Child abuse and neglect continue to be all too prevalent in our society. The causes are numerous and complex. However, parental isolation and ignorance of the stages of child development are two that can be readily addressed through our education and social service systems. Knowing this, our state and our communities must work to eradicate these conditions.
The Center for Families, which was dedicated Tuesday on the Edmonds Community College campus, is an excellent example of what can be done to make sure parents get the support and child-rearing resources they need.
The center is a 15,500-square-foot, one-story building that will provide on-campus child care and after school care for hundreds of children, infants through 11-year-olds. It will also house Head Start preschool, parent education classes and cooperative preschools, and is a resource for early childhood education and family support studies.
It aims to be a model for the best practices in early childhood education and a community resource for both parents and professionals. We are learning more every day about child development through cutting edge brain research.
The center will help parents and the community become more aware of the significance of the first three years of a child’s life, and what we can do to maximize each child’s learning potential.
In Washington, 33 percent of community and technical college students are parents. Studies have shown that parents are more likely to succeed in school if they know that their children are nearby and well cared for. However, the needs of children are often relegated to left-over space and limited funds.
The college recognized students’ need for on-campus child care as critical, and three years ago announced a plan to make children and support for families a clear priority on campus by building a Center for Families.
The community responded. The Edmonds Community College Foundation led a $4 million campaign to build the center. In addition to state and federal funding, more than 360 individuals, corporations, organizations and foundations contributed. Many had their own children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and neighborhood kids in mind when they gave.
Now, from its child’s-eye-level windows to its interesting ceilings (because children spend a lot of time looking up), the new building illustrates the college’s belief that giving children an excellent start and supporting adult students by acknowledging their family demands is the best way to assure a better future for our community.
I am thankful for this community’s commitment to children and families. My own first connection with Edmonds Community College was as a parent. The arrival of twin girls overwhelmed me, and when I learned about the infant/toddler parent education classes at the college, I immediately signed up.
The classes were wonderful for a new parent. The instructors taught about child development. The mothers shared information about coping skills. The knowledge I gained helped assure that I was preparing my children for successful experiences in school and helped me become the kind of parent I wanted to be.
It was important for me to be able to find the community and resources I needed to raise my children. And it’s even more critical for the many parents who are young, single mothers and students struggling to improve their lives by achieving their educational goals.
I hope our community reaffirms its commitment to children and families and supports the center in years to come. I know the college will continue to partner with organizations with similar interests to work together through the center to promote healthy child development and build strong families.
All communities should have centers for families and our state must also make the needs of children and families a clear, visible priority. If we value our children as much as we say we do, then it is worth the investment to bring them through their early years feeling loved, safe and ready to learn.
Mary Helen Roberts is an Edmonds Community College trustee.
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