Current Issue

Moving On

For every one and every thing, there is a season.While children come and go throughout the year in childcare programs, our "season" is September.

For Rainbow's family childcare program, children whoare approaching three years of age, move on to theCenter's preschool program. This year family
childcare said goodbye to 18 children and families who "moved" on to preschool.

The preschool program looses all their 5 year olds to kindergarten this time of year. Twenty-seven children "moved" on this summer leaving room for the family
childcare children to "move" up. Several children "moved" on to junior high leaving room for Rainbow's graduating preschoolers to "move" on to the school age program!

Once the "moving" on process is complete, new children are enrolled in the programs through the intake process to fill the empty places. Wait listed children are given first priority. For infants/toddlers, families often must wait up to one year for services due
to the supply and demand for these slots.

Placement can be somewhat complex in the family childcare program. Program staff must take into consideration the child's age, the family's ability to transport the child as the provider homes are located throughout the City and if there may be a language
barrier. Once these factors have been reviewed and the placement decision is made, the parent is required to visit the family childcare provider home before the placement occurs. Visits to the programs are also encouraged for children enrolling in preschool and
school age programs.
Good communication and parent involvement are key factors in developing a partnership between programs and families. That trust is important to keeping our children "moving" on through our program system. Rainbow's challenge now is to build a program to "move" our graduating 6th graders into a program for middle school children - a critical need in our community.

Preschool's Moving On Celebration
For the past three years our preschoolers who move on to Kindergarten in the Fall have participated in a "moving on ceremony" to celebrate their transition from our preschool program before leaving Rainbow's preschool. Parents, friends, board members and staff
all come dressed up to participate in this gala event. The preschool children present a musical program under the direction of our volunteer music educator, Patsy Mollica. Rainbow certificates are presented to the children at the end of the ceremony.

What a celebration it is to watch the children perform with Patsy and to see the parents beaming proudly. The children's talent and enthusiasm is very special. This year, 27 children participated in the program. Even several parents joined in the performance at Patsy's request!

While "moving on" ceremonies represent an important transition in the lives of the children and their families, it is also a sad and reflective time for everyone involved as we watch these special little people leave our protective environment to "move on" to the beginning of their public school career.

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