This fall, more than 30 3- and 4-year-olds are bursting through the doors of New Futures’ community learning centers, with crayons and play dough in hand, eager to get ready for kindergarten!

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WHY EARLY LEARNING?
Early childhood education reaps long-term benefits. Children entering kindergarten are expected to already have a certain knowledge base and set of skills. Studies show that a positive initial school experience sets the stage for long-term school success. In a 2008 study* in King County, children who attended pre-school scored significantly higher in physical health and well-being, social competence, language and cognitive development, and communication skills.

In the communities that New Futures serves, many young children are not ready for school. The same 2008 study found that 28 percent of kindergartners in Highline public schools, where children in New Futures’ programs attend school, were not ready to learn. That figure is much higher for the children in the families we serve. More than 90 percent of families in our programs are recent immigrants and refugees, and more than half speak limited or no English. Children in these families often reach kindergarten without any experience in a structured learning environment, and without the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in school.

WHAT MAKES NEW FUTURES UNIQUE?
We engage the families that are the hardest to reach. The families we serve are often unfamiliar with the public education system here and are isolated from community resources and networks. We provide families at three of the four low-income apartment complexes where we work with easily accessible, high-quality, and culturally competent early learning programs to ensure that their 3- and 4-year-olds are ready for school.

We are close to home. There is a strong and understandable uneasiness about leaving young children with unfamiliar caregivers in locations not close to home. Our programs are located in the apartment complexes where the children and their families live, making it easy and comfortable for families to participate.

We provide a culturally competent education that focuses on parent engagement. We build a strong foundation in a child’s native language in order to foster transferable skills for learning in another language. With participation from the children’s families, we incorporate many cultures into our daily activities.

New Futures’ early learning program equips children with the skills and confidence they need to make a smooth transition to kindergarten and long-term school success, and helps parents support their children’s learning.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Learn more about our programs and ways you can get involved. Tell your friends about the great work we are doing with children, youth and families in South King County!

*Commuities COUNT 2008, Public Health – Seattle & King County, pp. 41-44.