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For release: IMMEDIATELY
Release Date: 08/09/2017
Mayor-President Broome Launches Cradle to K Peer-led Program for Parents
BATON ROUGE, La. — As part of her ongoing commitment to education at all stages in life, Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome today announced the launch of her Cradle to K initiative. The program focuses on early childhood development and school readiness for children up to the age of 5. The peer-oriented program consisting of expecting and current mothers will serve as a platform for parents to share ideas and advice.
“We now know that the first four to five years are the most important years of a child’s life,” Mayor-President Broome said. “This is why we are creating the Cradle to K parent community here. This is a space where parents can share the ideas and parenting practices that work for them. This is a community for parents in Baton Rouge created by parents in Baton Rouge.”
Cradle to K is a community for all parents in Baton Rouge, but it may prove especially valuable for parents of the 27 percent of children who are born into poverty and the 48 percent of children who are born into single parent homes. Currently, 52 percent of children in the East Baton Rouge School System start kindergarten already behind in their literacy skills. By creating a strong community amongst parents that is rooted in positive parenting practices, and then connecting that community with a variety of resources and opportunities in the parish, Cradle to K works to help parents create the stable and enriched environments their children need to be prepared for success in Kindergarten.
Cradle to K is a part of the East Baton Rouge Division of Human Development and Services Head Start program. According to Dr. Tamiara L. Wade, assistant chief administrative officer, Cradle to K is also beginning to bring together a coalition of government and non-profit organizations to find new opportunities for collaboration and identify ways to can align the work being done in Baton Rouge to better serve the children and families in the community.
The mayor's office encourages pregnant women, as well as parents and caregivers of children up to the age of 5 to participate in the community by joining the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/C2KBR/. The page includes a welcome message from Mayor-President Broome. Parents can connect with other local parents and in the months to come, there will be a hub of services and opportunities for families with small children in the community.
For more information about Cradle to K services and collaboration opportunities, contact William Minton at 225-362-0137 or C2KBR@brgov.com.