Community is an essential building block for children and families. Families have a lot of hard choices to make about how to raise their children and community is crucial for their success. The Buncombe Partnership for Children is an essential community advocate for families to access the resources they need. We support families to find the right situation for every child’s development, from birth to five.
The critical first 2,000 days of a child’s life see 90% of their brain functioning develop and set them on a course that will define the rest of their lives. When children have specific needs, it’s harder to find the right childcare for them.
Everette’s mother Kelly called us when she was looking for a spot in an NC Pre-K program. He was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder when he was almost two. He wasn’t achieving some of his developmental milestones, especially in his speech and his way of relating to other children. We referred Everette to specialists from Buncombe County to create an Individualized Educational Plan to make sure his pre-kindergarten would be able to offer the most support possible for him.
Everette making his trademark thumbs-up gesture
Everette and his sister Elise on his first day of preschool
The first week was a little bumpy, with Everette saying, “I don’t want to go to school.” But each day when he’d arrive, he’d walk in all smiles and he’d come out saying “I had such a great day.” Before Everette’s one companion was his big sister Elise and he only ever wanted
to play with her. Now he made a friend at school and they like to play with trucks and roll down the hill together. When we asked what he liked about school, Everette mentioned playing with blocks, learning numbers from Miss Lisa, and lunch.
Kelly’s main goal is for Everette to become self-sufficient. She appreciated that the Buncombe Partnership staff was conscientious and committed to making sure the needs of her child and family were served. She commented, “You all make sure children are placed in an environment where they can thrive.”
