DN Education Kindergarten How kindergarten readiness in Norwalk increased by 6 percent

How kindergarten readiness in Norwalk increased by 6 percent

NORWALK — An initiative that helps parents track their young children’s milestones is being credited for getting more kids ready for kindergarten.

The program collaborates with the Family & Children’s Agency in the city, which has organized home visits to assess early childhood development.

FCA and 211 Child Development use the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, which asks parents questions related to their child’s development to determine if they are experiencing developmental delays.

Jennifer Barahona, the CEO at Norwalk ACTS, a group that works with FCA and other groups in the city, said the questionnaire was helpful for parents.

“Endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, it’s a developmental screening tool to be used with children born to five, starting at one month of age and going all the way up until 60 months,” she said. “It’s a way for both parents as well as physicians and health care workers to measure how children are doing developmentally.”