Single parents and their children now have a place to meet and interact with each other to discuss similar family-related issues.
The Women’s Center is sponsoring a weekly play group called Kid Connect in response to community interest in fostering an environment where children can play. The program also provides parents with a chance to establish relationships with people of a similar lifestyle.
“One of Kid Connect’s goals is for parents to network and interact with someone or others in their same situation,” said Amber Vlasnik, manager of the Women’s Center.
The program is new to the University and has started slowly because of the delay of getting the word out to the community.
Vlasnik said the Women’s Center has publicized in The Advocate, Edward-Gay apartments, via broadcast e-mail and in other information outlets.
The play group idea was an interest in the community, but the University Child Care Center solicited the grant for the program, Vlasnik said.
The family resource room in the Women’s Center available to parents and children is filled with children’s books, toys, dolls, paintings and a computer at eye level to children. The walls are painted purple and display children’s art, and animal puppets sit around the room for children to play with.
Brian Jones and his three-year-old Zeph Bowler attended the program and enjoyed playing and spending time together.
“We do a lot of stuff together, like attend museums and basketball games,” Jones said. “But, Zeph does get to interact with children his own age, which is why we came to this program.”
Jones decided to come after receiving a flyer on his door like many of the program’s participants.
Farid Abed, a doctoral student, said he was expecting a lot more people at the program, but is glad it has been implemented because it was needed.
Kid Connect is held on Wednesday nights from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Women’s Center on Raphael Semmes Road, and is open to everyone in the community.