A society can count its wealth in many ways, but a wise nation makes sure that its bank of human potential is always full. That is why we passed the family and educational levy in 2004 and put in $27 million over a seven-year period to fund programs like Seattle's Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) and Seattle Step Ahead Preschools.
The program is aimed at African American, Latino and new immigrant children. These are children who need additional help to be competitive and all the statistics clearly indicate that early education is the key.
There is another benefit to this that's not on the brochure. Parents who need to get out and work part or full time and cannot afford daycare may find this program a lifesaver.
There are still over 300 slots available, and the program is virtually free to low-income families. For example, if you have a family of four and make less than $1,834 a month you are eligible for the ECEAP. All foster children are eligible.
The ECEAP is for residents in Seattle and throughout the Washington, but Step Ahead is designed for families who live or work in the city. The Step Ahead program is designed for Seattle only, and in particular, Southeast and Southwest Seattle where the bulk of low-income residents live.
The children must be 3-4 for ECEAP and at least 4 for Step Ahead by August 31. If your income is higher than the stated amounts for your family size, you can still enroll, but you must pay the full cost.
It was Seattle city employee Sonja Griffin who informed me about the program.
"The program is open on September 25, and we want to make sure that all of the available slots are taken. It's a great program and an outstanding opportunity for low-income and immigrant families to get their children ready for kindergarten and beyond," said Griffin enthusiastically. "It's a competitive world and all children must be able to compete, and, unfortunately, they must start earlier than they have in the past."
Griffin has been going door-to-door trying to make sure parents have the word.
"We want to get the message out that 100 slots are still available," Griffin emphasized. "We know there are more kids out there than that who need these programs. This may be one of the best decisions a parent can make for their children's future."
She looks down the road ten years and sees a vision.
"In 10 years my vision is that the Early Learning Networks (ELN) will continue to support a high quality early learning system for Seattle families, that effectively nurtures and educates every child," Griffin asserted. "In addition, it is my hope that the gains made in closing the achievement gap will be maintained through authentic dialogue and a strong community and school partnership."
But she still sees some issues that must be addressed for some of the immigrant families.
"We are still looking for a more specific reference for academic achievement and early learning for East African families," Griffin noted.
From the information on early learning and how important it is, experts maintain that oral language comprehension, phonological awareness, letter name knowledge and concepts about print are extremely important. According to the National Research Council, " Children who are particularly likely to have difficulty with learning to read in the primary grades are those who begin school with less prior knowledge and skill in relevant domains, most notably general verbal abilities, the ability to attend to the sounds of language as distinct from its meaning, familiarity with the basic purposes and mechanism of reading, and letter knowledge."
But this is not something that school does by itself. The National Research Council is adamant about the role the parents play in the early development of their children. According to the group's literature, "parents and other care-givers should spend time in one-on-one conversation with young children, read books with them, provide writing materials, support dramatic play that might incorporate literacy activities, demonstrate the use of literacy and maintain a joyful, playful atmosphere around literacy activities.
"For most children, these primary prevention efforts will ensure that they are ready for formal reading instructions."
With education being so competitive, the earlier a child begins that process the more likely they will be to admitted in top-level colleges later in life. Call Sonya Griffin at 684-8835 if you need more information, or enroll by calling 386-1050.
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