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 Welcome to First Connections! For the past 12 years we have provided resources, education and support to families with children birth through three in our catchment area and beyond. Our services will help guide you through the early years of parenting; it's joys and challenges. Our goal is to assist you in reaching your full potential as a parent during a time of phenomenal growth in your child's life. Visit the Services Quick Links section below for a look at some of the services that our staff and volunteers have to offer.
Funders
In 1994 the Department of Education awarded CASE Collaborative and Concord Family and Youth Services, a division of Justice Resource Institute, $154, 256 to build a network of family support services in the 11 towns we serve. In program year 2006 our DOE budget is $134,006. Now entering our 12th year of service, First Connections receives additional program funding from private donations; Community Chests: Concord-Carlisle , Maynard, Stow , and United Way : Acton- Boxborough , Mass. Bay, US Department of HHS , and Commonwealth of Massachusetts : DYS , DSS and DM
Staff
Ellen Weisstein MS in Family Studies
Director
Ellen is responsible for fiscal and clinical management of the program and grant, supervision of staff and consultants, responsible for board growth and development, group facilitator, out reach to community groups and agencies.
Monday - Thursday 8 to 4 pm
eweisstein@jri.org
Linda Matthews
Office Manager
Linda is responsible for outreach to the community through the coordination of the First Connections newsletter, flyers and pamphlets. She compiles program data for ongoing documentation, coordinates seminar scheduling and provides information and resources
Monday - Friday 7:30 to 3:30 pm
lmatthews@ jri.org
Jane Turner Michael
Family Support Specialist
Jane is the liaison for the parent associations, facilitates the multiples playgroup and the 21-30 month playgroup.
Mon, Wed, Thurs and Fri. 9-3 pm
jtmichael@ jri.org
Betsy Wisch M.A
Parent Educator
Betsy is supervisor of the Parents as Group Facilitator program, and facilitator of First Time Moms Groups.
Tuesday 9-2pm and Thursday 8:30-11
bwisch@ jri.org
Sue Green M.Ed.
Coordinator for Healthy Families and Young Parents Program
Sue is responsible for the Young Parent Program and facilitates the Forty Something's support group.
Monday and Thursday 9 to 4 pm
sgreen@ jri.org
Faith Jarger
Playgroup coordinator
Tuesday 9-1 pm
fjarger@ jri.org
Mary Rowlinson R.N.
Adoption Information and Education Specialist
Wednesdays 9-3 pm
mrowlinson@ jri.org
 Playgroups
First Connections offers 5 facilitated playgroups which run for 12 weeks each trimester. You and your child are welcome to sign up for the group that reflects the age he/she will be at the start of the group.
The five groups are broken down into the following age ranges:
- 7-13 month olds
- 14-20 month olds
- 21-30 month olds
- 31-40 month olds
- Multiples under 3
Playgroups run for one and a half hours and are held in our play space, hosted by a staff member. The 21-30 month aged playgroup includes a weekly circle time; both the 21-30 and 14-20 include a theme and a small activity, such as; musical instruments, tents and stuffed animals and contact paper designs.
There is no fee for the playgroups and regular attendance is required. Registration dates will be listed in the current newsletter. Our play groups tend to fill up fast so early registration is suggested.
General Playgroup Guidelines
Diaper Changing
Please change your child on the changing table in the bathrooms. As a program we practice the use of universal precautions in diaper changing and toy washing. Climbing
Please discourage your toddler from climbing on any tables in playgroup rooms. While climbing is an appropriate gross motor goal for toddlers, it is important to establish safe parameters for the development of the skill. By providing clear, safe expectations in our classroom setting, and reinforcing them in other settings, you help your child enhance their discriminatory skills and their ability to recognize safe and unsafe situations. If you or your child need assistance with this issue, please ask the staff person in your group to help strategize some solutions.
Hitting, biting, throwing, etc.
Almost all toddlers go through a period of defending and/or taking toys away from another child. Many children, while learning appropriate approach skills, will hit – or even bite – especially while in the mouthing phase. If your child exhibits one of these behaviors, we have found the following guideline to be helpful to the group as a whole.
If your child is exhibiting aggressive behavior toward another child, please remove him/her from the situation temporarily. Do not scold him. Use simple language to explain what happened. Some children need actual physical space apart from others in play to regain their emotional equilibrium. Try to redirect him in play.
