Early Childhood Initiatives Dr. Karen Whitley, Associate Superintendent for Program Support Dr. Rodney Thompson, Superintendent October 14, 2014

Focus Areas  We will build family, community, and business support that will generate advocacy for our schools and our school district.  Community Engagement  Early Childhood - Ensure the academic success of children in later years by communicating kindergarten social, emotional, and academic readiness expectations to parents as well as public and private childcare providers.  Career Academies - Collaborate with business and community partners to effectively communicate a shared vision of career academies to parents and other stakeholders.  Provide and enhance quality programs and recognition events for stakeholders.  Capitalize on existing partnership successes and continue to expand relationships with families, parental organizations, community organizations and businesses to generate investment in student achievement.

In early childhood you may lay the foundation of poverty or riches, industry or idleness, good or evil, by the habits to which you train your children. Teach them right habits then, and their future life is safe. - Lydia Sigourney

Berkeley County School District Early Childhood Programs CDEP First Steps Head Start

Forty-three Classes in 16 Schools in CDEP Eleven Classes in 6 Schools in Forty-eight Classes in 16 Schools in

Orientation Quarterly Contacts Open Communication Classroom Visits Parent Teacher Agreement CDEP

First Steps  Parents As Teachers Home Visitation Program  Dollywood-Imagination Library/Early Readers Fund  ABC Child Care Scholarship Program  Directors’ Leadership Cohort  Annual Trainings  Nurse-Family Partnerships  Early Identification and Referral/Babynet

Individualized Family Partnership Agreements Head Start Parent Committee Meetings Policy Council Program-wide Parent Trainings Volunteering Fatherhood Initiative Grandparent Support Group Advisory Committees

Early Childhood Stem Initiative Future Events Read for the Record Campaign Celebration of Directors’ Cohort Update and Expand Information on Website Early Childhood Run Parent Café Week of the Young Child Child Abuse Prevention Early Learning Council

The family seems to be the most effective and economical system for fostering and sustaining the child’s development. Without family involvement, intervention is likely to be unsuccessful, and what few effects are achieved are likely to disappear once the intervention is discontinued. — Unknown