ERECA

Eaton Rapids Early Childhood Advocates
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OUR PURPOSE:

Eaton Rapids Early Childhood Advocates (ERECA) believes that all children benefit greatly from parental involvement in learning activities beginning at birth. We are committed to supporting parents in their role as first teacher for their child.
 
ERECA creates, locates, and makes available useful and age-appropriate resources and activities to build school readiness skills, parent awareness, and developmental assets. ERECA works in conjunction with Early Childhood Connections and Michigan's Great Start Collaborative to provide free activities and information to all parents of young children in the Eaton Rapids area.
 
Please join us at our next meeting:  Wednesday, April 2, 2008 at 7:00pm in room 212 of the First United Methodist Church in Eaton Rapids.
 
Pictures from Past ERECA Events

Who Do We Serve and How?

We primarily serve families of young children (ages birth through Kindergarten) in the Eaton Rapids area.
Currently our volunteers plan, organize, and carry out these programs:

  • Family Fun Events
  • Eaton Rapids Toddler Time
  • Children’s Activities at Community Events

Unique Characteristics of ERECA Programs

Toddler Time and Family Fun Events are unique in that they:

  • Build developmental assets
  • Introduce school readiness skills
  • Encourage parent/child interaction
  • Have no cost for those who attend

 Specific Benefits To The Community

ERECA Toddler Time and Family Fun Events provide benefits to the community in the following ways: 

  • Helping to develop positive parent/teacher/child interactions
  • Supporting parents in their role as first teacher for their child
  • Building early childhood developmental assets
  • Giving young children early exposure to school readiness skills
  • Providing a link to other family and early childhood resources in the area.
     
Community Collaboration
ERECA collaborates with community programs and businesses that in some way relate to young children such as:

  • High-school-aged youth
  • Local churches
  • Local pre-schools and child 
    care homes/centers
  • Early Childhood Connections
  • Eaton County United Way, Eaton Rapids Committee C-203
  • Eaton County's Great Start Collaborative
     
 
This collaboration occurs through both direct involvement in our programs and through promotion of our activities and events.