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Dear Friends of Ready Ready,
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” —Socrates
I’m excited about what 2023 will bring to our community as we begin a new year. As you may know, our mission at Ready for School, Ready for Life (Ready Ready) is to build a connected, innovative system of care for Guilford County’s youngest children and their families. Each year, approximately 6,000 children are born here. While every child deserves a great start in life, not every child starts from the same place.
Starting this month, our goal is to ensure that every child born in the county is on track for kindergarten. That work begins even before these children are born with family advocates we call navigators meeting with expectant parents in their OB/GYN’s practice to assess their strengths and needs. We call this system Routes to Ready and have partnered with Community Navigation at Children’s Home Society, Family Connects, HealthySteps, and Nurse-Family Partnership to provide parents and caregivers with the resources, information, and support they need.
Investing in children’s futures at the earliest possible time is critical. During the first three years of life, the brains and bodies of infants and toddlers make huge gains in development – 80% of brain growth happens in this time. Their early experiences – both positive and negative – build the foundation for brain and body architecture that will support their ability to learn, their behavior, and their overall health.
At the same time, we will support families with children ages 0-3 in 2023; we are building out the next set of strategies for children ages 3-5 and planning for the third stage, ages 5-8. We’re excited at the opportunities to make a difference here and then help other N.C. counties do the same.
Thank you for your support on this journey.
Sincerely,
Charrise Hart
CEO
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The Guilford Parent Leader Network (GPLN) is an integral part of the decision-making structure for Ready for School, Ready for Life. Families who participate are valued consultants, partners, and change agents who work on priorities important to their families and other families in Guilford County. Would you like to join other parents/caregivers of children from prenatal to age 8?
We gather on the third Monday of the month from 7-8:30 p.m. The next meeting is Monday, January 23, 2023. We are currently holding these meetings via Zoom. When meetings resume in person, we provide child care to alleviate barriers to participation.
For more information, please contact Yuri Alston, Family Engagement Manager, at (336) 579-2977 ext. 2008 or yuria@getreadyguilford.org.
The GPLN has also launched Fathers Ready to Grow, a group for dads to network and support each other. If you’d like more information on joining, please contact yuria@getreadyguilford.org.
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The science behind the Basic: Explore through movement and play
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Everyone knows that active play is one of the cornerstones of childhood, but why is it so important for a child’s brain development? Play provides opportunities for physical movement, social engagement and communication, exploration and experimentation, risk-taking and problem-solving, and creative expression.
Children who are more physically active have better academic performance, memory, and attention - staying on task with better recall! So, encourage kids to dance, jump on a trampoline, try yoga, take a walk, or play a sport. Getting kids moving early establishes a healthy foundation for learning and cognitive development as they progress through school!
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Do you know caregivers who could benefit from Basics Tips emails or Basics Insights Free texts? Forward this email with easy opt-ins below and help us make the Basics the common language of caregiving for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers! These easy science-based activity ideas will boost a child’s brain development during the years when the brain develops the most. Learn more about Basics Resources delivered to you and opt in!
The Basics are five fun, science-based parenting and caregiving concepts that anyone can do. Learn more about them at www.guilfordbasics.org.
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Would you like to be trained in The Basics Guilford?
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As we share information about the Basics across Guilford County, we need your help. We’re offering virtual training on the Basics for teams of three or more at organizations that interact with young children. Each session lasts 30-45 minutes. To schedule a training session or learn more about Ready Ready and the Basics Guilford, please contact Literacy Coordinator Megan LeFaivre at meganl@getreadyguilford.org.
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Staff Profile: Coretta Walker
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Coretta Walker joined Ready for School, Ready for Life (Ready Ready) as Project Manager: Ages 3-5 in May 2022. In her role, she’s responsible for building the infrastructure and processes for the next stage of Ready Ready’s work to shift outcomes for Guilford County children and their families.
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Partner Spotlight: Women's Resource Center of Greensboro
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The Women’s Resource Center of Greensboro’s mission is to promote women's self-reliance by assessing needs, providing services, and acting as a gateway to community resources.
“When we started our agency in 1995, we wanted to help women in our community connect to the plethora of resources we have in Greensboro and Guilford County. There are so many options that people don’t know about, or if they are eligible for services, or even what the services are,” said Ashley Brooks, executive director.
Currently, the Women’s Resource Center of Greensboro offers programs such as free legal advice in consultation with an attorney, job searching and networking services, community resource counseling, and education workshops on topics such as budgeting, credit repair, emotional well-being, first-time homebuying, and applying for social security.
Women's Resouce Center of Greensboro is part of Ready Ready's Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Cohort II.
Learn more about our collaboration on our website.
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Do you know someone who should be reading our newsletter? Please forward this email and encourage them to subscribe!
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Our mission
Ready for School, Ready for Life (Ready Ready) is a collaborative effort to build a connected, innovative system of care for Guilford County’s youngest children and their families.
Equity Statement
Ready for School, Ready for Life (Ready Ready) promotes equity, justice, diversity, and inclusion, which are woven through our mission, values, and principles. We stand against racism in all of its forms. Ready Ready will work with our community to address the structural inequities that drive disparate child and family outcomes and work towards an environment where equity, justice, diversity, and inclusion are core values. When we are working to address these structural inequities, Ready Ready will be bold in our actions.
When Guilford County Black and Indigenous children and families of color (BIPOC) feel welcomed, heard, respected, safe, supported, and valued, all of our community and our society benefit.
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