by Tiffany L. Hill

In the cafeteria of the Powder House Community School last month, nearly 100 nearly children and adults danced and listened to the upbeat music of Rosie and Brian Amador of Sol y Canto, a popular band from Somerville that recently released their first children’s album.

The audience, with help from children in the Unidos Program, a two-way bi-lingual program for children in the Somerville district, sang along to several of the Amadors’ songs, including “Twice as Many Friends” and “We’re All A Family Under One Sky,” in Spanish and English,

The event was one of the several Family Fun Nights sponsored by the Somerville Family Network during the year. Regina Bertholdo, director of the organization, said June’s event was a great success.

The Somerville Family Network, Bertholdo said, offers a variety of programs for children under four and their parents: structured playgroups for all ages; a Haitian Creole group called Krik-Krak; a Portuguese group; and a Latino group. The organization also arranges field trips, educational workshops, a resource and support group for single parents, a fathers group, and ESL classes with childcare.

According to their literature, the group’s mission is to “support parents and caregivers as they raise, nurture and educate their children.” Renee C. Lee, a playgroup facilitator for the organization, said participating in the Somerville Family Network’s programs gives parents a chance to network with other parents, getting them involved early with the community, other families and the public schools.

“We have an excellent relationship with the Somerville Public Schools,” Bertholdo said. “It’s very close. The Somerville Family Network programs get parents into the public schools even before their children attend them. It can also help identify any needs that children have so that they can be addressed early. The public schools are very supportive of quality early childhood education.

“The kids make other friends, and are ready for preschool when they get there. The school system benefits because parents have a better view of how the public schools work, know what’s going on and get involved,” Bertholdo said.

The Massachusetts Department of Education started the Massachusetts Family Network in 1994, Bertholdo said, issuing grants to cities interested in forming their own networks. The Somerville Department of Education applied for funding in 1996, and the Somerville Family Network was implemented the following year.

”It has adjusted since it began to fit the community’s needs,” she said. “It has grown as it has become more well-known, and it has given voice to Network parents on several issues through the years.”

The Somerville Family Network, which has a mailing list of about 630 families and has served almost 300 in the past year, is still growing. New playgroups are forming off of the usual Powder House Elementary School site, as the group makes an effort to include East Somerville, Bertholdo said.

News of the Somerville Family Network is usually spread by word of mouth. A quarterly newsletter, available in Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Spanish and English, is available in health centers and public schools, and mailed to participating families. The organization also has a direct telephone line that offers assistance in several languages, making it accessible to almost everyone in Somerville. They also appear at local events to do outreach, said Bertholdo.

“I certainly believe in quality early childhood education,” she said. “It builds a stronger community.”