First Steps Is Entering Its Next Chapter

For nearly eight years, First Steps has helped Laramie County Library System support some of our youngest learners and the adults who care for them.

The program began in 2019 with support from donors to the Laramie County Library Foundation and a focus on a simple but important idea: early literacy starts long before a child learns to read. The everyday moments children share with their caregivers, including talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing together, help build the foundation for future learning.

That idea remains at the heart of First Steps. Now, the program is entering its next chapter.

Learning Together

First Steps is evolving from individual LCLS home visits to small, age-based learning groups held at community locations.

Groups will include up to eight children and their caregivers and will continue to use the same core early literacy curriculum. Through stories, songs, movement, play, and hands-on activities, children will build early learning skills while caregivers see strategies modeled and practice ways to support learning throughout everyday life.

First Steps is based on Every Child Ready to Read, an approach centered on helping parents and caregivers understand the important role they play in their child’s early literacy development. The goal is not for learning to stop when a First Steps session ends. Families leave with ideas they can continue using together at home, in the car, at the store, or anywhere their day takes them.

The new group model also gives families opportunities to learn alongside one another and build connections with others navigating similar stages of childhood.

Building a Stronger Network Around Families

The next chapter of First Steps also brings stronger connections with organizations that support young children and families.

LCLS and Wyoming Parents as Teachers will refer families to one another so families can access different types of support based on their needs. First Steps provides group-based early literacy learning and caregiver education, while Parents as Teachers provides individualized home visits focused on child development, developmental milestones, caregiver-child interaction, and family needs.

Eligible families may also be connected with Wyoming Hand in Hand, which provides individualized support from specially trained public health nurses during pregnancy and through a child’s second birthday. The program supports child health and development, positive parenting, and connections to additional community resources.

First Steps groups will also meet in community spaces through partnerships with Blue Federal Credit Union’s Boost Center, Laramie County School District 1’s PEEPS program, and partners serving families in Burns and Pine Bluffs. These partnerships help bring First Steps into the community while connecting families with other resources and support.

Building on a Strong Foundation

First Steps has changed since it began in 2019, but its purpose has not.

The support of donors to the Laramie County Library Foundation helped make the program possible. LCLS is continuing that investment today by building a model designed to keep First Steps strong, meaningful, and connected to the needs of families in our community.

That work is also shaped by the knowledge and commitment of the people closest to the program. Hannah Cooper, who has worked directly with First Steps families and leads the program’s early literacy instruction, has played an important role in helping First Steps grow and in bringing this next phase of the program to life.

As First Steps evolves, LCLS remains committed to helping children and caregivers learn together, build early literacy skills, and connect with the support they need during some of the most important years of a child’s development.

Interested in First Steps?

First Steps is free for children from birth through age 5 and their caregivers.

Complete the First Steps online application to tell us about your family and your interest in the program.