Family Resources

ECDC’s Tax ID Number: 35-1188922

How ECDC Communicates Weather or Emergency Closings, Late Starts and Early Closings –
ECDC uses REMIND to text parents about emergency situations such as emergency closing due to hazardous weather. In addition to REMIND, ECDC posts emergency closings on WNDU and Facebook and sends an email to all families. Please see the REMIND instructions to sign up for text messaging.

ECDC Advice – Helpful Articles for Families
Helping Children Adjust to Preschool
When Is Your Child Too Sick For School?
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Helpful Questions to Ask at the Parent-Teacher Conference

How ECDC Promotes Readiness for School and Beyond
ECDC School Readiness Booklet
After ECDC – School Options

Electronic Text Resource
Free Texting Service Offers Parenting Tips for Hoosier Families

Car Seat Safety Program 
Memorial Children’s Hospital, Leighton Trauma Center and The South Bend Fire Department offer certified staff, Child Passenger Safety Technicians, which will teach you to correctly install and use your child safety seats according to safety guidelines and the law. More information HERE.

US Consumer Product Safety Commission
CPSC Website

ECDC Plan for Seasonal Flu and Resources
ECDC Flu Letter 1-30-2020
ECDC Coronavirus Plan 3-9-2020
ECDC Coronavirus Update 3-12-2020
ECDC Coronavirus Update 3-13-2020

Articles About Eco-Healthy Practices
Practices that reduce or eliminate environmental hazards for young children in early learning environments.

• Protecting Children from Pesticides: Information for Parents
• 3 reasons you should always wash your fruits and veggies (especially these ones)
• Protecting Children from Extreme Heat: Information for Parents
• Protecting Your Children From Contaminated Fish

Community Resources

The ECDC program staff maintains a list of community resources as an ongoing effort to provide families with information to better meet their needs and enhance the services provided by the ECDC program. Select a heading below for more information.

Medical Care in our Community

Supportive Services and Referrals to Special Services

Speech, Language and Hearing Screenings
Speech and Language Screenings are provided once per year during fall semester by the Saint
Mary’s College Speech and Language graduate students who also provide speech and language
therapy at the ECDC program sites during the school year under the supervision of SMC faculty
members. This screening is available during school hours to children whose parents have indicated a desire for such. Parents are notified of these screenings by parent permission letters. A child will not be screened without written permission from the parent.

P-H-M offers free speech and language screenings for three, four, and five-year old children who reside within the school district’s boundaries.

Special Services to Support Development and Learning
ECDC works in partnership with First Steps and the South Bend Community School Corporation (SBCSC) to meet the needs of children with special learning or development needs. Preschool age children who reside in the SBCSC, if deemed appropriate during the Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) Conference, can receive therapies at ECDC through SBCSC, such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. Children who live in Mishawaka or Penn Harris Madison (PHM) School Corporation receive therapies at their specific school with a program entitled Joint Services. Children who are younger than age three who are eligible for special services may receive such services through First Steps at ECDC. If a child’s development suggests that an evaluation would be helpful to determine if special services would be beneficial, ECDC teachers and/or program administrator meet with the individual child’s family to discuss concerns. Then, if the family agrees to an evaluation, a referral for such will be made to First Steps, SBCSC, or Joint Services.

Family Resource Consultant and Child and Family Support Specialist
ECDC partners with a licensed social worker who provides our families with topical parenting sessions entitled “Conversations about Everyday Life with Children.” These regular parenting enrichment meetings are offered during the school year on topics such as ECDC’s approach to child guidance, sibling rivalry, bedtime routines, mealtime routines, and supporting very active children. Information about these small group conversations is provided to families throughout the school year.

In addition, ECDC has a partnership with LOGAN Community Resources, Inc. Logan provides the services of a behavioral specialist to ECDC to support teachers in their work assisting children with social and emotional development struggles/delays and behavior challenges. Please contact an ECDC program director or the executive director for more information about the behavioral specialist’s services at ECDC.

These professionals assist the teachers and program staff with making referrals to community screenings and evaluations to determine how best we can support the child’s holistic growth, development and learning in addition to accessing therapies to provide individualized support.