Building Our Future
  • Home
  • About Us
    • History
    • Approach
    • Investors
    • Boards
    • Staff
    • Values
  • Data and Resources
    • Data >
      • County Overview
      • Smart Beginnings
      • School Success
      • High School Completion
      • College & Career Readiness
      • Housing in Kenosha County
      • Teaching in Wisconsin
      • Technical Notes
    • Community Resources
    • News
    • Reports
  • Our Work
    • Results Count
    • Community Engagement >
      • Youth Initiatives
    • Smart Beginnings >
      • Child Care
    • Early Grade Reading
    • Education, Career & College Readiness
    • Postsecondary Access & Completion
  • Contact Us
  • Donate

News

​

The ROI That Beats the Stock Market

8/29/2018

 
Picture
The buzz in recent years on the importance of early childhood has been roaring. Young children’s brains are producing 1 million new neural connections per second in the first few years of life, and we now understand the bigger picture of why we need to set families up for success from very early-on. Research has shown that investing in quality care and programming at this young age, specifically for our most disadvantaged children, leads to a 13% return on investment annually. Kenosha County residents of all generations, and our economy, would benefit widely from this return. This is the work of our Smart Beginnings Network.

Dr. Diane Gerlach, pediatrician at Aurora Health Care and champion of this work, demonstrates this. “When children are struggling early on, they tend to have behavior problems. This adds stress to the parent who may also be struggling with parenting, and it bleeds over to their [employment] with poor productivity and attendance. Identifying problem areas early allows for early treatment, which decreases their struggles and behavior problems, which decreases parent stress. This creates better current and future employees.” Smart Beginnings brings together community partners to directly address the importance of early childhood through alignment of programs and systems.

This group has launched its collaborative action approach by aligning with childcare centers and equipping them with the Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3), a developmental screening tool. Childcare centers get trained to educate parents and caregivers about developmental milestones and provide them with activities to help their child thrive. Parents are a child’s first and most important teacher, so when parents understand the importance of reading, talking, and playing with their child, it can result in significant gains in developmental outcomes. Regular screenings can also ensure that families receive needed interventions early. When parents are supported, they can be more present and productive employees, residents, and leaders in our community. Businesses and our overall economy are then poised to profit.

We are already seeing small wins with this alignment. The number of reported ASQ-3s in Kenosha County has doubled over this time last year, resulting in more children receiving necessary interventions earlier. Suzi Wolf, Early Intervention Program Manager at KAC, shares, “Providing services before a child is school age is more effective and less costly because the developing brain is the most capable of change.” Is this an investment we can afford not to make?

How You Can Help
The success of this work depends on stakeholders of all shapes and sizes. Consider:
  • Completing the ASQ-3 for your child if they are between 2 months and 5 years. Spread the word to your neighbors and colleagues who are parents of young children. Go to: https://www.asqonline.com/family/91beb5.
  • Asking your childcare center if they are using the ASQ-3. If not, they can learn more and get trained by contacting Jodee Rizzitano at jodee.rizzitano@kenoshacounty.org.
  • Contacting your local representatives to encourage them to support early childhood alignment efforts.
Picture
​

​Written by Lynn Debilzen
Building Our Future Manager Birth-8
​Published in The Kenosha News

Comments are closed.

    Categories

    All
    Annual Impact Reports
    ARPA Funding
    Backbone Team
    BOF History
    BOF Partnership Survey
    BOF Podcast
    Child Care
    CommUNITY Conversations
    Community Data
    Digital Divide
    Early Grade Reading
    ECCR
    Higher Education
    Housing
    K12
    Kenosha News Article
    Mental Health
    Parent Leadership
    Policy
    Results Count
    Smart Beginnings / ECE
    StriveTogether
    Youth Initiatives


    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    August 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    September 2019
    July 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    March 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    November 2015

Social Media

Picture

Our Mission:


Together we will engage our community to provide an environment in which all contribute and excel

​Our Vision:
​

Everyone achieving personal potential from cradle to career

  • Home
  • About Us
    • History
    • Approach
    • Investors
    • Boards
    • Staff
    • Values
  • Data and Resources
    • Data >
      • County Overview
      • Smart Beginnings
      • School Success
      • High School Completion
      • College & Career Readiness
      • Housing in Kenosha County
      • Teaching in Wisconsin
      • Technical Notes
    • Community Resources
    • News
    • Reports
  • Our Work
    • Results Count
    • Community Engagement >
      • Youth Initiatives
    • Smart Beginnings >
      • Child Care
    • Early Grade Reading
    • Education, Career & College Readiness
    • Postsecondary Access & Completion
  • Contact Us
  • Donate