When Carrie was expecting her first child two years ago, she was unsure of how to prepare. Luckily, a friend told her about United Way of Weld County’s Bright by Three. After she signed up for a visit, a volunteer came to Carrie’s home, answered all her questions and gave her a lot of information she hadn’t even thought of.
As her son grows, Carrie has received two more visits, each time giving her useful information for his age, along with support and other resources.
challenges
The early years of a child’s life are full of opportunity to provide her with the foundation she needs for a life of meaning and success. For instance, did you know that 85% of a person’s intellect, personality, and social skills are developed in the first three years of life? According to the World Health Organization, early childhood is the most important phase for overall development throughout a person’s lifespan, and early
experiences determine future health, education, and economic participation.
Without high quality early childhood intervention, an at-risk child is…
- 25% more likely to drop out of school
- 40% more likely to become a teen parent
- 50% more likely to be placed in special education
- 60% more likely to never attend college
- 70% more likely to be arrested for a violent crime
Studies have shown that based on the quality, intensity, and duration of the program, when we spend $1 on early childhood education the return on investment in our community ranges from $8 to $16.
Investments
Parents and families are the key to early childhood development. Bright by Three educates parents on a wide spectrum of skills necessary for raising a well-developed child. Trained community volunteers and agency staff conduct annual visits in homes and community settings for parents with young ones aged 0-3 years.
Program A is for parents of children prenatal to 12 months of age, focusing on celebrating the birth of babies and providing families with support and information on their child’s health and safety, child care, early brain development and the importance of reading with children from birth. The Program B visitation is for children ages 12-24 months, helping with language and vocabulary development and creating a positive home learning environment. Program C is geared toward the 24-36 month age range, focusing on positive guidance and discipline, the importance of talking with, encouraging and playing with children, health, safety and development milestones.
Bright by Text, a recent innovation, provides parents with weekly text messages containing age-specific information on child care, nutrition, safety, development and discipline, among other things. Text BRIGHT to 274448 to begin.
“Bright by Three truly changes lives. We didn’t have money for organized activities or educational toys, but learned how to interact with what we had. This levels the playing field for low income families and it can work for everyone.”
former Bright by Three participant
