Our VISION: Each family in South Hampton Roads is equipped and supported to raise children who are healthy, thriving, and ready to learn.

 

Guiding Principles:

  • We strive to foster a culture of collaboration and trust, valuing and honoring the diverse perspectives of our stakeholders and encouraging dialogue and debate.
  • We affirm that supportive relationships are pivotal in driving individual and social change
  • We believe families must have a voice in this process as we acknowledge the families’ critical role in their children’s development.
  • We recognize the importance of and respect the cultural diversity and uniqueness of the individual families and communities within the region.
  • We commit to long-term efforts that achieve measurable and sustainable results to build a better system for the children and families of our region.

Conception to Kindergarten

The work of Minus 9 to 5 is based on a true understanding of our community, using data to help illustrate the reality for families and children. Our ultimate goal is to improve outcomes for our region’s children, ensuring that our communities’ children are healthy, thriving, and ready to learn. 

Learn more about Minus 9 to 5
Compared to the prior value, South Hampton Roads (9.6%) is less and better than the previously measured value (10.0%). Compared to the prior value, South Hampton Roads (9.6%) is less and better than the previously measured value (10.0%).
Babies with Low Birthweight
Region: South Hampton Roads
Compared to the prior value, South Hampton Roads (7.5) is greater and worse than the previously measured value (6.1). Compared to the prior value, South Hampton Roads (7.5) is greater and worse than the previously measured value (6.1).
Infant Mortality Rate
Region: South Hampton Roads
Compared to the prior value, Norfolk City, VA (83.5%) is less and worse than the previously measured value (85.0%). Compared to the prior value, Norfolk City, VA (83.5%) is less and worse than the previously measured value (85.0%).
School Readiness at Kindergarten Entry
County: Norfolk City, VA

(Compared to Prior Value)

Minus 9 to 5 Shared Metrics

This work is based on a true understanding of our community, using data to help illustrate the reality for families and children. This initiative’s ultimate goal is to improve outcomes for our region’s children, ensuring that our communities’ children are healthy, thriving, and ready to learn. 

Minus 9 to 5 will measure the following indicators of children’s health, thriving, and readiness to learn and seeks to:

  • Increase participation in early prenatal care
  • Increase number of babies born at healthy birth weights
  • Decrease infant mortality rates in the first year of life
  • Increase participation in home visiting services
  • Increase children immunized on-schedule
  • Increase children receiving well-child visits
  • Increase children receiving developmental screenings
  • Increase kindergarten readiness as measured by the Kindergarten PALS
  • Decrease number of children retained in kindergarten

Our Structure

The Minus 9 to 5 mission is carried out by several interconnected structures, collectively comprising dozens of individuals and organizations in our community. Click below to learn more about each group. 

Steering Committee

Meets monthly to set the strategic

direction and goals of the initiative, makes key decisions,

gives feedback on and prioritizes implementation of ideas

generated by Working Groups, and guides Backbone on

strategic priorities.

Leadership Council

Meets monthly to set the strategic

direction and goals of the initiative, makes key decisions,

gives feedback on and prioritizes implementation of ideas

generated by Working Groups, and guides Backbone on

strategic priorities.

Backbone

Serves as the coordination entity for the entire

initiative, with two full-time staff members managing

interactions among and within all of the structures

listed above, as well as being the

public face of the initiative

Working Groups

Achieving our vision and creating an early care and education system that is

accessible, family-centered, culturally-relevant, coordinated and outcomes-focused

requires action on a number of fronts. Specifically, this initiative will develop

strategies in six different areas — ensuring that each area focuses on

a dedicated scope of work, while also ensuring that interconnections occur and dots

are constantly being connected

Working groups meet monthly to develop and implement

concrete ideas and action plans related to their six strategy

areas; includes one or two Steering Committee members as

co-chairs to ensure information flow.

Our Strategic Working Groups

Equip families with the knowledge, resources and validation they need to develop their full potential as nurturing caregivers

Improve prenatal care, ensuring access to proven interventions for health and education and create a culture that welcomes and supports new parents

Improve the quality and economics of early learning environments through dedicated efforts to strengthen the access and ensure the impact of learning opportunities in the early years

Coordinate and align services and providers across the region, to promote education, health and social services for young children and their families

Develop and share data for internal and external audiences on the progress that is being made and on best practices to adopt

Mobilize supporters, build public will and identify and advocate for policies that improve early care and education

In Partnership

  • M. Foscue Brock Institute for Community and Global Health
  • Hampton Roads Community Foundation
  • EVMS Dept. of Pediatrics, Division of Community Health and Research