As a proponent of quality early childhood education for all children, we work together with other child care and early education agencies to coordinate services, learn best practices, and advocate for our children and families. The partners we work with can help us get children ready to learn, by working with the family to improve their housing situation, helping parents remain employed, or providing a warm coat so that the caregiver can bring their child to school. SouthSide Day Nursery collaborates with community partners to provide social service consulting and referrals for parents/guardians; medical and dental care for children; and on-site speech, occupational, physical, disability and mental health therapies.
- SouthSide partners with Grace Hill and Youth in Need to provide Head Start and Early Head Start services.
- The Child Day Care Association provides resources and professional development for SouthSide teachers.
- The Belle Center provides speech, occupational, and physical therapy services to children enrolled in SouthSide’s learning Center, as well as observation and consultation.
- The St. Louis Public Schools collaborate with SouthSide to provide on-site speech therapy, occupational therapy, early childhood special education, and other supplemental education services for students with IFSPs and IEPs.
- First Steps provides disabilities services to two year-olds with development delay, disability or autism spectrum disorder.
- Center for Speech and Hearing and Scottish Rite Clinic provide speech and hearing assessments and treatment when needed.
- Lions Club provides vision screening and free eyeglasses to low-income children.
- Healthy Kids Express van provides dental screening and dental treatment, lead screening and immunizations.
- Ready Readers volunteers read to preschoolers every week.
- SouthSide staff participate in local advocacy and service networks, including:
- St. Louis Regional Early Childhood Council
- St. Louis Area Council on Child Abuse and Neglect (COCAN)
- The Mental Health Committee of the Refugee and Immigrant Consortium
- The St. Louis Children’s Behavioral Health Coalition
- The Professional Latino Action Network (PLAN)
- Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Maternal, Child and Family Health Coalition
- We work closely with organizations in South City and throughout the area to support our children and families: Grace Hill Children’s Developmental Center, Grace Hill Neighborhood Health Centers, Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, Casa de Salud, Family Care Health Center, Family Support Network, Family Resource Center, Crisis Nursery, BJC Behavioral Health, Catholic Charities Southside, Lutheran Family and Children’s Services, the YMCA, Kingdom House, Oasis International, St. Martha’s Hall, ALIVE, and the Salvation Army.