Ada, OK , February 8, 2016– Members of the community are invited to join Ada Regional United Way and the Early Childhood Advisory Council for a community conversation on the health issues of children prenatally to five years. The conversation will be hosted Wed. Feb. 17, 2016, at the OSU Extension located at the Agriplex from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm.
“We want the community to come and be a part of the conversation,” said James Jackson, Ada Regional United Way Executive Director, and Co-Chair of the Early Childhood Advisory Council. “The issues surrounding early childhood health in our community are complex. It will take stakeholders from all different areas of our community working together to help make a difference.”
The Early Childhood Advisory Council, originally started as Success by Six, and then renamed Smart Start, is a group of concerned volunteer community members from diverse fields who work together to address issues within early childhood health, parent education, child care and early childhood literacy. Their focus areas is children prenatal to five years of age, and their families. This year, the Early Childhood Advisory Council has decided to host a community conversation on one of these topics each quarter. The February 17th meeting marks the first of such gatherings.
“Ada Regional United Way is very excited to be co-hosting this very important community conversation. We want our community to know that there is a group of people who are concerned about these areas and that we are helping to bring together the people with the expertise, passion and resources to get things done,” Jackson said. “It takes all of us being a part of the solution to make it happen. That’s what it means to LIVE UNITED.”
If you wish to be a part of the conversation, please register by Feb. 12, by contacting the Ada Regional United Way office at 580.332.2313 ext 224, or going to www.adaunitedway.org/contact-us
The focus of this community conversation will be on early childhood health needs, and will include discussion on the following:
1. What are the current practices to promote early childhood health in our community?
2. What are your goals/aspirations for early childhood health in our community?
3. What obstacles are you facing toward reaching those goals?
4. How can the Early Childhood Advisory Council help fill the gaps towards those goals?