Our children are our responsibility and our future. Simply stated, we therefore need to ensure that they are intellectually, physically and emotionally able to thrive into their adolescent and adult years However, more than 1 in 3 American children enter kindergarten without the skills they need to learn to read, and they begin a downward spiral in learning and coping.  Early reading literacy is an essential skill for success in school. Developing literacy skills starting at birth makes it easier for children to learn to read when they enter school. Children who have developed strong reading skills become lifelong learners, and have an advantage that carries with them throughout their lives.

Parallel to early literacy in importance is physical fitness starting from an early age. A healthy child with positive nutrition and exercise/play habits will carry these habits through life and be a healthier adult.

In our work on Early Childhood Learning we have benefited from the guidance of our friend and colleague Amy Kingman, MSW. We first met Amy when she was the Executive Director of “Strong Women Strong Girls” – a model program for mentoring young girls to become strong, engaged women.