Spring Hill, FL (September 30, 2021) The Early Learning Coalition of Pasco and Hernando Counties, Inc. (PHELC) launches LOVING START, a new early literacy initiative that will kick-off in
Pasco County with the Medical Center of Trinity, an HCA Healthcare West Florida Hospital. PHELC
partnered with Free Spirit Publishing for the selection of the book Cuddle by Elizabeth Verdick and Marjorie Lsoviskis, which is part of the publisher’s Happy Healthy Baby Series. This series of
books supports new moms in their journey to build language development and relationships from birth.
On Thursday, September 30, the Coalition “Kicks-off” Loving Start with a donation of 1,000 Cuddle books to Medical Center of Trinity, which will be distributed to new moms, supported by the OB and NICU departments. “We are excited to be part of the Loving Start program and encourage reading and bonding for our new moms”, said Tripp Owings, CEO, Medical Center of Trinity. “Our team knows the value of the parent – baby relationship and this will be an additional encouragement for our caregivers to promote this development.”
Early literacy improves language skills and prepares young children for school. Since 2005, the Early Learning Coalition supports high-quality education for children ages 0-5 in Pasco and Hernando Counties with School Readiness and VPK services. “We are grateful to partner with
Medical Center of Trinity who sees the value of prioritizing children’s literacy and together we can advance this early literacy initiative. We are excited to be a part of encouraging a parent- child’s bond with their first book, Cuddle!” said Dr. Steve Knobl, PHELC Executive Director. “The Coalition’s Loving Start program serves to support new mothers in their journey to building language development and positive relationships with their child. This book-sharing experience
may very well be their child’s earliest memory of loving to read.” explained, Sherri Sabadishin, PHELC Early Literacy Specialist.
Why early literacy for infants and toddlers? “When you share books with your very young child you support emerging literacy as you: help your child learn that pictures and words are symbols that can be interpreted; expose your child to new words and thereby increasing their vocabulary.” (www.Naeyc.org)
Loving Start operates under PHELC, a 501c3 organization. For more information on how you can help to expand our literacy commitment, please contact Sherri Sabadishin, Early Literacy Specialist at 727-233-8291.
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About the Coalition: The Early Learning Coalition of Pasco and Hernando Counties, Inc. is a 501c3 organization and one of 30 Early Learning Coalitions in Florida. Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program is for all children who are four-years old on or before September 1. School Readiness provides subsidized childcare for low-to-moderate income working families. The nonprofit serves over 12,000 children between infancy and twelve-years old, working with more than 300 childcare providers in both counties.
About Medical Center of Trinity:
Medical Center of Trinity is a 340 bed, state-of-the-art, all-private room hospital (Main Campus) strategically located in the tri-county area of Pasco, Pinellas, and Hillsborough Counties. The facility is located at 9330 State Road 54, Trinity, FL 34655, near the intersection of State Road (SR) 54 and Little Road. Medical Center of Trinity clinical and acute-care programs include:
• Behavioral Health including Senior Behavioral
Health
• Cancer Care
• Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology
• Diagnostic Imaging
• Emergency Care – Adult and Pediatric
o Medical Center of Trinity
o ER 24/7 in Citrus Park
o ER 24/7 ℠ in Palm Harbor
o ER 24/7 ℠ in Lutz
• Heart & Vascular
• Men’s Health
• Minimally Invasive Surgical Specialties
• Neurosurgery
• Obstetrics including NICU and
Maternal Fetal Medicine
• Open Heart Surgery
• Rehabilitation Services
• Robotic Assisted Surgery
• Spine & Orthopedics
• Thoracic Surgery
• Weight Loss Surgery
• Women’s Health
• Women’s Imaging Center with
Comprehensive Breast Care
• Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine