Our Purpose
Chester County Children's Foundation is committed to bridging the gaps between home and school for children in need. We raise funds and engage our communities to provide meals, support our summer camps, expand our literacy initiatives, and sponsor our after school programs.
Our Initiatives
"Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope" - Kofi Annan
Summer Camps
"Learning is not attained by chance; it must be sought for with ardor and diligence." - Abigail Adams
Summer creates a huge opportunity gap for children. Many children whose parents cannot afford quality daycare or summer camp languish at home in the summer while their better resourced peers enjoy trips, museums, nature, and more. All of these experiences make children better prepared for school, especially reading, because the experiences give them the background knowledge children need for reading comprehension. At the Chester County Children's Foundation, we work to provide the same kind of enriching summer experiences for children in need that their peers already enjoy.
We also provide summer meals. Many students rely on free breakfast and lunch during the school year and may go hungry or be poorly nourished in the summer months. This allows our children to grow and learn while they play.
.jpg)
After School Programs
"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." - Frederick Douglass
When the school day ends many children go to dance classes, sports clinics, piano lessons, etc. Children living in poverty rarely have these opportunities. They are often left home alone or in the care of their siblings with no access to enriching activities or even help with their homework.
In the Chester County Children's Foundation after school programs we close the gap between school and home by providing safe, supervised and enriching activities to children in need where they can explore their talents and interests just like their more resourced peers.
.jpg)
Literacy Promotion
"Recognizing the links between book ownership and broader life outcomes, increasing book ownership may be seen as a matter of social justice." - National Literacy Trust
Educators are well aware of the concept of the "summer slide" in which children with few resources lose the ground they gained in their reading skills during the school year.
Why? Because like any other skill, reading takes practice and confidence builds competence. It is common for children living in poverty to have limited access to books during the summer. Their families often do not own books and they may not be able to get to libraries.
Did you know a predictor of successful grade level reading is the number of books in a child's home? One study showed that if children get to own 10 self-selected books at the beginning of each summer the positive effect size can be great enough to close the achievement gap. (Allington, 2024)
At the Chester County Children's Foundation, we work to get books into the hands of children. Books they can own and love.
Help us get books into children's hands. Donate now using the button below.
