For the past several months, a dedicated group of social service, mental health, education and medical experts have been working through a disciplined process to identify the root causes for poor kindergarten readiness for the children of our community. This group represents one of the seven subcommittees developing the Community Health Improvement Plan for Children (CHIP) focused on ensuring that all children in Allen County are physically, mentally, and spiritually healthy and educated to their highest potential. Research demonstrates that the lack of standardized developmental screening for all children at an early age followed by early intervention is a profound barrier to both kindergarten readiness and long-term academic and economic success.

The Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne and the CHIP Education Subcommittee will host three experts who will discuss the importance to both the individual and our community of early childhood screening. They will also discuss the tremendous treatment services available to ensure that all children are able to have a successful educational experience and a bright future.