Families are the heart of the work of the Delaware Readiness Teams (DRT). They know their children best and are best equipped to give insight into programs that meet their children’s needs.
DRT is now conducting the 2021 Family Survey. Our goal is to collect and understand parent opinions, perspectives, attitudes and perceptions to help us continue our mission to support families in preparing their children to be ready for school and life.
We encourage parents, caregivers and families with children from birth to age 10 to take a few minutes to complete the survey, so we can use this information to inform future programming and share additional resources. The survey is available in English and Spanish and can be found on our website at delawarereadinessteam.com (click the survey tab at the top).
DRT is a statewide initiative of volunteer-based teams that strengthen communities and help family members, early-learning providers, school representatives and residents collaborate. They convene to access the community, set goals and plan and implement projects that will best support children and families.
Through DRT, community and family voices have helped identify areas of need and taken action. Three focus areas were identified: early and on-time kindergarten registration and readiness, expanding developmental screening and educating families on developmental milestones, and building family resilience and strengthening the protective factors.
We have worked together to streamline the school registration process, provide universal access to developmental screenings and create opportunities for parents and caregivers to gain information on pertinent topics.
The pandemic has affected children and families in ways we are still trying to understand. The disruption affected child care, school and recreational routines, and influenced changes to roles and relationships. Understanding the family experience is key to helping families rise above these challenges.
Last year, over a thousand families participated in the Family Survey, helping us gain valuable insight statewide, inspiring family information sessions, educational resources to support learning at home and a list of community resources to support the needs that were identified during the pandemic.
Families said they were looking for additional information on health and safety, mental health and educational resources. Teams hosted a series of family information sessions on these topics, featuring presentations from experts and allowing time for families to ask questions to the experts.
The survey also revealed that parents were eager for more opportunities to engage in family-centered events — even if they happened virtually. The readiness teams held a statewide family Zoom meeting that featured Delaware’s First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney reading and discussing “The Story of the Oyster and the Butterfly: The Coronavirus and All the Parts of Me.”
The Kindergarten Academy Series and community birthday celebrations were direct responses to families’ requests for educational experiences they could access from home. The kindergarten academy is designed to deepen the understanding and support of families with children entering kindergarten about their role in their child’s development and learning. The birthday celebrations are child-centered events focused on fun, friendly, skill-building activities that support developmental milestones.
The need for additional informational resources was also identified in the 2020 survey, and the DRT website continues to be updated to support families. The website contains resources such as access to stories, activities, developmental screening information, kindergarten registration details and resources on where to get other essential support.
While there has been positive change, many areas remain unclear. By completing this survey, families have the opportunity to convey their experiences, so that steps can be taken to meet their current needs.
Every voice matters! Visit us online and take the family survey today!
Diane Frentzel is program manager for Delaware Readiness Teams.
