Faith Based Alliance
BACKGROUND:
The Faithful Beginnings Interfaith Alliance consists of faith leaders, educators, and community leaders committed to reaching the youngest children in South Hampton Roads. Faithful Beginnings brings faith-based organizations together to collectively support the families and youngest citizens in our community—ensuring they are healthy, well-developed, and ready to succeed in school and in life.
Many people look to their faith community for guidance in caring for their family. Faith communities can link families to the support they need. Faithful Beginnings supports families and children through the following:
- Awareness - Making congregations aware of the importance of focusing on the early years for our children; and supplying them with tools and resources to educate the families in their congregation.
- Parent Support - Providing parent trainings and support to ensure children have nurturing and stable relationships with caring adults.
- Access - Increasing the accessibility and affordability of early care and education opportunities in nurturing, high quality learning environments.
- Advocacy - Uniting the faith community to understand and advocate the importance of supporting our children and prioritizing their earliest years.
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it.”
Proverbs 22:6
WHAT CONGREGATIONS CAN CONTRIBUTE:
When it comes to caring for our children, congregations can contribute by:
- Establishing relationships with young children and their families through children’s programs.
- Promoting children’s healthy development by supporting parents in caring for their young children.
- Encouraging volunteerism among the members in their congregation.
- Offering unused space that could house high quality childcare programs.
HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?
- Join Faithful Beginnings and promote high quality early care and education within the faith community.
- Sign up to receive Faithful Beginnings e-mail updates.
- Provide your congregation with resources on the importance of focusing on our children’s first five years.
- Host a Parent Chat series for your congregation to support the parents of young children.
- Invite a Smart Beginnings’ speaker to your church, synagogue, or MOPS group to provide helpful parenting information.
- Start a mentor program where parents of older children can support the parents of younger children in your congregation.
- Learn more about the importance of becoming part of Virginia’s STAR Quality Rating Improvement System to ensure high quality education in your faith-based preschool or childcare center.
For more information on how you can partner with Faithful Beginnings, call Smart Beginnings South Hampton Roads at 757-226-8826.
