Jasper County First Steps

First Steps to School Readiness Strategy Areas
The First Steps initiative approaches children’s school readiness needs in five ways:

Family Strengthening: A parent is a child’s first and best teacher. First Steps works to help parents become the best parents they can be. First Steps also helps parents further their own education.

Healthy Start: Children’s development and ability to learn are profoundly impacted by their health in the earliest years. First Steps works to help families understand children’s health needs through education and screenings while also working to help them access needed health services.

Quality Child Care: Quality child care provides immediate and long-term learning benefits for children. First Steps works to expand the availability of quality child-care to families and to enhance the level of quality in existing child-care environments.

Early Education: Research shows that children who participate in high-quality preschool classes are more likely to start school ready to learn, as well as be more successful later in life. First Steps works to expand high-quality 3-year-old and 4-year-old kindergarten opportunities in public and private settings.

School Transition: The transition into kindergarten is a critical time that sets the tone for children’s perspectives about the school years, as well their parents’ perspectives. Making a strong initial connection between school and home -- and supporting both parents and students during this transition time -- has been shown to impact students’ later school success and parents’ later involvement during the school years.