Supportive Early Education

As a leader in Early Education for the last 50 years, Child Saving Institute (CSI) has evolved with the changing needs of children who need additional support. It’s an unfortunate fact: There are many vulnerable preschoolers living in poverty and experiencing the impact of trauma in the Omaha community. Their ability to develop healthy relationships—a key element of academic success—is negatively impacted by their experiences and environments. Research shows that trauma triggers toxic stress in the brains of young children, leaving the brain in a constant, chaotic “fight or flight” state, thus making it difficult to make friends or learn in such a state.

The reality is that many children are at risk for expulsion due to their behaviors and need timely supportive services:

• Preschoolers are expelled at three times the rate of children in kindergarten through 12th grade.
• Preschool-aged boys are four times as likely to be expelled as girls.
• African American children are expelled almost twice as often as Latino and White children and more than five times as often as Asian American children.

Research shows that young children who are expelled or suspended are up to ten times more likely to drop out of high school, hold negative attitudes about school and end up in jail.

CSI currently provides consultation services to support such children throughout Omaha. Staff work with teachers and caregivers to reduce challenging behaviors and increase social and emotional skills and school readiness.

The need is apparent, and CSI is positioned to take the next steps: to directly provide Supportive Early Education services for traumatized preschoolers unsuccessful in traditional early learning environments. Program activities will specifically address those traumatized children and help them build trusting relationships with adults and peers. To achieve this goal, CSI will add two Supportive Early Education classrooms to accommodate up to 16 children. The limited class size of four children per room is due to the complex emotional and behavioral issues of the children. CSI’s goal is to help them heal and prepare them for kindergarten… and life.