specific when, what, how and why advice for families. As a 4C/Parents as Teachers family, you receive personal visits during which your parent educator will share age-appropriate child development and parenting information, help you learn to observe your child, and address your parenting concerns. You will also receive: developmental, health, hearing and vision screenings for your child, access to a resource network of links to other community services, invitations to parenting group meetings, and access to the 4C Lending Library.
4C is your one-stop shop for age-specific information pertaining to the development of children. Our staff of experts is here to help you find answers to your questions about your child’s development. Families are also invited to become 4C members to access even more great resources. Membership is your gateway to our extensive Lending Library from which you may borrow toys, books, learning aids, music, and equipment for 30-day loans. Even better, the $25.00 annual membership fee includes free delivery and pick-up of the materials!
