The LAVC Family Resource Center

I’ve recently gotten a few questions from parents who are wondering when and how to introduce museums into their children’s lives. Clearly this photo shows how inspiring art is for young children!

So - when - whenever YOU feel like going to a museum. Your babe-in-arms/or stroller will like being with you…your toddler may like the big rooms and beautiful grounds to run in…and your preschooler may actually enjoy some of the art. And maybe they’ll remember and like the museum because it had a special rock to climb on… those initial experiences are what make them want to come back - and each visit will build on the previous one.

There’s usually a gift shop with children’s books about the exhibit, and it’s fun to review what you saw…”we just saw this!”  There’s always something to talk about - colors, shapes, texture. And there are great open-ended questions to ask…”what does this painting make you think about?”…”how do you think the painter felt?”…..

LACMA is great because there is a large variety of exhibits to choose from (keep visits short) and Skirball has dedicated family days with lots of hands-on activities. I happen to especially love the Getty - partially because of the tram to get there, the gardens, the view…. and also because it’s FREE! 

Click here to visit the LAVC Family Resource Center’s Facebook page.  ”Like Us” to stay informed about new programs, services, and upcoming special events for families with children age 0-3 and the early care and education community.

Attention Community Families:

We are now enrolling for our Fall 2012 FREE Infant and Toddler playgroups (ages 0-3), also known as Parenting 20CE. Join us every Tues. & Thurs. from 10:30am-12:00am in the Family Resource Center from September 4 to December 6, 2012. Space is limited, so register now!

• Parenting 20CE (Section #8803) is a FREE parenting course with a built-in infant and toddler playgroup component.  Playgroups focus on building positive social interactions between children through play and exploration.  Parents must be present with their babies. There is also a Child Development Specialist present to discuss different topics with parents including potty training, bed time routines, and more. To register for this course with your student I.D., click here.  Not a student?  Click here to apply to the college and get your student I.D. # to begin registering for the Spring 2012 semester. To register, you do not need to be enrolled in college classes.

Questions? Please contact Nicole Goddard at goddarna@lavc.edu or (818) 778-5612.

Join the Friends of the Family and their Young Dads Program, as they host A Celebration of Fatherhood on Saturday, June 9 from 11 am to 3 pm at Maclay Middle School in Pacoima, CA.  

Bring the entire family!  Admission is free.  The celebration includes games, food, activities, a father’s panel, and some very special speakers.  For more information, call (818) 988-4430.

Friends of the Family (FOF) is based in Van Nuys, CA and serves families who are struggling to provide support for their children, but are challenged by poverty and low income, lack of education and employment, shifts in family structure, family or community violence. and holes in the social safety net.  For more information about FOF, click here.

For LA Valley College students:  

A representative from Bright Horizons Family Solutions will be at Los Angeles Valley College recruiting for Infant, Toddler, Two’s and Preschool Teachers on:

• Thursday, April 19, 2012 from 3:30pm to 5:30pm in the Child Development Family Complex (CDFC) Conference Room #175.

Stop by to speak with one of the Bright Horizons representatives to learn more about these great opportunities!!

For questions regarding job opportunities with Bright Horizons, contact Cathy Ellis-Abelson at (925) 370-7408 or cellis@brighthorizons.com

The Los Angeles Public Library Children’s Literature Department presents ”Science Day 2012” on Saturday, April 7, 2012 from 1:00 to 3:00pm at the Los Angeles Central Library (630 W. 52nd Street, Los Angeles, 90071). 

This FREE event is for families with children of all ages.  Join us for an afternoon of fun while participating in a variety of activities, including: 

• Hands-on Science with the California Science Center
• Activities and stories for Toddlers and Preschoolers
• Crafts and Experiments
• “What a Hoot!” with the Discovery Science Center
• “Wild Things and Animals of Prey” with Full Spectrum

Questions? Call (213) 228-7250.

Enroll now for our free Parenting Class with Infant & Toddler Play Group!

Join us for enriching experiences with your child! 

Our parenting class with infant & toddler playgroup will meet in the NEW Family Resource Center in the Child Development & Family Complex (CDFC), located at the corner of Oxnard Street and Campus Drive.

Parenting 20CE - Tues. & Thurs. from 10:30-12:00, Aug. 30 to Dec. 18

• Parenting 20CE (Section #8803) is a FREE parenting course with a built-in infant and toddler playgroup component.  Playgroups focus on building positive social interactions between children through play.  To register for this course with your student I.D., click here.  Not a student?  Click here to apply to the college and get your FREE student I.D. 

Weekly discussion topics include:

• Sleeping routines
• Food and nutrition
• Reading with infants and toddlers
• Positive Discipline
• Day-to-day parenting challenges
• How to talk to young children about diversity
• Finding a preschool
• And much more…

For more information about our parenting class and play group or any of our programs, contact the Family Resource Center at (818)778-5612.

Faculty and staff from the LAVC Child Development Department hosted a Spring Graduation Party on Wednesday, June 8 in the Family Resource Center’s new Infant & Toddler Play Yard.  Joining faculty and staff, Dr. Susan Carleo (President), Dr. Sandy Mayo (Vice President of Academic Affairs) and Dr. Laurie Nalepa (Dean of Vocational Education) shared remarks and congratulations with graduates and their families.

(Pictured Above: Left-Right: Mayra Santos, Marie Dahan (CAST Program Coordinator), Susan Salinas, and Claudia Flores)

The FRC is pleased to offer our most sincere congratulations to the graduating Career & Academic Success Team (CAST) program graduates.  CAST, a student support program for child development majors, is a part of a larger Workforce Initiative project sponsored by Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP).

