Early Start New State Program Helps Parents And Children Grow Together

James Helm, a chubby 8-month-old bundle of energy, toddles around the coffee table.

A Mickey Mouse pacifier hides his mouth, but not his dimples. He clenches a rattle in one fist and with his free hand reaches for a bowl of M&M’s in the center of the table.

His mom, Mary Matthews, sits nearby on the couch. In one smooth move she pushes the candy bowl out of the way and sweeps the bundle of boy onto her lap.

Baby James squirms and giggles. His mom smiles.

“I was so worried when I was pregnant,” said Matthews, 21. “I had no idea about taking care of babies. “I was scared. I didn’t know when to feed him, or how much,” she said.

With the help of Early Head Start, and a team of friends and supporters, Matthews is becoming a great mom.

Head Start is a decades-old program, designed to prepare toddlers for success in school, and life.

But Early Head Start is something new. One of just four programs in the state, it helps parents and children, even before they’re born.

“Our documentation includes ultrasounds to show children we’ve enrolled,” said project manager Dan Bly, only partly joking during a recent open house.

“The earlier we get to them, the better,” he said.

The Early Head Start center is celebrating its first year at 2427 W. Boone St. The program is run in Spokane by the community colleges’ Institute for Extended Learning.

Early Head Start works with about 75 low-income children, offering home visits and custom-designed programs for parents and babies.

The center has a classroom, kitchen, and lab where parents can practice parenting skills with their children. There are classes in cooking, nutrition, and basic baby care.

Instead of parents dealing with a half-dozen social service agencies individually, Early Head Start helps coordinate agencies into one package.

Parents come to the center with their children; family service workers visit participants in their homes.

Pending welfare reforms probably won’t impact eligibility for the program. But increased expectations on adults to work or go to school might make it more difficult for parents to participate.

Early Head Start isn’t a day care program and parent involvement is required.

Kent Hoffman, a Spokane psychotherapist, said research shows the first year of life is a critical time.

“By the first year we have already made a lot of decisions about life and the world,” he said.

“We start to understand the nature of relationships; how far it is safe to explore,” he said.

“In the first year, the foundation is laid for future relationships, including our adult relationships,” he said.

Mary Quinn-Hirst, an occupational therapist, agreed the earlier children and parents are contacted, the better.

“Early Head Start offers a wonderful opportunity to direct the care for children,” she said. “By giving parents support right at the beginning, it helps them be in charge.”

Matthews, a single mom on public assistance, lost both her parents when she was a child. She wasn’t sure she’d know how to raise a baby.

“My biggest fear was that I would make mistakes,” said Matthews. “I thought I wouldn’t know what to do, and he would grow up wrong, he would be in trouble,” she said.

An annual $600,000 federal grant helps fund the program.

Early Head Start is a free program. Participants have to meet federal poverty guidelines. For a family of three, that means an annual income of less than $12,980.

The goal is to help young families now, hopefully avoiding more complex and expensive youth and family problems later.

Out of 85 children participating in the program this year, 54 were from single-parent homes; 30 have two parents, and one lives with a foster parent.

Almost 60 percent of the parents never graduated from high school. About 75 percent are unemployed. The 25 percent who do work, earn wages that keep them under the poverty level.

The majority of children at Early Head Start, 85 percent, are younger than one year.

While James plays happily with other toddlers at the program, Matthews meets with a parents’ group.

“We talk about problems, like our kids not sleeping enough or crying too much, those things,” she said.

“We learn songs to sing with the kids, we learned baby massage to help them relax.”

A big part of the group is just learning that other parents have the same feelings, fears and frustrations.

Matthews and James have developed close relationships with most of the Early Head Start team, but especially with Kirby Olsen, a family services coordinator.

“For Mary and James to have a successful relationship, they need social services, they need to talk about budgeting, they need information,” said Kirby.

“It’s good for James to have other people to interact with, not just me,” said Matthews. “They are part of his family.”

If Matthews needs encouragement, she knows where to find it.

“I can always go and get a hug from Kirby if I need it,” she said.

Olsen visits Matthews often, but also encourages her to have friends, not just professionals in her life.

Early Head Start gave Matthews the support she needed to leave St. Margaret’s shelter where she was living with James.

She met her best friend Shasta Mathison at the emergency shelter for homeless women and children. Mathison was there with her 3-year-old son, Tyler.

They pooled their welfare checks and were able to find a house to share in the West Central neighborhood, near the Early Head Start center.

Things are looking up for both women.

Mathison recently found a job at a fast food place.

A nook in the older home is filled with toys, a giant stuffed elephant, a pint-size play tent, and all sorts of rattles, balls, cars and trucks.

From Olsen, Matthews learns the importance of planning, budgeting and choosing healthy foods.

But Mathison adds a dose of 20-something balance and reality: “Taco Bell now and then is important, too.”

Matthews plans to stick with Early Head Start.

“They are like my security blanket,” she said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Photos (1 color)

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE Applications for Early Head Start are available at social service agencies, or at the center, 2427 W. Boone St. Newborns up to 3 years old are eligible. Women are encouraged to enroll during pregnancy. Family income levels must fall within the federal poverty guidelines, which is $1,081 a month for a family of three. More information is available by calling Early Head Start at 533-8510.