While much attention and effort has been directed at addressing the widening opportunity gap in the United States, children growing up in communities that are under-resourced from decades of historical and institutional racism face an equally pervasive and related health gap. By and large, they have markedly worse health than their peers from more advantaged communities. This gap appears early in life and builds over time. Science suggests that adverse early life experiences and environments — prenatally and in a child’s first years — can contribute to the health gap, leaving biological imprints on the child’s developing body and brain that can have strong and lasting effects.

Fortunately, new and current research points us to a critical strategy in narrowing the health gap and giving all children a chance at good health over their lifetime: We can ensure that every child has access to high-quality early childhood programs, including early education and home visiting.

Attachment ─ the security, confidence, and trust that infants and toddlers have with the adults responsible for their care ─ is the framework within which babies develop their growing ability to regulate emotions and behavior. Babies thrive when they are securely attached to their mother, father or primary caregiver who knows and responds consistently and reliably to their unique personalities. Infants and toddlers who are not securely attached are likely to become preschoolers who are unable to control their behaviors and kindergartners who have difficulty engaging in the process of learning.

Recognizing the importance of secure attachment, Start Early implements a continuity of care model in partnership with our network of early learning schools, the Educare Learning Network. This model minimizes the disruptions that children experience by keeping infants and toddlers with the same classroom team of teachers until they transition to preschool.

Young children who lack at least one loving and consistent caregiver in the earliest years may suffer severe and long-lasting development problems. This landmark study of scientific brain research shows environmental stress, even among infants and toddlers, can interfere with the proper development of neural connections inside the brain essential to a child’s proper social and emotional development. This report recommends that early childhood programs balance their focus on literacy and numerical skills with comparable attention to the emotional and social development of all children.

From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development  was published in 2000 by the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.

How parents and caregivers speak to children significantly affects their I.Q., literacy, and academic success later in life, according to University of Kansas child psychologists Betty Hart and Todd Risley.

Hart and Risley found that the number of words and encouragements and the breadth of vocabulary heard by a child during the first three years of life can dramatically affect language development and I.Q. Their study was informed by close observations of 42 1- and 2-year olds and their families for more than two years.

From those observations, the researchers estimated children in professional families hear approximately 11 million words per year; while children in working class families hear approximately 6 million, and children in families receiving public assistance hear approximately 3 million words annually.

For more information on the study, read: Hart, B. & Risley, T.R. (1995). Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children.

This Giving Tuesday, we partnered with KPMG’s Family for Literacy program who matched funds raised during the day with $10,000 worth of books for children at 26 early childhood programs. We are so grateful to have such a dedicated partner like KPMG who believe in our mission to ensure our earliest learners have the best start in school and life.

Recently, we sat down with Kerri Neis, associate director at KPMG, to discuss why fighting illiteracy and supporting Start Early is important to the company.

1. Why are literacy and early education essential parts of KPMG’s Corporate Citizenship initiatives?
   KPMG’s Citizenship efforts are centered on lifelong learning, which is essential to unlocking the potential in people, building economies, and above all, improving lives. Literacy is at the foundation of lifelong learning, and access to books is necessary to build strong reading skills. Specifically, the need is profound in Chicago. We know that by fourth grade, only about 27 percent of Chicago’s students are considered proficient in reading–there is a literacy crisis we can’t ignore. And in Chicago’s low-income neighborhoods, there is only one book for every 300 children, whereas in middle-class neighborhoods, there are 13 books per child on average. The statistics are so motivating for all of our leaders, partners, and employees—who have enjoyed an education and want to give back to the communities they love.
2. What is KPMG’s Family for Literacy (KFFL) program?
   KFFL is the firm’s flagship Citizenship program with a mission to eradicate childhood illiteracy by putting new books into the hands of children in need and developing the next generation of young leaders through reading. This unique program is particularly effective because it harnesses the energy and enthusiasm of KPMG’s extended family—not only partners and employees, but also spouses, children, interns, retirees, alumni, professional golfers, and KPMG Brand Ambassadors Phil Mickelson, Stacy Lewis, Mariah Stackhouse, Maverick McNealy and Olympic gold medalist Laurie Hernandez.

   Since its inception in 2008, KFFL has distributed over 5 million new books to low-income children in 100+ communities across the United States. KFFL also translates across borders having spread through KPMG’s global network to India, Mexico, South Africa, Zambia, the U.K., Kenya, Canada and China.

3. How does partnering with an organization like Start Early help KFFL support its mission of eradicating childhood illiteracy?
   Our organization and networks allow us to raise the funds to buy books, source volunteers to pack and deliver books, visit schools and libraries, and fuel the enthusiasm to share the importance of our mission. But we count on partners in the community to connect us with the right communities in the right way, which allows us to bring the books into the communities we most want to serve. Our core competencies lie in providing Advisory, Tax, and Audit services to our clients—our KFFL partners’ core competencies lie in serving constituents in communities. Those partnerships are so valuable to us as they provide the network, trust, and connectivity to carry out our mission.

