When we talk about the importance of early childhood we often think in terms of social determinates that can predict with some accuracy the path a child’s development and future success will take.
Children that have abundant food, adequate shelter, and their family lacks financial stress, their determinants are strong and consistent. They often have access to quality childcare and education, premium healthcare and are encouraged to engage in extracurricular activities.
For low to moderate-income families, and often those living in ALICE (Asset Limited, income constrained, employed) the access to food, sometimes shelter, quality childcare, and preschool along with basics such as healthcare, can mean the difference in not only academic success but overall lifetime health.
The development and educational opportunities that children have access to in their early years have a lasting impact on their health as adults according to the Office of Disease Prevention.
Our aim at Giraffe Laugh partners with the belief that every child is worthy of a wonderful life regardless of their economic circumstances. Every family deserves factors that strengthen their lives in our community. Every community deserves happy, healthy, and thriving families. With that in mind, our goal is to continue to expand opportunities for children.
We opened the Garden City Preschool the Idaho Way program this week and are thrilled with the excitement from children and parents who are attending. All of the students will be entering kindergarten next year and many of them have never attended preschool before. In Idaho, only half of all children entering school are prepared. Our aim is to move that dial and to ensure that children are more than prepared for their future academic careers.
Without the support of many important partners, this would not be possible. It is our joy to be able to launch this opportunity for Garden City children, but also to have an even bigger impact on outcomes for children as they enter kindergarten next year and the years after. We appreciate all of you that made this a reality and for the realities, you create for all of our children in all of our programs.