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About 1st Steps

About First Steps
First Steps is an Illinois State Board of Education grant-funded program serving families with children ages 0–3. It has been awarded to Hillsboro District #3 since 1993. Our highly qualified education staff provide interactive parent-child activities, age-appropriate child development information, parent and child library resources, connections to community support agencies, and one-on-one parent consultation, both in the home and at our center-based resource room.

Our Mission
The mission of the First Steps Program is to support parents as their child’s most important teacher by providing: realistic developmental expectations, opportunities to interact with other parents, knowledge of available community resources, and reassurance as their child progresses through the natural cognitive, social, and emotional stages of childhood.

Services Offered
Parents may participate in a variety of service levels. The appropriate level of service is determined by parent need and/or interest after a consultation with a Parent Resource Teacher. Some parents may participate in all of the following activities, while others may choose only one or more that fit their family’s needs:

  • Center-Based Parent and Child Interactive Playgroups

  • Parenting Library Materials

  • Toy and Book Lending for Children

  • Newsletters and Monthly Child Development Information

  • Parent Workshops and Discussion Groups

  • Home Visits (Weekly or Bi-Weekly)

  • Teen Parenting Classes