NLC and United Way of America to Help Six Cities Promote School Readiness

This initiative, supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, will strengthen the efforts of these six cities to support informal caregivers, lay the foundation for helping other cities promote school readiness and highlight promising practices that can be replicated in communities across the nation.

“It’s exciting that UWA and NLC are moving forward to jointly bring attention to the importance of school readiness on a national scale,” said Nina Sazer O’Donnell, director of national strategies for United Way of America’s Success By 6 campaign. “United Way and city leaders can work together to create a local infrastructure designed to prepare young children with the basic skills needed for academic success. This type of collaborative model will go far toward assuring that all children are truly prepared and ready to succeed when they get to school.”

The technical assistance initiative is a continuation of a joint school readiness initiative launched by the YEF Institute and UWA one year ago to provide practical advice, information and networking opportunities for city and United Way leaders. The YEF Institute and UWA will also host a leadership academy for municipal and United Way representatives and will focus on school readiness strategies in periodic conference calls for NLC and UWA networks.

Project Cities
The six project cities will focus on several topics related to promoting school readiness, including efforts to support children in family, friend and neighbor (FFN) care settings. 

Atlanta leaders plan to support informal caregivers by expanding a Parents as Teachers curriculum, increase the number of Play & Learn groups — in which caregivers learn educational models for how best to teach children while playing — and connect FFN caregivers with work force development opportunities.

Denver officials intend to develop customized communication strategies targeted toward key stakeholders, FFN care providers and local residents to highlight the importance of investing in young children.

The City of Des Moines plans to incorporate parent education into and evaluate the effectiveness of Play & Learn groups, and will identify protocols for parent educators who administer referrals and offer advice to parents.

Nashville leaders will convene stakeholder discussions about school readiness policy and create a plan for gathering data about where children, families and caregivers live.

The City of Providence will develop an FFN care business plan and integrate FFN care supports with the larger early learning system, including early learning resource hubs in neighborhoods and family place libraries.

San Antonio officials plan to create a coordinated system of school readiness resources and programs, as well as marketing and communications strategies and a financial sustainability plan.

City Early Childhood Investments
Both parents are in the work force in more than 60 percent of U.S. households with children under the age of 6. The majority of infants, toddlers and young children in low-income families are in FFN care settings, with care provided by grandparents, aunts, uncles, other relatives, friends and neighbors. Therefore, supporting FFN care providers is critical to ensuring a successful early care and education experience for a city’s youngest residents.

Quality early learning experiences translate into long-term benefits for cities. Children with positive early experiences exhibit higher academic achievement and employment rates, as well as less criminal behavior and reliance on social services later in life.

Through the new technical assistance initiative, the YEF Institute and UWA are helping cities and United Ways form strategic partnerships that leverage each other’s resources and capacity to ensure that children are born healthy, have access to early education opportunities and enter school ready to learn.

“City and United Way leaders are uniquely positioned to lend support and resources to school readiness initiatives,” said Clifford M. Johnson, executive director of the YEF Insitute. “The credibility and history of these two grounded institutions working together is a model for all communities to replicate to improve the early education experiences for all children.”