Small Steps' mission is to provide an exemplary early childhood program to instill and foster the social, emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual growth of economically at-risk children and their families. Small Steps Nurturing Center operates two preschools for economically at-risk students living in the First, Second, Fourth, and Fifth Wards of Houston, Texas. Small Steps provides a high-quality education, a nurturing Christian environment, transportation, nutritional meals and social and emotional therapy to economically at-risk children, ages two through six. Small Steps invests in the lives of these children through meeting their needs, intervening early, and setting them on a trajectory filled with greater opportunities. Several well-known, long-term studies have demonstrated the long-term benefits of early childhood education for economically at-risk children into adulthood for themselves and for the community at large. Thus, the investment that Small Steps is making in its students' education will result in significant economic dividends for the greater Houston community for decades. Small Steps also invests in the community through establishing a relationship with the students' families, holding parent education meetings, and connecting families with other social services available in the community.