MERIDEN — Every Friday, Lilia Falcon takes her 7-month-old daughter, Olivia, to the Bebés Activos bilingual playgroup at the Meriden Public Library. While there, they explore language and culture in an interactive setting.  Falcon has been introducing her daughter to toys, colors and books, while socializing with other children. Her mother, Derly Bardales, joins them each week, supporting Falcon’s goal of raising her daughter to be bilingual.  “We want her to learn Spanish first and then English,” Falcon said. “She’ll learn English when she starts school. Right now, she understands words we say in Spanish.”  As a Peruvian, Falcon is dedicated to ensuring that Olivia connects with her language, culture and traditions, which is why she takes her daughter to the library every week.  Bebés Activos has been a program at the Spanish Community of Wallingford, led by instructor Maria Ruiz. Her daughter, Lindsey Ruiz, initially supported the program as a volunteer. With its expansion to Meriden, Lindsey Ruiz has taken on the role of bilingual instructor, collaborating with Alyssa Johnson, the library’s youth services manager. “Whenever I didn’t work on my own job, I would just go volunteer and help them out,” Lindsey Ruiz said. “Then this year, they asked me if I would like to join as the bilingual assistant teacher. It’s been great.”  Read the full story by the Record-Journal’s Latino Communities Lab at: https://www.ctinsider.com/recordjournal Publisher’s Note: CTLatinoNews partners with the Latino Communities Reporting Lab in best serving the Hispanic-Latino communities of Connecticut. The post SCOW’s Bebés Activos expands to Meriden, promoting bilingualism and cultural engagement for families first appeared on CTLN.