From Classrooms to Homes: Frog Street Supports Early Learning for 1,608 Harris County Children
A strong early learning foundation is built through the people, materials, and experiences that surround children each day. It grows in child care classrooms where educators introduce new ideas and activities, and it continues at home through the everyday moments children share with parents and caregivers.
Through Harris County DEEO’s Early Learning Quality Network (ELQN), Frog Street brought curriculum, learning materials, and educator training into child care programs while also connecting directly with families across Harris County. Together, this work impacted 1,608 children.
Frog Street’s work began in child care centers, where 15 programs received full curriculum, 10 classrooms received supplemental curriculum, and 50 classrooms received support materials. The organization also provided 11 training and professional development sessions to help educators understand and use the resources in their classrooms.
The value of those materials can continue long after they are first delivered. Curriculum and learning resources remain in the center as new children enter the classroom, allowing future groups of children to learn from the same investment. Educators can also continue using the knowledge and strategies gained through training with the children who come through their classrooms in the years ahead.
Frog Street’s work with families took a more personal approach. Instead of waiting for parents and caregivers to seek out early learning resources, Frog Street went directly into the community. Staff set up tables at apartment complexes, talked with families about what was available, and connected caregivers with resources they could bring home.
Across the initiative, 204 caregivers participated in the quality initiative and 128 informal care providers received learning materials. Those resources helped bring early learning into everyday routines at home, where reading a book together, talking through the day, asking questions, or exploring through play can all become opportunities for children to learn.
This two-part approach helped strengthen the environments children experience throughout their day. In child care centers, educators had curriculum, materials, and training they could continue using. At home, parents and caregivers had additional resources to support learning through familiar routines and interactions.
For the 1,608 children reached during the initiative, the impact began with the resources and support provided during the project period. But the curriculum left in classrooms, the knowledge shared with educators, and the materials placed in caregivers’ hands can continue reaching children beyond that initial number.
Launched in October 2023, Harris County DEEO’s Early Learning Quality Network (ELQN) has worked alongside child care providers, families, and community stakeholders to expand access to high-quality early learning opportunities across Harris County.