From the Director

Happily, we are putting the finishing touches on our new indoor play room -- over a thousand feet of space. The playroom has been specially designed for children with disabilities and developmental delays, as well as normally developing children. Painted across the walls are colorful, whimsical caricatures of favorite Johnstown places from our cityscape, including the Central Park Gazebo, City Hall and, of course, the Inclined Plane. The mountains and trees we know and love are there, too. This is a special place for little children to call their own.

It is such a blessing to have this new space so that we are able to do even more to help young children and families. We also are excited that the Beginnings, Inc. sign is so prominently displayed on the front of our new building. At last, our offices are visible to the public!

We sometimes wonder if people know the scope of activities that Beginnings, Inc. provides in Cambria County. For example, did you know that with the exception of our Parent and Child Together and Right from the Start programs, which were created by Beginnings, all of our other programs are nationally based, highly acclaimed and solidly research-based? We are so fortunate to have these resources available right here in our community for those who need us most.

The largest program we offer is Early Intervention that provides services for infants and toddlers with disabilities or other special developmental needs. Services include vision, speech, hearing and language therapies, physical and occupational therapies, nutrition counseling, family training and parenting assistance. Children who have an open case with Children and Youth Services and who are at risk of developing a delay are served through our Right from the Start program.

Parents as Teachers (P.A.T.) is an early childhood, parent education and family support home visitation program aimed at enhancing child development to promote early literacy and school achievement. Parent Child Home Program (P.C.H.P.) is an early literacy program open to two and three year olds. P.C.H.P. is designed to help prepare children for future school success and instill an early interest in reading.

Parent and Child Together (P.A.C.T.) is a program developed in 1990 to give toddlers in any of our early childhood Beginnings programs the opportunity to freely move and explore in a safe, challenging and nurturing environment. In playgroup, toddlers learn to make choices, make new friends and learn to take turns. They create with paint, play dough, glue, blocks, music and other fun stuff. Parents have the chance to meet others who have children with similar needs.

The purpose of our Cambria County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program is to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children. We recruit and train community volunteers to be the eyes and ears of Judge Krumenacker in the child's home and the voice for the child in his courtroom. The ultimate goal is to find safe, permanent, nurturing homes for these children.

In each Beginnings program, our mission -- the goal we set for ourselves each and every day -- is to enhance the development of children and empower families. Thank you for being there to support and encourage us in this important work.