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Do Local Good is a podcast created by United Way of the Alberta Capital Region and the team of volunteers on the GenNEXT Cabinet. We feature stories and people from the Edmonton region to inform, inspire, and invite others to join us in building resilient and thriving communities. Listen in to learn about some of the local good already happening, and how you can be a part of the force for good!
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Welcome back to Do Local Good, the podcast, where we explore how we are building a stronger region one conversation at a time. I'm your host, Skyler. When we talk about creating a thriving community, we often focus on the outcomes. We want to see children succeeding in school, young people reaching their potential, strong mental health, and a resilient workforce.
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But those outcomes don't begin in high school or even elementary school. They begin much earlier. The first few years of a child's life are some of the most important for learning, development and building confidence. Yet many families face barriers that can make it difficult for children to get the support that they need during these critical years, and that's where ABC Head Start comes in.
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Today, we are joined by Erin from ABC Head Start to talk about how early intervention, family support and quality early childhood education are helping children arrive at kindergarten, ready to learn, ready to connect, and ready to thrive. We�ll, explore the challenges families are facing. The impact of investing in children early and why giving kids the right start can change the trajectory of their lives.
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Hi Erin, welcome. Thank you so much for having me. Yeah. Of course. How are you today? I'm good. Thank you. Good. So let's start us off. So can you tell the listeners a little bit about yourself and ABC Head Start? Yeah. Sounds good. So my name is Erin Gobolos and I am the CEO of ABC Head Start.
00:01:32:18 - 00:01:51:14
As a values based leader, that's really focused on my personal purpose, which is making sure that others reach their fullest potential. I just am so connected with the work that they do, and I absolutely love my job. So thank you again for allowing me to be here and share a little bit about that work. So ABC Head Start has been around for about 41 years.
00:01:51:14 - 00:02:16:05
And so we provide early learning and education programing for kids aged 3 to 5 that would be facing some sort of speech language behavior development need. And so what that looks like in a program setting is it's actually a classroom based setting. So children come into our facilities where we deliver classroom based programing, and all of our programing is led by our certified teachers, supported by our education assistants.
00:02:16:05 - 00:02:37:15
And then we have a full resource team, which is made up of our speech team, our behavior team and OT consultant. That actually comes into the classroom and supports that teacher in supporting that child. But then, as you mentioned, because a lot of our families are facing other vulnerabilities, we also have a full social work team that also provides wraparound support to our families.
00:02:37:17 - 00:02:58:12
So this could be anything from, 1 to 1. It could be workshops, it could be, and other referrals. Wow. That's incredible. And so when we talk about some of those programing, what is that typical day to day life look like for those kiddos who are in the classroom? Yeah. So they would come in. So depending on the age of the child, we do have two program streams.
00:02:58:12 - 00:03:20:06
So we have an explorer stream. And then we have a discovery stream. So depending on the age of the child in which stream they're in, the number of days and hours that they might participate is, is a little bit different. But basically all of our program is structured around play and release through the flight curriculum, which is really focused on letting that child lead education and lead that exploration of play.
00:03:20:08 - 00:03:43:01
And so, you know, we're, you know, playing we're getting messy. We're getting dirty in the classroom. But of course, there's some structured things happening like snack and transition. We have a gross we have gross motor spaces as well. So children are developing those big muscles as well. So it's kind of what are the learner or listeners would typically think of that traditional preschool type thing.
00:03:43:03 - 00:04:04:09
Yeah. And so when we take a look at some of those traditional preschool things, as you said, what makes ABC Head Start a little bit different. Yes. So often when we think about readiness for kindergarten, it's really focused, focused on those, you know, things that we might think ABCs learning your numbers, but our programing is much, much more than that.
00:04:04:11 - 00:04:27:01
Head start as a philosophy is really focused on looking at that whole child in that whole family. So our programing is really developed around social and emotional development of children and so that looks like things, you know, can children share, can they transition from one activity to another? That self-regulation is really important in terms of being ready for kindergarten.
00:04:27:03 - 00:04:47:14
That also looks like health and wellness. So at the beginning of our program year, we have age who's come in and do health checks with all of our families. If parents are interested, their child can also get fluoride treatment for their teeth. And then it also looks like language and communication development. So it's not just about those ABCs, but it's about language skills.
00:04:47:14 - 00:05:09:22
So it's about vocabulary development. How many words are, you know, children stringing together at a time. It looks like, can children, you know, communicate their needs and ideas? Can they listen to their peers? Can they follow directions? All of that is really, really critical when we look about child's development and their readiness for kindergarten. Yeah. Wow, that sounds wonderful.
