JCC Chicago and JCFS team up to help preschoolers adjust post-pandemic

Starting preschool is always a big change for kids–but this year, many children face the added difficulty of not having had as much experience socializing with peers and regulating their emotions in a busy environment.

That’s why JCFS Chicago’s Integrated Pediatric Therapies program has teamed up with several JCC Chicago locations to maximize the developmental and social-emotional health of young children in the Chicago Jewish community.

“Because of the pandemic, many children had to isolate and may not have had the same learning opportunities to navigate peer dynamics and relationships like before,” said Jennie Marble, MA CCC-SLP, Director of Integrated Pediatric Therapies at JCFS.

In the wake of the pandemic, however, JCC Chicago identified a need for help in the areas of sensory regulation, motor planning, and other milestones that fall under the purview of occupational therapy.

JCC Chicago didn’t need to look far for help: “Right under the JUF umbrella, here we are,” said Marble. The two organizations partnered to request a $50,000 grant from JUF’s Fund for Innovation in Health.

“We applied for the FIH grant to leverage the resources already within our Jewish community, and we thought, let’s use these resources to support Jewish families and any families attending JCC Chicago even farther,” Marble said.

Thanks to the grant, this upcoming school year, the Early Childhood Therapeutic Support Initiative will ease preschoolers’ first time in a school setting in three ways: consultation, education, and support.

A member of the JCFS Integrated Pediatric Therapy team will regularly visit Bernard Horwich JCC in Rogers Park, JCC Chicago Early Childhood at Beth Emet in Evanston, and Bernard Weinger JCC in Northbrook to observe classroom activities and help teachers create a space conducive for the kids in their classroom to learn.

The therapists will introduce activities and modifications to classroom setup to help kids regulate their bodies and emotions as they can practice social skills like sharing, turn-taking, and conflict resolution.

The occupational therapists will also lead educational workshops for faculty and parents–at all seven JCC Chicago preschools in the Chicagoland area–to teach how preschoolers experience the world and what adults can do to help ensure smoother transitions between various environments. Additionally, therapists will offer free screenings for developmental delays and refer children for one-on-one help when necessary.

The program will enable both agencies to “strengthen our partnership and expand our reach,” said Rachel Schwartz, LCSW, Director of Social Services at JCC Chicago. “It’s a gift for our community and our families for us to be partnering in this way.”

Over 50 teachers and parents and over 150 children are expected to benefit from the first year of the program.

Thanks to early intervention, support within the classroom, and resources for families to use at home, these children will find themselves on the right track for success in school and beyond.

“I think it is so innovative and different to have these types of services in a preschool and leverage so many supports that are already in the Jewish community,” said Marble. “It’s such a wonderful match.”