MISSOURI VALLEY, Iowa (KMTV) — The first three years are critical to lifelong success, according to early childhood educators. It's the reason Jordan Morse, the early childhood director with Thriving Families Alliance, wants neighbors to know who the in-home services available to southwest Iowans with young children.
- Maveryk Marshall is four years old and ready for kindergarten. He had a speech delay and has a physical disability, which helped the family qualify for in-home visits with an early childhood specialist from Harrison County Public Health.
- Tabbi Melby works with Maveryk's parents and grandmother to support his educational development at home. His mom credits the visits with improving Maveryk's verbal skills — and he is very talkative!
- “We bring activity ideas," Melby said. "We just kind of support and model playing, which is how children learn.”
- Jordan Morse from Thriving Families Alliance works with family support professionals like Tabbi. It’s rewarding: “It’s that moment when you go to the door of your family’s house and you have this little kiddo who comes out and just wraps their arms around your knees and just gives you the biggest hug."
- Learn more:Childandfamilyresourcenetwork.org or ThrivingFamiliesAlliance.org
WATCH BELOW
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Maveryk, age 4, singing and using sign language: “Yellow, green, blue”
Iowa has a need for more child development programs. I’m Katrina Markel in Missouri Valley where one family is getting services in their home.
For more than a year now, I’ve been reporting on the urgent need for child development centers in Iowa. Funded by state and federal grants, home visiting programs can help fill in the gaps.
Maveryk talking to little brother: “Romyn, Romyn, you can do it!”
You wouldn’t know it, but four-year-old Maveryk Marshall had a speech delay.
Maveryk: “M-A-V-E-R-Y-K – MAVERYK!”
According to his mom, Kym, Maveryk's chattiness and knowledge of letters and numbers is due largely to the in-home visits he receives from Harrison County Public Health parent educator, Tabbi Melby.
Kym said, “He was less verbal than what my youngest here is.”
Because he has a physical disability and needs speech therapy, the family qualifies for two visits per month from Melby. Her job is to help his parents and grandma be Maveryk’s first teachers, so he’ll be ready for kindergarten roundup this week.
“We bring activity ideas," Melby said. "We just kind of support and model playing, which is how children learn.”
Jordan Morse from Thriving Families Alliance works with family support professionals like Tabbi. It’s rewarding.
“It’s that moment when you go to the door of your family’s house and you have this little kiddo who comes out and just wraps their arms around your knees and just gives you the biggest hug,” Morse said.
She called me because it’s National Home Visiting Week and she wants people to know what they do. I asked, since they receive federal grant money, are they worried about funding cuts?
“There is a lot of worry right now," said Morse, but..."It does have very wide bipartisan support.”
In fact, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley issued a bi-partisan proclamation to highlight the program this week.
Families looking for more information can reach out to Thriving Families Alliance in Council Bluffs.
I’m your Southwest Iowa neighborhood reporter Katrina Markel in Missouri Valley.
