In a United Way-funded pre-school program, Kendra developed her socialization skills to prepare for kindergarten. A Grandmother’s Story One grandmother recently expressed her gratitude for the significant, long-reaching effect the program has set into motion for her grandchild. Through formal assessment and observation, staff at a Success By 6 learning center recognized the child was experiencing speech and hearing delays. Consequently, the child is receiving therapy two years prior to school entry at the most crucial stages of language acquisition and development. Now instead of entering school behind, the child will be ready for a successful start. United Way Success By 6 The Success By 6 initiative is based on a year-long, in-depth analysis of the issue of early childhood success and centers on improving the quality of early learning experiences. Thanks to this initiative, more First Coast families are now able to place their three- and four-year olds in high quality early learning centers. The initiative awards two-year, early education grants to hardworking families, who do not qualify for state subsidies. These grants fully fund the cost of a child’s education at top, five-star learning centers and engage the parents in helping their children learn and grow. The latest Success By 6 progress report indicates that: Eight out of ten kids receiving early education grants were previously enrolled in low-quality childcare or were being cared for by family members Student attendance remains high at 95%. A strategic partner, the Early Learning Coalition of Duval, recently announced additional support in the form of a one-time gift to Success By 6 early learning centers of approximately $4,000 for the purchase of educational items to help them maintain their quality ratings and to further expand the centers’ ability to serve struggling children. See “A Grandmother’s Story” on the right to discover how the Success By 6 has impacted one First Coast youth and read our Executive Report to learn more about this important initiative, its goals and the research behind it.