How Texas families impacted by pandemic can get free internet, laptops
COVID-19 has changed the normal for so many of us. In an attempt to help out struggling parents Waterford.org, an early education non-profit, is working to provide homebound learning for at risk families, for free.
"Research shows a child's brain develops 90 percent between the ages 1 and 5. So their brains are like a little sponge, so it's really, really great to get them learning at that point," Waterford.org public relations director, Kim Fischer said.
The program is designed to help Texas children entering kindergarten this fall who belong to families below the poverty line. Fischer says their goal is to bridge the education and technology gap for families who need it most.
"This is really for any child in the state of Texas. So any viewer that is watching that has a child going into kindergarten and they feel that their child may not be prepared to enter school, they can log onto our website to sign up as well," Fischer said.
These are the eight local school districts are participating:
- Lamar CISD
- Brazosport ISD
- Port Arthur ISD
- Pasadena ISD
- Angleton ISD
- Columbia Brazoria ISD
- Deer Park ISD
- Goose Creek CISD
Fischer says, with 9.4 million children in the U.S. without access to internet at home, the program will provide internet installation and tools like laptops.
"We don't want them to walk into kindergarten unprepared. When they start off behind their peers, they are very likely to stay behind their peers, and that's what we are trying to avoid with this program," Fischer said.
