Investing in Children Now to Secure a Better Future for All

In the first five years of life, a child’s brain will develop to 90% of its capacity, according to the National Institutes of Health. The neural connections that begin from when a baby is born happen faster than it will ever happen again. The early years of a child’s life are crucial for setting them on a path to a fulfilling future.

That’s where Storyteller Children’s Center comes in, a nonprofit dedicated to making sure that young children have early healthy experiences that build a solid foundation to help them thrive and prosper in life.

Storyteller has been a part of the community since 1988, working as a therapeutic preschool providing high quality early education for children facing adverse challenges. Now they are embarking on their first formal rebrand to expand their work from focusing solely on children to serving entire families.

Executive Director Dr. Gabriella Garcia is at the head of Storyteller’s leadership team, and she’s uniquely qualified for the role, having worked as a case manager and child development specialist at the beginning of her career, as well as dedicating 10 years to the Alzheimer’s Association. She’s seen the whole life continuum, and knows how important early intervention is for the successful social, emotional, and academic development of a child. She also knows how crucial it is to provide resources and comprehensive services for parents and guardians in order to ensure success for the family as a whole.

“Storyteller is a true social change organization. We give families the opportunity and the tools to help change the trajectory of their lives,” says Dr. Garcia.

They do this by providing a supportive, trauma-informed, educational environment for children ages six weeks to five years old and by providing thoughtful wraparound family support services (such as resources for housing insecurity and nutritional meals throughout the day for the children). 

“We provide two meals and a snack daily. And that’s often all a child gets to eat in a day. A lot of our families are living in hotels or shelters, and they don’t have kitchen space to cook. They know that while their children are with us, they are safe, cared for, and fed. While families are out looking for work or vocational school, [they] don’t have to worry. As a parent, that is probably the greatest gift,” says Dr. Garcia. 

The early investment in children reaps huge rewards. Research by Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman showed that every $1 invested in quality early childhood programs can yield returns between $14 and $16.

The investment in children is an investment for everyone. The huge emphasis on the first five years of a child’s life highlights how important Storyteller is. With the first year of their rebrand approaching, donations and support from the community is more crucial than ever to help them achieve their expansion.

As Dr. Garcia realized in her work at the Alzheimer’s Association, it all comes full circle. Storyteller is making a change today and for the future of our community.

Dr. Garcia sums it up perfectly: “We are helping families rewrite their stories.”