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Monday 9am - 4pm Tuesday 9am - 4pm Wednesday 9am - 4pm Thursday 9am - 4pm

First Connections CFCE and ParentChild+

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Acton, MA
First Connections CFCE and ParentChild+

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First Connections is funded by CFCE and PC+ grants from MA EEC awarded to JRI To view our direct services and programs, please go to: www.firstconnections.org

We provide free support, early childhood and parent education, and resources to all families with children under age 9 living in Acton, Bedford, Boxborough, Carlisle, Concord, Harvard, Lincoln, Littleton, Maynard, Sudbury, Westford and Hanscom AFB.

11/04/2026

ICYMI: we have 3 great events for parents and caregivers in November! Register for any/all by emailing Linda at [email protected]

1️⃣ Speech & Language Development in children ages 1-4, Nov 10, 12:00-1:00, virtual

2️⃣ Discipline for Toddlers & Preschoolers, Nov 19, 7:00pm, Village Nursery School in Harvard

3️⃣ Baby-Caregiver Nature Walk, Nov 20, 1:00-2:00, Farrington Nature Linc in Lincoln

All free and open to all! Please spread the word!

11/03/2026

We have THREE great events for parents/caregivers coming up this month! (It's November already! 🤯)

🗣 Speech and Language Development ages 1-4, Tues Nov 10, 12:00-1:00, virtual. Presented by Katherine Hass, M.Ed., CCC/SLP, from Emerson Health

🥊 Pick Your Battles: Discipline for Toddlers and Preschoolers, Thurs Nov 19, 7:00pm, Village Nursery School, Harvard. Presented by Ms. Ellie of First Connections and Emilie Staiger and Maureen Bajko of Village Nursery School.

🥾 Baby-Caregiver Nature Walk, Fri Nov 20, 1:00-2:00, Farrington Nature Linc - Farrington Memorial, Lincoln. Facilitated by Emily and Ellie of First Connections and Meg of Nature Linc. Open to caregivers with babies 0-18 months.

Register for any or all by emailing Linda at [email protected], or register for the nature walk at https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/78kpNLTCrx

10/21/2026

🍎 A couple weeks ago, we were able to get all but one of our staff together for apple picking! Do you know why we are always (or at least most of the time) in a good mood when you see us? Because we love what we do, and as Jenny always says, “We have an amazing team!” We support one another, like each other, and we have lots of fun together! (As evidenced by the raucous laughter that could be heard throughout the orchard that day! 😂) When you work with great people and do meaningful work, you love your job!

We were sad to say goodbye to Delia this month (mostly—once you work for First Connections, we never really let you go 😅), and we missed Rachael on this outing, who was working her full-time job when we were apple picking, but we are so happy to have welcomed Kerrin as an intern with us this fall. We’ve already put her to work, and she has fit right in and hit the ground running!

🍂 Happy Fall friends, and thank you for trusting us to help you in the early years of parenthood!

10/15/2026

Wouldn’t it be great to get parenting advice from real live people with lots of experience who actually know your child, and to be able to ask questions!? There’s some great parenting “content” on social media, but there is also a lot that wouldn’t work for your child or family, and some that is just unrealistic. So where do you turn? To Ms. Ellie, Mrs. Bajko, and Mrs. Staiger, of course!

Coming up@on Thurs Nov 19 at 7pm at Village Nursery School in Harvard, we’ll be talking about setting limits, holding boundaries, and effective discipline for toddlers and preschoolers. And you can attend for FREE! No class or app to buy!

To register, email Linda at [email protected] or Ellie at [email protected].

10/13/2026

🧙 This song has been a big hit in a couple of playgroups this month, so I recorded a video for you to watch anytime! 👻

Warning for younger viewers: I have made babies cry with this song (the surprise at the end), so watch at your own discretion! 😂

10/08/2026

We are still buzzing from last week, when Emily was ON TV!! 🤯 She did an amazing job! We are so proud of Emily for presenting the important work we do at First Connections on this big platform and for speaking about the need for more support for new parents. Thank you so much to Boston 25 News for having us and for helping shine a light on this important topic!

If you missed it live, you can check it out at the link here:
https://www.boston25news.com/news/understanding-postpartum-mental-health/623f7941-420d-43d7-811a-8597fc438d9e/
We will also post it in our stories.

If you are struggling with your mental health or want more support postpartum, you are not alone, and help is available. You can reach out to Postpartum Support International, which has a hotline and lots of free support groups, or you can reach out to us, as we have a free, weekly, drop-in group for anyone in the postpartum year.

09/30/2026

‼️ Breaking news!!! 🔔 Emily, our program director and facilitator of our First Year of Life support group will be ON THE NEWS this afternoon!!

Tune in (online or on tv) to Fox 25 Boston 25 News at 3:00 this afternoon to hear Emily talk about the work we do at First Connections to support new parents and how important it is.

Thank you for supporting us!

JRI

09/30/2026

📣 THIS FRIDAY!! 🥾👶 Join Emily and Ellie and a nature educator from Farrington Nature Linc for a nature walk with your baby/toddler!

The weather is supposed to be lovely--warm and partly cloudy! ☀ Come enjoy Nature Linc's beautiful trails, meet other families with little ones, and take the opportunity to ask questions about your baby, your own mental health and/or nature.

FREE, open to caregivers with babies 0-18 months. Register by emailing Linda at [email protected] or at https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/78kpNLTCrx

09/21/2026

Coming up THIS WEDNESDAY!! Join us for a special screening of the documentary film “More Than Blue,” the first feature-length film about postpartum mental health. Our postpartum support group (and our playroom) are featured in the movie!

And after the film, we’ll have a panel discussion with the current and former facilitators of our postpartum support group, a group participant, and a certified nurse midwife.

Registration is not required, but it will help us know how many folks to plan for: https://goodnowlibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/ppd-documentary-screening/

09/18/2026

We have a number of great offerings for parents and caregivers this fall! Whether you want to learn some baby sign language (and how to teach it to your baby), what typical language development looks like in children ages 1-4, or when and how to discipline your toddler or preschooler, we have something for you! And they're all FREE!

First up, on October 7 at the Concord Free Public Library Fowler branch in West Concord, from 11:00-11:45, Certified Baby Sign Language Educator Mary Beilman will be teaching a class for caregivers of babies and toddlers 2-24 months. Sign up at cfpl.info/babysign.

Then on November 10, from 12:00-1:00 on Zoom, Pediatric Speech and Language Pathlogist Katherine Hass from Emerson Health will share what typical speech and language development looks like in young children and how to use everyday moments as opportunities to boost your child's language development. Email Linda at [email protected] to regsiter.

Finally, on November 19 at 7:00pm, First Connections' Ms. Ellie and Emilie Staiger and Maureen Bajko, longtime early childhood educators from Village Nursery School in Harvard will lead an IN-PERSON discussion of how to decide when to set a boundary with your child, how to do it, and what to do when you get the inevitable pushback. It will be a great opportunity to have a conversation with real early childhood experts who can answer your specific questions about your family. Email Linda at [email protected].

Address

179 Great Road, Ste 104A
Acton, MA
01720

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 4pm
Tuesday	9am - 4pm
Wednesday	9am - 4pm
Thursday	9am - 4pm

Website

http://www.jri.org/firstconnections

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