Parenting Young Children
You are your child's first and most important teacher!
Educating yourself about quality child care indicators and your child’s development allows you to make informed decisions in their early years. Parents who use our services can expect to:
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Understand what to look for when searching for quality care, to include Virginia's quality improvement system for child care centers, VQB5.
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Receive a customized list of providers that meet the direct needs of their family.
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Confidently place their child in a setting with the help of resources provided by SBVP staff.
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Locate resources within our agency and the surrounding community to support your child’s developmental growth.
EXPLORE TIPS IN OUR ONLINE BOOK
Our free e-book is filled with ideas and resources for parents of young children.
Your Child's Development
Make the most of the the first three years: The first three years of life are a period of incredible growth in all areas of a baby’s development. On ZeroToThree.org, Learn how the earliest relationships with caregivers can promote healthy brain development, how young children build social and emotional skills, and ways you can support language and literacy development starting from birth.
Milestones By Age: Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving “bye bye” are called developmental milestones. Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act, and move (crawling, walking, etc.). The CDC shares handy lists by age on how to check your child's development.
Other Parenting Resources
Child Care Aware of VA —Search for regulated centers and family day homes near you.
Hampton Public Library and Newport News Public Library—help children learn to read by enjoying books together, beginning in infancy. Free story times for babies and toddlers and free resources on child development.
Born Learning—Hampton Roads website offering tips for parents and caregivers about what to expect and ways to engage your child, from birth to age 6.
Understanding Your Child’s Development—describes important milestones for childhood development.
Reading Is Fundamental—reading-related games and activities for infants through preschool, and information and ideas for fostering emergent literacy in young children.
Scholastic—activity ideas, advice and news for parents of early learners.
Zero to Three—offers tips and information to support parents.
Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning—promotes the social-emotional development and school readiness of young children birth to age 5.
PBS Kids—great games and other resources on child development and school readiness.
Department of Social Services—Resources for early intervention, finding child care, health and safety, financial assistance and much more.