BROOKINGS Aysia Platte knows little investments can produce big dividends and almost four years after someone took a chance on her, shes investing time and energy helping families of young children through a nonprofit called Tend.
The Brookings Economic Development Corporation used to run the Idea Competition. So, way back in 2021 when I first moved here, I had already kind of formed this idea for a community-based playgroup something that wasnt really being offered at all in the community. And I pitched it at the Idea Competition and actually won first place, Platte said. So that was $1000 that was the top prize that year and really that initial seed funding of $1000 bought the initial round of materials.
Located in downtown Brookings, Tend focuses on early childhood education services for both expecting parents and families of young children. In addition to playgroup sessions, they offer classes in infant massage, can perform car seat safety checks, and feature an holistic sleep coaching program to help families find solutions for babies having trouble sleeping through the night.
All of our programming has some sort of equity-based pricing most commonly a self-reported sliding scale. So for our playgroups, they are $5, $10, or $15 per family not per child but per family, Platte said. When you think about it the bigger your family is, you might need that break in your budget a little bit more even. So with that self-reported sliding scale, no ones looking at your tax documents asking for any proof of income. I trust you to pick whats right for your familys budget at the time and that can even vary from week to week.
To help families further, Tend participates in a biannual toy swap event and operates a diaper bank.
So there are diapers of all sizes that are free to use and to take a few with you as you come for programming and thats just a year-round, all the time kind of thing, Platte said. We do offer free toilet learning coaching services for people who are experiencing diaper needs. So if they have a child who is really 12 months old or older, we can really start integrating those toilet learning skills and help them build that foundation, so that they can hopefully reduce their overall need for diapers.
Platte who holds masters degrees in both Montessori education and early childhood inclusive education also helps identify developmental issues in young children and can offer specialist referrals.
I have a really strong mindset towards referring to other professionals as well so whether thats physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, Platte said. With an early intervention mindset, if there are things that we need to work on whether thats physical and motor development or whether thats speech development in the capacity that I can I want to empower them (parents) with tools that they can then take home and use.
She said she enjoys helping families discover success on their own terms.
Were really focused on individual children and what their specific needs are, Platte said. This is what I do for my job. I get to take in and kind of distill all this information and stay up-to-date on best practices, so you dont have to because youre a busy parent If they (parents) dont believe something fits their familys needs and their values, then it cant be evidence-based practice, no matter what my opinion says or what the best available research says. Thats another one of our guiding philosophies its got to be evidence-based in the truest sense that you have to have your voice and choice in it as a family. Ill give you any information to support you, but Im not making your decisions.
Platte named the nonprofit Tend after a psychological model that says people exposed to stress can react in ways other than just fight or flight a tend and befriend response can strengthen social connections and help people build relationships while coping with stress more positively.
Youre making connections, youre finding your people which can be really hard when youre a new parent When youre in such a hard place already, its hard to seek out new information, Platte said. (Were focused) on making connections whether thats connections between us as individuals, like with myself and the parents; whether thats connections of parent to parent, where Im not even involved, but theres parents who met at the playgroup and theyre becoming friends and they spend times together outside of playgroup; whether thats their family to a professional, who can assist their children; or whether thats just the children making friends with other children, and they want to set up a play date outside of playgroup. All of those connections are valid, and theyre not necessarily dependent on my role.
She wants to help families get to a place where they feel self-sufficient.
Its a joy when you reach a point where you feel that you have all of the resources that you need to be able to feel like youre not dependent on a certain person or group, Platte said. We go all the way up to 6 years old. By the time your childs ready for kindergarten whether thats home education or whether theyre going to local schools that is when you have us for but hopefully by that point, youre feeling really equipped to handle whatever happens.
She said empowering children and families to be successful on their own terms is her ultimate goal.
The teacher is successful when the children no longer notice them so basically when youre blending into the background and theyre just working and interacting, Platte said. Honestly its not just the kids, its the parents. Ive seen parents make friends that I know they hang out with outside of our play groups. Like how cool is that! Like you dont need to be here to grow that relationship 100 percent of the time. We love to see you, we love when you come here, but thats the goal.
She encourages interested families to learn more by searching tend.baby on social media.
We currently have our 90-minute signature Montessori playgroups on Wednesdays 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., then Wednesdays 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Fridays 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and then Saturdays 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. And all of that information is available on Instagram and Facebook, where we are at tend.baby, Platte said. We have a lot of ways to support you and youre deserving of that support. We have services and just even a friendly facilitator to talk to that can help boost your mental health, help you understand what you can do to help promote your childs optimal development, and youre going to be welcomed here in a safe, and educational and nurturing environment.
Contact Jay Roe at [email protected].
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