\u200b\u200bWithout the support of home visitation services, Tiffanie Barlow\u2019s son likely would not have started kindergarten on time.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was two years old, and he wasn\u2019t responding verbally,\u201d Barlow said. \u201cHe wouldn\u2019t look at people when they were talking to him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Services are often scarce in rural areas, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the Arizona Strip area in far northern Mohave County. For families whose children are exhibiting delays, or even those just looking for a little extra support, home visitation through The Learning Center for Families offers an option for parents for whom transportation\u2013not to mention trust\u2014may be an issue. \u201cI was a little nervous about letting someone into my life and my home, but I was more afraid of what would happen if I didn\u2019t ask for help,\u201d Barlow said.<\/p>\n
The Learning Center for Families serves the Colorado City and surrounding area through funding provided by First Things First. It is the only home visitation service available in the Arizona Strip area and is often the first point of contact for families looking for support. Barlow\u2019s home visitor taught the mother-of-three strategies she could use at home to build her son\u2019s early literacy and communication skills, along with health information and support for the rest of the family. Now Barlow beams when she talks about the gains made by her youngest son in order for him to be ready for kindergarten.<\/p>\n
She credits the home visitation services. \u201cYou can have a conversation with him and understand what he is saying,\u201d she said. \u201cHe even looks you in the eye when he talks to you. My only regret now is that I didn\u2019t know about this program for his older siblings.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"