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Dear Friends of Ready Ready,
On November 8, voters in North Carolina will elect candidates to important public positions at national, state, and local levels. The people we place in office will make public policy decisions that directly impact the future development and well-being of your babies, young children, and families. Your vote matters.
As we continue to deal with the effects of the pandemic, it remains clear that support systems for our youngest children have suffered greatly. Every parent wants to give their child a strong start in life, but policies have not kept up with the reality of today’s parenting and the challenges families with young children face.
- North Carolina is home to approximately 360,000 young children ages 0-3. Nearly half of all babies born in our state are children of color.
- 60 percent of parents with infants and toddlers are in the workforce.
- 1 in 4 mothers returns to work two weeks after giving birth.
- The average annual cost of just one year of infant care is more than $9,000, which is more than the cost of one year of public college tuition.
- Early education teachers make an average of $11/hour, nearly half rely on some form of public assistance, and many lack health insurance or other benefits.
The North Carolina Early Education Coalition gathered those facts and also distributed a questionnaire to candidates asking them their position on early childhood policies. You can view their answers, compiled completely as submitted, on their website.
When we support our youngest children, we create the best outcomes in health, education, and economic well-being for everyone in North Carolina. Now is the time to build a better early childhood system centered in equity, to ensure all children have the resources they need to reach their full potential. Your vote matters.
Sincerely,
Charrise Hart
CEO
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Adding strategies for children ages 3-5
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Project Manager: Ages 3-5 Coretta Walker sat down with Fox8 anchor Brad Jones on October 28 to talk about Ready for School, Ready for Life’s (Ready Ready) strategies focused on children ages 3-5.
During the interview, Walker discussed the three strategies Ready Ready has chosen to implement this year, why starting early is the key to our children’s success in school, and how you can get involved.
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Watch the video to see Dr. Coretta Walker's interview on Fox8 about Ready Ready's Ages 3-5 strategies.
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You can also learn more on our website.
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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 that are important to their own 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, November 21, 2022. 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, with 16 dads signed up to network and offer support to each other. If you’d like more information on joining, please contact yuria@getreadyguilford.org.
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The Basics Guilford: Talk, Sing, and Point
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Babies learn language from the moment they are born. To a newborn baby, speech is just sound. Then, day by day, they learn that the sounds have meaning. This process depends on how much people talk to them. Every time you talk, sing or point to what you are referencing, you provide clues to the meaning of what you are saying. You are providing important information to their brains about how language works.
Tips for infants:
- Use a Playful Voice: Talk with a gentle, playful voice. Exaggerate the sounds of the words. This may feel silly at first, but it is actually very important. Babies pay extra attention and learn more when you talk this way.
- Name Body Parts: When changing or dressing your baby, make a game of naming and pointing to body parts. “Where’s Oliver’s nose?” Try singing a round of “Head, shoulders, knees, and toes.”
- Follow Their Interests: Your baby shows you what they’re interested in by looking or reaching. If it’s safe, move those objects closer so your baby can examine them. Name them and describe their features.
Tips for toddlers:
- Ask Questions: Get your toddler thinking. Have them explain what they are doing or what they think is going to happen. You may get some funny answers!
- Follow Their Fingers: Young toddlers communicate with gestures, especially pointing. Label and talk about the things they point to. Encourage your child to point to the objects you name. “Where is the pig? There it is.”
- Add Ideas: Help grow your child’s vocabulary by expanding on what they say. For example, if they say “doggie,” you can respond with, “Yes, that is a doggie. That doggie is brown and soft.”
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You can learn some great information about this Basic in 30 seconds by watching this video!
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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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Get Basics tips delivered to your phone
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Get science-based insights to boost your child's brain development. No app needed. No monthly fee! Monday’s texts tell you a scientific fact that’s happening with your child’s development, and Wednesday’s text gives you an idea for an activity to do with them.
These messages are customized for the age of your child and will help you support your baby's growth during the critical years of 0-3. Click here to opt in.
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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: Stephanie Skordas
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Stephanie Skordas celebrated her second anniversary as Ready Ready’s director of marketing and communications last month. She joined our organization after more than ten years of working in higher education strategic communications in a neighboring county, and shortly after the pandemic transitioned everyone to online education, including her youngest daughter in middle school.
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Partner Spotlight: The Barnabas Network
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You have probably heard about food banks, but what about a furniture bank? The Barnabas Network is a nonprofit furniture bank based right here in Guilford County.
“Barnabas started in 2005 as a grassroots response to natural disasters,” said Judy Caldwell, The Barnabas Network’s marketing and development manager. “Local faith groups, community-minded volunteers, and other organizations realized there was a gap in services here for folks starting over, resettling, fleeing violence, transitioning out of homelessness, or breaking the cycle of poverty.” The next year, the organization gained nonprofit status.
Caldwell noted that while service agencies were helping to find stable housing, furnishing these living spaces was frequently beyond a family’s means. “Today, we serve more than 2,700 people a year – about 800 to 1,000 families.”
Learn more about our collaboration on our website.
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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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