Mother Goose: funding in trouble, HELP!

If you're a mom in the Knoxville area, you've no doubt benefited from the wonderful FREE program called Mother Goose. This is a great article if you're new to the concept. Through songs, rhymes, instruments, and interactive play with care-givers, Mother Goose strives to give every child age 3 and under the best start possible. I've taken all three of my children until they were too old or were in MDO programs during the sessions. Especially with the second and third kids often suffering from the "tag along syndrome," I loved having an opportunity to focus one-on-one to foster their developmental skills. I also got many of my ideas for "eco toys for toddlers" from Mother Goose.

Though I believe there are still two Mother Goose programs in Knoxville that rotate Thursday mornings, we've always gone to the one at the Oak Ridge Civic Center. It's close to us, and the location gives us the option to walk on the trails or play on the playground before or after the class. With the uncertainty that comes from raising infants and toddlers, I've appreciated having a structured class that did not require a commitment. Sign-ups are not required, and the classes are completely FREE.

Now comes the problem with that set-up: Lori Murphree, the teacher for the Oak Ridge classes, is losing her funding from the Anderson County Health Council. Without funding, there will be no Mother Goose in Oak Ridge. But here's the hopeful news. The Mommy2Mommy program at Methodist Medical Center will be considering taking on Mother Goose in a board meeting TOMORROW. If you've benefited from Mother Goose or have a compelling story to share, please leave a comment at the end of this post and I'll pass along the link. Thank you!