Early Childhood

Services to Promote Growth and Development

Heartland AEA’s early childhood services focus primarily on early intervention — a system of coordinated services that promotes a child’s age-appropriate growth and development and supports families during the critical early years. Beginning a partnership between families and professionals at this early stage helps children, families and the community as a whole.

Heartland AEA staff work collaboratively with community partners to determine the needs of children, families and childcare providers and to develop plans to address those needs in the home and other natural settings.

Services Within the Community

•  Coaching, collaborating, consulting and supporting children, families, teachers and childcare providers on evidence-based practices and appropriate expectations for children’s development.
•  Providing professional learning and serving as a resource for general early childhood education for children ages 3 through 5 to support the educational needs of children.

Services Within School Districts

• Coaching, collaborating and consulting to provide interventions and supports that are designed to enhance the development of children. To the maximum extent appropriate, services will be provided in early childhood settings with typically developing peers.
• Facilitating transitions for students ages 3 through 5 into early childhood programs.
• Providing consultation, collaboration and coaching with community partners and families.

Services Available for School Districts & Community Partners

• Facilitating professional learning opportunities for childcare providers, teachers, paraprofessionals, instructional coaches and administrators on a variety of early childhood topics. This can also include follow-up coaching and consultation if requested. Topics include, but are not limited to:
  • Instruction
  • Curriculum & assessment
  • Early literacy
  • Early mathematics
  • Social-emotional learning
  • Diverse learners

• Ongoing coaching and collaboration to support children, families, teachers and childcare providers on evidence-based practices and appropriate expectations for child development. 
• Support for implementation of curricula and assessment to ensure fidelity.
• Support for meeting state program standards. 
• Coaching and consultation on the learning environment and developmentally-appropriate practices.