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In Fauquier County, nearly 1 in 5 children entering kindergarten do not meet the reading readiness benchmarks established by the state. Often they never catch up. These children are at a much greater risk of being unskilled and facing difficult obstacles in life, which is detrimental to the individuals and society.

Additionally, approximately 20%of children entering kindergarten in Fauquier County Public Schools last year did not attend any formal or institutional pre-kindergarten program or were in the care of an unlicensed childcare provider. A substantial body of research spanning decades proves that high quality preschool education can substantially improve the learning and development of all young children, and especially children from low income families, children whose parents lack high school diplomas, or children without homes.

LOCAL PROGRAMS BENEFITTING AT-RISK KIDS OF PRESCHOOL AGE

Fauquier Community Action Committee's (FCAC) Head Start
Fauquier County Public School's (FCPS) Virginia Preschool Initiative
Head Start and the Virginia Preschool Initiative work together to coordinate services to best serve their students and families. Both have substantial funding needs in order to provide the highest quality preschool education.

LEARNING STARTS EARLY HAS PROVIDED FOR OR IS INVOLVED WITH:

Increasing the number of Virginia Preschool Initiative classrooms
Classroom lay readers
Parent resource programs
Classroom materials, including educational technology to enhance traditional instruction
Private preschool scholarships
Before and after-school daycare for working families
Field trips and other important special learning experiences
The Fauquier Preschool Coalition