If you’re looking for a program that offers a more individualized, hands-on approach with your child, a home-based program may be a good option for your family!
For more than three decades, Options for Learning has provided children and families in the San Gabriel Valley with affordable, high-quality early learning programs, including center-based and home-based options for children from birth through age 5.
Through Options for Learning’s home-based program, families are paired with a parent educator who offers personalized support, learning activities, and guidance in the family’s home.
Parent educators help empower and support families in creating a learning environment that uses their home environment and incorporates their daily routines.
Keep scrolling to learn more about the Options for Learning infant and toddler home-based program, including:
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What does a typical visit look like in the home-based program at Options for Learning?
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What kinds of activities do families do in the Options for Learning home-based program?
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Who is the Options for Learning home-based program a good fit for?
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How does the Options for Learning home-based program support expecting parents?
What does a typical visit look like in the home-based program at Options for Learning?
For families in our home-based program, a parent educator comes to your house once a week for a 90-minute session with you, your child, and family members living in the home, including siblings and grandparents.
During these visits, learning takes place at home through household items, everyday routines, and activities tailored to your child’s developmental needs.
A typical visit includes:
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A greeting and discussion of last week’s activities, or any new observations you have noticed
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Completing a planned parent-child learning activity using everyday objects, e.g., a recognition of numbers activity with socks, markers, clothespins, and yarn
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Planning for the following session’s activities and talking over an early childhood developmental assessment called the Portage Guide 3
The parent educator plays a facilitating role based on what the parents share, since the home-based program relies on the Parents as Teachers Curriculum.
The Parents as Teachers curriculum is designed to support parents to provide developmentally appropriate experiences that promote the home as a learning environment that is safe, nurturing, responsive, and communicative.
Additionally, since the Options for Learning home-based program is year-round, parent educators host twice-monthly socializations, activities that take place outside the house, for all home-based families. Socializations are held with other participating families, usually at a park, in a classroom, at a library, or in other locations in the community.
The socializations allow parents to fully take charge and lead the large group and small group activities.
These sessions not only allow children to build their social-emotional skills with their peers, but also allow parents to connect with each other. For example, a parent educator encouraged a parent to connect during socialization experiences. Parent educators will take the initiative to create a welcoming, comfortable, and safe social space for parents to build stronger connections based on their shared interests.
What kinds of activities do families do in the Options for Learning home-based program?
The activities in the home-based program are designed as learning activities that use everyday, simple household materials and are easy for you and your child to do, even without the parent educator.
Some examples of these kinds of activities include:
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Making Play-Doh
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Making cornstarch ooze with flour and baking soda
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Balloon tennis with a paper plate, a popsicle stick, and balloons
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Making faces on a paper plate
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Water sensory with Ziploc bags, water bottles, and food coloring
As the parent educator gets to know you and your child, the activities become more tailored to your needs.
Who is the Options for Learning home-based program a good fit for?
Options for Learning’s home-based program is designed for expecting mothers and families with children starting from birth up to age 5.
Per the home-based program staff, Options for Learning is the best fit for stay-at-home parents, families with multiple young children, expecting parents, and families waiting for a center-based program.
Because learning takes place in the family’s home, parents are actively involved in every visit and are supported in their role as their child’s first teacher. The program is designed to help families build learning opportunities into everyday routines using materials they have at home.
How does the Options for Learning home-based program support expecting parents?
Another great aspect of the Options for Learning home-based program is that you can start receiving support from parent educators before your child is born. Parent educators can provide guidance, resources, and learning opportunities focused on infant development and family well-being.
Options of support may include:
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Preparing for a baby’s arrival and creating a supportive home environment
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Discussing car seat safety and other infant safety topics
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Encouraging parent-child bonding before birth through activities such as talking, reading, and singing to the baby
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Conversations about child development and what to expect during infancy
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Opportunities to connect with other expecting parents through socializations
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Building relationships with a parent educator who can continue supporting the family after the baby is born
Expectant parents are also invited to attend socializations with other families before their child arrives, so they can make connections with other expectant parents and feel comfortable with the parent educator.
Interested in learning more about the Options for Learning home-based program?
We know that finding the right care and early learning program for your child can feel overwhelming. Our team is here to help you and your family discover the option that best fits your needs.
To explore all your options, connect with one of Options for Learning’s education advisors by filling out a brief form, and we will be in touch with you within two business days. We want to support you and your family in whatever ways we can!