00:05:09:22 - 00:05:30:04
And so really taking that more holistic approach of trying to encompass many different facets of a child, and I can only imagine what that does to their self-esteem and their confidence. Yes, absolutely. Yeah. That's awesome. And so when we talk about some of those families that maybe come to you, what are some of those challenges or barriers that those families might face?
00:05:30:04 - 00:05:51:11
Yeah. So there's really two things. So first and foremost, typically families are coming to us because they know or recognize that their child might have some sort of speech language, behavior development need. So that in itself can be a barrier or a vulnerability for that family. But also the families are facing many other vulnerabilities themselves. So that could be things like food insecurity.
00:05:51:11 - 00:06:13:02
It could be poverty, it could be, housing instability. It could be, you know, social isolation. Maybe they're newcomers to Canada and don't have that social network here. So, you know, they often come to us for their child. But what we're seeing is there's so many other vulnerabilities. And that's why both components of our programing, the classroom paired with that wraparound support is really, really critical.
00:06:13:04 - 00:06:36:03
Yeah, definitely. And so when we take a look at both of those different factors and some of those challenges, it's really unique. What the ABC Head Start program does is yeah, awesome. And so when we think of maybe some of that more well-rounded support, how do you take a look at that throughout the year? So what does that look like with those families or with those kiddos?
00:06:36:06 - 00:06:53:15
Yeah. So it actually starts right in the intake process. So right when they're filling out their application, we're collecting some information about the about the child as well as the family. But one of the first touch points that we have with our families is actually a social worker will reach out to that family and conduct a phone interview.
00:06:53:20 - 00:07:12:21
And to right from that moment where, you know, collecting information. And already we're finding out in assessing what types of support that, what that child in that family need. Also part of which is really critical of our intake process is actually going into the home. So it's a home visit. So we would go into the home, we would assess that child's development.
00:07:12:21 - 00:07:36:05
Right in their home is how a child is assessed. Maybe in a in a third party versus in their home is really important in terms of identifying where they're at. But then we're also getting a, you know, an idea about where that family is because both of the pieces are really critical. So once we really assess where that child is and what kind of support we're going to need to offer them, we're also finding about out of about that family.
00:07:36:07 - 00:07:54:23
So not only are we making, goals for that child's development in terms of their programing, but we're also making goals with that family in terms of things that they want to, achieve throughout the year. It could be, you know, finding new connection in communities. We're making referrals. It could be, you know, they're struggling with food insecurity.
00:07:54:23 - 00:08:14:07
So it's referrals to the food bank. So that whole process is really intended to really understand where that family is, and then figure out how we're going to support them over that next ten months. Yeah. And so when you take a look at some of those supports through not only the intake but also through the entire process, it sounds like you guys are really trauma informed.
00:08:14:09 - 00:08:34:19
Yes. Yeah. Yes, we absolutely are. Yes. That's a really critical piece of our, of our programing in know the way that we we just look at situations because we know that, families are facing a number of things in their lives. So really understanding where they're at and then connecting and supporting them where they're at is really important.
00:08:34:21 - 00:08:55:21
And so coming back to maybe some of those, some of those thoughts that we had around development, why is it so important for us to take a look at that early years of development? Yes. Well, it's all those things that I mentioned, you know, if a child isn't ready socially or emotionally to enter kindergarten, unfortunately, some of them fall behind.
00:08:56:02 - 00:09:15:03
So making sure that that development is in place and they can do things like share, listen, sit. You know, those are really, really important. How do they, behave with their peers? Those are really critical pieces that, if they're not in place at kindergarten, often we find that those kids can continue to fall behind. Yeah.
00:09:15:03 - 00:09:37:20
So early childhood is extremely is extremely there's so much research that exists that if we can really develop those skills in these very early years, what that translates into the future in terms of things of in school completion, university completion, future employment, and then of course, it's things like lower incarceration rates, lower, drug use later in life.
00:09:37:20 - 00:09:59:16
There's so many benefits of making sure that those kids are supported. In the early years. Yeah, definitely. And so it sounds like you guys have a pretty significant demand for the services that you offer. Do can you tell me a little bit more about the process of when, a family applies and maybe they aren't able to kind of move through your guys's preschool?
00:09:59:16 - 00:10:18:01
What does that look like for them? Yeah. So, we have about 400 spaces in our programing every year. We do get about a thousand applications. So we do get quite a few applications. So of course we're assessing every child as they come in. So we're looking at a number of things obviously the needs of the child.
00:10:18:01 - 00:10:36:19
But we're also looking at our, our teams and the fact that we really our primary, delivery is classroom. So we do find some cases where, you know, the child, maybe it's not appropriate for them. They're not ready for that classroom. Maybe they need more of that 1 to 1, connection. So we would be referring them out.
00:10:36:21 - 00:11:05:10
Because we are facility based, often just transportation or location is a barrier. So not all the kids that apply to our program are, are eligible that way. But luckily we are able to accept, over for just over 400 kids every year. So, we would love to see that number expand though. Yeah, definitely. So speaking of expansion, can you tell us a little bit about where you operate in Edmonton, what your facilities look like?
00:11:05:10 - 00:11:26:15
Yeah, so we are very happy because in September we are going to be opening our third custom fit learning facility. So this is our we're calling it West Campus. So it's on the west side, of the city. And so this will now mean that we have no temporary standalone locations anymore. So we'll have three, custom fit learning facilities.
00:11:26:15 - 00:11:44:06
We have one in the south at Millwood Town Center. We have one in the north at Northgate. And then now we'll have the third one at West Campus. So we've got 12 classrooms spread across those locations. And what's really great, now that we're there or we will be there, is the fact that everybody is under one roof.
00:11:44:06 - 00:12:02:09
So we've got four classrooms. We'll have four classrooms in the West, but our full resource team is there. So, you know, our speech pathologist can walk from one classroom to the next so they can jump in if a child need support or jump into another classroom if they need support. And then we also have a, a sensory room.
00:12:02:10 - 00:12:23:14
So if their child is maybe disregulated or struggling to transition, we've got a place that, you know, our team can go and support that child in those needs. And then we've got our gross motor space, a lot of room for the kids to, you know, get a little bit crazy and jump around and, and so, yeah, we're really looking forward to it because we have been in a bunch of temporary locations across the city.
00:12:23:16 - 00:12:45:11
And so now we have a permanent home, which were ecstatic about, wow, that's so amazing. And so, coming back to some of that talk about having those different supports available under one roof, how do you see that that impacts those children? Oh, it's huge. It is absolutely huge because it allows us to go, you know, right into that classroom without having to travel.
00:12:45:11 - 00:13:03:06
Our team is right there on site. So if a teacher needs something, you know, they've got the expertise and the hands on deck, to support that child or that classroom setting right away. And that includes our speech team. It also includes our behavior team. And then, of course, our social work team is right on site, too.
00:13:03:06 - 00:13:23:16
So it's kind of an all hands on deck whoever needs to be in the classroom to support the child or a classroom, we've got the people right there to do that. Yeah. Wow. And so when we talk about some of those, different successes as well of, of managing, maybe some of those goals that, that family or that child has, what does that process look like throughout the year?
00:13:23:20 - 00:13:38:10
Yep. So it starts right at the beginning of the year. So, it's called an IEP. So you can listeners can think of it as it's almost like a report card or, you know, kind of, you know, when you go to swimming, there's like a set of milestones that you have to achieve to kind of get to the end of the year.
00:13:38:10 - 00:13:54:13
It's very similar. And so after our team assesses where a child is developmentally, they would, you know, give some feedback to the parents to say, okay, these are the goals that we want to work on with your child this year. Of course, the parent is heavily involved in that process. They would, you know, sign off and say yes, they agree.
00:13:54:13 - 00:14:14:17
These are the things that, you know, we want to work on with my child. And then there's two other points in the year that we're actually assessing, that child's development and then meeting with the parents to say, okay, this is, you know, we've made some great progress. Now we're going to focus on this. And then at the end of the year, that wraps up in kind of that final, IP meeting or final kind of a report card, if you want to call it that.
00:14:14:20 - 00:14:36:18
Yeah. Awesome. And so, throughout that process, we are seeing, you know, probably some goals maneuver in terms of changes where they've succeeded or maybe that we need to, you know, go back to those goals and change them around. Absolutely. Yes. And it's a really collaborative process. What I love most is I had the opportunity not long ago to actually sit in an IP meeting with our team.
00:14:36:20 - 00:14:57:05
And so it is again, it's all hands on deck. So this was just a team meeting. The parents weren't there, but they were developed or they were really chatting about every child and saying, okay, here's where they've come, here's where we want to focus on. And so sitting at that table, we've got our speech team, our behavior team, we've got our classroom liaisons, we have our ideas, our teachers, our site supervisors.
