Early Childhood 

The majority of the foundation’s early childhood efforts are carried out through Invest in Children, a communitywide partnership created in 1999 to ensure the well-being of all young children in Cuyahoga County.

There are four components to the Invest in Children program:

• Promote effective parents and families – Pregnant women and teens at risk for poor birth outcomes receive prenatal home visits, and all first-time and teen parents receive a home visit from a registered nurse two weeks after the baby’s birth. If necessary, visits can continue. Parenting education and developmental screening are also provided.
• Enhance the safety and health of children – Low-income and working families can enroll their children in Healthy Start and Medicaid, federally funded insurance programs. In addition, the program aims to decrease the risk of lead poisoning and increase the number of well-child visits for children in Cuyahoga County.
• Prepare children for school – School preparedness is a key priority in this area, with several programs designed to help improve the quality of child care centers with the idea that better child care leads to a better school experience.
• Mobilize a community that is committed to the success of its youngest citizens – Educating the community about the importance of the early childhood years, as well as highlighting some of the benefits of the Invest in Children partnership, is a key effort in this area.

Results 

In the first five years of Invest in Children:

• More than 116,000 children under age 6 participated in one of the programs. Currently, the program serves more than 65,000 annually.
  • 61 percent were residents of the city of Cleveland and 39 percent were from surrounding suburbs.
  • 70 percent of the children had contact with Invest in Children before three months of age.
  • Almost one-third of participating families with children under age 1 received more than one service.