School Readiness at Garden Park Apartments

Child painting

Homelessness and poverty have destructive impacts for anyone, but for children under the age of five, these can interrupt basic development.  Without early intervention, homeless children fall behind their peers academically and socially.  In the on-site pre-school program at Garden Park Apartments, formerly homeless children are supported to learn the skills that will help them to be ready for school.  With gentle support, these young students are learning to listen to stories and to recognize numbers, letters, shapes, and colors.  They are also learning to get along with their peers and name their feelings, skills that will allow them to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.  Mental health intern Rob Wolf reports that three-year olds are overheard saying “okay, you are making me angry, so I need to take a breath.”  Such self-control and self-awareness is a great skill at such a young age indeed!