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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING BERNICE WEISSBOURD FOR HER LIFE OF SERVICE
WHEREAS, Bernice Weissbourd, 99, a researcher who built on her experience as a Head Start teacher to become a national leader in promoting the critical role of families in their children's early childhood development, died October 12 at her home in Evanston; and
WHEREAS, Bernice (nee Targ) was born in 1923 on Chicago's South Side. She studied classical piano at the Juilliard School in New York. Music remained a joyous part of her life; and
WHEREAS, in 1946, she married Bernard Weissbourd, a scientist who worked on the Manhattan Project, lawyer, real estate developer, and civic leader. Lifelong companions, they were devoted to family, community, and progressive action. They had four children and moved to Evanston in 1959; and
WHEREAS, Weissbourd began her career as a music teacher. When her youngest child started school in 1962, Weissbourd began her early childhood career in earnest, becoming an early childhood teacher and program director for many years before becoming a national leader in the early child development and family support movement; and
WHEREAS, her experience as a Head Start teacher and family center supervisor in the Henry Horner Homes in the 1970s convinced her that early childhood development was important to the future success of those children. "We found that the children who were most self-confident, open and engaged with others had parents who knew the detailed aspects of their children's needs, likes, and dislikes," she wrote in a biography. "It seemed clear that so much of the die was cast early for these children; one could almost predict which children would lead full lives," she wrote; and
WHEREAS, with that insight, Weissbourd spent a year researching the principles behind what would become her Family Focus nonprofit, a center for toddlers that focused as much on teaching the parents as on teaching the kids. The idea behind the centers was revolutionary ...
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