Report:The First Eight Years Crucial For Child Development

WABE’s Rose Scott reports on the advantages of early learning for children and the achievements and challenges the state of Georgia still faces.

Broadcast version of the story.

Georgia is among states with an overall high poverty rate.

More than six-hundred thousand children eight and under are living in low-income households.

The report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation reveals that population must receive help to “confront barriers to successful development.”

But despite Georgia’s high poverty rate, Rebecca Rice with the Georgia Family Connection Partnership says the state is way ahead of others in early learning for kids.

“It’s sixty percent of children are still not enrolled in preschool ages three to four and that’s a problem, absolutely. But, that’s better than the national average. We are actually eighth in the nation for how many children receive developmental screenings and those are physician conducted screenings that look for social, physical and mental developmental issues, so that you can address them early.”

But the question remains, what role can the state play in addressing generational poverty and early learning?

Rice says enough research has exposed the problem and now it’s time to continue executing plans and initiatives.

“Healthy development starts before birth. And so if we’re going to get kids on track and have them graduating from high school and become productive and health members of society, states have finally realized that they have to do something early rather than later.”

The Annie E. Casey report cites three key areas that can help children succeed; support for parents as they care for children, improve access to quality early care and health care services and ensure that care is comprehensive and coordinated for all children from birth through the age 8.