Selma – Thanks to funding from the Cara Lee Powell Priest Endowment for Johnston County, a component fund of the North Carolina Community Foundation, families with children birth to five years old in Johnston County will have increased access to Kindergarten readiness materials.

The grant funding will be used to purchase furnishings and developmentally appropriate activities for the Discovery Playroom located at our main office in Selma. The Discovery Playroom will include activities utilizing learning materials with a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) focus. The Playroom is available for all children birth through 5 years old in Johnston County and is free to the public.

Only 30% of Johnston County children birth to 5 years old are enrolled in licensed child care. The remaining children are either cared for by a stay-at-home parent, friend, neighbor or family member. The Discovery Playroom is a place where these children can come to increase social skills through interactions with other children in an atmosphere that encourages academic, social, and emotional development; and their caregivers have access to early childhood professionals who can answer questions and provide resources on child development and behavioral concerns.  

In addition to open play opportunities, the Discovery Playroom is used to support a number of other programs of the Partnership, including parent trainings and the Gearing Up for Kindergarten program in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Selma.

The Discovery Playroom is located at the Selma location of the Partnership for Children of Johnston County at 1406-A S. Pollock Street. Take a break from the hot summer heat and visit us during our August open play hours: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 am to 12:00pm and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. The Playroom is also available on Fridays for play-based therapy. For information on Discovery Playroom programs please call (919) 202-0002 or visit our website at www.partnershipforchildrenjoco.org .

 

Featured: Beth Moore, Family Support Services Manager receives grant from John Hobart, North Carolina Community Foundation Representative.