CATALYST
In January 2019, with the help of the Cook
County Family Connection, a Foundation Two
Georgias Initiative grantee, and other
community partners, Dixon launched the Baby
Hornets Program with 27 of their youngest
learners. The goal of the program is to improve
literacy, encourage parent involvement, and help
prepare learners ages six weeks to four years old
for their pre-Kindergarten experience. Today,
there are over 80 young learners and their
families involved. The program will follow the
children up to their high school graduation.
“These babies can’t even speak or crawl yet,”
said Dixon. “But we live in a world where the
earlier you give parents skills to use at home
with their children before they get to Pre-K, the
more likely you are to break that cycle of
generational poverty so our children are
prepared for school and our families have a
better opportunity for better health and better
lives.”
From left: Jennifer Lovett and Zoe Myers
(Cook County Family Connection) with Dr.
Tim Dixon and Dr. Becky Ratts (Cook County
Schools) making a donation to the Baby
Hornets Program.
Candace Horne, owner of two child care and
learning centers in Adel, GA, knows first hand
the challenges Cook County parents face with
literacy. “When I heard what the reading levels
were for children in our community, I cried,” she
said. “All of my young ones are now Baby
Hornets.”
To participate in the program, parents had to
attend a January 2019 kickoff meeting with
their children where they received a package
with books, activity workbooks, t-shirts, a
children’s dictionary, crayons, a certificate
welcoming them into the program, and a photo
with Dr. Dixon.
“This program has put me in contact with the
children and their parents before they enter our
school system. I now have the chance to build
8
The Baby Hornets Program Kickoff Event in
January 2019 in Cook County.
HEALTHCARE GEORGIA FOUNDATION