00:14:57:07 - 00:15:15:04
And it's really a collective, conversation about each child's. And everybody's bringing their perspective. It's, you know what? We're you know, we're seeing this behavior in a speech or one of our speech team might say, okay, well, here's a strategy. I think we can use the behaviors like, well, we could also try this. So it's a really collaborative process.
00:15:15:04 - 00:15:43:10
And to see how much effort and time and thought goes into the development of each child is so powerful. And inspiring. Yeah, totally. And so, really helping build that work team that you have and, and having that support and collaborating one another and seeing those successes and yes, families. Yeah. And so when you come back to, thinking about supporting early childhood development, or education, sometimes we talk about classroom supplies.
00:15:43:10 - 00:16:12:14
And so usually that's a small piece of the puzzle to many folks. But, it's actually incredibly important. It is. So we recently saw the power of our community supporting through the Gen next ready, set, learn preschool supply drive. And so we provided essential supplies for children and families. We finished with an incredible 1348 items collected. And so we surpassed our goal by 59%, which is incredible.
00:16:12:16 - 00:16:32:02
But when we talk about some of those classroom materials, tell me a little bit more about how that might help child development or those children learn. Yes. Okay. First of all, I have to address the success of this program and tell you how excited we were when we found out that we been selected. Yeah, to actually benefit and participate in this program.
00:16:32:02 - 00:16:50:15
And then when we heard how many locations the team were able to pull together and how many people donated. Yeah. Like, okay, that has to be celebrated in itself. We are just ecstatic, to be part of this. So thank you. And thanks to the Gen Next team for sure. But yes, the classroom supply is really important.
00:16:50:17 - 00:17:12:17
As a charity, obviously every dollar is stretched very thin. So, you know, having partners that are, you know, coming to the table and supporting the needs of our, of our programing is really important. And so not only are these items going to end up at our brand new West campus and going to outfit our brand new classrooms there, they also end up in the individual hands of our children.
00:17:12:19 - 00:17:33:12
So through our Literacy Backpack day, because we know that because resources are limited for our families, often they don't have the resources to make sure that they've got these same supplies in the home. So, you know, by making sure that they have these school supplies in their home, it really translates that learning. So that child gets really familiar about what this looks like in a classroom setting.
00:17:33:12 - 00:17:49:23
And oh, well, look at I've got these same things at home that I can, you know, continue with, you know, whether it's drawing or, you know, all of those things that kids like to do. So really important for the classroom, but then so, so important in terms of making sure that those children are supported in their homes. Yeah.
00:17:49:23 - 00:18:07:16
And so it's also probably really empowering for those parents to be a part of this program. Yes, to build up some of those strengths that they have, but then also have those materials transfer over into their homes and see that parent child relationship really grow with some of the new skills or some of the new tools that they have.
00:18:07:16 - 00:18:25:12
Exactly. Well, and because these items end up with a child in a brand new backpack for Literacy Backpack day, often those children are leaving our program because they are transitioning to kindergarten. So then it means that mom and dad don't have to buy a lot of those school supplies that they're going to need for that child to enter kindergarten.
00:18:25:12 - 00:18:49:08
So, you know, can be used at home. But then again, you know, those, those you know, crayons and markers and stuff could actually be following them next year. So when they pull those out of their backpack, they're remembering their time at ABC in that connection of what they learned. And so again, taking a look at some of those barriers that those families are facing and seeing how ABC headstart is really trying to encompass reducing those barriers for those families.
00:18:49:08 - 00:19:14:04
Absolutely. Yeah. And so can you tell the listeners a little bit about what your backpack days are, what that includes? So this is one of our favorite days of the year is of course it's graduation day. But it's just so much more than that. It really is a year of celebration often. Parents are coming to us because they are just they're at a loss, you know, they know that their child is facing some very significant barriers or challenges.
00:19:14:09 - 00:19:35:23
And then ten months later, seeing where their child has gotten and then coming into the classroom and being part of that celebration, meeting other kids, seeing that their their child in that classroom environment and really celebrating the milestones is just really, really important for the families. Yeah. And so through that graduation is where that backpack does come from right.
00:19:36:00 - 00:20:02:03
Yes. And so the backpacks will include different supplies that the kiddos can take home with them. To help kind of again bridge those skills that they've learned. Yes. So yes, every child when they leave our program, they on Literacy Backpack Day, they get their backpack and it's filled with tons of different supplies. We often put a few little summer things in there too, that, you know, little things that they can enjoy and, toys and stuff that they can use in this summer.
