Early Learning Matters 2015

Sept.30,2015

arly Learning MATTERS! Building a Strong Foundation for Success

Students (above) at Spencer Technology Academy. Children (top right) playing at Channing’s Childcare Academy. Tashana McChriston (bottom right) walks down the West Garfield Park neighborhood going door-knocking as a headstart ambassador for COFI.

3RD GRADE READING SUCCESS PAGE 3 SERVING THE COMMUNITY ONE DOOR AT A TIME PAGE 4 | NEW MOMS, INC. MAKING A DIFFERENCE PAGE 5 3RD ANNUAL EARLY CHILDHOOD SYMPOSIUM PAGE 7

Austin Coming Together

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Austin Weekly News, September 30, 2015

arly Learning MATTERS!

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Austin Weekly News, September 30, 2015

MATTERS!

A New Agenda for Austin: 3rd Grade Success

By Andrew Born

N

ot many people know it, but third grade is one of the most important points in a child’s life. Recent reports by the Annie E. Casey Foundation have shown that a child’s ability to read in third grade is a very strong predictor of his or her future success.

START EARLY READING STATISTICS IN THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY

29.7%

OF 3RD GRADE STUDENTS ATTENDING CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS WERE MEETING OR EXCEEDING STATE READING STANDARDS IN 2014. THIS MEANS THAT ALMOST

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OUT OF

3

STUDENTS ARE AT RISK OF DROPPING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL

BY THE TIME THEY COMPLETE

3RD GRADE.

Your Team in Springfield

So why is it so important that our children are reading well by third grade?

After third grade, students begin to use their reading skills in order to learn in all subjects, like math, science, and social studies. If children aren’t reading well by the end of third grade, they will be more likely to fall behind in all subjects.

In the Austin community, only 29.7% of 3rd Public Schools grade students attending Chicago Pu ools reading standards were meeting or exceeding state read dards in 2014. This means that almost 2 out of 3 students nts from Austin are at risk of dropping out of high school by the time unacceptable. they complete 3rd grade. This is completely comp t bl But what can we do about it?

Preparing children for third grade success cannot be it’s not just a matter of done simply or overnight. That is, it’ getting private tutoring reading more books or ge achieving third grade sucfor third graders; achiev process that begins cess is a complex comp at birth. young children need the Our youn opportunity to grow up in stable opportunit environments (homes, neighborenvironme childcare settings). From hoods, child birth to age 5 they must develop skills, learn how to regutheir social ski emotions, and develop their late their emotio they can enter school character so that th such, we as a community ready to learn. As su support their family memmust be ready to suppo and educators bers, neighbors, care providers, pro so that we can collectively ssupport young children and emotionally and economically, socially, an development of their ensure the healthy d minds, bodies, and souls. success is not just a Third grade suc schools issue or a concern for parents.

Third grade success is critical to future earning power the fu of Austin residents and economic development in the

community. We must prioritize third grade success and mobilize the people and resources needed to support Austin’s young children and their families. Please join Austin Coming Together in making third grade success the new community agenda for Austin.

Helping Children Learn and Grow Proud supporters of Illinois Early Learning Council, Pre-School for All, All Kids Healthcare Program

Senator Don Harmon & Representative Camille Lilly

Illinois Senator Don Harmon, 39th District Work Fax Park, (708)848-2022 6933(708)848-2002 W. North Ave.,|Oak IL 60302 Work (708)848-2002 | Fax (708)848-2022

Illinois Representative Camille Lilly 5755 W. Division St. Chicago IL, 60651 (773)473- 3700 | staterepcamilleylilly@gmail.com

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Austin Weekly News, September 30, 2015

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Serving the Community: Community Organizing and Family Issues

By Lacey Sikora Maralda Davis knows the importance of community when it comes to raising children. The mother of eight has seen the difference that parents can make in the over twenty years she has been raising her children.

“I’ve been involved for about twenty two years in the community. I started with Head Start with my first born, and he’ll be twenty three this year. Now, I have one child who just got out of Head Start and my youngest is just starting. All eight of my kids will have gone through Head Start.”

Davis notes that enrolling her children in Head Start was the beginning of her involvement in their education and in her interest in the community’s educational opportunities.

In 2008, when there was talk about closing a neighborhood school, she attended a meeting and was introduced to Community Organizing and Family Issues (COFI.) “We were all doing this kind of work before COFI, but COFI helped us when the city wanted to close the school. There was a turnaround instead, and I started working with COFI then.”

COFI was founded in 1995 to organize low-income parents of color to advocate on behalf of their children. Patricia Islas, an organizer and trainer with COFI, says that COFI is responsible for intensive leadership training in communities and schools across Chicago in neighborhoods like Austin, but the first focus is always on families.

