Looking for free playgroups, family recreational activities, and parent workshops in Worcester? Worcester Family Partnership has you covered across these areas and many others.
Read on for full details about Worcester Family Partnership and the services it offers to local parents, caregivers, and guardians and the children they care for and support.
'The People Make This Program Special'
"Worcester Family Partnership is a little gem in Worcester with talented staff who look for ways to support families and make learning fun," says Kim Davenport, CEO of Edward Street. "The early years of parenting/caregiving can be isolating and overwhelming. Worcester Family Partnership creates spaces around the community where children and families find joy and support in the learning journey."
Funded by a Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) grant, Worcester Family Partnership provides free support services to local families with children from birth to school age. It is part of Massachusetts's Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) Network, which provides local "child development services and resources to families with young children."
There are over 80 CFCE programs across 350 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. These programs embed themselves within the community, and each has its own signature programming that adapts to local needs.
"Worcester Family Partnership's CFCE programs focus on early learning through playgroups, developmental screenings, early literacy and home visiting through the ParentChild+ program. And that’s the tip of the programming iceberg!" Kim points out.
'The Value They Bring to the Community Is Priceless'
"The people make Worcester Family Partnership special," Kim points out. "They go above and beyond as partners and approach new requests and needs with a positive 'let’s see what we can do' mindset."
Today, Worcester Family Partnership focuses on helping children establish a strong foundation that allows them to be happy, healthy, and safe in a welcoming community. It does so in spite of incredibly limited resources and state funding that's been flat for at least 10 years.
"The value they bring to the community is priceless," Kim says. "It is time to get more funding to increase their scope and reach. Each family they encounter and support is stronger and more confident. That translates to their children."
Discover All That Worcester Family Partnership Offers
Through Worcester Family Partnership, local parents, caregivers, guardians, and their children can access:
Daily Playgroups
Held daily Monday through Friday, Worcester Family Partnership's playgroups provide parents, caregivers, and guardians and their children with opportunities to come together and connect with other families.
These playgroups are designed for kids between the ages of 0 to 8 years old. They allow parents, caregivers, guardians, and their kids to learn and have fun. At the same time, the playgroups help parents, caregivers, and guardians get their children ready for school.
"Our playgroups are a way for families to come meet other families and get practice in a school setting for their child to help with school readiness," Worcester Family Partnership Coordinator Beth Vietze says.
Playgroups are held at 130 Leeds Street in Worcester on Monday through Thursday. Plus, there's a Friday Zoom playgroup that families and children can join remotely.
Worcester Family Partnership is also helping the Boston Children's Museum develop its school readiness curriculum. This work could lead to a new school readiness playgroup in the near future, Beth says.
Family Recreational Activities
Worcester Family Partnership hosts several family recreational activities once a month, such as:
- Yoga event
- Mass Audubon event
- Eric Carle Museum trip
Along with these, Worcester Family Partnership offers a family night event every Wednesday from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at 130 Leeds Street.
Monthly Parent Workshops
"Regardless of economic background, it's always hard to be a parent," Worcester Family Partnership Parent Resource Ambassador Maggie Kilcoyne says. "Every parent feels alone, regardless of who they are. With our parent workshops, they are better off than they were before and start to feel less alone."
Worcester Family Partnership offers workshops specifically tailored to parents. Maggie points out that social media is used to see what parents are talking about and the challenges that they face on a daily basis. This helps determine what workshop topics can be discussed to help teach parents how to address these challenges. "We try very hard to be parent-driven," Beth notes.
This month, Wendy O'Leary will release a book focused on self-compassion. Next month, Worcester Family Partnership will host a parent workshop centered around self-compassion that emphasizes key points and lessons that Wendy promotes in her book.
With this and other Worcester Family Partnership parent workshops, parents can gain the skills they need to help support their children's growth and development. They can also show their support for one another, build connections, and see that they're not alone in the parenting challenges that they face.
