Harris County Department of Education Head Start, in partnership with Harris County Public Health, hosts a free community screening and panel discussion of the acclaimed documentary “The Raising of America: Early Childhood and the Future of Our Nation” on Aug. 26, 2017 from 8:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. at the HCDE Conference Center, 6300 Irvington Blvd.

Nearly 24 percent of American children are born into poverty today, facing multiple adversities with potential life-long consequences for their physical, socio-emotional and cognitive development. The purpose of this screening is to bring together a diverse audience to promote meaningful conversation and local action to improve conditions for families with young children in Harris County.

“It’s vital for communities to support programs that build healthy and caring communities for our children at an early age,” said HCDE Head Start Senior Director Venetia Peacock. “This screening is a way to connect families, organizations and community, and promote early child health and well-being.”

A light breakfast will be provided at the event and parking is free. Participants will also receive a certificate for two hours of professional development for attending.

RSVP for the community screening at https://www.eventbrite.com/o/13470968289. Find more information on this series at http://www.raisingofamerica.org/.

About Harris County Department of Education: HCDE provides special education, therapy services, early education, adult education and after-school programming. Services are funded by government grants, fees and a local property tax rate of $.0052. For every dollar in local property tax collected, HCDE provides $4.40 in services to the 25 Harris County school districts. HCDE also operates four campuses for students with profound special education needs and adjudicated youth who require a low student-teacher ratio and highly structured environment. One-hundred percent of students served on HCDE campuses are at-risk. The organization is governed by an elected board of seven trustees and has 1,060 employees and 33 facilities, including 15 Head Start centers. More info at www.hcde-texas.org .