Oakland Family Services introduces new Virtual Children's Learning Center for preschoolers and toddlers

With many families still uncomfortable sending their children back for in-person preschool or childcare, Oakland Family Services is launching a brand new virtual program for preschoolers and toddlers: the Virtual Children’s Learning Center.

The program is designed to help families work with their children at home to build the same skills they would be developing in a traditional classroom. It will help prepare them for kindergarten and support families in meeting their children’s developmental needs.

“While we recognize that virtual learning is not ideal for small children, we also know that many families are not comfortable with putting their children back in a childcare or preschool setting,” said Angela Liegghio, early childhood education program coordinator. “We are trying to offer a variety of services to help meet families where they are, while still being able to provide support and ongoing learning opportunities to children in the community during this difficult time.”

Families enrolled in the Virtual Children’s Learning Center will receive developmentally appropriate lesson plans and activities, with corresponding materials mailed right to their homes.

Two different virtual plans will be offered:

• Plan A: For $25 per week, families will receive access to the center’s online learning portal and have activities and materials delivered each week.

• Plan B: For $65 per week, families will receive access to the center’s online learning portal and have activities and materials delivered each week. They will also be able to join two online group learning sessions per week, as well as a weekly one-on-one session with their child’s virtual preschool teacher.

All families will be invited to participate in virtual family events and parent nights. Each child enrolled in the program will take the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, a free developmental screening that will help identify each child’s unique strengths and areas to work on throughout the school year.

“We are hoping to create high-quality learning experiences in the home by not only providing the materials and the activities, but also instruction and support for the parents and families in implementation,” Liegghio said.

Enrollment in this program is not dependent on location, and families from any geographic area are welcome to take part. To participate, families will need a computer, cell phone or tablet that connects to the internet and a working internet connection.

The Virtual Children’s Learning Center will be offered throughout the entire 2020-2021 school year, in addition to the in-person childcare and preschool programs at our Children’s Learning Centers in Pontiac and Walled Lake, which are operating with extra precautions to reduce the risk of COVID-19 cases.

To register your child for our Virtual Children’s Learning Center, fill out the form at bit.ly/virtualCLC.

To learn more about the in-person programs at our Children’s Learning Centers, including free 4-year-old preschool through the Great Start Readiness Program, visit www.oaklandfamilyservices.org/education.