CHEVERLY, Md. — In an effort to make sure that every child is kindergarten-ready, Prince George’s County kicked off its “Smart Start for Babies” program.
The goal is to promote early childhood education and reading by providing new families with a portable crib, child care resources and a monthly book subscription.
Samuel Epps, president of the Board of Library Trustees for Prince George’s County, explained that the books are provided through the Dolly Parton “Books from Birth” program. “The program sends one free book per month to registered children under the age of 5,” Epps said.
“We currently have 5,300 young children receiving their own books,” he added. “If they are registered at birth, they can receive up to 60 books by the time they are 5.”
Monica Goldson, deputy superintendent for teaching and learning with the Prince George’s County school system, said introducing babies to books encourages parents to sing, talk and play with their babies.
And while that sounds like fun, there’s also serious learning going on when babies have those kind of interactions and are read-to by their parents.
“Research shows that 1 in 3 students enters our kindergarten doors without the literacy schools needed,” she said. So, Goldson added, that’s why the schools, the library system, hospitals and the health department are teaming up in a comprehensive program to link families to early learning.
From birth to age 3, babies who are read-to by a parent or guardian hear 30 million more words than their peers who are not read-to, according to Goldson. That means by third grade, Goldson said, those children who were introduced to books will have better test scores, a larger vocabulary and better reading skills.
The event held at the Prince George’s County Health Center attracted some parents with infants. When one baby’s cries prompted one parent to take her daughter from the atrium where the event was being held, Diane Young, associate director of the health department’s Family Health Services Division, interrupted her speech and invited the parent to stay.
“You don’t have to take the baby out. Baby noise is good noise!” Young said.
Young attended the kickoff to talk about the health department’s “safe sleep” initiative. She told the crowd that co-sleeping — where parents have their babies sleep alongside them in bed — is among the leading causes of death among infants in the county.
“This is primarily due to parents’ co-sleeping, which can lead to accidental suffocation,” she said.
That’s why the portable cribs are part of the “Smart Start” program. “Providing these cribs will help our families put education into action and give space to the babies that they need while they’re sleeping,” Young said.
Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker attended the event and noted that after the upcoming elections, he’d no longer be county executive — he’s term-limited and is running for governor. Still, he asked the county employees present to continue their work in the “Smart Start for Babies” program.
“Eight years from now, you’re going to look back and say, ‘I helped create that!’ That is what this is about. God bless you — thank you,” Baker said.