“We really focus on families and personal goals before digging deeper into community

WILLIAM CAMARGO/Staff Photographer

Tashana McChriston and Dexter Leggin walk down the West Garfield Park neighborhood going door-knocking as headstart ambassadors which are part of Community Organizing and Family Issues. A door-hanger is left at the door of a West Garfield Park residence, that advocates for early childhood learning. goals. We find out what goals families have or what obstacles they are looking to overcome. When they realize that other parents share the same commonalities, they can move into the schools and communities to make change.”

Islas cites the Head Start Ambassador

program as one of the key components of COFI’s early learning committee. Many parents are not aware of the early childhood programming Head Start offers in their communities. COFI’s Head Start Ambassadors are a peer-to-peer group that reaches out to other families with young children

WILLIAM CAMARGO/Staff Photographer

Dexter Leggin talks to chidren of the West Garfield Park neighborhood going door-knocking as headstart ambassadors.

and lets them know how to find and enroll in community Head Start Programs.

In the years since joining COFI, Davis found her calling as a Peace Ambassador. Islas explains that COFI helps parents set up and run Peace Centers, parent-run centers in schools meant to find solutions to suspensions and violence in schools.

Davis says her personal experience was what made her get involved as a Peace Ambassador. “I’ve been advocating for this sort of justice for years, since my son was at school and got suspended when he was jumped by a group of kids who came into the school but didn’t even go there.”

Davis and other COFI Peace Ambassadors work in the Peace Centers every school day, helping students make the choices that will lead to success in school.

“If the kids are getting in trouble or going down the wrong path, they can come to the Peace Center. The Peace Center makes a difference. It keeps the kids focused and gives them a better outlook on what they need to be doing to do well in school. Instead of arguing and fighting, there’s a better way to do things.”

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Austin Weekly News, September 30, 2015

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From the Very Beginning: New Moms, Inc.

By Lacey Sikora

Before a child is even born, access to prenatal care plays a role in the development of an unborn child. New Moms doula Jeanette Lewis understands the significance of the services provided at New Moms, Inc. in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. As a teenage parent, she used the services of New Moms and now is employed as a doula to offer another generation of mothers the same helping hand that made such a difference in her life.

“For me, I was a teenage mother. What better way for me to give back? We know that many of our young moms don’t have the support they need during pregnancy and afterwards. It’s a win-win to be able to give back.”

Austin’s New Moms, Inc.’s mission is to enable, empower and equip at-risk adolescent parents with the skills to break the cycle of poverty. Director of Programs Melanie Garrett notes that early childhood development begins before a child is even born and that access to both pre-natal care and follow-up care after a baby is born can set the stage for a lifetime of healthy development.

For Lewis, the services of a doula, a nonmedical mid-wife, are meant to provide a constant presence to an expectant mother.

“We take them into the program at the beginning of their third trimester, and we are with them for about five months. We do prenatal groups on labor, breast-feeding, baby cues and taking care of mother’s help now and post-partum.”

Lewis knows how important it is to have outside guidance during pregnancy and afterwards, and notes that her services extend beyond the mom. “We’re there for the mom the whole time during labor, helping them stay focused, giving them ice chips, and holding their hands. We’re there to hold the dad’s hand too. Sometimes, they are not sure what to do. We can show him how he can help.”

Luecendia Reed, Supervisor of New Mom’s Bright Beginnings program, has been working in community health for eleven years and stressed the importance of pre-

Someone under the age of twenty four

really needs support. When you’re in adolescence yourself and about to have a child, you need education and support over a period of time. Pre-natal care is important to the health and future of the mom and baby both, physical and mental.”.

WILLIAM CAMARGO/Staff Photographer

New Moms, Inc. doula Jeanette Lewis poses for a portrait at New Moms, Inc. in the Chicago neighborhood of Austin. natal care for young mothers.

“Someone under the age of twenty four really needs support. When you’re in adolescence yourself and about to have a child, you need education and support over a period of time. Pre-natal care is important to the health and future of the mom and baby both, physical and mental.”

After the baby arrives, New Moms continues to offer support through home visits, and

Reed says this is a time in which they educate young parents so that they can make good decisions going forward.

“At home we’re modelling behavior. We model early reading, even while the baby is still in the womb, so that becomes a habit.

We talk about the importance of immunization. There’s also a lot of misinformation out there, so it’s important that young parents get their information from providers so

we can stop passing along myths.”

She cites the back to sleep campaign to put babies to sleep on their backs to prevent SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.) “A lot of parents or grandparents may not have put babies to sleep on their backs, but we now know how important that it. Once we educate our mothers, they may share that information with a friend or family member so that knowledge becomes collective.”

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Austin Weekly News, September 30, 2015

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For more information about classes and more, please call Margaret at 773.379.7627 Certificates of Participation will be given.

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La Shawn K. Ford 8th Legislative District State Representative

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Austin Weekly News, September 30, 2015

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Austin Coming Together: 3rd Annual Early Childhood Symposium October 10

By Lacey Sikora Austin Coming Together (ACT) is readying for its third annual Early Childhood Symposium and co-directors Andrew Born and Darnell Shields have a bold vision for the October 10 event.