00:20:02:03 - 00:20:25:01
But the majority of it, the majority of the items are really focused on, you know, really continuing with that education journey. Yeah, definitely. And so, I can imagine what some of those kids would do with some of those supplies, I imagine maybe like chalk or bubbles and in the summer ones if possible. But, with that. Yeah, let's, let's talk about maybe some of those, success stories that, you know, us.
00:20:25:05 - 00:20:43:18
Can you fill us and the listeners in on that? Yeah. So one of the things I actually have to I hope you have time. So because we've been around for 41 years, last year was our 40th birthday. So we said, okay, what if we tried to reach out to all of our previous, parents and said, where are your children now?
00:20:43:21 - 00:21:00:23
Because, you know, when sometimes when children leave our programing, you know, it's kind of the end of that relationship. Not always. We stayed connected with a lot of them. But sometimes, you know, if it's been ten, 20 years, sometimes we just don't know what happened. So last year we did a call out. We had about 3000 people on a list, and we just said, you know what?
00:21:00:23 - 00:21:34:05
We're just going to send out a message and where are your children now? We were blown away with the number of people that responded within two days. We had hundreds of responses. People were actually going back and pulling out old, photo albums and sending us like photographs of pictures from old albums and telling us stories about, you know, my child was with you in your in the program 15, 18, 20 plus years ago and now my child's an engineer, my child's a doctor, my child living overseas and pursuing some sort of passion.
00:21:34:05 - 00:21:54:05
And we were absolutely blown away. And they all credit the time that they spent in a head start of giving their child that really that start and that love and joy for learning. So that was we were just blown away. So if you, see our annual report last year, we got to share a lot of the, the stories about the people that responded.
00:21:54:07 - 00:22:13:03
But one of the things that happened this year that was completely unprompted was at one of our graduation Literacy Backpack Day. It was the end of the program, and our teacher was kind of wrapping up. You know, this is the end of the formal program and everyone's, you know, welcome to stay. And and all of a sudden, a parent caught up and said, do you mind if I say a few words?
00:22:13:03 - 00:22:37:04
And, you know, the teacher said, of course. And so this parent went on and talking about how, you know, how much their child has learned and how much their child's developed, and how they just accredit the work of the teachers in the eyes and the other, ABC staff for their child's development. And then one by one, every single parent in the room got up and spoke, and by the end there were like barely any dry eyes.
00:22:37:04 - 00:22:57:13
And it was completely unprompted. And it was just like, this is such a beautiful moment, and there's just so much appreciation for for the work and the love that, that our, that our teams bring to these kids and families. That's incredible. And so it's some of those feel good stories that we need to hear sometimes. Sometimes we're entrenched in the work.
00:22:57:15 - 00:23:20:01
But it's so wonderful to hear that there's not only the support in our community, but we're seeing such big success with it as well. Yeah. That's awesome. Another thing is that when we talk about, maybe some of those successes, throughout those kiddos lives, tell me a little bit more about when the kiddos graduate from your program.
00:23:20:01 - 00:23:42:09
What does that now look like? Moving into kindergarten? Yes. So, the majority of the kids that leave our program do end up in Edmonton Public and Edmonton Catholics. Over 90% of the kids can move right into, you know, mainstream kind of kindergarten. Some of the kids do need additional support just based on where they are and what kind of development needs they are.
00:23:42:09 - 00:24:02:06
So we would often be making referrals to, to other programs. But because when they're in our program, because they have an IEP and some of our kids are coded. So it could be they could be coded for like speech and language needs. They could be coded, because maybe they're on the spectrum that coding actually goes with them to kindergarten.
00:24:02:12 - 00:24:27:15
So it's really easy. And because I actually goes with them, that child as well, it's really easy for that school system to really assess, what type of support that child is had and also what type of support that child's going to need so that they can continue to be successful. So yeah, I, we often hear from teachers, kindergarten teachers love us when they find out that they have children in our programing that came from our programing.
00:24:27:15 - 00:24:51:00
They're like, yeah, bring me the ABC kids because they know they've had, you know, all of this. You know, we've really focused on their development. But really that communication between ABC and that school system is really critically important. Yeah. So wonderful to hear that. It's not just your program, but you're taking it that step further to say, how can we continue to set you up for success even when you're past our services?