   We have been so impressed with the holistic and critical services Start Early provides to their communities, that is why we were thrilled to be able to provide books to the schools, children, and families in their network. We hope that in addition to literacy skills, these books bring families together for quality time, spark the imaginations of young readers, and inspires their children to learn more. Because that is what we are all about at KPMG—lifelong learning!

Annaliese is an early childhood educator for 13 years and current teacher at Educare Chicago, Start Early’s (formerly known as the Ounce) early education school. Originally from Ohio, she moved to Chicago in 2010 to pursue a teaching license and master’s degree in early childhood education from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

She is dedicated to helping her students start early. She enjoys teaching them to learn, play, problem solve and how to discover the world around them, sometimes all at the same time, while also learning side-by-side with them.

Recently, we sat down with Annaliese to discuss how being an educator has impacted her life and why she is passionate about working with communities most in need.

1. Why is being an early childhood educator important to you?
   Being an early childhood educator is very important to me. While some people think that I get to play with kids all day, and sometimes I do, it is fast-paced and changes day-by-day. I am constantly juggling information and goals from parents, emotions from the kids, lesson planning, looking at data, paperwork, documenting the kids work. It is exhausting to even think about the amount of work I get done in a day, both with the kids and the paperwork and meetings that happen during nap time.

   And we all know the studies, showing that the first five years of life are the most important at predicting outcomes later in life. This makes teaching this young group so important. The impact extends for all of life. I want to instill a love of learning and exploration and allow creativity and critical thinking to flourish. When you teach older kids, you have to worry about testing and district restrictions. Working in preschool allows you to integrate all developmental areas into studies, and I love that. Every day I get to discover and learn with my students, and that is what keeps me going.

2.  How has your experience as an educator impacted your life?
   Being an educator has enlightened my whole life. Since my work is with young kids and having to know so much about development and watching kids develop so quickly, I have gained an appreciation for the way we all develop, throughout life. Even in my personal life, someone will ask me a question, and I’ll respond with, “Well, in Erickson’s Theory of Development…” I helped my partner learn to drive and thought about it like a teacher, like how can I “scaffold” how to parallel park?

   It has also opened my eyes to so many issues in the teaching field. Teaching is a profession that is made up of mostly women who are underpaid. Who work multiple jobs. Who spend their paychecks on their students. Who work over 40 hours a week. Who worry about their students at night and on the weekends. Who can’t afford childcare for their own children? And, some of us are working with and in traumatized communities. Traumatized by the government and the police. Working with families who don’t have stable homes or income. Families who worry about feeding their families and paying their meals. And it is hard when you work with these families and are one of these families, too. As a white woman, it is my duty to fight for these injustices and push for changes in the education field so that all teachers are supported and paid a living wage. I need to fight for more resources in the community I work in so that there is more equity in our world.

3. Why should parents seek out high-quality early education programs for their children?
   Right now, the parents in my classroom are applying to kindergarten for their children. They are stressed out and worried about their child getting into a good school. Getting into a good kindergarten is like getting into a good college. When you are a parent living on the South Side, where level one schools are few and far between, you are literally fighting for your child’s success. In order to get into a selective enrollment school, your child needs to be prepared for the selective enrollment test. Parents know their child needs to be in a high-quality preschool program to give them a foundation and skills to pass the test.

   Another point we remind parents is that school is more than just knowing your letters and counting to 100. Children need to know how to navigate the other side of school: being able to follow directions, control their emotions and work well with others. In my classroom, we focus a lot on these skills through role playing and problem solving. If a child cannot self-regulate than they won’t be able to sit quietly through a lesson in kindergarten. I think finding a balance of teaching and preparing these two components of school is a challenge that all early childhood educators face and when classrooms and programs can balance this, then high-quality care is happening.

4. What advice would you give to a new educator coming into the early education field?
   My advice to new educators is to make sure to take care of yourself. Go to counseling, get a massage, get your nails done, eat good food. If we cannot be there for ourselves then we will never be able to be there for our families and students. This is a difficult profession, and burn out is quick and easy. Create boundaries. Even if you are taking work home, either only do it through the week to leave your weekends open, or don’t do it during the week and spend a few hours on the weekend doing work. Just take care of yourself first and foremost.

At just 25 weeks pregnant, Kim gave birth to her second son Payton Joseph, weighing in at 1 lb. 5 oz – 15 weeks earlier than his due date. Payton and his family were confronted with immediate and long-term challenges as a result of his earlier-than-expected birth – an inability to breathe on his own, a drastically low heart rate, severe vision complications and frightening seizures. Payton’s family faced what seemed like never-ending developmental and medical challenges.

This is the story of the Start Early’s (formerly known as the Ounce) own Vice President of Communications Kim Ptak, who was ultimately inspired by her family’s experience to make the move from corporate America to a dedicated career at Start Early.

