Fisher Foundation Grant Supplies Local Nonprofit Sweet Dreamzzz with $80,000

DETROIT - March 8, 2019 - PRLog -- Hundreds of families in Detroit's Brightmoor district will soon have the awareness and materials they need to help their children get a good night's sleep. Thanks to an $80,000 grant from the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, local non-profit Sweet Dreamzzz^®, Inc. will be partnering with the Brightmoor Childhood Quality Initiative (BQI) to help preschoolers follow a bedtime routine and get the sleep they need for good health and school success.

With grant funding, Sweet Dreamzzz will bring its Early Childhood Sleep Education Program™ to 17 BQI early childhood education centers, reaching approximately 600 preschool students and their parents over a two-year period. Teachers and childcare providers will receive the training and materials needed to deliver two-weeks of hands-on, healthy sleep lessons to their 3-5-year-old students. Parents will participate in an interactive workshop to gain tips and tools for making bedtime a team effort. To ensure that children have the warmth, comfort, and hygiene necessary to sleep well, each family will receive bedtime basics including blankets, reading books, toothbrushes and toothpaste sets, and teddy bears.

Sweet Dreamzzz is also excited to work with BQI to develop a new tool to help teachers, day care providers, and trained parent leaders deliver sleep health education to preschoolers' parents during home visits or small group conferences. Face-to-face visits will give parents the chance to speak openly about the bedtime challenges they may be facing. This will allow presenters to deliver more personalized approaches, making it easier for families to establish and foster healthy sleep habits.

"The Foundation is pleased to partner with Sweet Dreamzzz in bringing this program to the members of the Brightmoor Quality Initiative for the benefit of students and families they serve," said Chelsea Landry, Program Partner at the Fisher Foundation. "Adequate sleep is a critical component to school readiness and we are proud to partner with leaders in the community addressing this crucial need. Through Sweet Dreamzzz's curriculum, including established bedtime routines and parent engagement, educators in Brightmoor can address the sleep deficits affecting children in their care and positively impact classroom experiences and child outcomes."

Sweet Dreamzzz is delighted to have the funding to collaborate with BQI and reach families with the messages and materials needed for healthy sleep.

"We are incredibly grateful for the support of the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation," Nancy Maxwell, Executive Director of Sweet Dreamzzz said. "We will be working hand-in-hand with key contributors from the BQI community to ensure that families have what they need to be able to establish a healthy bedtime routine. Building a foundation for sleep health will impact children and their families for years to come."

The mission of the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation is to enrich humanity by strengthening and empowering children and families in need.

Founded in 1998, Sweet Dreamzzz, Inc. is a regional nonprofit organization committed to improving children's health, well-being, and academic performance by providing sleep education and bedtime essentials to economically disadvantaged students and their families. Based in Metro Detroit, Sweet Dreamzzz educates children and families about the benefits of healthy sleep and establishing a bedtime routine using innovative programs including its Early Childhood Sleep Education Program™, Parent Sleep Education Workshop™, and R.E.M. (Rest. Educate. Motivate.) Sleep Program™. Since its founding, Sweet Dreamzzz has served more than 60,000 at-risk children and families. For more information, please visit www.SweetDreamzzz.org.