The Family Connection

The Family Connection Since 2000 The Family Connection has been dedicated to improving the quality of early childhood programs in St. Joseph County.

Joseph County, IN through The Early Years Count Education initiative of the Community Foundation of St.

Something exciting is making its way into preschool classrooms! We’re excited to kick off a new year of COR coaching par...
09/04/2026

Something exciting is making its way into preschool classrooms!
We’re excited to kick off a new year of COR coaching partnerships with preschool educators across our community!
Our COR Kits are heading to the teachers we’ll be working alongside this year to strengthen their COR Advantage notes—helping ensure observations are objective, meaningful, and connected to children’s learning.
Our COR coaches will be out and about for meet & greets with the teachers and teams they’ll be partnering with. We’re looking forward to building relationships, providing support, sharing ideas, and learning together!
And… peep the cute COR sticker! 👀

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to host our first New Teacher Academy for this school year with this wonderful group o...
09/02/2026

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to host our first New Teacher Academy for this school year with this wonderful group of preschool educators!
New Teacher Academy is one of the first on-ramps we provide to help new teachers get introduced to the HighScope Curriculum and feel confident as they begin their journey. It’s also a great refresher for experienced educators who want to start the new school year with a fresh perspective, new ideas, and practical strategies they can bring into their classrooms.

09/02/2026

You had us at glow dance party! Congrats on 5 years!

Our young 3 year olds are to receive this music-inspired story from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. “The Animal Song...
09/01/2026

Our young 3 year olds are to receive this music-inspired story from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. “The Animal Song” is about three friends who start a band and play music to the delight of all the animals in the forest. When winter comes and their audience goes to hibernate, who is left to listen? Find out what happens, and continue the learning and fun with this literacy sheet!
👉https://11043623-0aff-4532-9ab0-4c24b6676f07.filesusr.com/ugd/3c837b_80674a96bce24c47a3810833097e720f.pdf

Looking for more literacy connection sheets like this one?
Visit: 👉 https://www.famconn.org/copy-of-eyc-literacy-connection

Don't miss this opportunity!  It is open to Mishawaka this year too!!!! Woot Woot!!!!!
08/31/2026

Don't miss this opportunity! It is open to Mishawaka this year too!!!! Woot Woot!!!!!

Anteayer tuvimos la oportunidad de reunir a nuestras Directoras de PEPI y, una vez más, nos fuimos sintiéndonos increíbl...
08/28/2026

Anteayer tuvimos la oportunidad de reunir a nuestras Directoras de PEPI y, una vez más, nos fuimos sintiéndonos increíblemente inspiradas por este maravilloso grupo de mujeres.

Nuestras Directoras de PEPI son principalmente proveedoras de cuidado infantil familiar y propietarias de centros de cuidado infantil de habla hispana que están rompiendo barreras juntas y creando nuevas oportunidades para ellas mismas, para las demás y para su comunidad.

A medida que se esfuerzan por aprender e implementar el currículo HighScope, también están aprendiendo a apoyarse unas a otras. Y quizás esa sea una de las cosas más poderosas de este grupo.
Hablamos sobre proveedoras que han participado en capacitaciones ofrecidas en español, han continuado su educación en Ivy Tech, han abierto nuevos programas de cuidado infantil y han asumido nuevas oportunidades de liderazgo. Cada uno de estos logros representa una barrera superada y, muchas veces, alguien más del grupo estuvo allí para animarlas y apoyarlas en el camino.
Y eso es exactamente de lo que se trata PEPI. No se trata simplemente de traducir una capacitación a otro idioma, sino de asegurarnos de que el idioma nunca sea una barrera para el aprendizaje, el liderazgo o la calidad.

Se trata de crear un espacio donde las proveedoras puedan aprender en el idioma que les permita participar plenamente y, después, utilizar ese conocimiento para fortalecer sus programas, apoyarse unas a otras y crear nuevas posibilidades.

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to bring our ECAP Directors together! 💛 We spent time connecting, sharing, and reflect...
08/26/2026

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to bring our ECAP Directors together! 💛 We spent time connecting, sharing, and reflecting on an important question: “What is one thing you’re proud of about the quality of your program right now?”
As standards of quality continue to change, one thing remains firm for everyone in that room—our commitment to HIGH-QUALITY experiences for the children and families in our community.
We also took time to share our Impact Report and celebrate the incredible work happening across our ECAP project, introduce new resources and supports, and talk about both new and ongoing ways we can support teachers and directors.
But what inspired us most was simply watching this amazing group of women support one another. Some of these directors have partnered with us since the very beginning—more than 20 years ago! They bring so much experience and wisdom, and we loved watching them naturally embrace newer directors, offering encouragement, program tours, meet-ups, and opportunities to learn from one another.
We left the day feeling incredibly inspired by them. This is more than a group of individual programs—it is a community of early childhood leaders who genuinely want to see one another succeed. There is something very special about this group, and we all feel lucky to be a part of it. 💛
Here’s to continuing to learn, grow, open our doors to one another, and stay committed to HIGH-QUALITY early childhood experiences for every child and family we serve!

As longtime Dolly Parton fans and advocates for early childhood and literacy, we have always admired Dolly and the heart...
08/25/2026

As longtime Dolly Parton fans and advocates for early childhood and literacy, we have always admired Dolly and the heart she has shared with the world. She has been an inspiration and an idol to so many of us. 💕
Her love for children, books, and early literacy connects so beautifully to the work we do every day at The Family Connection. Through her Imagination Library, Dolly helped put books into the hands of children and families around the world.
We are grateful for the legacy she leaves behind and the reminder that books, relationships, and early experiences can make a lasting impact.

Thank you, Dolly, for helping us make The Early Years Count!

At our All-Team Meeting, we created a timeline from 2001 to 2026 and invited each team member to stand by the year they ...
08/24/2026

At our All-Team Meeting, we created a timeline from 2001 to 2026 and invited each team member to stand by the year they joined The Family Connection. Together, we reflected on one thing each person is proud to contribute to our team.

One of the sweetest moment was celebrating Beth and her incredible 25 years with The Family Connection! Her wisdom, heart, and dedication have shaped our organization and touched countless educators, children, and families. We are so grateful for you, Beth!

Yesterday, our Family Connection team came together for our annual All-Team Meeting to kick off the 2026–27 school year!...
08/21/2026

Yesterday, our Family Connection team came together for our annual All-Team Meeting to kick off the 2026–27 school year!

We took time to reflect on the work, growth, and impact of the past school year, and even created our own team timeline to see how long each of us has been part of the Family Connection team. It was such a fun reminder of the experience, relationships, and shared history that we bring to our work.

We’re excited for another year of partnering with the educators and programs we have the privilege of supporting through ECAP and PEPI. From coaching and training to assessment and ongoing support, we’re looking forward to learning alongside you, celebrating your growth, and continuing the work together.
Here’s to a great school year!

Address

922 E Wayne Street Suite 109
South Bend, IN
46617

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+15742379740

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