April 2026 Newsletter 

Trust, play, and unleashing the power of parents: highlights from the Wayne County Early Childhood Summit. 

At the Early Childhood Summit, our team shared two practical ways to help young children thrive: Erick Stephens (far left) offered a playbook for authentic parent engagement—building trust, co‑creating with families, and compensating parent leaders—while Stephanie David (second right) and Anna Laurenza (far right) introduced Infant–Toddler Play Days, six simple stations that make the research-based “serve‑and‑return” interactions easy for caregivers anywhere. Healthi Kids Intern Ella Isaac (second left) supported both efforts. 

Get the inside scoop on Parent Engagement Strategies and Infant Toddler Play Days.

Introducing R-Center Adventures!

R-Center Adventures is a community campaign from Healthi Kids inviting families to discover everything happening at Rochester’s R-Centers—sports and swim, arts and STEM, family events, and more.

Find programs near you here, then share your own R-Center adventure and help spread the word. 

Read about the campaign and find your own adventures.

Partner Spotlight: Wayne County Partnership for Strengthening Families

In October of 2011, realizing that the challenges facing students and families were too significant for any single school district to handle on its own, a group of about 20 people met to have a frank and open conversation about the state of families in Wayne County. Participants represented county agencies, non-profits, school districts, faith-based communities, and parents. Out of that meeting grew The Wayne County Partnership for Strengthening Families, or WCPSF. Part of WCPSF is the Early Childhood Workgroup chaired by Chana Bearce and Laura Brown. Together they work to provide critical supports for early learners, ages 0 - 6, and their families, to promote healthy living and kindergarten preparedness.

“Chana and Laura brought us into their Family Fun Fridays—and that invitation helped both of our teams move faster toward our goals. With our Infant–Toddler Play Day materials, and their great relationships with local families, we created welcoming spaces for playful learning that were lively and well attended," said Anna Laurenza, early childhood project coordinator. "The Play Days are designed around the research-backed principles of Serve and Return from Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child—those everyday back‑and‑forth moments between children and caregivers that strengthen brain development and support language, social connection, and emotional regulation."

WCPSF also hosts activities for older kids. Their events let us reach families, share our campaign, and recruit for focus groups. In return, our Play Days reinforce their focus on healthy development and kindergarten readiness. Together, we are connecting families with resources, strengthening early caregiver‑child relationships, and supporting kindergarten readiness across Wayne County.

RCSD wants to hear from you!

The Rochester City School District is seeking feedback to help inform the updated strategic plan, and new academic and financial plans. Whether it's making sure your child gets enough recess or physical activity to keep them fit and focused, highlighting what teachers and staff are doing that is working well (or isn't), or giving suggestions about school meals, reading materials, and other things that make a school shine, your input will help identify priorities, strengths, challenges, and opportunities for improvement across the District.

Let your voice be heard so that these vital funds can be directed in ways that better meet the needs of Rochester's students and families.

Take the short survey.

Culture Corner: Autism Acceptance

April is Autism Acceptance Month. For this month's Culture Corner, Healthi Kids is sharing a few easy ways to build kindness and understanding. Read My Friend Julia: A Sesame Street® Book about Autism, then watch Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: “Daniel’s New Friend Max / A New Friend at the Clock Factory.” For a local family outing, consider RMSC Sensory Sunday, which offers a more sensory-friendly museum experience with autism-friendly features like dimmed lighting and quiet areas. Or check out the Autism Nature Trail at Letchworth State Park, which offers a range of experiences from quiet engagement to active exploration and adventure along its one-mile loop.

Healthi Kids offers professional development series for educators

Healthi Connections is a new professional development series for educators, presented by Healthi Kids. Join us from 4–6 p.m. ET at School 33 for two engaging workshops: April 23 – Kid-Approved Nutrition in the Classroom, led by Michelle Weiler of Cornell Cooperative Extension and Allie Richter of Rochester Food Policy Council. Then, on April 30 – Ready…Set…Discipline?: Why Our Youth Need Play Even in Times of Discipline, facilitated by Devin Malik Anglin of Sankofa Leadership Associates. Each session offers practical strategies educators can use right away to support student well-being.

Registration is required—sign up on Eventbrite. RCSD employees should sign up on Oracle to receive professional learning credits.