Page 7 - BTC Yearbook 2016

Baby TALK/Decatur, Illinois Touchpoints Site
Team members:

Claudia Quigg, MEd Cindy Janet Deb
Site Coordinator Bardeleben, BS Patterson, MD Widenhofer, BS

The Baby TALK/Decatur, Illinois site has continually provided Touchpoints training every year
since 1996, scheduled each April and October, with additional sessions added as needed.

Our trainings primarily impact families who have children birth-age three. While Baby TALK
“casts a net” over the childrearing population through Newborn Encounters at local hospital
obstetric units, more intensive services are delivered to families with more complex risk
factors. These services may include Home Visiting/Case Management, Family Literacy, Teen
Parent programs, and Early Intervention for families whose children have a medical diagnosis or
delay.

Our trainings impact practitioners who work with these families, including Home Visitors,
Family Resource staff, Early Childhood Educators, Head Start/Early Head Start staff, Librarians,
Public Health Nurses and Case Managers. Since 2006, we have been able to provide
Touchpoints training for our colleagues in the Illinois State Board of Education’s “Prevention
Initiative” programs with whom we have ongoing dialogue and mentoring.

Our community impact includes increased collaborations and shared language around
families’ needs. Partner agencies have moved to more strength-based interactions. Our own
Baby TALK staff have been measured to spend more time listening as parents direct our
conversations following Touchpoints training.

Highlights for Baby TALK as part of Touchpoints:
1993—Hosted Dr. Brazelton to speak in Decatur about his vision for Touchpoints
1996—Became one of the first three Touchpoints sites
1996—Began local Touchpoints training
1996-1997—Touchpoints faculty certified in the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS)
1997—Began training local collaborators and holding monthly “brown bag” lunch conversations
rd
2000—Hosted the 3 annual Touchpoints National Forum
2000—Began using 3 day ILT format for local Touchpoints trainings
2001—Quigg became part of BTC national training and mentoring team
2006—Received approval to train Illinois State Board of Education Prevention Initiative staff
2010—Began providing reflective practice call series for all trainees