ROCKFORD (WIFR) -- Birth to age five is considered a critical time for kids to learn basic skills and studies show without those skills children have a greater chance of failing later in life--that's why District 205 is expanding its free home visiting program.

Most kids like Micaela prefer toys over books, but not this one year old--she loves to read with mom. That's something Katie Snavely credits District 205's home visiting program for

She said, "The caseworker comes over and brings activities, pamphlets while you're pregnant, what's going on with the baby right now what you can do to higher the learning skills. Sing to your baby and read to your baby."

The program is part of the Rockford Early Childhood Prevention Initiative which recently received grant money to serve an extra 24 at-risk families. It helps mothers who are expecting or have children up to three-years-old.

Director Kim Nelson said, "The prevention initiative specialist actually come into the home and they use the parents as teachers curriculum and they're promoting learning about child development, how to interact and bond with your child. Research shows that good attachments with parents are a really good indicator of success later in school."

Last year, 76 percent of kindergarten through second-graders who participated in early childhood when they were three to five years-old met or exceeded expectations. Katie Snavely is confident her daughter will soon be in the group as well as her second child who's on the way.

The program is for at-risk families, which includes teen moms, mothers with complicated pregnancies and low-income families.

For more information on how you can join the program call 815-967-8030.