CUEARLY – Urbana Early Childhood

CU EARLY

The mission of CU Early is to positively impact child development and to nurture healthy parent-child relationships during the critical early years that occur between birth and age three. CU Early encourages early literacy with families. Champaign Urbana has three great libraries where families can check out books, and attend babies lap time. Champaign Public Library, Douglass Library and Urbana Free Library. All of these libraries have a great collection of early reader books. Reading nurtures young minds and leads to increased memory, reading skills, and overall intelligence as they grow.

Who We Are

CU Early serves children from birth to age 3 and their families in Champaign, Urbana, and Mahomet. We also provide services to expecting moms and dads. Our services for families include home visits, developmental screenings, early childhood information and activities, teen parent support groups, assisted resource and referral, and parental information and support. All CU Early services are free to families.

CU Early, a Prevention Initiative program, is a long standing collaboration of Urbana School District #116 and Champaign Unit 4 Schools. Urbana School District #116 has served as the administrative agent for the CU Early program since its inception as a Parental Training Grant in 1990. CU Early expanded in 1999 and became a Prevention Initiative program funded through the Illinois State Board of Education.

If you are interested in learning more about CU Early, please call 217-384-3616 for more information or email Kelly Russell at krussell@usd116.org

The Program

CU Early follows the BabyTalk philosophy and curriculum. Our goal is to “come along side” families in their journey of parenting. Our dedicated and skilled parent educators provide child development resources, support and guidance to families through home visiting services. Our goal is to meet with families at least twice a month, and more if needed. For enrolled families, we also provide play groups that meet monthly, as well as work with teen parents providing them with weekly support groups. We work with parents on providing individualized activities that support their child’s ongoing development.

CU Resources

Here is a list of a few community resources in the Champaign Urbana area that may be helpful to you and your family.
You can double click on the red text and click the link to be able to access the resources’ websites.

Urbana Early Childhood School – Preschool for at-risk children ages 3-5
Champaign Prek – Preschool in Champaign with “blended” classes
Champ aign County Head Start – Early Head Start serves infants, toddlers, and expectant parents, while Head Start serves children ages 3-5
Empty Tomb – Christian nonprofit organization that provides financial strategies and information about church giving patterns on a national level
Champaign Urbana Public Health District (WIC) – WIC provides services for pregnant and post-partum women, infants and children up to age 5
Child Care Resource Service – work to support the well-being of children and families by promoting the availability of quality child care services in the area
Parent Wonders – provides programs throughout the school year for parents and children birth to 3, as well as pregnant and parenting teens
Crisis Nursery – provides a safe place for young children and their parents in times of crisis
Community Resource Book – book full of community resources that is provided by CU Early upon request
Pregnancy Resource Center – free services offered in a caring and confidential setting by staff who specialize in pregnancy and sexual health issues
Birthright – provides services and support to women with unplanned pregnancies
Salvation Army – its social services encompass a wide range of programs to help individuals and families overcome daunting obstacles