The results are astounding to many educators. Boys from the child-parent centers, in particular, showed dramatic gains in high school completion. And some of the most dramatic findings came when the children left high school. Reynolds' work feeds into a national push to get more children into school earlier, regardless of income. But the years from birth to 5, which are so critical to get a kid ready for school, we spend next to nothing.
Parental involvement is key A key to the child-parent centers' success is engaging parents.
Diamond's mother, LaMonica Foster, is among the most involved parents at the school. Foster lived with an aunt and uncle until age 3. She took five years to finish high school after ditching too many classes, then worked as a cashier before packing boxes into trucks. When she injured herself on the job last year, she went on public assistance and hasn't had a job since. She wants more for her daughters.