The Basics in Rockford

Read below... about the work that Rockford is doing to implement the Basics

Who

Ready to Learn (RTL) is Rockford’s regional coalition specifically dedicated to Kindergarten readiness.

The backbone organization that provides guidance for RTL is Alignment Rockford.

RTL’s overarching goal is to reduce environmental risk factors and enhance access, equity, and quality programming and resources so that all Rockford children are given the opportunity to thrive.

 

 

What

The Ready to Learn (RTL) initiative is part of a pilot Community Parent Support Saturation (CPSS) project convened by Alignment Rockford and supported by Illinois Action for Children, which aims to expand resources and support for families with young children in their crucial developmental years from prenatal to age five. The Basics in Rockford aims to instill a common set of parenting practices understood and implemented throughout the community.

Why

The 2019 Illinois Risk and Reach Report identified Winnebago County, where Rockford is located, as a high-risk county where many Rockford children experience trauma and lack access to resources that prepare them to be ready to learn.

Data also revealed that existing early childhood supports in Rockford are effective, yet the fewer resources a family has, the greater difficulty they have accessing them.

In partnership with UCLA, Alignment Rockford facilitated wave 2 of the EDI (Early Development Instrument) in Spring of 2022. In 2019, in partnership with Erickson Institute, the EDI revealed substantial developmental vulnerability showing 34% of Kindergarten students vulnerable in at least one of EDI’s developmental domains. From 2019 to 2022, we saw an increase of 1% of children showing one or more vulnerabilities. This increase can be attributed to the 4% increase of children vulnerable in only one domain after the COVID-19 pandemic.

How

Ready to Learn offers a range of valuable opportunities for families, including:

The Basics: Distributing Basics kits across the community to help caregivers build essential skills and knowledge for early childhood development. Implementing Basics Insights Texting, which offers developmental facts and strategies, in addition to local community resources and free family events. In Rockford you will find The Basics in libraries, early learning centers, hospitals, community centers, laundromats, and more places where families of young children gather.

Parent Workshops: Conducting evidence-based workshops to empower parents with effective parenting strategies.

Single-Point-of-Entry Website: Developing a user-friendly website and coordinated intake form to streamline access to programs and services for Rockford families. The Rockford region has amazing resources to address the social, economic and academic challenges that can become barriers for families. From disability services, food support, mental health, housing and more, Alignment Rockford is here to provide easy access to the services available in our region.

When we succeed, our whole community will align, transform, and work so that every child in every family is ready to learn, grow, and thrive when they begin Kindergarten. Our mission is to inspire, align, and collaborate with families, children, partner organizations, neighbors, and employers so that every child in every family is ready to learn.

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