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Winter 2004 Newsletter
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Every Child Is Our Future
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 Why do we at The Norfolk Foundation care so much about early
childhood care and education? Because we are convinced that
the first five years of life are a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity. This is when children develop basic learning
patterns and abilities they will use for the rest of their
lives.
Clear evidence links high quality early childhood care and
education better health as well as emotional and cognitive
development - all critical factors that determine a child's
readiness to succeed in school and life.
Consider the American reality: 65 percent of mothers with
children younger than six are in the labor force; 59 percent
of mothers with infants under age one are working; three out
of five children under the age of five are in childcare every
week. In 2001 almost one in four children did not have all
their immunizations by age two; 12 percent did not have
health insurance.
 Long-term studies have established that children exposed to a
nurturing, stimulating environment in the first five years of
life achieve higher results in elementary and secondary
education. Research shows that high-quality childcare
settings improve a child's classroom, social and thinking
skills as well as language ability and math skills.
These children also grow up to become more successful adults.
In response to these findings, state and local governments in
partnership with businesses and foundations are investing
more resources toward improving children's early learning
experiences to help prepare more of them to achieve in the
K-12 system.
Examples of activities that promote school readiness include:
- High-quality childcare
- Professional development for caregivers
- Preschool programs
- Curriculum standards
- Comprehensive healthcare and social services programs
- Parent education
Why should we as a region care about the success of every
child? Promoting early childhood success can become a
strategy for promoting better schools, a stronger workforce,
more stable families, enhanced opportunities for economic
development and lower crime rates.
The Norfolk Foundation is committed to working with
government, businesses, educational institutions and
nonprofit organizations to create a strategic plan to give
every child in our region the opportunity to succeed.
The first steps have already been taken. In October the
Foundation brought together more than 200 community leaders
for an inspiring talk by David Lawrence Jr., retired
publisher of The Miami Herald. He explained how Miami and
Dade County residents banded together to provide quality
early education for all their children, and he challenged our
businesses and government leaders to do the same. In December
a group of area civic leaders flew to Miami to see Lawrence's
Early Childhood Education Initiative Foundation in action.
The Norfolk Foundation's School Readiness Taskforce is
working with experts in our region and state to develop a
community-wide plan for guaranteeing that Hampton Roads'
children enter kindergarten healthy and ready to lean
Why? Because every child is our future.
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