In January 2001, Governor Davis established a School Readiness Task Force with the purpose of developing a comprehensive program to better prepare children to enter school ready to succeed.

The California Children and Families Commission, School Readiness Task Force and School Readiness Master Plan Work Group all have adopted the National Education Goals Panel (NEGP) definition of "school readiness":

• Children's readiness for school (physical well-being and motor development, social and emotional development, approaches to learning, language development, and cognition and general knowledge)
• Schools' readiness for children (smooth transition between home and school, continuity between early care and education programs and kindergarten, a student center environment, etc.)
• Family and community supports and services that contribute to children's readiness for school success (access to high-quality and developmentally appropriate early care and education experiences, access by parents to training and support, prenatal care, nutrition, physical activity and health care that children need to arrive at school with healthy minds and bodies and to maintain mental alertness)

All School Readiness efforts will address California's cultural and linguistic diversity, in addition to issues for children with disabilities and other special needs.

The purpose of the School Readiness Initiative is to improve the ability of families, schools and communities to prepare children to enter school ready to succeed. To do that, the California Children and Families Commission is providing incentive matching funds to local commissions that fund locally tailored SR programs in communities served by schools primarily in the lowest 3 deciles of the Academic Performance Index.

Each of the following five elements must be present in some form within each School Readiness program:

• Early care and education with kindergarten transition programs
• Parenting/family support services
• Health and social services
• School capacity to prepare children and families for school success
• Program infrastructure, administration and evaluation

To view a list of School Readiness funded programs in Stanislaus County, click here .

For more highlights and resources about the SR Initiative, please visit the California Children and Families Commission web site at www.ccfc.ca.gov under School Readiness.