Expanding Early Head Start services to 200 more children
The first years in a child’s life – when most of their brain is forming – sets the foundation for success in school and in life. Unfortunately, too many young children, particularly those from low-income families, are missing out on high-quality early learning experiences. Our United Way Center for Excellence in Early Education is working to change those odds. This month, we are expanding our Early Head Start program to serve an additional 200 low-income infants and toddlers at five new sites. This expansion is made possible through a $15 million, four-year federal Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) grant we received last fall and is in addition to a $22.5 million, five-year grant the Center received in 2014. As a result, 520 infants and toddlers are receiving full-day/full-year high quality early education interventions through United Way managed programs at 19 centers in high-need neighborhoods.
Through these EHS-CCP grants, our United Way is working with early care and education centers and family child care homes across Miami-Dade to elevate the quality of their infant and toddler programs and provide for successful transitions to kindergarten. The 19 centers that are part of the United Way Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership are:
- A New World Academy
- A New World Academy II
- Bright Steps Academy
- Carol City Elementary School
- Clements Family Day Care Home
- Easter Seals, Ophelia Brown
- Easter Seals South Florida
- Ethel Beckford Primary Learning Center (additional classrooms for the expansion)
- Las Americas Learning Center
- Lillie C. Evans Elementary School
- Lotus Village Children’s Wellness Center (Volunteer opportunities available)
- Martin Luther King YMCA
- Mitchell Large Family Child Care Home
- Osman Family Day Care Home
- Sasame Street Child Care Center
- St Albans Day Nursery Inc.
- St. Alban’s Child Enrichment Center, South Miami
- Tiny Kingdom Learning Center
- Williams Large Family Child Care Home
New programs added to the partnership through the expansion grant in bold.
Locations of programs
ABOUT UNITED WAY CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN EARLY EDUCATION
The United Way Center for Excellence in Early Education is an innovative educational and professional learning initiative dedicated to elevating the quality of early care and education in Miami-Dade and beyond. The Center models evidence-based practices through its Demonstration School, Educare of Miami-Dade. It shares those practices with adult learners including families, educators and early care and education providers. The Center also works with business leaders and lawmakers to raise the standards of early childhood education, and support sustainable and lasting change. For more information, visit unitedwaycfe.org.
ABOUT EARLY HEAD START-CHILD CARE PARTNERSHIP
United Way’s Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership works with early care and education centers and family child care homes across Miami-Dade to elevate the quality of their infant and toddler programs and provide for successful transitions through kindergarten. To support this work, United Way secured two 5-year federal grants in 2015 and 2017.