Education Starts Early

Today's Children are Tomorrow's Citizens.

Children from birth to five years old are learning the fastest. Those with high quality early childhood experiences start school ready to learn and are more likely to graduate from high school, go to college and be productive members of the workforce. Unfortunately, early learning programs are dramatically under funded. Many child care programs depend on fundraisers to keep their doors open. Parents often pay more for early care and education then they do for college.

For children to be able to learn their fullest potential they also need quality health care and nutrition as well as safe, caring supervision. Yet, many children do not receive the medical care they need. There are still children without health insurance or access to preventative health care and screening. There are also children that do not have all of their recommended immunizations.

As a community, we must recognize the value and importance of early care and education and support programs that promote these. Because the quality of each child’s early experiences greatly impact who he or she will become, the time to get involved is now. Everyone has a role to play.

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For more information, please contact: Shirley Topeka E.R.A.S.E. Barriers to Early Learning Cabell-Wayne Early Childhood Council 3603 Piedmont Road Huntington, WV 25704 (304) 429-6167 STopeka@aol.com

This website was made possible by grant number 90LO0058-01 and 90LO0108/01 from the Child Care Bureau, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not represent the official views of the funding agency, nor does publication in any way constitute an endorsement by the funding agency.