Conshohocken, PA, 2016-May-02 — /EPR Retail News/ — During the month of May, every time an IKEA customer scans the IKEA Family card, a donation will be made to Save the Children’s ‘Early Steps to School Success’ program.*
The ‘Early Steps to School Success’ program is Save the Children’s language development and pre-literacy program for children from pre-birth to age 5 in poor, rural areas where there is little early childhood support. The program is designed to reach these rural communities with an affordable home visitation program in which participating families are served through parent/child groups and a book exchange program. The demographics of the communities served are ethnically, racially and culturally diverse.
“Although 90 percent of brain development happens by age five, many children in America’s poorest, rural communities do not even begin to receive an education until kindergarten,” said Carolyn Miles, president and CEO of Save the Children. “Through this partnership with IKEA, we’re able to bring quality early education to these kids, giving them a solid foundation for a successful future.”
“At IKEA, children are the most important people in the world. Working with partners like Save the Children helps us make sure that children always have the opportunity to get a good education and a better start in life, no matter where they live or what their circumstances,” commented Evamay Lawson, Sustainability Manager. “IKEA U.S. has been committed to Save the Children’s ‘Early Steps to School Success’ program since 2008 and the results show positive outcomes.”
Last year, during the 2015 program, Early Steps served 105 communities in 14 states. They reached 2,845 children ages 0-3, 4,469 children ages 3-5 and 4,009 adults. In 2015, they completed 35,959 home visits, averaging 1.8 visits a month to each family.
Working in partnership with schools and community-based organizations, Early Steps provides services to pregnant women, mothers and children 0 to 5 years of age. They implement this work through a home-visiting model for expecting families and those with children ages 0-3, as well as with transition-to school activities for children ages 3-5.
The ‘Early Steps to School Success’ program is built around four goals that encompass a theory of change:
•Children will enter school with the skills necessary for school success.
•Parents will have the skills and knowledge to support their children’s education.
•Home/school connections will be strong and children will be prepared for a smooth transition to school.
•Early childhood knowledge and skills in the community will be increased.
Save the Children has been working for decades to cultivate and support Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) programs and national-level policies that benefit young children and their families in the United States.
*IKEA will make a donation of 50 cents – with each Family card swipe – to Save the Children’s ‘Early Steps to Schools Success’ Literacy program in the United States; up to $75,000 maximum.
About IKEA Group
The IKEA vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. Our business idea supports this visionby offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them. There are currently 328 IKEA Group stores in 28 countries. Additionally, there are 40 IKEA stores run by franchises. There are 41 IKEA stores in the U.S. In FY 15, IKEA Group had 771 million visitors to the stores and 1.9 billion visitors to IKEA.com. IKEA incorporates sustainability into day-to-day business and supports initiatives that benefit children and the environment. For more information, please visit www.IKEA.com, facebook.com/IKEAUSA, @IKEAUSANews, @IKEAUSA, http://pinterest.com/IKEAUSA/, www.youtube.com/IKEAUSA, www.theshare-space.com, www.theshare-space.com/en/Blog
About Save the Children:
Save the Children (www.savethechildren.org) invests in childhood – every day, in times of crisis and for our future. In the U.S. and around the world, we are dedicated to ensuring every child has the best chance for success. Our pioneering programs give children a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. Our advocacy efforts provide a voice for children who cannot speak for themselves. As the leading expert on children, we inspire and achieve lasting impact for millions of the world’s most vulnerable girls and boys. By transforming children’s lives now, we change the course of their future and ours. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
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Mona Astra Liss
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Joseph Roth
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