Centering Black and African Families in Early Learning

Eastside Pathways’ Early Learning Collaborative Action Network (CAN), with funding from King County Best Starts for Kids, invites Black, African American, and African parents and caregivers of children prenatal through age five to participate in a unique co-development experience.

Together, families and early learning professionals will engage in meaningful conversations about what works, what barriers exist, and what families need to successfully support their children’s early learning, literacy, language development, and school readiness.

These conversations will help shape two community-informed resources:

• A caregiver guide to support families with early literacy, language development, and family engagement.
• An educator resource that helps early learning providers strengthen culturally responsive and anti-racist practices when serving Black and African families.

Participants will have the opportunity to share experiences, provide feedback, and help create tools that can positively impact families across East King County. This project includes two interactive co-development sessions. Participants are encouraged to attend both sessions to ensure their voices help shape the final resources.