early childhood development

​Tragically, many thousands of children living on the Peninsula lack what is considered to be the most basic building blocks in their early years to succeed in public education and to be more likely to grow and experience a prosperous life while being a productive member of the community.

This is why the Peninsula Community Foundation has partnered with Smart Beginnings Virginia Peninsula to organize the Collective Impact Initiative to change the course of early childhood development funded by the public and private sectors who want to make a difference. This is why we invite caring people like yourself who want to be a part of the difference these children deserve.
​These are the heartbreaking statistics about our Peninsula children:

  • 1 in 4 children on the Peninsula are born into poverty. That’s 18,000 children living in poverty today.
  • Infant mortality and low birth rates on the Peninsula, are alarmingly above state and national levels.
  • 10 out of every thousand children, die before their first birthday.
  • 19% of Newport News and 25% of Hampton students enter kindergarten with no preschool experience.
  • There are more than 300 reported incidents of child abuse on the Peninsula every year.
  • These children experience higher mortality rates, less prenatal care, low levels of health insurance and low immunization rates.
  • Births by 15 to 17 year-old girls is nearly twice the state level.
  • Evidence suggests that low birth weight increases many negative long-term effects including diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
  • The percentage of children living in Peninsula households with income at or below 50% of the federal poverty level is twice the state level.
  • Students from economically stressed homes perform significantly worse on state standardized assessments.

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