Meet Bobbie! Family Development Group Coordinator-Program Supports
Bobbie is the Group Coordinator-Program Supports within the Family Development Program at DSC, and she is also the Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) Screener for Champaign County. She’s been with DSC for a little over two years, after beginning her career at Headstart, where she worked for ten years as a teacher. Bobbie also spent time as a Care Coordinator at Community Elements and at Choices, as a Youth Educator where she worked until the grants for the programs ended.
In her current position, Bobbie works with Parent Wonders groups. Parent Wonders is a voluntary program that provides support for families with young children, prenatal through 3 years of age. Parent Wonders home, (or virtual) visitors come alongside parents as they learn about their babies and children. Parent Wonders has a small group of families who meet in Tolono, and then the program has four larger groups that meet at various locations throughout Champaign County, such as Prairie Fruits Farm and Hessel Park.
Screening for Developmental Disabilities/Delays in Champaign County
As the ASQ Screener, Bobbie is the only certified screener for Champaign County. She visits daycare providers, makes home visits and attends events to make herself available for screenings for children ages birth to five years old for developmental delays and disabilities and makes referrals for services.
Bobbie’s Joy is Connecting with Families
Bobbie said one of the things she enjoys most about working at DSC is connecting with families. “I love being out in the community, meeting people, working with the families and helping them gain access to services,” said Bobbie. The majority of children who receive services from DSC graduate at the age of three years old. At that time, they become eligible for programs offered through the schools.
After working with families in the same community over a period of years, Bobbie has received the benefit of getting to know them on a personal level. “One of my favorite things is building lasting relationships. Occasionally, I will run into someone I worked with when they were younger, or I get a call from someone and I love hearing from them. Recently, I heard from a mom I’d worked with who’d been going back to school and having a tough time. She called to let me know about her academic progress. I let her know how proud I was of her. It’s those little milestones that mean the most to me.”
DSC Programs Team Up to Support Families & Children
Bobbie said working at an agency like DSC also makes a difference in the work she does. “I’m thankful to work at an agency like DSC where we have access to so many resources within one organization. My co-worker, Barbara, has been able to obtain wheelchair leg braces for a family
when they were needed. Another time, when working with a family’s child, I learned that a 25-year-old brother had been living with a disability, but had no access to services. Through another department here, we were able to connect him with supports at DSC,” said Bobbie.
Family Time at Home
A resident of Tolono, Bobbie has been married for over twenty years. She married her high school sweetheart and they have two children, Hunter who is thirteen and Ivy, who is twelve. Their family enjoys traveling in their RV, when it’s not during COVID-19. This year, they had fun parking the RV in their driveway and camping out.
How to Contact Us
For more information about Family Development, please call the Director of Family Development, Nicole Sikora at (217) 356-9176.
Visit: https://www.dsc-illinois.org/programs_services/family_development_center.html
Share Your Story with Us
Do you have a DSC story you’d like to share? Send your story to info@dsc-illinois.org with the subject line- My Story.
