First 5 FUNdamentals Partners agree to come together around the common goal of early childhood readiness for school. School readiness is the result of “developmentally appropriate care” in all child care settings. The work of the Partners is grounded in research. Research indicates children are more likely to have long-term positive outcomes in school and life if they and their families receive appropriate support, quality program delivery, and effective follow-up.
The members of the First 5 FUNdamentals Partnership use existing systems in new ways, to connect and leverage county-wide efforts, to expand upon successful programs, and to close gaps that may exist. An initial focus of this work will be to serve our most disadvantaged children and families, while recognizing that all children can benefit from improved early childhood development efforts.
The Partners are committed to advance “best practices” in our early learning system.
We believe Pierce County should focus on improvements that:
- Are family-centered and involve parents or custodians.
- Are culturally-relevant.
- Use standardized, developmentally and age appropriate assessments and curriculum.
- Are coordinated with and link to services for family support.
- Establish common training, communication, and standards for quality child care.
- Move toward better follow-up and consistency through the use of a master database for early learning resources.
- Are creative in reducing barriers to child and family success.
- Include a component to raise public awareness.
- Build community capacity and engagement around the early learning effort.
- Base decisions on evidence and attainment of established outcomes.
- Provide professional development, training, recognition, and incentives for child care providers.
- Consistently track progress toward goal achievement.
Partners meet monthly to implement community early learning strategies. We also work on special projects, such as parent involvement and improving the early childhood mental health system.