What is the Child Watch Visitation Program?

xl 5. B.....-ar..: 51. Charlene SC 2~2,:Ph~'ne: ,7':--+1 '7t--'l;'+1 Fa.~: ,7,4, 371:--12.13RAJ'NDATION FoRlHEC\ROLINASCHILD WATCHFOUNDATION FOR THE CAROLINASRECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION1. Support development of a continuum of services that assists children and theirparents from conception to kindergarten so that every child in Mecklenburg Countyenters school ready to learn.- Families need a combination of services to prepare their children for success:prenatal care, parenting skills, child health, quality child care, transportation,housing, parent high school/college completion and job training.- Investing in children early saves money in the future. Every $1 spent on qualitypreschool saves $4.75 in special education, crime, welfare and other costs. Every$1 spent on childhood immunizations saves $10 in later medical costs.2. Support estabUshment/expansion of preschool child development and parentingeducation programs for at-risk families.- Approximately 2,500 children are on waiting lists for various preschoolprograms: Head Start (753), Chapter 14-Year-Qld Program (308) and subsidizedday care through Child Care Resources (1,275). Most in the field agree thesenumbers represent only a fraction of the need.- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools report that 29% of first graders are not ready forsecond grade work.- 64% of NC kindergarten teachers say that improving parent education is themost important goal in getting preschoolers ready to learn.3. Advocate for revision of guidelines of public programs