The Pandemic has Highlighted the Importance of Providing Low Income Children an Early Head Start on their Education
All children are born ready to learn, but in Austin, children living in poverty too often enter school unready to succeed. Before even walking through the classroom door, children living in poverty have already fallen behind in school. By age four, children from low-income families are up to 18 months behind their peers developmentally. Child Inc Head Start is a national high quality research based early childhood development program designed to promote school readiness for income eligible families with children ages 0-5 including pregnant mothers, focused on closing the achievement gap between more affluent peers and lower income children. The recent cold snap and energy grid failure in our state has only exacerbated the trying living situations for our families. Broken and leaking pipes coupled with prolonged unemployment have increased food insecurity and added higher stress situations in homes. In addition, to the stress of COVID and the economic instability for families, alongside the increase in domestic violence we’re seeing, many caregivers have lost or decreased access to substance abuse and mental health services. Based on the National Head Start Association’s survey results the field has identified an acute, increased need to address children’s mental health and see this as an area where Head Start programs could use additional resources. We are still at the very beginning of a long recovery from this COVID-19 crisis, but our Head Start and Early Head Start programs are working hard to meet the challenge.
Child Inc is Head Start Providing Modified Services
Children from lower income families are typically among the hardest hit by the summer slide and now virtual learning, likewise, the transition to online learning throughout this past year was more difficult for families without the necessary technology for it: those that don’t have multiple computers for children and parents learning and working from home, those without home internet, etc. Donations from this campaign will help provide appropriate access to technology and at home learning supplies used to enhance virtual learning as well a providing telehealth services for nutrition, mental health and disabilities support. While most Head Start programs are no longer offering on-site care, staff are continuing to support at risk children and families with modified services. Our team is working to stay in touch with families but don’t have the resources necessary to support their efforts. Many are working on phones or iPads, but they need additional technology to maximize their remote services to families. We need to be able to make sure programs have the technological infrastructure they need to support families. Head Start staff are in constant contact with families to help them navigate resources in their community, and providing a set of curated educational activities and supports for their children to do at home.
They are going ‘high tech’ with interactive online events and educational apps that teachers can individualize for families, ‘medium tech’ with emailed activities, resources, newsletters, and fun challenges for kids, and ‘low tech’ with food, packets, and art supplies dropped right at kids’ doors. The early childhood setting is critical in the development of children, so opportunities to use and explore computers and tablets are essential, particularly for those who do not have access to computers in the home environment.
Give NOW by visiting:
https://www.givegab.com/nonprofits/child-inc
