Early Childhood Development

Outcome: In keeping with the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, every child is prepared for school, laying the foundation for school, workforce and life success.

Strategies:

  • Form a community coalition that focuses on the early experiences during the first five years of a child’s life, when critical long-term brain development is occurring.
  • Help develop access to resources that support parents and children before a child enters a classroom in order to build a path to success in school and life.
  • Use data to better understand and choose investments that strengthen early childhood development.

Indicators: Evidence of achieving this outcome would be as follows:

  • Healthy births
  • Supported families
  • Families supportive of children in pre-school and early elementary
  • Enriching and healthy learning experiences birth to age 5
  • School readiness
  • Strong social and emotional skills
  • Third-grade reading proficiency

Current Investments and Strategic Partners

Alleghany Highlands YMCA

  • YMCA Early Learning Program Childcare Financial Assistance
  • Dolly Parton Imagination Library
    The Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that gifts free books to children from birth to age five.  The program has gone from just a few dozen books to over 80,000,000 books mailed to children.

Register your child to receive free books!