New program to help parents in Charlotte prepare children for school

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The nonprofit Greenlight Fund announced Wednesday that $1 million will go toward a program to support parents as their children enter preschool in Charlotte.

Bella Flores had a child who went through pre-k last school year.

"Imagine a child who was familiar with a book already," she said.

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Flores' child went to Charlotte Bilingual Preschool. Executive director Banu Valladares said children are coming to preschool and are not prepared.

"The biggest challenge is how do I behave in school? What am I supposed to be doing? They don’t know how to hold a book or read a book,” Valladares said.

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The program, called ParentChild+, will be implemented in three low-income and disadvantaged communities in Charlotte.

>> In the video at the top of this page, Channel 9’s Gina Esposito explains how the program will work and breaks down the three communities getting extra help.  

Cox Media Group