Preschool Expo

This is one of those program ideas that doesn’t work for all communities, but is really beneficial for ours.  Our library is situated in a suburban community of about 30,000 residents.  We have 20+ childcare and preschool options for families and for the past few years, we partner with our local Mom’s Club to present a Preschool Expo for one evening where we invite as many centers as possible to fit in our meeting room.  We also bring in other community resources to share their materials with families.

Families get the chance to ask questions, meet teachers and directors and see what makes each school special. They can also learn about the latest in seat belt and car seat safety, the programs offered by our Parks & Rec department and this year for the first time we offered babysitting.
Our middle school volunteers and our children’s librarian pulled out crayons and paper, books and toys and were available to babysit to allow parents to spend the time they need to interview the schools of their choice with out their  little ones pulling on them and getting bored.

We used to offer this program every other year, but we feel it’s a valuable resources and we’ve just started offering it every year.  With 100 people in attendance last night, I think it was a great educational resource for families and a great way to connect the Mom’s Club and the library together!