United Way Is Working to Improve School Readiness
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When we look at the cycle of success it is easy to understand why School Readiness has been identified as a “stake in the ground” issue. After all, if a child is not ready to succeed when she enters school, then the likelihood of her graduating high school decreases significantly. If she does not graduate from high school, her ability to become self-sufficient is diminished as she is twice as likely to be unemployed than a high school graduate. And, when she does have a child, he/she is likely to be living in a low-income household, with parents who are not high school graduates, or live in a single-parent household – all indicators in determining a child’s success in school. Researchers agree that the following four indicators are the most critical when it comes to determining a child’s success in school:
Conservatively, it is estimated that more than 15,000 children under the age of 5 experience one or more of these risk factors. For long-term community success, it is critical to focus on a system to address these risk factors and ensure the success of all young children. Consider These Facts. In Greenville County:
What United Way Is Doing to Impact School Readiness
Challenges/OpportunitiesWe have an enormous opportunity to create a generation of children who are prepared, from the earliest moments, to succeed in school. Research shows that poor quality early childhood education is harmful to children. With proper attention to availability and affordability of high quality early childhood education, and with support from the business community, we can create a system of effective and cost-efficient early care and education that successfully prepares our children and their families for school. |



