The Children's Network

At Meeting Street, we fully appreciate that providing a strong foundation for young children’s health and well-being is a fundamental part of their early development. We also understand that the many time constraints and challenges associated with today’s working families may hinder parents in finding ways to meet these needs.

With that in mind, Meeting Street created The Children’s Network – a unique collaborative partnership that brings health and dental care, mental health services, and educational programs directly to children and families enrolled in partner childcare facilities located in low income communities in Rhode Island.

The Children’s Network offers dental and medical screenings to children 3 - 5 at day care centers in low- income neighborhoods.

The Children’s Network focuses on six priorities:

• A quality early education experience for children with and without disabilities
• Family education and empowerment
• Children's health and safety
• Healthy nutrition for children
• Children's mental well-being
• Collaboration among service providers, local schools and other community organizations

• Federal Hill House Association
• The Genesis Center
• John Hope Settlement House
• Meeting Street
• West End Community Center
• Beautiful Beginnings
• Various home-based childcare providers

In working to ensure that children are prepared to succeed in kindergarten and beyond, The Children’s Network offers support and training to families and childcare center teachers and staff. Each of our partner centers has access to the on-site services and expertise of an education coordinator, health consultant, mental health specialist, nutritionist and family advocate.

• Ensuring children have the appropriate immunizations and lead screenings
• Screening for physical, developmental, sensory and behavior concerns
• Empowering families and assisting them in overcoming social barriers
• Providing emergency assistance and guidance to families in accessing community resources
• Working with parents and children to further family literacy skills
• Offering training programs for parents on topics such as health and safety, parenting skills, nutrition, and preparation for transition to kindergarten
• Preparing children to enter school ready to learn

• Sponsoring professional development workshops
• Fostering connections and collaboration between partner agencies
• Providing tuition reimbursement and support for staff at partner centers enrolled in a child-development associate's degree program
• Providing resource information, consultations and evaluations

• The Beautiful Beginnings Child Care Center
• Federal Hill House Association - Founded in 1887 as a settlement house for arriving immigrants, the Federal Hill Hose Association’s mission is to provide quality social services to the residents of Federal Hill and Providence, Rhode Island. Among the services it provides is childcare from preschool through age 12.
• The Genesis Center is a community-based school and support center in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1982 to provide education, training and services necessary for immigrants and refugees to gain self-sufficiency and a full community voice. Services offered at The Genesis Center include support for learning disabilities, at-risk youth, job training and childcare.
• John Hope Settlement House serves residents of South Providence, Elmwood and the West End and provides a comprehensive array of social services, advocacy, education programs and recreational activities.
• The West End Child Care Center, which is part of the West End Community Center, provides year-round childcare for 35 children ages 3 to 5. The center provides for the physical emotional, social, and intellectual development of children through age-appropriate activities and curriculum.
• Various home-based childcare providers
• Meeting Street