Why the Basics Matter


Research shows that 80% of brain growth happens by age 3 and 90% by age 5. During this time, skill gaps emerge between socio-economic, racial and ethnic groups. Simple interactions can help. In fact, everyday interactions between children, their parents and other caregivers provide abundant opportunities to give every child a more equal start in life.
Let’s seize the opportunity!
The Basics and EPEL
(Enriching Partnerships for Early Learning)
Enriching Partnerships for Early Learning (EPEL) serves as the backbone organization for The Basics of Greater Elgin, engaging families, organizations, businesses, the early childhood workforce, and healthcare providers to build a collaborative, community-wide system of support. Our goal is for every baby born in the Greater Elgin area to thrive and enter kindergarten ready for success in school and life. The Basics of Greater Elgin is one of our key strategies to support parents and caregivers of children 0-5, providing them with simple yet powerful principles to optimize their child’s growth and development.