"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." -James Baldwin
In July, Groundwork Ohio is releasing the Ohio Early Childhood Race and Rural Equity Report to bring greater understanding among policymakers and stakeholders of how race and location matters to the policies, institutions, and systems that shape the future for children and families in Ohio. Achieving equity for Ohio kids requires all of us to begin to take responsibility for the things we can change by challenging our assumptions, investigating the evidence, and recognizing what we don’t yet know. As we explore and publish disaggregated data on metrics ranging from pre-natal care to post-secondary attainment, we are motivated by the personal stories that put a face and name to the information that will be shared in the report. Earlier this month, the U.S. News & World Report featured a story that did just that, "Missing Out on Childhood in Rural America." The lack of resources and the severe impact of the opioid crisis in rural America is depriving kids of the early experiences they need for healthy development. Extensive research on the brain science of early development suggests that this will impact children's long-term ability to learn, grow, and thrive. Through the Ohio Early Childhood Race and Rural Equity Report, Groundwork aims to further understand the inequity that kids in Ohio's Appalachian region are experiencing, as well as the experiences of children of color in our state's urban areas. The initial report will empower us to start honest and sincere conversations statewide so we can better understand the experiences of our most at-risk kids and work to ensure all kids in Ohio have the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. The full report will be released later this summer, but you can check out our introductory resources here.
Ohio's youngest learners cannot afford to wait for our state to invest in high-quality early education and healthcare. Click below to tweet at gubernatorial nominees Attorney General Mike DeWine and Mr. Richard Cordray to make sure they participate in the Vote for Ohio Kids Leadership Forum and commit to making Ohio kids a top priority after the election!
Have you seen The Beginning of Life yet? The documentary, released in 2016, examines how early environment and experiences affect infants--and how infants will affect our future. You can watch the six-part series on Netflix! COMING SOON... Later this year, a new documentary that explores the state of early childhood education in the United States will be released. No Small Matter is a feature documentary and national campaign for high quality, affordable early care and education that aims to redefine the public understanding of what's going on in children's brains from birth to five--and push their needs to the top of our social and political agenda. Learn more about the documentary.