Early learning support can make a big impact on a child’s readiness for preschool and Kindergarten.
As a mom of four, Rosalia is like most mothers who want the best for their children. After the birth of her twins, Rosalia knew she needed some extra support and shared that:
“Being a mom is always hard, but being a mom of twins was something new and different [for me].”
She had watched helplessly as one of her older children struggled when he first began Kindergarten. He had never attended any preschool or early learning program. A school evaluation soon uncovered that he had a speech delay and would need speech therapy.
This time, Rosalia wanted to do more for her children. She wanted her twins to be better prepared for school and didn’t want them to struggle like their older brother. So, she reached out to Children’s Home Society of Washington and applied for her twins to be part of our Early Learning Home Visiting Program, which she heard about through her work.
Children’s Home Society of Washington set Rosalia up with a Home Visitor who met with them in their home once a week leading up to their first day of preschool. An initial assessment revealed that both of Rosalia’s twins also have speech delays like their older brother, so she received information about a birth to 3 program to enroll the twins in that would set them up for success.
Our early learning programs provide nearly 1,000 children (birth to age 5) and their families with essential support to prepare them for school success. Research shows that early learning programs are not only cost-effective, but children who receive early learning support are more likely to meet or exceed each developmental area for social-emotional, physical, language, cognitive, literacy, and mathematics.
Rosalia was committed to helping her children thrive. One of her goals was to have her twins be well-prepared to attend preschool. When the day finally arrived for their first day, On their first day, the Home Visitor went with Rosalia and the twins to lend support. The twins were shy at first, but by the end of the first day they were a “hit” with teachers and children alike.
“They were so good at reading and writing their name,” shared a proud Rosalia. “The teachers told me that they wished all their kids were so well-prepared. Not only could my twins read and write, but they told me my kids were so well-behaved.”
“I am so happy and proud to be where I am today,” Rosalia shared. She now knows how important it is for kids to receive services at a young age, but she often wonders what happens to families who fall through the cracks and believes everyone should have access to early learning programs.
Today, she is an advocate for other families and has joined our Policy Council comprised of other parents involved in our early learning programs.
“I’ve become a parent ambassador and I love it,” said Rosalia. “I like being able to help other parents advocate for early childhood education policy changes.”
Like her children, Rosalia found her voice.