Equipping Chesterfield’s pre-school children to thrive
About 90 percent of brain development happens before age five. Everyday moments with parents and caregivers help shape how children learn, build relationships, and respond to the world around them.
The Basics Program shares simple, research-based practices that help adults support children’s cognitive and social-emotional development from birth to age five.
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Why the early years matter
Children build the foundations for learning, resilience, and health in their earliest years. Parents and caregivers want the best for their children, but it can be hard to know which everyday interactions matter most—or to make room for them amid stress, isolation, and competing demands.
The Basics offers clear, practical guidance families can use in daily life. Its five caregiving principles support healthy development through the relationships and routines children experience every day.
The approach also fits naturally with healthy habits such as moving more, reducing screen time, and using mindful routines to ease stress.
The Basics Movement
The Basics Movement was developed and researched by Dr. Ron Ferguson, faculty director of the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University. Its goal is to advance both equity and excellence by helping communities support parents and caregivers as the most important influences in a young child’s life.
Chesterfield Basics: support across everyday settings
C-Fit Community, Chesterfield County Government, and Chesterfield County Public Schools are working to help families encounter The Basics wherever they already go: at home, in schools, in community programs, and through trusted local organizations.
When families hear the same encouraging messages in familiar places, the practices can become easier to remember and use. We call this a community-wide “surround sound” of support.
What’s happening now
C-Fit Community has helped introduce and reinforce The Basics Principles through partnerships and community touchpoints, including home visits, pre-K parent trainings, WIC family engagement, and cross-partner education.
We also created and installed a Beyond The Basics Play Zone in a Chesterfield County park. It invites families to learn and connect through movement, outdoor exploration, age-appropriate activities, conversation, and play.
It’s playful on purpose. Children learn through relationships, repetition, and joy.
The next step
The Basics has reached families through several community settings. We’re now working to expand into two important places where young children and caregivers spend time: medical practices and child-care settings.
Support for this work can help C-Fit Community:
- Bring The Basics into medical and child-care settings
- Create practical materials and reminders for caregivers
- Train partners to share and reinforce the principles
- Reach families who could benefit from additional support
- Build lasting community awareness of healthy early childhood practices
This work builds the relationships and capacity needed for continued support—not just a one-time campaign.
Who benefits
The Basics supports parents and caregivers of children from birth to five, and the young children in their care. Its benefits can also reach schools and the wider community as children enter school ready to learn and families gain stronger support.
Community partners
C-Fit Community works with partners who contribute to early childhood learning and family support, including Chesterfield County Public Schools, Chesterfield County Health District, Chesterfield County Mental Health Support Services, and other county departments and aligned organizations.
Working across these partnerships helps connect related efforts and strengthen what each partner can accomplish.
Help Chesterfield’s children start strong
A strong start begins at birth, with the adults who care for children and the simple practices they can use every day.
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Please submit this form to discuss partnership conversations, program support, or sponsorship opportunities.
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