Previous symposiums have focused on providing professional development opportunities for childcare providers and workshops to increase community awareness of early childhood development issues, and Born says that ACT is looking to build on those early events.

“This year, we will be providing workshops in the morning, but we’re really trying to rally the whole community around the idea of third grade success.”

Defined broadly, third grade success means that third graders in the Austin community will be proficient in reading and math, emotionally and socially on track for development, and in good physical health. Achieving third grade success is dependent on many

factors affecting early childhood Shields notes that the success of development from birth to age the family plays into the success eight. of every child. “It’s important to Born and Shields point out that note that third grade success is a research shows that social, emomeasurable indicator of how stational and physical health all play ble our families are. It’s why we a role in a child’s ability to learn want to mobilize the whole comin school, and research shows munity. Third grade success is a that students who aren’t reading marker for community stability.” proficiently by third grade won’t Born points to community leaddo as well as their peers later in ers like Ruth Kimble as a driving RUTH KIMBLE school. Creating successful chilforce for early childhood developFounder of the Austin Childcare dren goes hand in hand with supment in Austin. “She’s a huge adProviders Network port for families and in the comvocate for children through her munity. childcare center and network. She In order to achieve third grade success, is a strong voice in the community.”

ACT’s goals include making sure all families Kimble, president and founder of the Aushave access to medical care and high quality tin Childcare Providers Network and Chair parenting support. All families should live of ACT’s Early Childhood Collaborative, in safe neighborhoods and have access to ca- agrees that success in school is tied to many reer pathways, and all families should have different parts of the community.

“We work with childcare providers, teachaccess to quality early childhood care and education. Schools should have a supportive ers and parents on helping children get ready for school. To be successful in school is to be culture and climate.

successful in life. We understand that we need to address the needs of the families through youth services, early childhood services and access to medical care. These wrap-around services are a necessary part of success for children.”

In order to provide those wrap-around services, ACT is looking to the United Way to help mobilize the community through strategic partnerships and relationships.

Jaime Arteaga, Manager Community Engagement with the United Way of Metro Chicago, says that the United Way’s partnership with ACT can help broaden the impact of the organization. “We are helping to set up relationships with corporations and volunteers.

When people think about resources, they always assume it’s about dollars, but it’s about so much more than that. We can use our expertise to help the community organizations more efficiently serve the community.”

More information about Austin Coming Together can be found at www.austincomingtogether.org.

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THANK YOU to BMO Harris Bank and WELLS FARGO for their cornerstone investment in our LIVE UNITED Neighborhood Networks - our innovative model to transform neighborhoods by coordinating and integrating education, income and health resources.

“Thank You” from Austin Coming Together Faith Arnold, Service Employees International Union Valencia Burney, Erikson Institute Melanie Garrett, New Moms, Inc. Samina Hadi-Tabassum, Northern Illinois University Humu Ibrahim, American Heart Association Stacy Adams, Austin Childcare Providers’ Network Sara Anderson, Erikson Institute Juanona Brewster, Illinois Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics Linda Butkovich, McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Maralda Davis, COFI Dawn Ferencak, Austin Weekly News Kate Gladstone, LAF Elise Groenewegen, Illinois Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics Gloria Harris, COFI Sergio Hernandez, Voices for Illinois Children

AECC Members

Madelyn James, Voices for Illinois Children Margaret Johnson, Austin Childcare Providers’ Network Durriyyah Kemp, University of Illinois Extension Ruth Kimble, Austin Childcare Providers’ Network Anne Konen, Illinois Action for Children Emily Hoffman, UIC Center for Literacy Patricia Islas, COFI Robyn Kelton, McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Skyler Larrimore, COFI Jacob Lesniewski, Dominican University Michelle Morton, COFI Tracy Occomy, COFI Alicia Plomin, Austin Weekly News Kendall Reid, Kingdom Community, Inc. Josephine Robinson, World Vision Raquel Rocha, Austin Coming Together Miguel Rodriguez, By the Hand Club for Kids

Kelly Lambrinatos, VOCEL Luther Poole, Bethel New Life Aisha Ray, Erikson Institute Sarita Sashington, Be Strong Families Donnita Travis, By the Hand Club for Kids Matea Varvodic, Teach for America Marlita White, Chicago Safe Start Colleen Whittingham, UIC Center for Literacy Mildred Wiley, Wiley Consulting Inc. Andraya Yousfi-Winters, Teach for America Larry Williams, State Farm Michele Zurakowski, Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry Diane Gibson, Chicago Children’s Museum Wells Fargo

Alderman Emma Mitts, Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin, State Representative La Shawn Ford, State Senator Don Harmon State Senator Kimberly Lightford, State Representative Camille Lilly