Reaching Expectant and New Parents Through Community Partnerships

How can we reach expectant and new parents from underserved populations with the message that literacy begins before birth, letting them know the important role they play in their babies' development while showing them playful ways to talk, sing, and share books with their babies from the very start? "Mother Goose on the Loose: Hatchlings" has completed three successful pilot years with English and Spanish speakers in Maryland, highlighting community partnerships to reach families who can greatly benefit from the messages of Hatchlings.

In this interactive session, hear a program participant describe the value of Hatchlings for her family. You’ll learn adaptations to traditional songs and rhymes to increase relevance for unborn and newborn babies, hear how the program has been adapted for Spanish speakers, and discover how new roles created by community partners can bring in hesitant participants. The presenters will discuss strategies used to reach families unfamiliar with library services as well as the high impact of the Hatchlings program on parental early literacy behaviors. Hear about the overwhelmingly positive evaluations of this early literacy program, a Maryland State Department of Education/Maryland State Library Agency/Mother Goose on the Loose project.

After attending this event, participants will be able to:

• Name at least one way to expand access to diverse populations of expectant parents and parents of newborns.
• List at least two ways in which libraries can collaborate with community partners (and other librarians) to expand their range of service and ability to reach underserved communities.
• Demonstrate at least two Hatchlings activities that librarians can use to convey the importance of early literacy practices and strengthen parent/child bonding.
• Identify at least one key advocacy point to help convince library administration, a children’s librarian, a community partner, or a funding source that initiating Hatchlings’ programming would increase outreach to underserved populations and enrich their communities.

Carrie Sanders has served as the Youth Services Coordinator for the Maryland State Library Agency since 2016, where she provides consultation, resources, and training to Maryland libraries’ youth services staff in the areas of early literacy, STEM programming, teen services, family engagement, and other initiatives surrounding youth services. Previous experience includes a decade of service as a school librarian and fifteen years of public library work as a children’s librarian. She is passionate about helping library staff develop the skills, strategies, and awareness critical in creating equitable, inclusive programs and services for all ages, abilities, and populations of youth.

Dr. Betsy Diamant-Cohen is a nationally-recognized author and speaker regarding early childhood literacy. She developed the popular “Mother Goose on the Loose” program by combining early literacy practices with an additional focus on the development of the “whole child” using Canadian music educator Barbara Cass-Beggs’ “Listen, Like, Learn” approach for teaching music to parents and babies. “Mother Goose on the Loose” has garnered a number of awards and honors, and Betsy has presented at library and early childhood conferences across the country. She is a children’s librarian with a doctorate, and enjoys translating research into action via library programming.

Amanda Berry is a Children's Library Specialist with Frederick County Public Libraries.  She is a Baby Storytime presenter and enjoys connecting infant parents and caregivers to services in their community. For the last two years, Amanda has worked with local partners to present both Hatchlings: Ready to Hatch and Hatchings: In the Nest.

James Caparas has been a Youth Services Librarian with Prince George's County Memorial Library System (MD) since 2003. He began his library career as a work study assistant at Gonzaga College H.S. and a volunteer in Inez, KY. He has an M.S.L.S from the Catholic University of America and lives with his family in Washington, D.C. When not doing Storytimes, he is a participant in Capitol Choices and maintains PGCMLS' Diverse Reads page, always on the lookout for unusual biographies and other books that bring together people of all ages with diverse experiences.