Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Ten years ago, the Dekko Foundation surveyed northeast Indiana residents, wanting to learn if parents understood the importance of birth to 5 years for children’s development. The answer came through loud and clear.
Parents knew those years were important all right. What they didn’t know was how to fit everything into their busy days.
That response was the push behind the start of before5. Before5 meets parents wherever they are and helps them to learn simple everyday ways to teach their children. Before5’s team – which started with one person and has grown to three – has taken its message to over 7,900 parents in just the last three years.
“We don’t have a building or even an office,” said Diane Shoppell, before5 teachable moment mentor. “All of our work is done traveling to hospitals, social service agencies, schools and nonprofit organizations where parents already gather.”
Much of before5’s appeal is in its simplicity and approachability.
“Most parents want relevant information, and they want it to fit into their busy life,” said Martha Savage, also a teachable moment mentor. “Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all solution, we ask parents what they most want to learn about their children’s development and take it from there.”
At the foundation of before5’s work is the belief that natural learning opportunities happen every day. Simply by planting that seed, before5 helps parents to see the chance to teach their child while folding laundry, cooking supper and running errands.
“We take those simple activities and help parents see how they can teach manners, character, colors, shapes and independence while they’re sorting socks, stirring tomato sauce or driving the car,” Savage said.
While before5 has held tightly to its original purpose, leaders also have willingly made changes when strategic opportunities came their way. For example, before5 has always reached out to a broad array of brand new parents at area hospitals’ prenatal classes. But when the opportunity came to impact a narrower swath of families in crisis, before5 expanded its classes to county jails, homeless shelters and halfway houses across the region.
The effort’s parenting message also took a proactive and preventative path four years ago, as before5 interviewed teen parents and made a video aimed at helping teens prevent pregnancy. Now, Lindsay Foster, teachable moment joy maker, talks to school classes about positive decision making and the importance of delaying parenthood. Foster stresses the importance of waiting until one is prepared for the responsibility of being a parent.
One activity completed with teens who’ve already become parents is a Parenting Pledge.
“We have found parents to be hungry for information about how to help their children thrive,” Shoppell said. “All parents love their children and want to be great parents. But not everyone has had the same background and parenting themselves. That’s where we come in with support, ideas and encouragement for parents. We see our role as mentors. We focus on educating, inspiring and empowering parents to do their parenting best!”
The Dekko Foundation has provided the funding for before5, which is offered in DeKalb, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben and Whitley counties.
“We’ve been extremely pleased with the strategy and hard work of the before5 team over the years,” said Kimberly Schroeder, program officer for the Dekko Foundation. “We invest charitable dollars in before5. Its leaders offer parenting support throughout the region using existing organizations and channels. It is the relationships that make before5 such an impactful effort.”
To celebrate 10 years, before5’s leaders will honor the partner organizations that help them get their message out to parents. Also planned for Steuben County is a community read of the book “Conscious Parenting.”
To better understand before5’s work, visit before5.org.
To learn how before5 might work with parent groups in your community, contact before5diane@gmail.com