Family Literacy Initiatives
Held monthly, Worcester Family Partnership's Family Literacy Nights are intended for kids between the ages of 0 and 6 years old. They allow families to read together or listen to a book read aloud.
In addition to Family Literacy Nights, Worcester Family Partnership continues to look for new ways to promote early childhood literacy.
During a recent parent workshop, Worcester Family Partnership provided parents with a play-to-learn game to teach kids about the alphabet. Parents learned how to play the game with their children, so both could enjoy the game and get the best results out of it.
"It's a lot of letter recognition," Maggie says. "It's a handy set of cards that parents can keep with them so they have something to do with their kids when they're on the go."
In November 2024, Worcester Family Partnership launched a weekly swim playgroup. Families and children in this group enjoy swimming, singing songs, and teaching kids about the alphabet and how to read.
"It's a lot about socialization and a lot about having fun and a lot about promoting literacy and water safety," Maggie points out.
Worcester Family Partnership also gives away a free book to families who attend the annual Day of Play Family Festival.
ParentChild+ Program
"We try very hard to be parent-driven."
The ParentChild+ program provides Worcester families:
- Educational support
- Educational toys and books
- Home visits
As part of the program, Worcester Family Partnership sends a Home Visitor to a participant's home 30 minutes a day, two times a week. The Home Visitor teaches parents and children how to learn through play. Meanwhile, the Home Visitor works one on one with families to help them address various life challenges and build the foundation for a bright future.
Worcester Family Partnership also piloted a national family childcare model for ParentChild+.
Child Development Screenings
With Worcester Family Partnership, parents, caregivers, and guardians can complete Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) to get insights into their children's development.
The ASQ enables parents to answer a set of child development-based questions based on their child's age. From here, questionnaire results are sent to Worcester Public Schools. Next, school personnel can offer tips to help parents support their children and provide referrals, if needed.
Clothing and Toy Swaps
Last year, over 100 families participated in Worcester Family Partnership's clothing and toy swaps, Maggie says. At this time, three clothing and toy swaps are planned for this year: One in spring, another in August, and the final exchange in December.
Maggie notes the swaps have been incredibly successful. "The swaps have grown and grown each time we've hosted them," Maggie says.
Day of Play Family Festival
Worcester Family Partnership is a key partner with Edward Street in planning the Day of Play, Kim notes. It has been a presenting sponsor since its inception and helped build out Play Areas over the years.
Early in the morning before each Day of Play, Worcester Family Partnership team members arrive to set up. They staff welcome tables, volunteer tents, Active Play and Construction Play areas. Then, they play with children and families all day long.
"I couldn’t imagine hosting the festival without them! Their staff help plan the event and then it’s all hands on deck for the event,” Kim says.
Worcester Family Partnership is constantly innovating and adapting to family needs. With additional funding, Worcester Family Partnership will be able to do even more to improve its outstanding services and develop new ones that meet the needs of local parents, caregivers, guardians, and their children.
Why Take Advantage of All That Worcester Family Partnership Has to Offer
On top of the fact that Worcester Family Partnership's offerings are available for free, there are many reasons to capitalize on them:
- Joining a Worcester Family Partnership playgroup is easy. "Families can just show up," Maggie says. "If a playgroup is scheduled at 10 a.m. and you can't make it until 10:20 a.m., we want you to come anyway."
- All Worcester Family Partnership offerings are risk-free. "You can drop in once and there's no obligation to return," Beth points out. "We hope you'll return, and most people do."
- You can bring a friend. "Go with a friend if you can, because that can sometimes make it easier to participate," Beth notes.
Sign up for weekly email updates to show your support for Worcester Family Partnership and stay informed about its events and activities. Contact Beth at vietze@worcesterschools.net to join the Worcester Family Partnership weekly email list.
Edward Street proudly supports Worcester Family Partnership. Read our blog and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn to learn more about Worcester Family Partnership and other early childhood programs and initiatives in Massachusetts.