Ten’as Sun/Early Childhood

Chxi San Playgroups:

Chxi San means “new day” in Chinook Wawa and is a community- oriented, semi-weekly playgroup for families with children aged pre-birth to five years old, creating a nurturing circle of care through culturally focused, child-centered, and
developmentally appropriate play in a structured environment.  We host Chxi San
playgroups at NAYA, community parks, and in partnership with community
organizations, including the Multnomah County Library, Barbie’s Village, and
occasionally, community field trips. Caregivers learn age-appropriate ways to build healthy attachments with their children and support one another in the community through traditional, culturally relevant, and positive parenting strategies, while their children develop social-emotional skills, conflict resolution, and other skills that foster healthy development and prepare them for kindergarten entry.

We welcome and encourage community members, elders, and kin to join caregivers and their children in the playgroup. We also provide healthy, nutritious, and culturally appropriate snacks during each Chxi San playgroup. There is no cost to participate. Check out the web calendar for upcoming dates.

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Individual Family Services:

Families receive personal support from Parent-Child Support Specialists who focus on three areas: (1) caregiver-child interaction, (2) development-centered parenting and parent education, and (3) family well-being. We offer support and encouragement through personal visits, playgroups, resource connections, and developmental screenings. PCSSs provide families with community resources, support for early childhood development information, referrals to wraparound services and other NAYA programs, assistance with navigating official systems such as preschool and kindergarten sign-ups, and emergency services, including access to the NAYA food pantry, clothing closet, and child-related necessities.

PCSSs are trained in the Nurturing Parenting and Positive Indian Parenting Curriculum to assist caregivers in early childhood development and positive and culturally traditional parenting strategies. Our goals are to increase caregiver knowledge of early childhood development, improve parenting practices, increase children’s school readiness and success, provide early detection and support for developmental delays and partner with states, territories, and tribal entities to develop and implement supportive programs that improve the health and well-being of families with young children.

To Qualify:

• Be pregnant and/or caregiving a child newborn–pre-school age
• Live within Portland/Gresham service area (unless experiencing houselessness)
• Participate in two monthly visits with a PCSS and/ or Chxi San playgroup

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For Information, please reach out to Jessica Adams at JessicaA@nayapdx.org or (971) 282-2599

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