Today, Payton is 13 years old – inquisitive and active, at grade level, taking no major medications, using no medical equipment, and driving his older brother crazy – he’s thriving! Just last year, Payton was selected to serve as the honorary bat boy for his favorite Chicago Cubs by Advocate Health Care and the nurses who cared for him at birth. Kim credits Payton’s solid start in life and ultimate success to many – doctors, nurses, hospital staff, family and friends. But also, the extraordinary early intervention supports Payton and his family received.

Early Intervention, part of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, entitles young children with developmental delays or certain diagnosed medical conditions to a range of developmental and social-emotional services, including speech and language, occupational and physical therapies and social work services in their natural environment – many of which Payton received. Families also receive coaching and learn how best to be there for their loved one. Research shows that these types of early positive experiences and interactions are proven to influence greater developmental and educational gains.

Alarmingly, although an estimated 13 percent of children under age 3 have or are at substantial risk for developmental delay or disabilities, less than 4 percent of infants and toddlers nationally receive Early Intervention services. Unfortunately, many children who are referred and evaluated for Early Intervention are not granted services because their delays do not meet the state thresholds for eligibility. This is a real problem. These delays often do not disappear without intervention. Rather, delays become worse and become harder and harder to mitigate or eliminate. These children then enter the school system further behind, and often need early childhood special education services that are far more costly. In addition, many families are simply unaware of the availability of Early Intervention services for their children.

Across the country, Start Early Policy Teams are working with its partners to advocate for policies that improve identification, referral and timely Early Intervention services for infants and toddlers.

“Developmental screenings and other family engagement and awareness efforts are necessary to ensure that we are identifying all infants, toddlers and their families who are entitled to and can benefit from Early Intervention,” Start Early  Director of Illinois Policy Karen Berman says. “We know that providing these interventions at the earliest time possible is critical for ensuring that children have the best chance to reach their potential.”

Kim agrees. Early intervention is vital for both the child and family. She knows first-hand.

Meet Shalonda Carter, a mother and passionate advocate for women and children. After completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Community Health Education, Shalonda specifically sought out a career path that would allow her to support and empower new mothers and children who were in most need.

For the past four years, she has worked for Catholic Charities as a community-based Doula at the Jadonal E. Ford Center’s Roseland Adolescent Parenting Program on Chicago’s South Side. She currently supports eight expectant mothers as they prepare to be new mothers.

Shalonda sees her career as a calling, not a job, and strives to give new mothers a voice in their pregnancy by ensuring they know their rights regarding the birth of their child.

Recently, we sat down with Shalonda to find out more about what being a doula means to her and why it is a critical component of early education.

1.  For those who are not aware, what does a Doula do?
   A Doula is a non-medical labor support educator and specialist. We empower, support and comfort those in need, aiding them a safe and memorable birthing experience. As a Doula, it is my responsibility to inform and educate families about the different medical interventions, comfort measures, patient rights, and other topics related to childbirth and post-partum education. In my role as a Doula, I accept moms between the ages of 13-21 who are in entering into their third trimester. Doulas are required to have a series of monthly home visits with the participants to ensure they are able to not only retain the information, but to also make informative decisions.
2. How do Doulas differ from a Home Visitor and how do you work together?
   Doulas work alongside with Family Support Workers to further assist with infant milestones and to ensure that they are on target with development. They also assist with helping the mom reach educational, housing, and employment endeavors. This includes referring clients to services outside sources. While Doula’s discontinue services as baby reaches 2 months, Family Support Workers continue service until program completion when baby reaches 3 years of age.
3. What does being a Doula mean to you?
   Being a Doula is the equivalent to being a light in darkness. When they feel they have no one in their corner there are Doulas cheering them on. Often times, our young participants aren’t aware of what is happening to their bodies nor do they understand prenatal child development. With my participants, I take pride in educating them and removing the fear of the unknown. It also means being the face of confidence and vocal protection. It is very important for me to educate my participants on their rights regarding the birth of their child and give them the voice that they don’t think they have. Being a Doula also means taking a holistic approach to servicing not just the pregnant mother, but the entire family. It is very important that I build a relationship with my participant’s support system in order to ensure that mom is happy and has a positive experience.
4. What advice would you give to a new parents who are unsure if they need the assistance of a Doula?
   For parents who are unsure of Doula services, I’d say to give it a try before you say no. You will most definitely remember your birth experience but you will also never forget your Doula who never left your side. Through a program like Roseland Adolescent Parenting Program, our services are free. Our goals are having your best interest and infant’s at heart. What keeps me going are simple wins like hearing your client say, “Thank you so much for helping me out. I’m so grateful to have found this program and you! I can’t thank you enough.” It warms my heart and it has humbled me. I wish for every woman with-child to have a Doula and a great birth experience.