Kids don’t come with instructions.

Parenting help is now just a phone call away–785.639.1980.  “The Parent Shop” has recently organized to offer a guide to parents about the variety of free early childhood services available in Hays and the surrounding area.  A website is also available:  www.haysparents.com.

The project is funded by a grant from the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund.  Local grant coordinator Dana Stanton says the Hays Interagency Coordinating Council (HICC) has worked for many years to develop a network of free services for families of young children, from birth to age 5.  “The Parenting Shop” is a centralized source for parents to access the services information in one place.

The services include child care, early childhood education and preschools, expecting and new parent services, health and safety, parent education, parent support groups, developmental screenings and social and emotional health.