We provided 150 headphones to families across Long Island and Brooklyn who care for children four years old and under as well as individuals who are sensitive to loud noises. We were a sponsor of Wyandanch Plaza Association’s Reading Around the Plaza and exclusive headphone provider for it’s Summer Music Series. We also provided headphones to the Long Island Children’s Museum as well as the Ronald McDonald House in New Hyde Park, New York!

Why Protecting Young Ears Matters

1. Hearing Loss Can Be Permanent

Children’s ears are more sensitive than adults. Loud or prolonged noise exposure—like sirens, construction, or loud music—can cause:

• Temporary or permanent hearing damage

• Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)

• Difficulty distinguishing sounds and speech

Even one loud event (e.g., fireworks close by) can have lasting consequences.

2. Hearing Is the Foundation for Literacy

Language and reading development depend on a child’s ability to hear clearly:

• Children learn to speak and read by listening.

• Hearing loss—especially if undiagnosed—can delay vocabulary growth, reading readiness, and phonemic awareness.

• Studies show children with even mild hearing loss are more likely to struggle with reading by 3rd grade.

Early exposure to books and spoken language requires healthy hearing. When a child can’t clearly hear words, letters, and tones, they lose the foundation needed for strong literacy skills.

3. Protecting Hearing Supports Emotional Safety

Consistently loud environments can be stressful and disorienting, especially for young children:

• Children may develop heightened stress responses or sensory sensitivities.

• Overstimulation in loud settings can mimic or trigger symptoms associated with trauma or ACEs.

By proactively protecting hearing in noisy environments, parents help their children:

• Feel safe, secure, and regulated

• Avoid distress that can compound other environmental stressors

• Reduce their cumulative stress load, a key factor in the development of ACE-related outcomes

Future Initiatives

Safe Sprouts Initiative: Providing free home-safety kits—socket covers, cord shorteners, and corner guards—to families in underserved neighborhoods to reduce preventable injuries.

Reading Around Our Parks: Bringing story time outdoors! Local authors and volunteers lead interactive literacy sessions in community parks to encourage reading and spending time outdoors!

C.A.R.E. Parent Workshops: Workshops that teach early literacy, emotional regulation, and ways to reduce sensory and environmental stress for young children.