G.L.O. Mobile

Our Community’s Growing Need

Currently, 70% of students entering kindergarten are not enrolled in licensed child care for a wide variety of different reasons that include the high cost of childcare and transportation barriers, and more than 80% of kindergartners tested below benchmark levels in literacy at the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year.

More than half of the Henderson County students qualify for the free-and-reduced meals program and in Henderson County, 18.1% of children live in poverty which can be one of the greatest threats to the success of a child. Children from low-income families hear 30 million fewer words by age 3, placing them at an instant disadvantage when they begin kindergarten as compared to more affluent peers.

In Henderson County, in January of 2022, 145 children were in DSS custody for child abuse/neglect, and there were 234 children in DSS custody for the 2021 calendar year. The incidence of child abuse and neglect is reduced when protective factors like parental resilience, social connections, concrete support in times of need, knowledge of parenting and child development, and children’s social and emotional competence is strengthened.

The GLO mobile will reach children under the age of five who are not in structured care and will enhance and support their learning by creating fun and interactive high-quality experiences to prepare them for kindergarten. The GLO mobile will also offer parents an opportunity to learn more about how they can support their child’s learning and will offer connections to other parents, resources, and support.

Our GLO Mobile

The GLO Mobile will support and enhance kindergarten readiness and transition activities in the Henderson County community. Providing an early learning outreach vehicle will remove barriers such as transportation, availability of care, and expenses that often keep children out of a preschool setting and will allow parents to access the necessary support for their children to begin kindergarten ready to learn. The mobile unit will enhance kindergarten readiness and transition activities in Hendersonville removing barriers such as transportation, availability of care, and expenses that often keep children out of a preschool setting and will allow parents to access the necessary support for their children to begin Kindergarten ready to learn.

We know the earliest days of a child’s life can be one of the most important indicators of future success and by bringing quality early childhood experiences into neighborhoods with barriers like transportation, primary language, and limited income, we hope to build the child’s foundation for future learning. It is our goal to assist these caregivers in becoming their child’s first educator, empowering them to be the support their children need to start kindergarten prepared.

A site for state-of-the-art screenings for vision, hearing, and developmental delays to prepare children for kindergarten through early detection of potential deficiencies.
PREP program
A library with age-appropriate books through a partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and resources from the Henderson County Public Library.
Coordinated activities and kits utilizing the evidence-based Parents as Teachers curriculum that will provide parents with the tools to support their children’s development using household items. These activities will support the development of fine motor skills needed in the kindergarten classroom.
Opportunities to connect with other children and parents, nurturing the social and emotional developmental skills needed to regulate emotions and feelings in a classroom setting.
An opportunity to unlock educational equity across different geographic and socio-economic areas of Henderson County, leveling the playing field for all students to be prepared for kindergarten.
Coordinated schedule with access to community resources such as food pantries, diapers and formula, health and dental care, and mental health.

Text GLOMOBILE to 44321 to make your gift today!

Your donation will help provide parents and children with the resources and knowledge needed to start kindergarten ready to learn!

Our goal is $1,000,000 and we are halfway there!

Now we need

YOU!

For nearly 25 years, Children and Family Resource Center has been caring for children and families in Henderson County. The founding leadership understood that to improve the lives of Henderson County children, the community needed to simplify access to children’s services and provide programming that focused on improving the quality of childcare and the prevention of child abuse and neglect.

Thanks to the Dogwood Health Trust, Cannon Foundation and the Community Foundation of Henderson County, we received initial funding to get the GLO Mobile on the road. Now we need to upfit the mobile unit, stock it with materials and supplies, create the library, add curriculum, staff it, and establish a fund for fuel.

Our GLO MOBILE (Grow. Learn. Outreach) will include:

A site for state-of-the-art screenings for vision, hearing and developmental delays to prepare children for kindergarten through early detection of potential deficiencies.
An opportunity to unlock educational equity across different geographic and socio-economic areas of Henderson County, leveling the playing field for all students to be prepared for kindergarten.
Coordinated activities and kits utilizing the evidence-based Parents as Teachers curriculum to support the development of fine motor skills needed in the kindergarten classroom.
Opportunities to connect with other children and parents, nurturing the social and emotional developmental skills needed to regulate emotions and feelings in a classroom setting.
Coordinated schedule with access to community resources such as food pantries, diapers and formula, health and dental care, and mental health.
A library with age-appropriate books