Sharing the Plate with Parent-Child Home Program

On September 30 we will again be sharing our offering with the Parent-Child Home Program, a national program with a strong Massachusetts and Metro-West component. The Parent-Child Home Program–PCHP–is an early education program developed in the 1960’s to attempt to bridge the readiness gap between low-income preschoolers and their higher-income peers by bringing selected books and toys, and volunteer modeling, into their homes in their PRE-preschool years. The program takes children at 18 months to 2-1/2 years and works with the child and family for two years. The volunteers model for the at-home parent (or in some cases, day-care provider) how to use the selected gift book or toy to enhance verbal communication between adult and child.  Here are some recent research findings regarding PCHP graduates compared to their socioeconomic peers:

  1. PCHP children are 50% more likely to measure ready for kindergarten.
  2. Outperformed the statewide average on third grade state math achievement test.
  3. Scored 2-1/2 times higher on social-emotional skill assessment than the control group.
  4. 30% higher graduation rate.
  5. 50% less likely to be referred to special education services by third grade.

There are PCHP programs in several neighboring towns, including  Framingham, Marlborough, Waltham and Watertown.  Peg Espinola (who used to coordinate the program in Newton, Waltham and Wellesley and Framingham) has more information if you are interested in volunteering.