Submission Type: Innovative Ideas
Final Rating: Innovative Idea
Date Submitted: Spring 2022
Focus Area: Child Development
Focus Population: Children, Teachers, Owners, Caregivers, Guardians, Parents
Contact Information:
Sarah England
Grants Director
405-609-8994
SEngland@SunbeamFamilyServices.org
Sunbeam Family Services, Inc.
1100 NW 14th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73106
(Previously Smart Start Central Oklahoma)
Goals and Outcomes:
Smart Start Central Oklahoma’s primary goal is to build a supportive and involved community that
works to ensure children are safe, healthy, eager to learn, and ready to succeed by the time they
enter school. We work to advance this goal through our mission to equip parents and caregivers to
serve as a child’s first and most influential teacher. The focus of our programming is to boost
school-readiness skills of children under five.
Our clearinghouse submission has three intended outcomes. First, we will get more quality learning
materials in the hands of more children. Kids learn by doing, and the quality of toys available to
them matter. Toys that build hand-eye coordination, boost literacy and numeracy skills, and teach
basic concepts are best for cognitive development. Unfortunately, these toys are usually more
expensive to obtain and thus out of reach financially for many families. Smart Start believes that all
children deserve the same opportunities no matter their socio-economic status. Our clearinghouse
submission will introduce these quality materials into more childcare facilities around the state.
Second, we will enhance the quality of childcare available to families by training providers in our
Early Birds educational program. Smart Start believes that parents are a child’s first and most
influential teacher, but we realize most parents require childcare in order to provide a quality life for
their families. Our clearinghouse submission will train childcare providers to incorporate learning
opportunities into their facilities thereby equipping children with the skills they need to succeed in
kindergarten. This train the trainer approach will allow providers to teach Early Birds curriculum to parents reinforcing the lessons and placing quality learning materials in the family home.
Third, we will improve the school readiness of children under five in the state of Oklahoma. Smart
Start’s Early Birds program effectively prepares children for school. In fact, 93% of children enrolled
in Oklahoma City Public Schools that had a parent attend just one Early Birds class achieved
kindergarten benchmarks compared with peers that did not have a parent enrolled in Early Birds.
We believe our program can boost the school readiness of children throughout our state.
Brief Summary:
Twelve percent of Oklahoma children live with parents with less than a high school diploma, and
Medicaid pays for nearly 60% of births. A quarter of all children under age five are living in poverty.
Smart Start Central Oklahoma believes that all parents want to do what’s best for their children;
however, when dealing with the challenges and stresses of poverty and low education, parents may
be unequipped and/or unaware of the vital role they play as their child’s first and most influential
teacher. Research shows that children are more likely to succeed in learning when their caregivers
actively encourage them. All families need support to help their children thrive. Childcare providers
also need training and support to create an encouraging and nurturing environment for the children
in their care.
There is a strong connection between early childhood experiences and the level of success that the
child achieves later in life. A child who enters school without a strong foundation runs a significant
risk of starting and staying behind. Investment in the early years saves money in the future and
strengthens our community’s future economic position. When kids enter school ready to learn, it
reduces remediation costs, teen pregnancy, job training costs, public assistance, and crime rates. In contrast, school readiness increases graduation rates, workforce readiness, job productivity,
community engagement, and lifetime income.
Smart Start relies on fundraising through grants, corporations and individuals to provide our
signature Early Birds program free of charge for parents and caregivers of children from birth to age
five. This grant will provide Early Birds training and learning materials for childcare providers, who
can then opt to provide the program to the families in their centers. Early Birds builds on parents
and caregivers’ existing strengths and arms them with the knowledge and resources they need to
ensure their children start school prepared to succeed. Although the majority of Smart Start families are low-income, we do not have program eligibility requirements. We have seen that programs work best when caregivers from diverse backgrounds can come together and share their experiences. This grant provides an opportunity to strengthen the partnership between the childcare provider and the parents and families of the children in their care to help both feel supported and well equipped to support the child’s development.
Early Birds - Parenting Program