United Early Education Connection

United Early Education Connection
Building Skills for School Readiness

Education is essential to getting and keeping a job with a livable wage and health benefits,
but too many children and parents in our community do not have the basic literacy and
math skills that are necessary to succeed in school and eventually obtain employment.

PROBLEM

Children from low income families in the Hightstown area struggle to reach grade level in reading and math.

Why?

Low income families in the Hightstown area struggle to provide basic needs like food, shelter, clothing and emotional support to their children, as well as child care while they work at minimum wage jobs. Children in these families struggle to reach grade level in reading and math because they lack the supports and resources to start school healthy and ready to learn.

Studies show that:

·         At age 4 children who live in low-income families are 18 months behind their age group

·         Children in the higher socioeconomic group have 60% higher cognitive test scores

·         Barriers like poor health, hunger and safety delay children’s development and learning

·         Addressing low self-esteem in the low-income group increases competencies and accelerates learning

·         Increasing parents’ involvement in their children’s lives benefits both children and parents and
reduces risky behavior in later years

Solution

Qualified child care enhanced by mental health support, emergency assistance, and case management allows children to develop necessary skills to start school ready to learn and also allows parents to work and to develop their own literacy skills. By combining agencies into an initiative that targets this problem together, we integrate and coordinate services to focus resources on producing specific results.

Initiative Partners:

·         Better Beginnings Child Development Center – quality day care and preschool program

·         Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County – mental health screening and intervention, parent education, and teacher consultation and support

·         Rise (Community Action Service Center of Hightstown) – case management, emergency assistance, and summer camp services

·         UWGMC- provides leadership, accountability and funding

Results Over the First Two Years

·         Enhanced day care improved developmental levels for 70% of the 144 children served

·         98% of parents increased their parenting skills through classes with mental health professionals

·         Training and support to all day care teachers resulted in better classroom interactions

·         73 children attended summer enrichment program, thus avoiding loss of learning over summer

·         66 families received assistance like food, benefits screening and referral

·         Collaboration allowed “no wrong door” access and “one-stop shopping” for family services

Why Invest in United Early Education Connection?

·         Child Benefit: Children whose emotional and behavioral issues are addressed at an early age perform better in school and thus improve their chances of starting school on grade level and eventually graduating. Parents who receive parenting training and support become more effective parents and more productive workers. Teachers who receive support and guidance are better able to instruct, guide and act as role models.

·         Employees Benefit: Employees who volunteer through their workplace report more positive attitudes toward their employer and their co-workers. Further, those who volunteer are more positive about their own physical and emotional health than non-volunteers.

·         Companies Benefit: Top-level executives recognize the bottom-line value of corporate citizenship because it enhances a company’s reputation and image, is valued by customers and helps recruit and retain employees.

·         Community Benefits: Parents who are able to work while their children are in day care contribute to the local economy, consume less entitlement benefits, and become more self-sufficient. Children who get quality day care have fewer behavioral problems that can lead to crime and thus increase their chances of completing high school, which results in higher rates of workforce participation and becoming productive citizens.