Contact:
Marion Forsman-Boushie Early Learning Center
360.394.8578
5283 Totten Rd.
Poulsbo, WA 98370
ELC Programs:
(click each program to email coordinators)
- Head Start / Early Head Start
- RIF (Reading is Fundamental)
- Moms' Prenatal Program
- Nutrition Services
- Cultural Program
- ABCD Dental Grant
- Full-Day Preschool & Wraparound Childcare Program
- Fatherhood Program
Our Mission & Vision:
We believe that each child is unique, with different abilities, special talents and individual needs.
We offer an environment where the "whole child" can grow emotionally, socially, physically, intellectually and culturally.
We provide a stimulating, safe, and healthy environment encouraging learning through creative play.
The Head Start program provides grants to local public and private non-profit and for-profit agencies to provide comprehensive child development services to economically disadvantaged children and families, with a special focus on helping preschoolers develop the early reading and math skills they need to be successful in school. Head Start programs promote school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children through the provision of educational, health, nutritional, social and other services to enrolled children and families. They engage parents in their children's learning and help them in making progress toward their educational, literacy and employment goals. Significant emphasis is placed on the involvement of parents in the administration of local Head Start programs. Our Head Start and Early Head Start program serves 76 children.
Our health specialist facilitates our prenatal program. The prenatal program is intended to educate and support expectant mothers through their pregnancy. The group meets twice a month. During the meetings in which a healthy lunch is provided, the group will usually view a video, discuss t he topic and spend time discussing any concerns. The health specialist spends time teaching about nutritional needs, fetal development, pre and post partum care and labor and delivery expectations. This position also arranges for field trips to the Hospital and visits with the mother and baby with a gift after the delivery. The prenatal program has been a great success.
The ELC was awarded an ABCD grant for $30,000 this year from the King County Health Action Plan. ABCD focuses on preventive and restorative dental care for low-income children by educating families on the importance of baby teeth and routine dental care and training dentists to see young children. The ABCD program is one of several innovative programs developed or supported by the Washington Dental Service Foundation to prevent oral disease early in life. The ELC is an enrollment site for this program. All Medicaid eligible children ages birth to six years is eligible for this program. The beauty of this program is that we can use the funds anyway we see fit. We recently used $1500 to help one of our students enrolled in this program to help pay for some very serious restorative dental work that he has needed for a long time. We have enrolled over 70 students placing us at the front of all North Kitsap enrollment sites. It is a great program.
Reading Is Fundamental prepares and motivates children to read by delivering free books and literacy resources to those children and families who need them most. The ELC has been awarded this grant for 5 years. Marva Jones, Educational Specialist oversees this program and organizes free RIF book giveaways throughout the year and during special events.