In 2022, only 3.1% of children in Mississippi from birth to 35 months received early intervention services that are designed to support children with learning challenges or developmental disabilities.
Lowndes County’s Excel by 5 team is working to change that, kicking off the year with a push to enhance childhood education and support early child care providers.
At the organization’s quarterly meeting Thursday, members met to discuss tasks aimed at ensuring every child in Columbus and Lowndes County is prepared for kindergarten and beyond.
Mississippi University for Women Director of Child and Parent Development Penny Mansell, who is the certification manager for the group, said anyone interested in supporting the mission is invited to contribute.
“The best thing about Excel by 5 is that it is a grassroots organization that is meant for anyone and everyone who has an interest in moving the needle on early education and the success of our children,” she said.
Excel by 5 is a Jackson-based nonprofit with a mission to support families with children under five by encouraging community-based collaborations to draw upon research-based best practices to improve child care and education. Certified Excel by 5 communities are eligible for grants and other funding.
Mansell said the Lowndes County certification group is currently bringing back committee work that focuses on tapping into local resources for early child care and education after the pandemic stalled the certification process.
“There’s still some main, big things that keep coming out (like) the need for early intervention and early referrals,” she said. “That keeps coming out as one of our top priorities, as well as early educator respect to the profession for early childhood.”
Lowndes County Excel by 5 aims to build awareness of tools already available as well as developing more methods of support for families and early child care providers.
The group’s health and safety committee is planning a baby shower fair in East Columbus for later this year that will provide parents access to resources like certified car seat experts and health educators.
In April, the organization will host the Celebrating and Highlighting Early Childhood Respect (CHEER) Conference, which is dedicated to supporting early child care providers.
“CHEER Conference is a day where the community and the businesses come together to help us recognize and celebrate our early educators,” Mansell said. “What we do in Columbus and Lowndes County Excel by 5 is recognize those early providers in the same manner that their counterparts are recognized in public schools.”
The conference welcomes participation in activities that support and recognize early child care providers and the work they do. There will be a keynote speaker, learning sessions and resource tables with information on early intervention and referrals.
“All sorts of great folks that are all in one room, so that the early care providers can walk around the tables and know that they are supported,” Mansell said. “That they have these resources, and that they’re not alone.”
The conference will also recognize four early child care providers, similarly to how public schools recognize educators of the year. Four teachers from private child care centers will be honored and awarded a stipend. Mansell said the goal is to make providers who are underpaid and undervalued feel special and included.
“The goal of CHEER is to give them materials and things for the classroom, but also give them things that make them feel good,” she said. “We do a lot of spoiling, just giving them a day to be loved on and respected.”
Mansell said the conference is a great day for groups and businesses from the community to contribute however they can.
“Even if you can’t come set up a table that day, we will have a CHEER Parade,” she said. “Our community comes through … and they have posters and pom poms and they walk through with loud celebration music and cheers just to let them know they are appreciated and loved.”
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
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