First 5 is driven by the knowledge that high quality preschool programs provide young children with the social, emotional, and physical skills necessary to be successful upon entering kindergarten and into adulthood.  Yet today, nearly 50% of all Ventura County children do not have access to quality preschool and are at risk for entering kindergarten unprepared and unable to catch up. Business is in a unique position to change this trend, with potential results that benefit children, families, commuities and our economic future.

At the recent first Business and Community Leaders Alliance Summit hosted by VC EDC and First 5 Ventura County, Keynote speaker, Richard Atlas of the Atlas Family Foundation, discussed the economic returns of investments in early education which help to reduce dollars later spent on crime, chronic health conditions, and welfare. He addressed a group of elected officials, business and community leaders brought together through the Business and Community Leaders Alliance for Early Education.

 
“If we want to work on eradicating poverty, homelessness, addictive behaviors, improve K-12 education, and build a knowledgeable workforce, it's about the raw material. There's still so much focus on solving problems not preventing them." 
 
A key theme of the summit was reshaping the notion that kindergarten is when education formally begins: The years before kindergarten – prenatal through preschool – are vital to the long-term successes of a child; as cognitive and social skills are developing from birth.
 
Harold Edwards, President & CEO of Limoneira moderated a guest panel of early education champions, including: Bruce Stenslie, President/CEO of EDCVC; Dennis Cima, Sr. VP, Education & Public Policy with the Silicon Valley Leadership Group; and John Comback, Assistant Sherriff with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. 
 
All of the Summit’s guest speakers stressed that investments in early education will produce a stronger and more competitive future workforce. With quality early education young children are better equipped to learn and develop social and emotional skills, which will yield greater economic success. First 5 Ventura County, EDCVC, and guest speakers encouraged attendees to share these benefits with their community and engage others to become advocates of early education.
 
For more information on the importance of quality early education, visit www.preschoolcalifornia.org. To learn about F5VC’s Business and Community Leaders Alliance for early education, click here.