San Bernardino Children Get a Chance at a Fair Start With New Funding for Education Programs

$2.3 Million Grant will Bring Save the Children's Early Childhood Education Program to Rural California

WASHINGTON, Aug. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Thanks to a $2.3 million grant from First 5 San Bernardino, children in San Bernardino will have an opportunity for lifelong success through Save the Children's "Early Steps to School Success" (ESSS) program. ESSS is an early childhood development home visiting program that helps children from low-income families develop early learning skills, essential for brain development and success later in life.

The funding will allow Save the Children's U.S. Programs to provide programs for 450 children and their families in 23 of the most remote, rural communities in San Bernardino County, including the Fort Irwin military base.

"First 5 San Bernardino is pleased to partner with Save the Children to provide school readiness services to children in remote areas of San Bernardino County so that these children may be better prepared to enter and succeed in school," said Karen E. Scott, executive director of First 5 San Bernardino.  "In rural areas, where there are few other childhood supports, a collaborative effort such as this one between Save the Children, Preschool Services and First 5 San Bernardino supports the First 5 mission to promote and enhance the health and early development of children, prenatal through age five, their families and communities."

By providing high-quality early childhood education services for young children and support for parents, ESSS gives children a foundation of learning to promote future academic success.  ESSS is a partnership with Save the Children's U.S. Programs and state governments in 11 states.

The program is helping to ensure that the 1 in 4 children living in impoverished, rural parts of the United States get the best start possible by providing parents and caregivers with education, support and essential tools they can use to stimulate early learning.  

ESSS includes one-on-one home visits with children and parents, toddler story book hours and structured activities to promote early language and literacy skills along with social and emotional development. The program encourages daily reading to promote parent-child bonding, healthy brain development and early literacy skills that are critical to school success.

Recent results show the ESSS program works. At-risk children participating in ESSS scored right within the national average on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and scored significantly higher than children from Head Start and Early Head Start.

"Although 90 percent of brain development happens by age six, the bulk of our public education doesn't even begin until age six," said Mark Shriver, senior vice president of Save the Children's U.S. Programs. "Through this expanded partnership with San Bernardino County, we're able to bring quality early education to even more kids in rural California, giving them a solid foundation for success."

About Save the Children's U.S. Programs

Save the Children's U.S. Programs work to break the cycle of poverty and improve the lives of children by ensuring they have the resources they need – like access to a quality education, healthy foods and opportunities to grow and develop in a safe environment. Save the Children's early childhood education, literacy, and physical activity and nutrition programs reached more than 50,000 children in the United States last year alone. Combined with our emergency response work, we reached over 60,000 children. For more information visit www.savethechildren.org/us.

SOURCE Save the Children