Congratulations to the Spring 2011 CAST Graduates:

• Maria Castillo
• Zahra Fassihi
• Claudia Flores
• Jaquelin Morgan
• Zarinah Muhammad
• Tracy Orloff
• Felicita Penas
• Susan Salinas
• Mayra Santos
• Mahrokh Siahcheshman

The Family Resource Center invites you to join us for “Creating a Community of Writers”, a free workshop with Jane Raphael on Saturday, April 9th from 11:30a - 1:00p.  The workshop will take place in the LAVC Child Development Department, Room 156.  Click here for a campus map.

Creating a Community of Writers is an interactive workshop that will explore ways to increase the literacy in classrooms with young children.  Participants are asked to bring a pen, paper, and a family photo.

Spaces are limited!  RSVP to (818) 778-5612 or huffgf@lavc.edu.  Please state the names of all attendees and provide a contact phone number or email address.  

Note: Certificate of Attendance will be available at the end of the workshop.

Thanks to the generous donation from J. H. Snyder, the NEW LAVC Family Resource Center is now open in the Child Development & Family Complex!  We are located on the corner of Oxnard Street and Campus Drive in Valley Glen, CA. Click here for a map.  Current hours of operation are from 9am to 4pm, Monday thru Friday.

The FRC provides a number of free resources that benefit…

Families With Young Children

• Baby Clothes Exchange Program, newborn to 3T
• Children’s Book Loan Program
• Child Development & Parenting Resource Library
• Infant & Toddler Playgroups
• Resources and Connections to Community Services

High School & College Child Development Students

• Child Development Resource Library
• Textbook Loan Program
• Infant & Toddler Lab
• Internships and Mentoring
• Career & Academic Success Team (CAST)
• Certificate, Permit, and Credential Resources
• Workshops and Skills Training

Early Care & Education Workforce

• Professional Development Workshops
• Special Needs and Paraeducator Training Programs
• Mentoring Services for Teachers and Directors
• Host On-Campus Recruiting/Hiring Fairs

For more information about any of the services listed above or general questions, contact the Family Resource Center at (818) 778-5612.

The Career and Academic Success Team (CAST) wants to help YOU succeed!

As a participant of the CAST Program, you will:

• Receive individual and group mentoring.
• Have priority access to the Writing Center (to avoid waiting in line).
• Be invited to attend workshops, conferences, CPR Training, and other events related to the field of Child Development.
• Receive personalized advisement towards completing your educational goals.
• Be eligible for financial support upon successful completion of requirements.

Eligibility Requirements to join CAST:

• You must be majoring in Child Development.  Please check with the office of Admissions and Records before you apply.
• You must be eligible for English 21 or 362, or have taken a higher-level English course.
• New participants must be enrolled in at least one Child Development course this semester at LAVC.

SPACE IS LIMITED ~ CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO APPLY ONLINE TODAY!

http://lavc.wickedcode.com

For additional information about the CAST Program, please visit the Family Resource Center in the Child Development & Family Complex, located on the corner of Oxnard Street and Campus Drive.

You may also contact CAST Staff at (818) 778-5528.

A component of the LAVC Early Childhood Institute (ECI), the Family Resource Center’s (FRC) internship program was created for high school students participating in HIGH5 or FHA-HERO and are interested in learning more about careers working with young children.  The internships provide students with useful information and hands-on experiences that will prepare them for future child development related careers.  The internships are held weekly in the LAVC Infant & Toddler Lab in the FRC.

Upon successful completion of the internship, participants receive a certificate of completion, individual letters of recommendation for college or job applications, and earn experience hours that will count toward a future Child Development Teacher Permit from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

Congratulations to Sandra Machuca, Rosa Martinez, Cynthia Rocha, and Danita Montes for their successful completion of the internship program!

For more information about FRC internship opportunities for high school and college child development students, contact the Family Resource Center at (818) 778-5528.

On Thursday, November 4 from 7pm-8pm, the LAVC Family Resource Center and the Child Development Department will be hosting “Writing & Illustrating Books For Children”, a panel discussion with local children’s book authors Hope Anita Smith and Barney Saltzberg.  

This workshop is FREE and open to the public, but seating is limited and we ask that you reserve your seat by emailing huffgf@lavc.edu.  Seating will begin in the LAVC Behavioral Sciences Building, Room 101 at 6:45pm.  For additional information or directions, call the Family Resource Center at (818) 778-5612.

Hope Anita Smith is the author of three books.  Her first book, The Way A Door Closes, won several awards including the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award, the Judy Lopez Award from the Women’s National Book Association, and the Claudia Lewis Award from Bank Street College.  Her second book, Keeping The Night Watch, a sequel to The Way A Door Closes, received the Coretta Scott King Honor.  Both books were chosen as Best Books of the Year by School Library Journal.  Miss Smith’s third book, Mother Poems, which she wrote and illustrated, was awarded the Myra Cohn Livington Award for a distinguished book of poetry.  Hope teaches poetry workshops to writers of all ages and she is a motivational speaker who loves to share her journey.  Hope Anita Smith was born and raised in Akron, Ohio and resides in Beverly Hills, California.

Barney Saltzberg is both an author/illustrator of children’s books and a singer/songwriter of children’s songs.  Crazy Hair Day and PeekaBoo Kisses are just two of more than 30 books that he has written and illustrated.  He has also recorded four CDs of music for children.  This multi-talented artist lives in Los Angeles with his wife, three sweet dogs, and a pond full of fish.