Get Ready Guilford Initiative: Values & Principles
We believe in being Family-Led.
- Authentic family voice, as defined by families and reflective of the diversity of our community, is engaged consistently and intentionally in our work.
- Families serve as decision-makers, partners, and change agents.
- We equip families to serve as strong advocates for themselves, their neighbors, and Guilford County’s children and families.
We believe in being Inclusive.
- Stakeholders from different races/ethnicities, perspectives, backgrounds, orientations, and proximity to community assets (and challenges) shape our work.
- Perspectives of people engaged in day-to-day work with children and families (direct service providers, early childhood teachers, families, and more) are centered in decision-making.
We believe in being Equity-driven.
- Eliminating disparities is the central goal of our work.
- We ensure marginalized populations have equitable access to information and resources.
- We maintain a humble and respectful attitude toward individuals of diverse cultures and identities.
We believe in being Responsive to Evidence.
- We pursue evidence from a variety of sources, including information about community context, analysis of our own effectiveness, what’s working/not working in our community (and in other communities), high-quality research from the broader early childhood field, and people’s stories about their own experiences.
- We collect and use data responsibly.
- The best available data and evidence drives our decisions and strategies
We believe in being Transparent.
- We practice integrity by communicating regularly with partners about decision-making structures, practices and outcomes.
- Formal and informal updates are provided regularly to partners and to the public about status of activities, design processes and implementation.
- Protocols and policies about how data will be collected, used, shared, and safeguarded are developed through an inclusive community process.
We believe in being Collaborative.
- We proactively and consistently identify and address structural barriers to working together across agencies/organizations.
- We build on organizational and community strengths, aligning resources to address gaps and improve outcomes.
- We recognize and celebrate collective action across agencies and organizations in service to young children and families.