We here at Children’s House are committed to building a community in which all children have the opportunity to learn and grow in a healthy, supportive environment.  We accomplish this by providing:

• top quality education and care for our youngest children
• resources and support for our families
• service of only organic foods
• strength and empowerment for our community to foster the optimal development for children, youth and adult family members.

Research into early childhood development has revealed that the brain begins to develop much sooner than was earlier believed, and that without sufficient mental stimulation children may fail to develop the synapses that facilitate learning throughout their lives. Today, more than 13 million children under age six are enrolled in some form of child care, and all too often, parents lack access to affordable, high-quality early childhood education programs.

Graduates of high-quality early learning programs are less likely to be held back in school than other students, are less likely to need special education, and are more likely to achieve a higher level of education attainment. For example, the Abecedarian Projects found that low-income children who received comprehensive, quality early-childhood education intervention had higher scores on cognitive, reading, and math tests than a comparison group of children who did not receive that education. Participants were also more likely to attend a four-year college and to delay parenthood. A study conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development found that children in high-quality child care demonstrated greater mathematical ability, greater thinking and attention skills, and fewer behavioral problems. These differences held true for children from a range of family backgrounds, with particularly significant effects for children at risk. As a consequence of these results, early childhood education has proven highly cost-effective, generating savings of as much as $7 for each dollar invested.

Traditionally, high-quality early learning programs have been available only to affluent families. Yet, good early education programs have a particularly strong impact on low-income children. There is a great need for high-quality early childhood programs that are affordable for these children.

Source: www.pta.org/ptawashington/issues/earlychild.asp