How exactly does VPM serve as an educational partner for families, caregivers and educators in Virginia? One way is by supporting the WIC (Women, Infants, & Children) Nutrition and Supplemental Food Program throughout the Commonwealth and earlier this month, VPM made some special deliveries to five WIC offices in the Charlottesville area.
On July 10, the VPM Early Childhood Care and Education team, through a partnership with the Blue Ridge Health District and the Anne & Gene Worrell Foundation, delivered posters, handouts, booklets and other early learning resources to the Charlottesville area WIC offices.
Check out a slideshow (above) for a special look at the WIC offices being stocked with resources!
“Our team is thrilled to be collaborating with like-minded community partners to share messaging around the importance of early brain development,” said VPM Director of Early Childhood Care and Education Mary Jo Grieve. “The early learning resources that we provide are crucial in helping to set young children up for success in school and life.”
Funded by the Anne & Gene Worrell Foundation, the project expands VPM’s “When/Then” (90by5.org) messaging campaign into the greater Charlottesville region and builds on VPM’s existing work with The Basics. The goal of sharing these resources is to help families and caregivers prepare children for kindergarten.
“The Anne & Gene Worrell Foundation is proud to support high-quality childcare in the greater Charlottesville area,” said Holly Hatcher, President & CEO of the Anne & Gene Worrell Foundation. “We believe that all children deserve the best start in life. Our partnership with VPM will help raise awareness that early childhood development is fundamental for the future academic success, well-being and social growth of kids in our community.”
Additional resources provided to each WIC office included bilingual educational videos, Sesame Street “Eat Well Anytime, Anywhere” booklets, a Sesame Street standee and Sesame Street bandages.
“The Basics and 90by5 materials from VPM make our WIC clinics much more inviting. The colorful posters have great messages about early learning that lift up parents and encourage them,” said Diane Sampson, Maternal and Child Health Coordinator for Blue Ridge Health District. “The upbeat videos are engaging and offer a lot of different messages about easy, everyday ways for parents and caregivers to connect with young children. The Basics program is perfect for our families with young kids. Also, having Elmo in the waiting room is a big hit!”
