Join us on February 20 for the Inclusive Literacy Alliance Convening as we share a year’s worth of work and unveil four pilot project ideas to expand literacy access in Kent County. Your voice matters. Come help shape what moves forward.

Deciding how the Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage funding is spent is no small task. Supported by Kent County taxpayers, it is critical that residents have a strong voice in how these dollars are allocated. To ensure this, the Resident Proposal Review Board (RPRB) was created — a diverse group of nine community members from across Kent County who review proposals from service providers and make recommendations about which programs and services should be funded.

When most people think about early childhood education (ECE), a specific image or type of job might come to mind. But the truth is, ECE is a rich field full of diverse opportunities, each contributing to the healthy development of young children. From home-based child care business owners to family advocates and administrators, the roles in early childhood education offer a range of career paths. Let’s take a closer look at the breadth of roles available and the opportunities they present.

Healthy development in the early years provides the building blocks for educational achievement, economic productivity, responsible citizenship, lifelong health, strong communities, and successful parenting of the next generation. (Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University). Regardless of work hours or settings, Early Childhood Education and Care professionals play a critical role in helping children learn and meet milestones in their cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development.

More families in Kent County are able to receive services that improve the health and school readiness of young children thanks to a new round of Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage funding that was approved today.

Are they really old enough to understand? Are we putting ideas in their heads? Aren’t they naturally colorblind? Those are a few common questions parents and caregivers ask themselves – and often answer inaccurately – leading them to delay conversations about race and racism. Young children are ready to have those conversations much earlier than adults realize. Research shows babies younger than six months old recognize racial differences and children can develop biases by the time they are in preschool, associating some races with “good” qualities and others with “bad."

First Steps Kent is teaming up with a diverse group of community leaders to help adults feel more comfortable and confident in talking to kids about race as well as different cultures and family structures. Equity Talks is a series of videos aimed at empowering parents and early childhood educators to confront their own biases and teach children how to embrace those who are different than them.