The Down East Partnership for Children is a nonprofit organization founded in 1993 by citizens concerned about education and economic development of Nash and Edgecombe counties in North Carolina. It provides a model of services focused on prevention and intervention targeting young children ages 0-8. It leverages investments from local, state and national partners to launch every child as a healthy, lifelong learner by the end of the 3rd grade. The DEPC builds: • Strong Families • Quality Early Education • Healthy Children • School Readiness and supports: • Coordinated Community Planning • Resource Development The earliest years of childhood are critical. Age 0-8 is a unique developmental period that literally shapes the structure of the brain. Studies show that children who do not learn to read by the end of the third grade don’t usually catch up. It is critical that young children learn to read so that ultimately they can read to learn. The rate of return on investing in early education is high. Every $1 invested generates a return of more than $7 - saving taxpayer dollars and reduces rates of crime and need for special education. Early education provides the foundation for a ready workforce. Children who have high quality early education experiences are more successful in school, less likely to be retained a grade and ultimately more likely to be productive workers.