Racial and economic disparities in the first 5 years of our children's lives have a devastating impact on their readiness for kindergarten, which in turn negatively affects the rest of their lives.
By the time a child reaches the age of 5, 90% of their brain has developed, making the progression from birth to kindergarten the most significant time in their life. Early childhood development – positive and negative – directly affects how the brain develops, leaving a lasting impact on learning, behavior, and health.
In Franklin County, only 40% of our children are ready for kindergarten. Further, this low percentage of children ready for kindergarten negatively impacts our community. You can help change the trajectory of our children’s lives today and become part of the solution.
The case for changing this stark reality will be discussed at a virtual Public Briefing on Friday, Feb. 5 at 9:15 a.m. with Mayor Andrew Ginther; County Commissioner Marilyn Brown; Alex Fischer, President and CEO of the Columbus Partnership; Bishop Timothy Clarke, Senior Pastor at First Church of God; and Jane D. Leach, Executive Director at Future Ready Columbus.
Future Ready Columbus, a nonprofit, collective impact, is leading the charge and has assembled a team of central Ohio family members, community leaders and government officials, known as the Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC), to develop an equitable, action-oriented kindergarten readiness plan, Future Ready by 5.
Research demonstrates that four Kindergarten Readiness Drivers are crucial to a child's ability to be ready for kindergarten: Health & Behavioral Health, Families & Communities, Education & Development Supports, and Public & Private Infrastructure. These four drivers come together as our early childhood system. In Franklin County, our system is broken, and we must fix it.
The Public Briefing on Friday, Feb. 5 will educate Franklin County on the solution and launch a community-wide request for insight on Future Ready by 5. These insights will be collected from community meetings, small and large, throughout Franklin County, either in person (following COVID protocols) or online, and from answers to The Big 5 Questions between Feb. 5-July 22, 2021.