First 5 Program Highlight
The Children’s Initiative
The Children’s Initiative is a San Diego based non-profit that works to ensure that San Diego’s low-income and under-served children and families reach their full potential by promoting services, programs and policies that respond to family and community needs in the fields of health, education, safety and economic security. The mission of the Children’s Initiative is to help San Diego County’s low-income children, youth and families thrive and prosper.
Their projects include expanded learning, juvenile justice, childhood injury prevention, scaling reading success, science link, art link and positive parenting.
- Expanded learning focuses on the need for safer after school programs that include homework assistance and tutoring, healthy snacks, enrichment activities, inclusion and safety. The Children’s Initiative promotes the idea that safe after school programs are an education, health and public safety issue that needs to be addressed.
- Their juvenile justice project focuses efforts to improve the juvenile justice system by concentrating on prevention and early intervention in addition to therapeutic services.
- Childhood Injury Prevention project raises awareness and educates caregivers on prevention strategies in order to make our homes, automobiles and communities safe for children 0-5 years of age.
- The scaling reading success project works with expanded learning programs to support children in 1st-3rd grade become proficient readers.
- The Science and Art link projects focus on the academic success of students. Science Link provides students the chance to practice their skills of discovery, creativity and experimentation to have a better understanding of S.T.E.M fields. Art link assures students are not deprived of a creative outlet. Art allows students to positively self-express, use their imagination, problem solve, develop critical thinking skills, create goals and develop social skills.
- In partnership with Jewish Family Services, The Children’s initiative brings The Positive Parenting Program, Triple P, to San Diego After School Consortium partner districts and charter schools serving expanded learning families. The Triple P Program offers parents education, community resources, dinner and child care.
For more than 20 years The Children’s Initiative has worked to make an impact on the healthy development and well-being of San Diego children and families, we appreciate their hard work. To find out more please visit their website.