Ensuring that each of the five babies born every day in Porter County has an equal opportunity to grow and thrive.
Our Vision
Our Mission
A collaborative of community partners creating a rich system of care, support and services so that every Porter County baby born is prepared for a strong start in life.
Our Approach
Together, we are stronger. First Things First Porter County is the backbone organization bringing the community together around a common agenda, shared metrics, mutually reinforcing activities and continuous communication.
who we are:
Because early childhood development affects every aspect of our community, the Porter County Community Foundation launched First Things First Porter County in 2021 to strengthen, sustain and nurture partnerships to promote Healthy Beginnings, Family Support and Quality Early Learning.
The future of Porter County’s youngest citizens, the quality of life for all residents and the economic health of the community will be impacted by this ambitious endeavor.
Ensure.
First Things First Porter County strives to ensure that each of the five babies born every day in our community has equal opportunity to grow and thrive.
Engage.
First Things First Porter County engages different sectors throughout our county with a common agenda to identify and address social problems through structured and systematic collaboration.
Collaborate.
First Things First Porter County collaborates to create lasting solutions and coordinate efforts around its clearly defined goals.
why we are:
In the first few years of life, more than 1 million new neural connections are formed every second.
At 18 months old, differences in the size of children's vocabulary appear.
There is a 90-100% chance of developmental delays when a child experiences 6 or more risk factors.
Adults who experienced early exposure to trauma are 3x more likely to develop heart disease.
Any $1 you invest in a child age 0-5, you can get a return on investment of $4-$8 in your community.
85% of brain development occurs in the first 3 years of life.
Source: www.developingchild.harvard.edu, www.zerotothree.org