Our Mission

The mission of CU Early  is to positively impact child development and to nurture healthy parent-child relationships during the critical early years that occur between birth and age three.

What We Do

CU Early serves children from birth to age 3 and their families in Champaign, Urbana, and Mahomet. We also provide services to expecting moms and dads. Our services for families include home visits, developmental screenings, early childhood information and activities, teen parent support groups, assisted resource and referral, and parental information and support.  All CU Early services are free to families.  ​

How we got started

CU Early, a Prevention Initiative program, is a long standing collaboration of Urbana School District #116 and Champaign Unit 4 Schools. Urbana School District #116 has served as the administrative agent for the CU Early program since its inception as a Parental Training Grant in 1990. CU Early expanded in 1999 and became a Prevention Initiative program funded through the Illinois State Board of Education. 

Our Program

​CU Early follows the BabyTalk philosophy and curriculum. Our goal is to "come along side" families in their journey of parenting. Our dedicated and skilled parent educators provide child development resources, support and guidance to families through home visiting services. Our goal is to meet with families at least twice a month, and more if needed. For enrolled families, we also provide play groups that meet monthly, as well as work with teen parents providing them with  weekly support groups.  We work with parents on providing individualized activities that support their child's ongoing development.   

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