All programs through ECHN’s Family Development Center are voluntary and free of charge. Our dedicated staff will assist you in finding the appropriate program that best meets your needs.
Family Development Center Flyer [PDF]
Family Development Center Client Referral Form [PDF]
Early Head Start
Early Head Start is a home visiting program designed to support children birth to 3 years old, pregnant women and their families residing in Manchester and Vernon. This program offers play group opportunities, field trips, child development, developmental screening, parent education, health, dental, disabilities and behavioral health services.
Nurturing Families Network
Nurturing Families Network is a home visitation program designed to support first time parents and children birth to 6 years old. This program offers supportive telephone calls by trained volunteers for first-time parents, home visiting, parenting education, parent-child group experiences, infant care and child development, developmental screening, referral and community resources, parenting workshops, social/emotional support and group classes for parents.
Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program
Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) is a program designed to support children from birth to 6 years old, pregnant women, and their partners. This program provides home visiting, parenting education, parent-child group experiences, and a fatherhood initiative program for dads/male partners.
Family Resource Centers (FRC)
The Manchester FRC is located at Washington School, and the Vernon FRC is located at Maple Street School. Both Family Resource Centers provides education and support services including home visiting, parent-child play groups, positive youth development, parenting education, developmental screening, support for family child care providers, resources and referrals, as well as links to adult education, preschool and after-school care.
Successful Teens Excelling as Parents and Partners (STEPP)
This program offers supportive services to teen parents and their partners in the Manchester school system to ensure they graduate from high school while developing successful parenting skills.
Parenting Support Services
Parenting support services provides home visiting and/or group services while utilizing either the Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) or The Circle of Security parenting curriculum to strengthen parent/child relationships and decrease problem behaviors for all caregivers who have children 0-18 years old. Services are available for families with bonding issues, caregivers dealing with difficult behaviors, new parents, co-parents with conflicting parenting styles, families in reunification, foster, adoptive, and kinship caregivers.
At the ECHN Family Development Center, our backgrounds include education, child development, social work, counseling, public health and human services. The entire staff is trained and certified in the nationally recognized Parents as Teachers program.