You can fund a child’s success. Help prepare a child to succeed in school. Your contribution can help children to get a better job and to break the cycle of poverty. Problem: Too many children arrive at school by age six unprepared to learn. Many of these children also have difficulties getting along with their peers, are unable to control their behavior, or are incapable of responding appropriately to the requirements of academic learning.

Scientists have identified a number of hazards to early brain development that are associated with these problems. For example, early speech and language disorders may be caused by many problems related brain functioning, including:

• Prenatal trauma, exposure to viral infection, or exposure to alcohol, other drugs, or other toxins, or difficulties in the birth process
• Malnutrition, beginning either prenatally or postnatally
• Head trauma (which can occur in child abuse), infections, or brain tumors
• Exposure to lead, pesticides, drugs, or other environmental toxins

School readiness skills include the ability to: 1) recognize letters, 2) count to 20 or higher, 3) write their names, 4) read or pretend to read.

Today, less than one third of fourth graders in the US are reading at the “proficient” level, and less than 40% of 3-5 year olds have at least three of four school readiness skills. (Source: National Center for Education Statistics)

Solution :

The United Way of Central Jersey focuses on reducing these risks and improving school readiness. Please designate your gift to this education program.

United Way of Central Jersey implements a program that calls for trained Home Visitors to visit a low-income, at-risk family with a child aged 3-5. The visitor arrives with a book or toy and models behavior that encourages the parent or caregiver to interact with the child.

The warm, secure attachment bond between caregivers and young children clearly helps to promote early brain development. Parents and other caregivers provide many forms of stimulation to the developing brain. This program aims to enhance that interaction.

Research shows that children who had gone through the program scored above average for school readiness at the start of first grade. Another study reported that 123 children who went through the program were far more likely to graduate from high school than a control group.

Gift ideas:

• You can volunteer as a home visitor
• You can advocate for the importance of universal, high quality pre-school
• You can give to help us increase the number of children who are in this program.

$1,500 for one child/family per school year (two visits per week)

$7,500 for a Home Visitor who can work with many families.

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