Wednesday afternoon, the first class of ten Port Chester new mothers enrolled with their babies in “5 Steps to Five,” the pilot early childhood development program initiated by Kent and Mary Alice Warner and several other Rye residents, supported by a matching grant of $50,000 from Eugene and Emily Grant in Mamaroneck.

Wednesday afternoon, the first class of ten Port Chester new mothers enrolled with their babies in “5 Steps to Five,” the pilot early childhood development program initiated by Kent and Mary Alice Warner and several other Rye residents, supported by a matching grant of $50,000 from Eugene and Emily Grant in Mamaroneck.

“To borrow from Neil Armstrong,” said Kent Warner, “this is one big step for us, and a leap for all mothers in Port Chester.” 5 Steps to Five is the privately funded initiative designed to make sure low-income, at-risk new mothers in the area are equipped with the information and tools to assure optimum development of a new baby’s learning capability and character.

 The inaugural class includes three mothers who are expected to give birth very soon, four with very young babies and three with six-month-olds. Each session will be staffed by two social workers with early childhood training.

 “Every day, we read about new research that underscores that the optimum time for influencing a baby’s development is the first year,” said Warner.

“Invest in children, and that next generation will pay back that investment by becoming productive and responsible citizens.”

There will be a total of 12 sessions for this first class, two hours a week on Wednesdays at Port Chester Children’s Space at Carver Center. Westchester Opportunity Program (WestCOP) staff is running the program.

 — Allen Clark