Smart Beginnings South Hampton Roads is a non-profit organization created by business and community leaders to address the issue of school readiness in our region.
We serve Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach.
Our Vision is that all children in South Hampton Roads arrive at kindergarten healthy and ready to succeed in school, and in life.
Our plan is to improve our early childhood system.
Our motivation is that the Commonwealth of Virginia provides little support to preschool children despite the fact that 90% of brain development occurs in the first five years of life. The result is too many children entering school are unprepared. Studies show that a child that starts kindergarten behind often stays behind.
Our role is to maximize the potential of every child in our region and ensure that every child has access to high-quality early care and education by:
- Raising awareness about the importance of the early years;
- Advocating for greater public-private investment in our youngest citizens;
- Encouraging regional collaboration to improve our early care and education systems; and
- Working with South Hampton Roads cities to garner the resources and support necessary to improve their current systems.
Get Involved Today
You can make a difference to early education in South Hampton Roads.
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READINESS CHECKLIST
Is your child ready? Use this tool to find out.
Did You Know?
- 90% of a child’s brain is developed by the age of 5.
- 78% of parents of children under 6 in South Hampton Roads work outside the home, and must find care for thier children.
- 1 in 8 children in our region arrives at kindergarten not ready.
- Children who start school behind tend to stay behind.
- Nationally, 49% of children arriving at school unprepared come from middle and upper income families.
- 18% of kindergartners held back in Virginia live in South Hampton Roads.
- Holding back a child in kindergarten adds almost $8,000 to the public cost of that child’s education.
- 3rd grade reading level is a powerful predictor: for those who fail the 3rd grade reading test, half will also fail the 5th grade.
- In fact, 62% of Virginia’s students cannot read proficiently by the end of 3rd grade.
- A working, middle class family, with two young children, will spend on average 29% of their income on child care.
112 Granby Street, Ste. Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone: (757) 226-8826
