Community School Readiness Strategies
An essential component of school readiness is making sure that children and families have access to affordable options, including lifelong learning opportunities, housing, health and other social services. Fairfax County uses community assessments to determine programs and places to distribute resources.
There are several community initiatives that address school readiness. These include, but are not limited to:
The Neighborhood School Readiness Project supports children's successful transition to kindergarten by building community through neighborhood teams. These teams bring together stakeholders who understand the diverse social, educational and economic needs of children and families. Early childhood educators, community, county, school and city representatives work together to support children's success in school and beyond.
The business community can also support families' school readiness. For more information, contact Fairfax Futures.
The first Fairfax County Opportunity Neighborhood is located in the Mount Vernon community zip code, 22309. Plans are underway to develop an Opportunity Neighborhood in Reston. An Opportunity Neighborhood is a community that offers:
- Opportunity to its children to learn, grow and succeed.
- Strong schools which draw upon the strengths of family.
- High quality, coordinated health, social emotional, educational, family and community support from cradle to college to career.
- Residents' empowerment through knowledge, abilities and skills to be active participants in 21st century.
Engaging Houses of Worship to Support School Readiness
Houses of worship are often the places where families gather for spiritual uplifting and community engagement. Often, the faith community provides opportunities for family engagement and information-sharing about how to support children's school readiness and success in kindergarten and beyond.
Other Groups Supporting School Readiness
Fairfax Futures is a non-profit organization that fosters collaboration between private, public, nonprofit and education sectors in support of early childhood education and school readiness in Fairfax County.
The Fairfax School Readiness Collaborative Council is a collaboration of professionals representing county and city agencies, the schools, the community, for-profit and not-for-profits organizations who ensure that:
- Children are linked to integrated services
- Families have access to school and community resources
- Children have successful adjustment to kindergarten
- Schools are connected to a child's family and community before the child enters kindergarten and;
- The community provides a network of integrated, comprehensive services to all.
Together, these professionals advocate for the needs of children and families, promote quality and accountability of early childhood programs, and provide research-based guidance on issues that affect successful entry into school and beyond.
Fairfax County Council of PTAs is a voluntary child advocacy association working for all children and youth in the Northern Virginia counties of Virginia.