Programs

On the last Thursday of each month, the Basics DeKalb County team hosts a virtual Parent Café for any DeKalb County parent/caregiver of a child aged 0 to 5! Our Parent Cafés aim to create a space for parents and caregivers to come together, make connections with other parents, and learn about The Basics. Registration is required.

Do you live in DeKalb 428 School District and have a child between the ages of 0 and 3?

If so, we would love to have you join us for one of our Basics Parent Playgroups. We recognize parents as their child’s first and most important teacher. 80% of brain growth happens during the first 3 years of life! The playgroups provide an opportunity to learn brain-boosting tips and connect with other parents of young children. Each month, you will receive an early learning toolkit with materials to help your child learn and grow. Each week, you get to choose a new book to add to your child’s home library. Registration is required. There are two playgroups to choose from:

Tuesdays at 5:00 at the DeKalb County Community Outreach Building, 2500 N Annie Glidden Rd

Fridays at 10:00 at Christ Community Outreach Center, 316 N 6th Street

For more information, contact the DeKalb County Regional Office of Education at: 815-217-0471.

Our Toddler Gardens are a place where families can be outside and do The Basics in nature! These free weekly programs are for any parent/caregiver with young children- even infants! The topics of the programs range from seeds to bumblebees and anything in between. The programs are about 30-45 mins in length. No registration required and there are no residency restrictions to attend. We have 2 locations: Sandwich and DeKalb with a third coming soon in Genoa! See photo for schedule of programs. Toddler Gardens are open to the public and can be visited anytime outside of scheduled programming.