Fewer than one in three Sonoma County children were ready for kindergarten when they entered school last fall, according to a new report released by the county Department of Human Services that found persistent and troubling disparities along ethnic, racial and economic lines.

Kindergarten readiness declined in Sonoma County for the fifth consecutive year, according to a report issued today by the Road to Early Achievement and Development for Youth (READY), an initiative by the Sonoma County Department of Human Services and First 5 Sonoma County.

“This study shows us where resources are lacking for families and where we can do better as a community,” said Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “We need to support families to make sure each child is ready to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.”

The COVID-19 pandemic and major wildfires in three of the last five years have contributed to declines in kindergarten readiness. Overall, only 32 percent of Sonoma County children were ready for kindergarten last fall, down from 40 percent in 2016-17. Marginalized populations are less likely to be ready for kindergarten. The report found 28 percent of Latinx children, 29 percent of Black children and 37 percent of Indigenous/Native American children were ready for kindergarten last fall. In comparison, 50 percent of white children and 48 percent of Asian/Pacific Islander children were ready for kindergarten.

Read more: https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/kindergarten-readiness-continues-to-decline-in-sonoma-county-opportunity-gap-persists