AGAWAM – Teachers and school committees have spoken at length about the learning loss and psychological impact on students during the COVID-19 pandemic, but little focus has been placed upon arguably the most vulnerable age group: preschoolers.

Serving toddlers up to the age of 5, the educators of the Agawam Family and Community Program provide several services to strengthen families and booster child development. They have seen several disturbing trends as the pandemic wears on, said Valerie Smart, the program’s coordinator of Community Family Coordinated Engagement (CFCE).

“We have always had families use our playgroup or CFCE services as a form of a preschool supplement,” she said. “[However], there has been an increase since pandemic life.”

For instance, some parents have made the decision to opt out of preschool and even kindergarten, entirely. Smart shared that one mother who attends playgroup decided to homeschool her kindergartner, using the program as the child’s only social hour.

At the same time, the program has had to cut back on its offerings in the age of social distancing and bans on indoor gatherings. For example, every Thursday, the program runs a playgroup primarily designed for children under 5 years of age. Prior to the pandemic, it hosted three programs a week.

“The little ones – ages one and two – struggle with socialization,” said Smart. As they are unaware of how to act in crowds, they are experiencing “social anxiety.”
The older kids, 3-5 years of age, are “lacking skills they need to be integrated,” said Smart. “They haven’t had opportunities in the past two years.”

Regardless of whether there’s a pandemic, Smart said, children always want to be with other children – “That’s just humanity.”

“Once they learn the playgroup format, they light up and that’s still there,” she continued. Playgroup encompasses a lot of side-by-side play, observing and learning from one another. “Being in a social setting is what they need. Parents are thankful for this opportunity,” said Smart.

Although some of the children have siblings that they’ve been able to interact with, Smart believes, “It’s different in a school setting.”

About a year ago, Smart described being a caregiver as a “struggle,” since even when children were in the same room, socially distanced, they weren’t able to “do things cooperatively” or even share objects such as a crayon box.

Now, Smart said, “It’s better today on how we can interact. Our instruction is that we can share crayons, etc.” Nonetheless, Smart and her team aim to “keep things distanced” during their programs, if possible.

As the pandemic continues, Smart said of the challenges, “I don’t think it’s anything we can’t overcome.” Children have shown resiliency and gotten used to wearing masks.

“As children, they’re so adaptable and they learn,” said Smart. She continued that they are unaware that this period of time isn’t “normal,” however, “kids can make strides so quickly and can bounce back [from this].”

Since the start of the pandemic, the Agawam Family and Community Program has posted pre-recorded story time videos on its Facebook page. Smart said she and her colleagues have done this to “connect with families and keep a connection.” Watching videos, children are able to see the faces and gestures made, without the barricade of a mask.

Each month, the Agawam Family and Community Program hosts multiple events open to children of all ages in town. Smart plans to continue providing programs to children, as long as they can be done safely.

The playgroup is not accepting new registrations for this winter, as it has reached capacity for the indoor space at the Early Childhood Center at 108 Perry Lane. Advance registration is required for all Agawam Family and Community Program events, on a first-come basis.

In the spring, Smart said their programs will take place outside at School Street Park, allowing for additional space, and will be open to everyone.
Smart and her colleagues are Agawam School Department employees, and their programs are funded by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.

Registration for March programs is set to open in late February. To register or to learn more about the Agawam Family and Community Program, visit www.facebook.com/agawamcfce.