Support families in our community today.
AVANCE to College
In the Fall of 2023, a new model for the Parent-Child Education Program (PCEP) was piloted to strengthen our two-generation approach and directly impact the economic mobility of our families. This newly developed model started as a collaboration between us, Workforce Solutions Capital Area, and Austin Community College (ACC). It combines PCEP with exposure to the possibilities and opportunities offered by postsecondary education and workforce development. The initiative aims to provide parents with the skills and knowledge necessary to improve their economic prospects while simultaneously supporting their children's educational growth, creating a comprehensive strategy for family advancement. We now include more partners to provide quality early childcare for families we serve, including home-based sites that have been trained through AVANCE National's Quality Child Care Matters (QCCM) program.
Through this partnership, ACC will list PCEP as a non-credit bearing course.
AVANCE to College recipients will also receive these services from the signature PCEP model.
Parent Sessions
Parenting Education Class
While exploring child growth and development, parents learn they are their child's first and most important teacher, and home is the first classroom. Sometimes, parents feel unqualified to fill this role. AVANCE breaks that myth! Parents are given tools and techniques to understand their child's Social, Emotional, Cognitive and Physical growth. We show how everyday situations demand strong reading, writing, science, and math skills. With this knowledge, parents often become leaders in their school and community.
Toy Making Class
The purpose of the toy making class is to teach participants how to create educational toys from inexpensive, readily available materials such as balls, baby dolls, or books from file folders. The toys are used to promote bonding, encourage educational play, and serve as the basis for monthly home visits. Through group activities, this class serves to create a peer support group. While parents are cutting or sewing, they are talking, comparing notes on their child’s development and offering a reassuring voice for each other.
Community Resources
The AVANCE to College Program will include a College Readiness and Resource Hour. During this time, parents are connected to opportunities for postsecondary education and workforce development. Caregivers enrolled in this program will be able to tour classrooms and other programs offered at Austin Community College and will also hear from other trusted workforce partners, such as Workforce Solutions Capital Area.
Home Visits
Monthly Home Visits
AVANCE-Austin conducts monthly home visits with each family. The visits offer parents one-on-one skill-based training based on their needs. During the home visit, parents have an opportunity to demonstrate their learned parenting skills through play and appropriate environmental stimulation. This observation gives staff members better insight into the family's individual needs. Case management offers families information and referrals based on their individualized needs.