Baby University
Baby University was created with a mission to engage and educate low-income parents on the vital role they play in their child’s development and education. It is designed to connect them with any community resources or support they may need to raise healthy children who are able to enter school ready to learn.
In South Toledo, 39% of residents do not have a high school diploma. Baby University and South Toledo Kid’s Zone are modeled after the efforts of the Harlem Children’s Zone. The Children’s Zone (HCZ) data shows that the birth to 5 year mark is the most critical time for development. The Harlem Children’s Zone methods are demonstrating success in moving children from high rates of academic failure to 100% ready for advancement. The goal of the South Toledo Kid’s Zone is to adopt this proven model in Toledo.
Baby University is a free 10-week parenting workshop for low-income parents of children birth to three years of age in Toledo’s Old South End. It is located on the lower level of 1411 Broadway Street, Toledo, Ohio. It is the first link of services planned in this geographic area. Future efforts will come alongside parents and kids through high school. The Kid’s Zone is a collaborative effort between Cherry Street Mission Ministries and Western Avenue Family Center. In Baby U, Parents are educated with the most recent research in the areas of infant brain development and the role they play as parents in fostering a child’s readiness to learn. A University of Iowa study shows that simply reading to a child for at least 15 minutes per day has a dramatic impact on the child’s educational performance both in and out of the classroom. Parents will participate in a 2-hour workshop with a qualified professional, and receive a total of 8 book kits with activities designed to build vocabulary. Demonstrations in class and weekly home visits reinforce previous lessons. The goal is to demonstrate to parents the simple and profound advantages of reading to their kids.
Our goal is to transform one of the poorest neighborhoods within the city of Toledo. This will likely require 20 years or more, but we are dedicated to this goal. According to HCZ’s previous research the most successful efforts start with newborns and their parents, working with them until the children are at least through high school. It all starts with a parent and a book. It leads to an end of the cycle of poverty.
