TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Valerie Thorington, staff member in Child Development Resources and Services at The University of Alabama, made UA history in early November when she became the first in the state to become a Baby Talk II Advanced Practitioner.

Prior to completing her training to become the Baby Talk II Advanced Practitioner, Thorington served as Baby Talk Coordinator for Child Development Resources and Services since the program’s start in February 2000.

Sally Edwards, director of CDRS, said “this accomplishment is another example of how the UA College of Human Environmental Sciences continues to exhibit a leadership role in serving, supporting, and assisting families in Tuscaloosa and West Alabama.”

Created 16 years ago based on the work of a well-known pediatrician and television host, Dr. T. Berry Brazelton of Harvard Medical School, Baby Talk is a program designed to encourage parents to bond with their infants and young children. The program has been cited by the U.S. Department of Education as one of only 13 programs in the country to meet Goal One of the America 2000 Strategy, which states “That by the year 2000, all children will start school ready to learn.”

Baby Talk is designed to work with other organizations to reach out to families with young children. Several components of the program are currently in place including visits with new parents at DCH Regional Medical Center, a weekly support group, well-child visits at the Tuscaloosa County Health Department, Family Fun Nights in the community, and free phone service called the Warmline, which allows parents access to information about their child’s development.

CDRS is a community service component of the UA College of Human Environmental Sciences. The agency serves six counties in West and Central Alabama.

For more information about CDRS or Baby Talk, call Edwards or Thorington at 205/348-2650.