Maria Matos is the president and CEO of the Latin American Community Center in Wilmington. Don Parsons is a retired Delaware Court of Chancery vice chancellor and a member of the Rotary Club of Wilmington.
Thank you, Gov. Matt Meyer, for making literacy a state priority. Your $7.2 million investment through the Bridge to Practice program demonstrates real leadership on an issue that shapes every child’s future. Literacy is the foundation for all learning, for civic participation and for a strong workforce. We also celebrate the commitment of state education secretary Cindy Marten, whose efforts to strengthen instruction and support educators are setting Delaware on the right path.
But there is a missing piece — and it’s a big one. Literacy doesn’t begin in kindergarten. It begins at birth.
Before children ever set their feet in classrooms, their brains are developing at lightning speeds. Every word they hear, every song sung to them and every story read aloud is building the neural connections that will support all future learning. When parents talk, read and sing to their babies — and when young children have access to nurturing, high-quality early learning experiences — they build the foundation for lifelong literacy.
At the Latin American Community Center (a proud collaborator with Rotary), we see this every day. Our Early Childhood Services program serves hundreds of Delaware’s youngest learners — most from low-income, working families. We know what works. Children who attend high-quality early education programs arrive at kindergarten ready to learn. Those who don’t often start behind and, without intervention, stay behind. Kindergarten teachers tell us they can see the difference immediately — the gap is visible on day 1.
The research backs this up. The Hart and Risley study shows that, by age 3, children from low-income households have heard 30 million fewer words than their more affluent peers have. The National Institute for Early Education Research has found that children who attend quality preschool programs perform better in reading and math through elementary school. And The Annie E. Casey Foundation reports that children who cannot read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school.
These studies tell us something simple and powerful: Children learn to read by third grade if — and only if — they have access to quality early education.
That’s why Delaware’s literacy efforts must start earlier — much earlier. Right now, our state funds early learning for only 1 in 5 children under age 5. Families earning just above the eligibility cutoff — about $64,500 for a family of four — receive no assistance, even though full-time child care for two young children costs around $24,000 a year. That’s more than housing for many Delaware families.
We cannot expect to build a strong workforce or attract new families and businesses if affordable child care remains out of reach. Child care is not a private issue; it’s a public necessity.
Other states have already recognized this. New Mexico, Vermont and others have raised dedicated revenue to expand access to early education and make it affordable for working families. Delaware can — and must — do the same.
Gov. Meyer’s leadership on literacy is a critical step forward. Now, we urge him — and all our state leaders — to extend that commitment to Delaware’s youngest children. Early literacy and early education are inseparable. By investing in both, we can close the achievement gap before it begins, support working families and secure a stronger future for our state.
The Latin American Community Center and the Rotary Club of Wilmington stand ready to partner in this effort. Our educators, families and community members know the power of starting early. Let’s give all children in Delaware — no matter their ZIP codes or family incomes — opportunities to start strong and thrive.
Gov. Meyer, thank you for investing in Delaware’s children. Let’s make sure that investment this year includes the very youngest ones — because literacy doesn’t start in kindergarten. It starts at birth.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
