- Leon County Schools announced a program to help with development of children from birth to five years old.
- The program will provide every parent of a new born child in Leon County brain development education.
- The program is aided by a financial contribution from Simply Health Care.
NEWS RELEASE:
Leon County Schools, in partnership with Capital Area Healthy Start Coalition, announced a new program focused on improving the lives of the youngest Leon County residents. The “Littles to Leaders” program will build relationships with families to provide them resources and education focused on the development of children from birth to five years old. Lead by LCS Director of Early Childhood Programs Brooke Brunner and Chris Szorcsik, Executive Director of Capital Area Healthy Start, this program brings together leading organizations united to enhance local childhood development.
“We know that ninety percent of brain development occurs before the age of five years old—before most kids get into our school system,” said Superintendent Rocky Hanna. “We are committed to doing everything we can to prepare this diverse population of young people to enter school ready to succeed, because if we can have an impact before they start school, we can spend the time that are in our classrooms building upon that foundation and not playing catch-up.”
The "Littles to Leaders" initiative is built upon three fundamental pillars: Knowledge Empowerment, Emergent Literacy Exploration and Community Synergy. The program will provide every parent of a new born child in Leon County brain development education and information about community resources to help with the development of baby. Every family will receive a “brain bag” at the hospital following the birth of their baby. This bag contains resources and information to support their baby's brain development. If a family needs intensive support, they will be able to sign up for FREE in-home support from one of our four local home visiting programs.
“I'm excited to collaborate with Capital Area Healthy Start in the "Littles to Leaders" initiative, which recognizes parents as a child's first teacher and focuses on early literacy for Leon County families,” said Director of Early Learning for LCS Brooke Brunner. “This effort underscores the vital role of early education in nurturing cognitive, social, and emotional growth from birth. Our partnership aims to empower parents, educators, and caregivers to create an environment that fosters lifelong learning and curiosity.”
“Capital Area Healthy Start is excited to join our community partners to bring the Littles to Leaders program to families in Leon County,” said Chris Szorcsik, executive director of Capital Area Healthy Start. “For over 31 years, our coalition has had a mission to improve the health of moms and babies by providing healthy pregnancy education and supporting families with community programs and resources that help with pregnancy and parenting. The home visiting programs in Leon County work to ensure the health and welfare of our children and families by providing education and support. In 2022, we expanded our home visiting programs to include Parents as Teachers, which emphasizes the importance of early brain development and literacy. The Littles to Leaders program will be provided in partnership with our established home visiting programs.”
The Little to Leaders Program is aided by a generous financial contribution from Simply Health Care. Their $150,000 donation helped to fund an exclusive book, “Good Morning Tallahassee” by local author Heidi King and local illustrator Janae Easton. Additionally, funds will assist with the salary for an additional Connect Family Partner as well as training and materials for families.
“Simply Healthcare is proud to be a partner of the Littles to Leaders program to help support early brain development and improve school readiness in children,” said Brent Couch from Simply Health Care. “Moreover, Simply Healthcare understands the importance of having a comprehensive community-based approach to health care and we are proud of all the meaningful work we do throughout the State to improve the health of humanity.”
