Every
baby
born
at
Sentara
Northern
Virginia
Medical
Center
(Sentara)
will
now
leave
the
hospital
with
a
new
children's
book,
and
a
developmental
milestone
guide
and
other
early
learning
resources
for
parents,
thanks
to
Smart
Beginnings
Greater
Prince
William
(GPW).
Smart
Beginnings
GPW,
which
operates
under
SPARK,
the
Education
Foundation
for
PWCS,
advocates
for
quality
early
childhood
health
and
education
programs
and
works
with
parents,
educators,
health
providers,
and
businesses
to
deliver
those
resources.
Books4Babies,
a
program
of
Smart
Beginnings
GPW,
helps
achieve
that
mission.
All
books
are
provided
by
Bookworm
Central,
a
valued
Smart
Beginnings
GPW
partner
that
has
also
provided
leadership
and
financial
support
to
the
Books4Babies
program
since
its
inception
in
2013.
The
new
program
at
Sentara
begins
with
six
trained
volunteers,
coordinated
by
Linda
Trexler
and
Pam
Emert
of
Smart
Beginnings
GPW,
who
will
help
ensure
parents
know
the
many
benefits
of
reading
aloud
to
children,
beginning
in
infancy.
Because
90
percent
of
a
child's
brain
is
developed
by
age
five,
children
who
start
school
prepared
are
more
likely
to
experience
success
throughout
their
school
career
and
at
work.
"With
the
addition
of
Sentara
to
the
existing
Books4Babies
programs
already
in
place
at
Novant
Prince
William
Hospital
and
Novant
Haymarket
Medical
Center,
our
goal
of
providing
resources
to
the
parents
of
every
baby
born
in
Prince
William
County
is
well
on
its
way,"
said
Tawnya
Soltis,
executive
director
for
Smart
Beginnings
GPW.
"Research
from
the
American
Academy
of
Pediatrics
shows
that
reading
regularly
with
young
children
stimulates
optimal
patterns
of
brain
development
and
strengthens
parent-child
relationships
at
a
critical
time
in
child
development,
which,
in
turn,
builds
language,
literacy,
and
social-emotional
skills
that
last
a
lifetime."
The
launch
of
Books4Babies
at
Sentara
has
been
made
possible
through
generous
donations
from
the
Sentara
Medical
Executive
Committee
and
the
Lake
Ridge
Rotary
Club
as
well
as
numerous
community
donations.
Learn
more
about
how
to
support
Smart
Beginnings
GPW
by
joining
First
Lady
Pamela
Northam
and
Dr.
Mark
Ginsberg,
dean
of
the
College
of
Education
and
Human
Development
for
George
Mason
University,
at
the
Early
Childhood
and
Workforce
Development
breakfast
to
be
held
8-10:30
a.m.
on
Monday,
March
23,
2020,
at
the
Hylton
Performing
Arts
Center.
For
further
information,
please
contact
Tawnya
Soltis
at
[email protected].
Contributions
to
the
Sentara
Books4Babies
program
can
be
made
through
SPARK:
- Online: Visit the SPARK website, choose the pencil icon, and select "ADD special instructions to the seller" to designate your contribution to B4B-Sentara or Smart Beginnings GPW
-
By
check,
please
note
in
memo
line:
Books4Babies-Sentara
and
mail
to:
SPARK, the Education Foundation for PWCS, P.O. Box 389, Manassas, Va. 20108
SPARK is the operating name of the Prince William County Public Schools Education Foundation, (FE ID# 54-1498824), a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization. Your contribution is tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.