Many Things We Need Can Wait: The Child Cannot

Increased school readiness results in improved academic performance, fewer behavioral problems, greater school attendance, higher graduation rates, and, ultimately, success in later life. In Baltimore, the cost of the status quo is high. The opportunity for improvement, and thus economic returns, is great.

Parents, many without adequate community-based support systems and experiential models for successful parenting, often struggle to fulfill their role as their children’s first teacher. While it is important to recognize that many Baltimore City families succeed in this responsibility, it is equally important to recognize that quality, culturally relevant parent and adult education, as well as health care, parent support, and social services, are not consistently in place to support the city’s parents.