NSCSD UPK Program - Family Resources

Welcome to the Family Resource Page!

This page brings together helpful resources designed to support you and your preschooler as they grow, learn, and explore. Here, you’ll find quick tips, activity ideas, and guidance on early learning, social–emotional development, and building routines at home. We’ve also included links to local community resources—such as family programs, libraries, childcare supports, and wellness services—to help you stay connected and supported. Whether you’re looking for ways to boost school readiness or simply want new ideas for connecting with your child, we hope these tools make the journey a little easier—and a lot more fun.

I am looking to...

Find support for my family's basic needs and childcare support:

Raising young children can be both joyful and challenging, and many families need extra support at different times. Onondaga County offers a wide range of services to help parents of children under 5 meet basic needs like food, housing, child development, and everyday living support. Below is a helpful list of local resources—free or low-cost—that can make things a little easier for your family.

Early Childhood Alliance - Free Resources in Onondaga County
CNY Diaper Bank
Food Bank of Central New York
Food $en$e Program
Child Care Solutions
Onondaga County Child Care Assistance Program
Sesame Workshop - How to Talk to Kids About Tough Topics
- This website includes resources to support your child with:
  - Displacement and Resettlement
  - Traumatic Experiences
  - Divorce
  - Emergencies
  - Foster Care
  - Grief
  - Homelessness
  - Incarceration
  - Military Caregiving
  - Parental Addiction
  - Resources in Spanish, Ukrainian, Pashto, and Dari
  - Traumatic Experiences
  - Violence

Check my child's development and learn more about the milestones they should be reaching:

Keeping an eye on your child’s developmental milestones is a simple way to make sure they’re growing, learning, and thriving. By watching how your little one talks, moves, plays, and interacts, you can celebrate their progress and notice if they might need extra support. Early detection of any delays gives your child the best chance to get help quickly, which can make a big difference in their learning, confidence, and happiness. It’s not about perfection—just staying tuned in to your child’s unique pace of growth. Here are a few ways to track your child's development:

Help Me Grow Onondaga
- Help Me Grow Onondaga invites all families in Onondaga County to complete the free Ages & Stages Questionnaire to see how their child is developing. Once you submit it, a friendly team member will reach out to share insights about your child’s growth and offer practical tips and support to help them thrive. Learn more about the Ages & Stages Questionnaire here!
CDC Milestones Website
NYS Council on Children and Families - NYS Parent Guide
Sesame Workshop: Milestones
- Your Four-Year-Old
- Your Five-Year-Old

If your child is 3–5 years old and you have any concerns about their development, we encourage you to call the North Syracuse Central School District Committee on Preschool Special Education at 315-218-2216. They can guide you through the process of a special education evaluation and provide support for your child’s growth.

Support my child's literacy, love for reading at home, and learning:

Supporting your child’s literacy and love of reading at home helps set the foundation for a lifetime of learning. Reading together builds language skills, sparks curiosity, and strengthens thinking and imagination. When children enjoy stories and books, they’re more confident learners and better prepared for school. Even a few minutes of reading or talking about stories each day can make a big difference in your child’s growth and love of learning.

Onondaga Public Libraries
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
- Children ages Birth-5 can receive a free, age-appropriate book by mail each month! Check out this list of books that your child may receive!
Talk, Read, Sing Onondaga
- Free “Brain Builder” tote bags filled with early literacy resources for parents/caregivers with children birth through age 5.
NYS Office of Early Learning Family Tip Sheets
- Find a variety of tips to help develop your child's skills in play, math, science, reading, and writing as well as ways to support their feelings/emotions, transitions, and exploration of the outdoors!
Online Course: Sesame Workshop - Building a Reader
- An interactive course that explores key literacy goals, strategies, and activities to support learning around language and literacy in children ages 2-5.
Sesame Workshop
- This website offers families a wide variety of printables, videos, articles, and webinars to support your child's development and tackle tough topics with your child.
Digital Well-Being
- Understanding Digital Well-Being: A Guide for Parents & Caregivers
- Unplugged: Creating Device-Free Family Moments
PBS for Parents

Develop my child's social/emotional skills and support his/her behavior

Helping your child develop social and emotional skills and supporting positive behavior gives them the tools to handle feelings, make friends, and solve problems. When children learn how to share, take turns, and express themselves, they feel more confident and ready to learn. Practicing these skills at home helps them succeed in school and everyday life, while also building strong, healthy relationships.

Resources for Adults:

Sesame Workshop: Emotional Well-Being
Sesame Workshop: Social Emotional Skills
NYS Office of Early Learning: Guidance for Supporting Positive Behaviors at Home
PBS for Parents - Supporting Independent Kids with Practical Self-Management Strategies
Visual Schedules: Try using a visual schedule at home to support your child’s daily routines. Seeing each step helps young children know what to expect, makes transitions easier, and reduces challenging behaviors. Visuals keep routines predictable and help kids build independence—bringing more calm and consistency to your day.
- Creating a Visual Schedule for Your Child
- Visual Supports for Routines, Schedules, and Transitions
- A Practical Guide to Creating Visual Schedules
- Video: Making a Weekly Visual Calendar
- Video: 5 Ways to Use Visuals for Challenging Behaviors -This is classroom-focused, but many of the resources can be used at home too!

Resources to watch/listen to with your Preschooler:

Prepare my child to start Universal Pre-K

Preschool students who can do simple self-care tasks on their own and follow directions and routines tend to have the most successful start in UPK! The good news is that these skills can be practiced at home in easy, everyday ways. Here are some ways you can help prepare your child for preschool:

Practice independence with putting on coats, shoes, and backpacks, as well as cleaning up toys and materials when finished. Also practice independence around meal time, such as sitting at a table to eat with others, using an open cup, using a spoon and fork, scooping food onto a plate,
Build routines by having a consistent morning and bedtime schedule. Routines also allow for predictability in your child's day and help them to understand boundaries and expectations.
Encourage following directions by giving simple one- and two-step instructions. Bring your child to story times at the library or play groups to get him or her used to listening to another adult talking to them, offering them directions, asking them questions, and following routines.
Support social skills by practicing taking turns, sharing, and using words to solve problems.
Develop confidence by letting your child try things on their own before offering help.
Strengthen language skills by talking, reading, and singing together every day.
Develop fine motor skills through drawing, playdough, puzzles, and small building toys.

A little practice goes a long way—these everyday habits help your child feel confident, capable, and ready to learn on their first day of preschool!

Check out these resources below for more ways to best prepare your child for preschool!

Resources for adults:

Resources to read/watch/listen to with your preschooler: