ORGANIZATION HIGHLIGHTS ADVANTAGE OF EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Start Early’s program provides parents with community resources based on individual family service plans, and based on their needs. Photo courtesy of Start Early
Start Early’s program provides parents with community resources based on individual family service plans, and based on their needs. Photo courtesy of Start Early

Organization highlights advantage of early education programs

BY TIA CAROL JONES
     Start Early believes early childhood education programs are one of the ways to close the opportunity gap that exists in the Black community when it comes to children’s education.
     Brenda Eiland-Williford is Start Early’s director of early childhood quality and impact. The organization has an Educare Chicago Center that is located at 5044 S. Wabash.        She said it is a benefit for children to be involved in early childhood programs because young children’s brains are developing and it is an opportunity for them to really learn.
     “Their brains are developing so quickly and the more exposure a young child can get, in terms of engaging with other children, engaging with other adults, having an environment where they can explore, where they can try out new things, where they can discover, all of that adds to their ability to develop a strong sense of self, to develop strong socioemotional skills,” she said. “So, having that early childhood experience, which brings all of those things together, really promotes children’s growth and development and gives them such a strong foundation for when they enter kindergarten and later in life.”
      Eiland-Williford added an early childhood education also helps children develop language and problem- solving skills.      She said that at Start Early, they work with parents prenatally and they have doulas. Parents have the option of moving from the home-based doula program to the center-based program where the child engaged. The program goes up to 5 years old.
Eiland-Williford said there are parents who have continued throughout the program, starting before the child was born until the child turned 5. She said Start Early was able to continue engagement with the family because the parents got so much out of it.
     “It was not just about learning how to engage with their child, it was also about the support the parent got as well. When we talk about early childhood, we talk not only about how children develop, but we talk about what the parent needs in order to be a support, to be an advocate, to be the kind of parents that can help her child flourish, grow and develop,” she said.
     Eiland-Williford said it is all about holistically supporting the child and the family. She said Start Early creates individual family service plans and every plan is different because every family is different. She said they provide the parents with community resources based on those individual family service plans, and based on their needs.
     Eiland-Williford said Start Early and other early childhood education programs like it help close the opportunity and achievement gaps that exist in the Black community. She said the headstart program is a comprehensive program.
     “We not only look at educating young children and what’s best for young children, but how can we help families become self-sufficient. We’re talking about how we can help families become self-sufficient, earn a living wage that helps them go beyond minimum wage, that helps them get income where they can really live off of it,” she said.
     Eiland-Williford said it is a matter of supporting a family in obtaining a career that can make them self-sufficient, so they can get good housing, have savings and potentially own a home.
     “We talk about these big dreams and hopes that parents want for themselves and then we help them think about how we can chart out a pathway for you to get there. What are the resources, what are the community supports, what are the program supports that we can employ with you so that we can help you get on a track where you can be self-sufficient,” she said.
     For more information about Start Early, visit www.startearly.org.

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