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38 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • July 2016 ask the expert a sk t h e e x p e rt Q: Tell us a little about Smart Beginnings. Smart Beginnings Rappahannock Area (SBRA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit early childhood initiative designed to ensure that young children are prepared for success in school and life. We serve Planning District 16, which includes the city of Fredericksburg and the counties of Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline, King George and Culpeper, and are led by a volunteer board of community and business leaders and school super- intendents. SBRA is one of many Smart Beginnings coalitions throughout the state supported by the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF). As a statewide organization, we collectively strive to deliver the message that supporting early childhood edu- cation is a smart investment with a proven return. Q: How does Smart Beginnings help strengthen communities? Smart Beginnings Rappahannock Area collabo- rates with a wide variety of organizations to determine what the needs are in our community for young children and their families. We locate resources and apply for grants to support these needs. We are currently implementing sev- eral early childhood initiatives in our region to enhance the quality of early childhood education and service for children 0 to 5. These include VA Quality, Al's Pals: Kids Making Healthy Choices, Passport to Kindergarten and more. Did you know 1 in 7 children start kindergarten without the basic skills to succeed? Smart Beginnings Rappahannock Area is a coalition designed to give young children the start they need to thrive academically. Since 2001, they've worked to bring together local businesses, community members and parents to strengthen existing early childhood education programs and cre- ate new ones when needed. INTERVIEWED BY BRENDA SAPANGHILA Studies by the Federal Reserve, the World Bank and the Economic Policy Institute share this common conclusion: investing NOW in early childhood development yields tremendous economic and social benefits by reducing crime and welfare dependency while building the competitive, productive workforce our community will need in the future. — Smart Beginnings " "