Get Involved - Parents
Learning Begins During the Early Years of a Child's Life
Parents are a child's first and lifelong teacher. Parents stimulate and develop their children's brain through everday activities. These activities include playing hide and seek or reading books to children at bedtime, which help build a solid foundation for lifelong learning.
Parents strive to make quality time available for their children; however, due to job demands and other pressing obigations, this is not always possible. For this reason, early care and education programs and preschool education can help parents meet their child's well-being and developmental needs.
Early care and preschool education programs are staffed with trained professionals. These programs are in schools, licensed homes, faith-based institutions, and community agencies. Additionally, these programs provide children with the quality care and learning experiences they deserve.
Children Who Start Ahead, Stay Ahead
The effects of preschool are reflected in two long-term thorough evaluations. The results of the evaluations indicate that high-quality preschool increases high school graduation rates by as much as 44%. For more information, visit www.fightcrime.org/ca/dropout/CA_Dropout_Report.pdf.
The Future is in High-Quality Early Care and Education Programs
Early care and preschool education programs provide children with pre-reading, pre-math, and socialization skills. These skills give children a jump-start to kindergarten and lead to higher rates of high school and college completion. As a child reaches adulthood, he or she has will have an increased opportunity to contribute more to the local economy and civic life of the community.
Early care and preschool education programs offer children an enjoyable and fun experience while creating a foundation for education and social success that will be beneficial to their future.
What is High-Quality?
Entrusting someone else to care for your child is a big decision and can sometimes be overwhelming. When looking for an early care or preschool education program for your child, a site visit is best. During the site visit, evaluate the program, teachers, and the attention provided to parents. Download the Quality Indicators adopted by the Fresno County Office of Education for more details on what to look for in a high-quality program.
