Measuring Impact: Stories of ACT Grantee Projects
Kids’ Corps. Inc.: A Strong Start For Anchorage Children
One of the focus areas of ACT’s Tier 1 Community Prevention grants is early childhood. We know that adult caregivers, including parents and early learning providers, profoundly influence young children’s self-perception and responses to stress. Effective training that helps child care providers, teachers, and parents understand brain development and respond in developmentally appropriate ways to infant and toddler behavior can be a vital resource for ensuring our youngest children develop healthy communication and social emotional skills. Training and the bonding that comes with spending time with other parents also helps parents self-regulate and learn when to employ techniques to cool off, decreasing the likelihood of child abuse.
Using funds received through ACT’s Tier 1 grant process, Kids’ Corps Inc. started a program called “A Strong Start for Anchorage”. The program focuses on children birth- 5 years old (and their families) who live in poverty and/or who are foster children, individuals experiencing homelessness or those with some other significant challenge to their healthy growth and development.
The program pairs staff training and parenting classes to ensure that each key adult in a child’s life has the tools and knowledge to create a safe, stable, and nurturing environment both at home and at the child’s early care center.
A Strong Start for Anchorage Children exceeded expectations, equipping staff and parents with valuable tools for nurturing children's development and self-regulating their own responses to behavior. Kids’ Corps. enthusiasm is fueled by witnessing the tremendous growth of their staff as they embrace this transformative approach and work tirelessly to support the children in their care. Continuing forward, once all staff members are proficient in the program, they intend to explore additional training modules to empower educators and parents. Kids’ Corps. is excited to continue growing and exploring new ways to support the community through conscious discipline practices.
Kids’ Corps. is powered by connecting with children, and plan to delve deeper into this concept to enhance classroom dynamics and home behaviors.
Kids’ Corps. Inc. is an Anchorage- based nonprofit organization providing Head Start and Early Head Start services to children and families, with a vision of ensuring every child leaves their program equipped with 100% of the skills, knowledge, and attitudes essential for optimal learning and development. They achieve this by partnering with families, investors, and the local community to offer comprehensive, high-quality services that prioritize children's safety, health, learning, and positive engagement.