00:24:51:00 - 00:25:11:20
Absolutely. Yeah. That transition to kindergarten is it's actually a really big piece of what we do. So working with that parents and really helping them understand what would be the next the best path for that child. But then, yes, that transition into that kindergarten classroom. Yeah. That's so wonderful. And so for maybe some of the listeners, maybe we could go back to some of that intake.
00:25:11:20 - 00:25:35:07
So if they have a child who is maybe someone that would fit with your program, what are the INS and the out of the program look like? Is there a cost associated with it? Yes. No. Our programing is free of charge. So we do have an income threshold. So if you fall within that income threshold, our programing is completely free.
00:25:35:07 - 00:26:01:16
So we are funded by Alberta education because we are education. So we deliver full free programing. Often we do accept children that would fall kind of above that income threshold. As long as they still have some sort of vulnerability, and family vulnerability. So we will accept child, we could have a fee for service at that level, depending on what the, the, household income is of that family.
00:26:01:18 - 00:26:29:05
But right now, about 90 to 95% of our families, our programing is completely free. Yeah. That's amazing. Especially in times where, you know, it is a again, another barrier for some folks to have these different resources. Yes, please. So another question that I have is how can individuals, businesses or even community members help ensure that more children get the strong support that they deserve?
00:26:29:10 - 00:26:54:11
Yes. You know, we're lucky to be part of a really strong early learning. I don't even know what the word is. Ecosystem. Yeah. In Edmonton. So, you know, we offer headstart programing. There's other headstart programs. So if you, if someone lives in an area of the city that maybe we're not covering, there are other programs, so we are not the only option.
00:26:54:13 - 00:27:15:16
So, you know, continue to search. But also it's we need to expand our early learning. As I mentioned, you know, we get over a thousand applications and we only have can offer support for 400 of those kids. So we're looking right now at ways that we can continue and actually expand some of our programing so we can reach more kids.
00:27:15:18 - 00:27:35:02
So yeah, early learning, like I can't stress enough the importance of making sure that our kids are supported at this age. And, yeah, we'll continue to do what we can. Yeah. That's awesome. And so with maybe some of those folks who want to give back to the community, what are some ways that they might be able to give back to your program?
00:27:35:02 - 00:27:58:15
Yeah. So, we take donations. So we are very, very fortunate. We, have some really good, family and community foundations that support us. We have lots of individual donors that support the work that we do. We're also developing our volunteer programs will be we'll have some more information coming out on that in, early September, October.
00:27:58:17 - 00:28:19:21
But really donations, and volunteerism is a really important way as well as, you know, if you're interested in, you know, seeing our stories go on to our social media and just share some of our content because, you know, the more, ways that we can translate awareness for the work that we do to and just a broader audiences, it benefits us and the kids, of course, that we support.
00:28:20:02 - 00:28:49:10
Yeah, definitely. And so when we did our tour of your, the woods campus. Yes. We got to see some of the different spaces and, and we got to see your outdoor space. Yes. So the outdoor spaces one. That really helps with that development, especially those gross motor skills. It does. Yeah. And so with your outdoor space, is there anything that, folks might be able to donate or to incorporate in terms of their giving back?
00:28:49:10 - 00:29:09:18
Yeah. So we would love to kind of expand just for the number of things that we have in our outdoor space. So if anyone is interested, we do have some plans on how we could further build out that space for our kids. So yeah, if someone would like to sponsor it or donate to it, we do have plans.
00:29:09:19 - 00:29:31:22
But hopefully we can follow through with a partner this year and get that space. Further developed. Right. Awesome. Well, one thing that really stands out from today's conversation is that investing in children early isn't just about preparing them for kindergarten, it's about helping them build that confidence relationships, but then also the foundation they'll carry throughout their entire lives.
00:29:32:00 - 00:30:03:07
When children have access to caring adults, supportive environments, and also the resources they need to grow and learn, the impact extends far beyond that classroom. It strengthens not only families, schools, workplaces, but our entire community. So that's why supporting organizations like ABC headstart matters. Every child deserves the opportunity to start strong and reach their full potential. To learn more about ABC headstart and how you can support their work, visit the links in our show notes.
00:30:03:09 - 00:30:25:03
Thank you, Erin, for joining us today. That conversation was truly wonderful. Thank you. And to our listeners, thank you to listening to Do Local Good. If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to subscribe, share it with a friend and join us next time as we continue exploring the people and organizations credit creating lasting change in our community.
00:30:25:05 - 00:30:28:22
Until next time, take care and keep doing local good.
Do Local Good Podcast