News

The Family Literacy Program here at Child Health Services has officially been running for over a year!  The program offers ESL, GED, and Citizenship classes for parents as well as childrens literacy activities, crafts, and homework help for kids. The program runs every Tuesday night from 4-6pm. If you pass by the community room during that time, you will be sure to hear conversing and laughter as volunteers act out the sounds of a cow while they are teaching animal vocabulary, participants read a story together in English, or children finish up a game of Candy Land. A dedicated group of individuals volunteer their time every Tuesday to make sure families are getting the services they need and want. The volunteers include students from UNH Manchester, Saint Anselm College, SNHU, and various local high schools as well as AmeriCorps VISTAs, and educators.

Looking to the future

The Family Literacy Program has recently partnered with Elmwood Gardens Neighborhood Center, located at 83 Trahan Street in Manchester, to provide another day of ESL classes. This will allow CHS patients who live at or near Elmwood Gardens access to ESL classes close to home. The ESL classes will begin on Monday, March 5th and will run from 9:30-11:30am.

The Family Literacy Program will also be expanding to include a separate day just for parenting classes and education here at Child Health Services! This will focus on bringing parents and children together to do literacy activities while also offering parenting tips on how to read to one֒s child and how to interact with the American school system. These classes will be offered on Fridays beginning in March.