Three in five kids not prepared for kindergarten in Sonoma County
The time spent in preschool also varied. English-speaking households enrolled their kids in the programs for an average of 19 months, compared with 161/2 months for Spanish speakers.
Those early childhood years are key for children’s development, Murray said, with 90 percent of their brains developing before age 5.
The frequency of parents reading to their kids — particularly children living in Spanish-speaking homes — is critical. Spanish-speaking children were three times more likely to be ready for kindergarten when parents read or shared picture books with them at least five times a week.
Parents with a bachelor’s degree or higher were three times more likely to read to their kids at least five times a week than households where neither parent graduated from high school.
According to the First 5 Sonoma County study, 42 percent of English-language households had at least one parent with a bachelor’s degree or higher — four times more than Spanish-language households.
When children aren’t ready for kindergarten, it can have long-term consequences: They’re less likely to read at proficiency once in the third grade, and that makes them four times more likely to drop out of high school and ultimately run the risk of being unemployed, dependent on public assistance and falling into the criminal justice system.
The nonprofit Community Child Care Council of Sonoma County, known as 4Cs, along with the Sonoma County Office of Education, River to Coast Children’s Services and First 5 Sonoma, has rolled out a rating system in the county to create uniform standards at preschools and other early childcare facilities while providing educators with one-on-one coaching.
The council provides 1,300 vouchers to help working families cover some of the cost of early education childcare and preschool, said Melanie Dodson, the 4Cs’ executive director.
The council also runs 12 state-funded preschools in the county, serving 500 kids from low-income families. Dodson said they have room for up to 75 additional kids, but families struggle to qualify because of income eligibility rules.
The nonprofit’s preschools were a guiding light for Luz Acosta and her two kids, whom she adopted after their mother — Acosta’s sister — died from cancer three years ago.
Her son, Emilio, attends a 4Cs preschool.
Her daughter, Brisa, previously attended one for two years before going to elementary school, where she’s now in first grade.
Acosta said the girl became quiet and timid after losing her mom, but preschool teachers worked hard to prepare her for kindergarten, academically and emotionally.
“It took time, but she’s now social. She’s more confident in herself,” Acosta said, adding she’s seeing similar growth in her son, who will be entering kindergarten in August.
“He knows how to write his name, count and sing,” she said.
“The preschool has been a big support for our family.”
You can reach Staff Writer Eloísa Ruano González at 707-521-5458 or eloisa.gonzalez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @eloisanews.
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