Texas Recognizes PCHAS for Collaboration in Navarro County

The many members of the Coalition (pictured here at a conference in February) include (left to right) Debbie Taylor, Lynda Sloan, Rachel Gillespie, Pam Crawford, Montserrat Hernandez.

On October 22 the state of Texas recognized the Navarro County Early Childhood Coalition with the Outstanding Community Collaboration Award. It was presented to the Coalition’s co-chairs, Rachel Gillespie of Presbyterian Children’s Home and Services (PCHAS) and Lynda Sloan, the former CEO of VOICE, Inc. The award honors this new partnership because it has gone above and beyond to support children and families and strengthen early childhood outcomes. Last year PCHAS created the Growing Together program in Corsicana, TX, for families with children under the age of six. Gillespie, the program director, explains, “The goal of Growing Together is to promote safety and well-being for young children. We teach parenting skills so that children have a stronger foundation for healthy emotional behavior and brain development."

With the saying “It takes a village to raise a child” in mind, Gillespie and Sloan initiated the Coalition last January. It consists of more than 50 daycare owners and directors, teachers, school counselors, nonprofit employees and local officials. The members collaborate to improve children’s safety, health, connection and school readiness. Already the Coalition has created:

• Two free guides, Stay at Home and Summer at Home, to assist families during the COVID-19 crisis
  
• A webinar for professionals, exploring local statistics and issues in early childhood development
  
• Three virtual presentations for caregivers about water safety, car seat safety and home safety
  
• A taskforce to support daycares with funding and supplies during the COVID quarantine

Currently, the Coalition is installing a dozen Little Free Libraries to promote literacy in adults and children. For details about Growing Together, call (903) 874-2517 or contact us online.