Early Childhood Education  

A Critical Need In Aurora

Are you aware of the critical need for Early Childhood Education services in Aurora ... and in particular the poorer areas on the East Side of Aurora?  

Try looking at this level of need in another way: Imagine yourself as a patient in a hospital and your family members are told you are in critical condition ... wouldn't they be deeply concerned and do everything to help?

Along with a near doubling in the past 10 years of the number of Aurora children whose family income is below the poverty line, Aurora has seen significant increases in the number of children from non-English speaking homes and the number of children born to teen parents.  

This lack of Early Childhood Education services perpetuates the cycle of generational poverty ... assures an increase in High School droputs ... leads to increased crime and a host of other social ills.
 
The rise in at-risk children in Aurora reflects a national trend: suburban poor children in areas like Aurora now outnumber those living in poverty in larger inner cities like Chicago according to recent reports.

Social service organizations such as SmartSteps and public schools in Aurora are struggling to meet the needs of these disadvantaged children and their families. In addition to the need for more financial resources in this area, there is a need for new program models that reflect the latest research on early brain development  for children while being responsive to families' culture and needs. 
 

There are more than 1000 Birth to Age 3 children per year going unserved in Aurora. Please consider donating to an organization such as SmartSteps that can make a difference in the lifes of needy Aurora young children.