Children and Families commissioner visits Little Sprouts

New Jersey Department of Children & Families Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer recently visited the Little Sprouts Early Learning Center to read several books to the children as part of the facility’s Celebrity Reader program.

The Little Sprouts Early Learning Center is operated by Project Self-Sufficiency, a local non-profit agency which offers a wide variety of services to families in northwestern New Jersey.

“It was my pleasure to participate in Project Self Sufficiency's 'Celebrity Reader' event," said Department of Children and Families Commissioner, Christine Norbut Beyer. "The children were incredibly welcoming and so excited about story time. Reading to kids, even when they're babies, helps them to absorb and understand language, learn about new places and concepts and to develop a healthy imagination. It's also a wonderful way to spend quality time, which can be hard to plan for busy families. Project Self Sufficiency offers great programs to help residents in the community to become safe, healthy and connected."

The Little Sprouts Early Learning Center offers space for 83 youngsters, ages 6 weeks to 6 years. Free preschool is available for Newton residents ages 3–4; students must have turned 3 years old by Oct. 1. The facility features separate classrooms for each age group, from infancy through preschool. Fully qualified teachers are available in each school room and the child-teacher ratio adheres to or exceeds state standards. Each classroom has new equipment, as well as learning centers for dramatic play, computers, science, housekeeping, sand and water play, reading, and music. The center also contains an all-purpose room for active indoor play and parent presentations, as well as a sick room for those children who may fall ill during the day. The center is equipped with two separate playgrounds, one for younger tots and one for older children. All types of subsidized daycare are accepted, including New Jersey Cares for Kids and Work First New Jersey. The Little Sprouts Early Learning Center is located at 127 Mill Street in Newton. For more information visit the center’s website, www.littlesproutsearlylearningcenter.org or call 973-940-3540.