Our main message is that your child has done nothing wrong – these behaviors are part of the social interactive learning process. In reinforcing appropriate responses, you are helping your child learn the give and take in everyday interactions. If your child is having a really tough time with this stage , there may be a variety of issues at play. Our staff is here as a resource. Please approach us if you could use a little help! We have over 10 years of experience facilitating playgroups, so we have many resources if a particular behavior has become a repetitive problem.
Infants in Toddler Groups
Only infants who are 6 months and under and secured in a front carrier are allowed in toddler playgroups for safety reasons. Toddler development is characterized by intense curiosity and high energy levels, and most toddlers are attracted to babies. This natural combination presents the very real possibility of a toddler inadvertently injuring a baby during play. An accident can happen in a split second to an unattended baby, which is why we insist they be secured next to you at all times.
Illness Policy
If your child's nasal secretions are clear and he/she is not running a fever, you are welcome to bring them to group. If the secretions are green or a thick yellow, attendance in group is not appropriate. A child may attend group after 24 hours on an antibiotic for infectious bacterial conditions, if they are feeling well enough.
Please teach your child to sneeze into his arm instead of into his hands, so that germ-laden hands will not be picking up toys. We have antibacterial hand cleaner in all playgroup rooms for you or your child. Please be sure any open cuts are bandaged during playgroup. There are first aid kits in playgroup rooms for playground injuries. Cold and flu season is upon us, so reasonable precautions seem wise.
Clean Up Policies
Toys that have been in a child's mouth or held with saliva-laden hands should be put in the collection area for disinfecting after group is over.
Parking
First Connections participants are asked to park in the lot designated "John Cummings Building Parking" adjacent to Route 2. You will receive a ticket when you enter the lot. First Connections can validate your ticket for 50 or 100%. The money to pay for the validation comes out of our yearly budget for programming.
Home visiting
First Connections has a partnership with the Town of Concord to provide home visiting services to families in Concord / Carlisle and limited surrounding towns. For more information please call First Connections.
Parent Leadership Options
Parent Association
As a regional Massachusetts Family Network site serving 11 communities First Connections has actively supported the formation and continuation of 10 local family associations whom we work with collaboratively to provide community based parenting services. We meet monthly with representatives from each town association to provide technical assistance, share resources, discuss strategies to build and maintain a volunteer organization, and we provide professional development opportunities for board attendees. Each association receives $250 annually from First Connections to support local association program planning.
All new First Connections participants are given information on their local Parent Association at the time of their initial contact. Local associations events are covered in our newsletter as well as association contact names and websites where applicable. Local associations share information about First Connections with their membership through their publications, they request specific local programming wishes and refer families who may have a specific need which First Connections can address. The collaboration between First Connections and our allied Parent Associations is a voluntary union. Parent association representative liaisons serve on the parent association board for one year.
Advisory Council
The First Connections Advisory Council is comprised of parents and representatives from community organizations, Emerson Hospital, school systems, social service agencies, businesses and local mental health professionals. The board meets 4 times each year at the First Connections office in Concord . The board provides guidance on program planning, budget issues, community collaborations and development of short and long-term program goals. Individuals or representations of local organizations interested in exploring board membership and responsibilities contact Ellen Weisstein at 978-287- 0221.
Special Projects
Individuals who are interested in volunteering at First Connections will meet with the Director and staff to determine the best fit of interest and need. Often times a new project will be born thorough this collaboration, or a parent will find a niche in an established program with us. For more information please contact eweisstein@ jri.org
Publications
Newsletter
Three times a year, First Connections publishes the newsletter that includes articles, the upcoming calendar including seminar, playgroup and program information, parent association updates and community news. Sign up to be on our mailing list or you can access the newsletter online(?)
Resource Guide
First Connections 2005 5 th edition resource guide is available at our office. The resource guide is updated bi-annually and includes community services for families with children birth through 5. Invaluable source of information for any parent and especially ones who are new to the area. The guides are also distributed to local libraries, doctors' offices and other locations.
Healthy Families
Healthy Families offers free and confidential home visiting support to first time parents under the age of 21. You can be pregnant or parenting a baby under one year old when you join Healthy Families. A home visitor can assist you with applying for benefits, housing and prenatal and parenting information and personal goals. Home visitors work with you until your child's third birthday. We welcome first time moms and dads to participate in Healthy Families.
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