Menu
Kids Fair focuses on area services
By Ben Holman
Nevada Daily Mail
On Tuesday, the Vernon County Health Department hosted a Kids Fair at their offices in Nevada. The fair is an annual event for the health department and helps to get the word out to parents about community programs that are available for their children.
"This fair is designed to let people know what's out there in the community, and the county, for kids," said Paula Grey, nutrition educator for the University of Missouri Extension Office.
Gray noted that the fair focuses mainly on kids from birth to 5 years of age.
Representatives from several area groups were at the event to promote their programs.
Martha Bledsoe, the children's librarian at Nevada Public Library, was present to tell parents and children about the programs they offered, such as preschool story time, and to let parents know that it's never to early to introduce children to books. "I want you to know that you can come by and check out books any time you want," she said to one young attendee.
Also present was Carol Parmenter, youth specialist for the extension office. Parmenter brought a sampling of the informational brochures offered by extension and also promoted Vernon County 4-H -- Clover Kids is a 4-H program offered for children from five to seven years old.
Presenters also attended from the Head Start and R-5 Parents as Teachers programs. Both programs offer support for parents in helping each child reach his or her educational potential. The Nevada Fire Department was also represented at the fair; and information about pregnancy, childhood nutrition and car safety was also available
This was the second kids fair event this month at the health department and Grey said that workers expected to see between 40 and 50 families over the course of the day.
"Some people just don't know what's available to them," she said, "this is just one way of letting them know."