What is transition planning?
For families, moving through developmental milestones with their children can be a time of exhilaration and growth, but also of trepidation. As toddlers learn to walk, parents and caregivers feel joy watching those first steps. Just as quickly, though, they begin to see obstacles that can cause their toddlers to stumble and fall. Adults begin to clear pathways in their homes to help their toddlers make a successful transition from crawling to walking independently.
Another equally exciting, yet stressful time for families is when their children begin the process of moving from being cared for by family members to leaving their home and going to an early education setting, and eventually to school. Transition planning allows for communication between the caregivers in these different settings, and for this change to occur in a more matter-of-fact, seamless way that lays the foundation for better behavioral and academic outcomes.
Another equally exciting, yet stressful time for families is when their children begin the process of moving from being cared for by family members to leaving their home and going to an early education setting, and eventually to school. Transition planning allows for communication between the caregivers in these different settings, and for this change to occur in a more matter-of-fact, seamless way that lays the foundation for better behavioral and academic outcomes.
The Liberty Judy Center Transition Planning Approach
We believe that transition is a continuous process in early childhood because of the varied developmental milestones that take place in young children's lives. For this reason, at the Liberty Judy Center, the transition process starts with prenatal classes for expecting parents, moves to our young toddler playgroups, and is purposefully embedded in all of our programming. We discuss developmental milestones with our families and what the trajectories look like. We also provide opportunities for families to participate in projects, activities, and events that enhance parenting skills, boost parent/child relationships, and help families understand what pre-k and kindergarten readiness and continued success in school really means. We especially strive to support families of children with disabilities and/or special healthcare needs and work closely with the Baltimore Infants and Toddlers Program (BITP) to identify and refer children between the two agencies.
