The Road to Success

BY BRIANNA STEPHENS

Christian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) programs are taking on the open road in McCreary County. The launch of a mobile classroom, in partnership with Save the Children, brings CAP’s services directly to homes in the area. The initiative ensures children from birth to 3 years old receive critical developmental care through CAP’s Infant/Toddler services and acts as a gateway to additional programming to help meet the basic needs of families in the area.

“It has been documented through several studies that poverty is one of the leading risk factors for infants and toddlers,” said Lisa Meldrum, a CAP Infant/Toddler caseworker. “Typically, it doesn’t allow access to a lot of tools that children need to develop and explore the world. We can really make a difference by bringing those things directly to the home. So many things happen to a child’s brain and development in those years, birth through 3, that you can really affect a child’s life and a family’s life.”

Through CAP’s Infant/Toddler services at Eagle Community Center in Parkers Lake, Meldrum offers screenings and personalized sessions to help children reach developmental milestones. She models for parents how to use tools such as toys, manipulatives, and activities to help their children’s progress.

Because Meldrum firmly believes healthy children start with healthy families, in addition to her Infant/Toddler services, she offers maternal health screenings and resources through other CAP programs for families.

“In order to make sure a child is developing on time and getting everything they need, we need to take away any stressors their family may be facing,” Meldrum said. “We can set them up with CAP’s food pantry, home repair, counseling, and other essential items like diapers and wipes. We also provide resources for grandparents raising grandchildren. All of these resources can be provided directly from the mobile classroom.”

In addition to the lack of resources available in Appalachian communities, the mobile classroom helps tackle another stressor families face: transportation. Marissa faced the challenge of getting to Eagle Community Center for her 13-month-old son Sawyer’s sessions because her husband needed the family car to travel for work. With the mobile classroom, both Marissa and Sawyer now receive their sessions in the convenience of their driveway.

“I’m excited about him learning because it is so important,” Marissa said. “This is a very poor community, and from what I’ve seen, there are not a lot of resources available for young children. The mobile classroom is a huge one. I want Sawyer to be as far ahead as he can be and the best person he can be, whether he’s the president or a laborer, like his dad.”

Sarah is excited to see a resource like the mobile classroom on the road to serve families and children like her 8-month-old daughter, Winnie. Before the mobile classroom was active, Sarah and Winnie traveled to the Eagle Community Center campus every other week for their sessions with Meldrum.

“I think it will be very beneficial for the families that are interested in it, and I hope more become interested in it as they see that it’s a big help,” Sarah said. “I think it’s good they are coming to your home and letting your kids play and interact while also helping you out as the parent. If I need something, I am pointed in the right direction for that service. Lisa is very knowledgeable in what she’s doing, and I think she’s a good fit to do oneon-ones with children and families.” n