Family Place Libraries™
Thanks to a 2024 Family Place Library Grant from the Institue of Museum and Library Serivces (IMLS) and the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC), the Cooke County Library is now a Family Place Library™.
Cooke County Library is a proud member of Family Place Libraries™, a national network of libraries that aims to connect parents with the resources they need to nurture their children’s development and learning during the ages of 0 – 3 years. We aim to create a welcoming environment with resources to strengthen children’s skills through purposeful play.
Family Place Library™
As part of the Family Place Libraries™, we offer:
- An open play space in the children’s area for families with young children to play, read, and imagine together.
- Parent-Child Playtimes: Five-week programs for toddlers, parents, and caregivers to participate in play-based activities while getting to meet local specialists one-on-one to talk about various aspects of child development and early learning. See details below.
- Developmentally appropriate programming for younger children and their parents.
- A special collection of parenting books located in the children’s area that focus on ages 0 – 3 and are easily accessible to parents.
- Staff to help you locate books and other resources for you and your child.
“Play, Learn, Grow” Parent-Child Playtimes
Parents and children ages 12 months – 3 years old get the opportunity to register for this free, five-week course. A 75-minute session each week offers opportunities for children to play with developmentally appropriate toys in a play group atmosphere while parents interact with their child, meet other parents, and talk one-on-one with local professionals. Each week will feature a different local professional that specializes in some aspect of development: early literacy, early childhood development, speech and language, nutrition, and music and movement. Each session also aims to emphasize the role of parents as the first teachers of their children and teach strategies for healthy development.
Registration
Registration begins October 1 for Fall 2024 workshops. Registration is required to attend the series.
Fall 2024 Schedule:
October 24: Early Literacy Cooke County Library
October 31: Music & Movement Cooke County Library
November 7: Child Development PerdueWorks Therapy Group
November 14: Child Nutrition Chartwells K12, Gainesville ISDs Child Nutrition Provider
November 21: Speech & Language PerdueWorks Therapy Group
Are you a professional interested in our Parent/Child Playtimes?
We are always looking for new professional partners willing to give their time to assist parents and caregivers during our Parent/Child Workshops by answering questions and having informal, one-on-one conversations with parents about the development of their child. If you work for a practice, non-profit or other family-serving agency that specializes in the following for children ages 1 – 3 years, we would love to talk to you about a potential partnership:
- Child Development
- Speech Pathology
- Nutrition
- Professional Counseling
- Music or Play Therapy
- Music and Movement for babies and toddlers
Please call the Cooke County Library at 940-668-5530 to be connected to a coordinator.
Parents Online Resources:
Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
American Psychological Association
The ARC(For people with intellectual and developmental disabilities)
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Center for Effective Parenting University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Children’s Home Society of California
Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Every Child Ready to Read @ Your Library
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Instituteof Child Health and Human Development
Global Family Research Project
Harvard Center for the Developing Child
Kids Health Nemours Foundation
March of Dimes-National Office
National Alliance for Hispanic Health
National Association for the Education of Young Children
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice
Office of Minority Health – Resource Center
Parenting Counts* Partners for Early Learning
USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
This project is made possible by a Family Place Libraries grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (Grant #FPG-24003) to Texas State Library and Archives Commission under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act. (2024).
