How partnering with Ms. Rachel may help Delaware's early intervention program expand

Parents of young children across the First State – as well as the nation – know the name Ms. Rachel, the teacher behind the viral YouTube series Songs for Littles.

But many Delaware parents don’t know about Birth to Three, the state’s early intervention program, or what services are offered.

By partnering with Ms. Rachel, Birth to Three hopes to change that.

The program, part of the Department of Health and Social Services, hosted a virtual event Wednesday night that attracted over 300 attendees. For about half an hour, parents and kids across the state had the chance to participate in an interactive sing-along with Ms. Rachel and her husband.

The couple performed songs like “Wheels on the Bus” and “Hop Little Bunny,” encouraging kids to practice speech and gestures by following along with the words and hand movements. The event also shared one of a series of videos created by Ms. Rachel about Birth to Three, which was also posted on the early intervention program’s new website.

Spreading awareness

The partnership with Ms. Rachel is part of a larger effort by DHSS to improve community involvement and awareness of Birth to Three, which serves almost 2,000 children and families in the state.

Sarah Wood, training and education administrator for Birth to Three, said that the state began planning the new campaign late last year. Regional programs were united under a single name and social media accounts were created to improve cohesiveness and outreach, according to Wood. They just needed a sort of mascot to tie it all together.

There was talk of maybe using a stuffed animal or a superhero as the defining image. But Wood, who has two young sons – one of whom participated in Birth to Three himself – offered a name that had become commonplace in her household and many others: Ms. Rachel.

Wood said she knew she was “shooting for the stars,” but she truly believed that someone like Ms. Rachel – a “household name” and someone who had used an early intervention program herself – would inspire Delawareans to take advantage of the tools offered to them by the state.

Ms. Rachel agreed to discuss the idea of a partnership further. Immediately, Birth to Three Public Health Administrator Nicole Topper could see that their values aligned.

“(Ms. Rachel’s) vision and philosophy and passion to help children and families interact and connect so that children can reach their full potential is really the philosophy and mission of our program as well,” Topper said.

What is the Birth to Three Program?

Birth to Three, formerly known in some areas as Child Development Watch, is a federally funded early intervention program created in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which guarantees the right to free and appropriate education for all students.

For kids under age 3, this means providing additional support to make sure they can hit developmental milestones like walking and speaking before entering preschool or kindergarten.

Many of these possible delays can be caused by neurological, mental, physical or genetic conditions.

Part of the new campaign aims to dismantle myths surrounding the enrollment process, Topper said. Contrary to a sometimes popular belief, children can be evaluated for early intervention services like speech and physical therapy without being referred by a pediatrician or other specialist.

In reality, anyone who thinks their child may be experiencing developmental delays can contact the program and be connected to a family service coordinator, who will evaluate the child.

Whether the child is referred by a parent or by an outside professional, participation in Birth to Three is ultimately voluntary and up to parents.

If Wednesday night’s event with Ms. Rachel did nothing other than make parents aware that they can make a referral to Birth to Three on their own, Topper said it would be a success.

“We're really trying to make the pathway easy and remove any of the barriers that might have been in place or the misunderstandings or misconceptions of how to get to our program,” Topper said.

Topper and Wood said they also hoped that, by involving a familiar person like Ms. Rachel who could share her own experience with early intervention services – albeit not in Delaware – some of the stigma around using these services would be dispelled.

“I hope that I help promote the idea that (early intervention) is something you should be proud to be involved in because it's so wonderful for your child,” Ms. Rachel said.

Ms. Rachel told parents that she was also overwhelmed by the process at first, and said she hoped that by partnering with Birth to Three, she could make Delaware’s program seem even less daunting.

Birth to Three plans to continue expanding its presence online and in the community throughout the upcoming year to “lay that foundation or groundwork to help families digest that information, break down the myths around early intervention, and then provide those straight paths to our program for accessibility,” Topper said.

She also stressed that the program is there to answer questions and provide support as needed.

Anyone looking for more information about Birth to Three can visit b23de.org.

Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on X at @h_edelman.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Ms. Rachel helps launch Delaware's new early intervention campaign