Outreach Hosts Early Childhood Community Meeting

On March 4th, Outreach – Center for Community Resources, members of the Scranton School District board and staff, Maternal & Family Health Services (MFHS), the United Way, Children’s Issues in a Changing World, and other key regional stakeholders came together for a valuable discussion on building school readiness, promoting parental involvement, and improving the coordination of services for children throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. 

The event was held at the Allied Services Luger Scranton Rehab Center on Morgan Highway. The more than 50 attendees explored topics such as early identification, engaging parents, transitions between birth to 3 and 3 to 5, and transitions between 3 to 5 and kindergarten. 

Outreach President/CEO Lori Chaffers (L), Scranton School District Assistant Superintendent Al O’Donnell, and John F. Kennedy Elementary School Principal Nora Phillips (R) opened the meeting by discussing the critical needs of our community’s youngest members. 

Following the opening remarks, attendees were divided into four discussion groups, each tackling a different topic of interest. Staff members of the Scranton School District and Outreach facilitated the groups, helping guide the conversation. By the end of the discussions, the group determined the next steps, including discussing the possibility of creating a nonprofit index for Lackawanna County and increasing opportunities for parental engagement. 

This was the first in a series of discussions regarding early childhood in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Outreach and the Scranton School District have not announced a date for the next meeting.