Before children enter kindergarten this charity has free tools to educate and develop them

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - It’s discussed many times among parents how expensive daycare is around Kansas City these days, especially for infants and toddlers.

But missing that early development can put kids at a disadvantage for kindergarten. That’s according to the non-profit Start at Zero which is trying to bridge that gap in learning

Right after Rasheedah Villareal’s son turned one, she enrolled him at Start at Zero. She hasn’t looked back.

“He was just at home with my mom, so the biggest thing is that I wanted him to be able to interact with other children,” Villarreal recalled. “So, I was excited to know that he could go to a place once a week and work with other kids his age to learn how to work on his communication skills, how to be around other people.”

The success continued when her daughter ed the program.

“The other day we did science projects, we did slime together, we’ll go outside, and we’ll paint together,” Villarreal continued. “Me and my son are going to see the Lion King together. So, just really making sure that we’re spending quality time and we’re having conversations.”

Start at Zero’s goal is to partner parents and caregivers with Early Childhood Education Services. The work is done at home for children until they’re five years old.

“We don’t often talk enough about what happens before they get to Kindergarten, when 90% of the brain is being developed”, Start at Zero Executive Director Amanda Vega-Mavec explained.

Even if you’re a parent who works a lot, Start at Zero does much more than house calls. They can accommodate parents just about anywhere. They can come to your child’s school to have meetings and sessions, your local churches, or any place that’s public if it means getting your child the right education and development skills.

“We’ve done a number of visits at the library, we’ll do visits at a park if that’s what works best for families,” Vega-Mavec added. “As part of our group connection, we’ll take families on field trips.”

Start at Zero’s biggest expense is funding field trips. This month, KCTV will donate up to $1500 to close that gap a little. You can also do your part by donating here.

“Money to fund those field trips to allow families to enjoy the different attractions across the city is always grateful,” Vega-Mavec told KCTV.

“That allowed our entire family to fall in love with being outside,” Villarreal added. “So, I thank Start at Zero for that because it introduced us how to play and do things in nature.”

Once you enroll your kids with Start at Zero, you also qualify for free health screenings.

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