All children in Austin/Travis County enter Kindergarten happy, healthy, and prepared to succeed in school and beyond
39% of children from households with low income begin Kindergarten ready to learn and succeed
The Success By 6 Coalition is a network of child and family advocates — providers, parents, policymakers, civic leaders, and experts — working together to transform Austin/Travis County’s early childhood system.
The first 2,000 days of every person’s life are foundational. Studies show that a child’s experiences during those early years literally build the architecture of their brain. While 90% of the brain develops before age five, only 6% of public education spending goes to the early years — and just 4% and 6% of education philanthropy and edtech investments.
Driven by a community-wide strategic plan, the Success By 6 Coalition works to make the most of every child’s 2,000-day journey from birth to Kindergarten.
The Success By 6 Coalition is convened by United Way for Greater Austin as part of our collective impact work to fight poverty.
To further the efforts of the Success By 6 Coalition, United Way for Greater Austin and E3 Alliance formed Early Matters Greater Austin, a group of business leaders committed to strengthening early childhood education. Businesses can qualify as a Best Place for Working Parents® through a self-assessment highlighting 10 family-friendly policies that have research-proven benefits to businesses’ bottom line.
$1,001,200
invested in early childhood development, through our Community Investment Grants
$21,000
supports local early childhood initiatives
$862,000
supports home visiting programs in Travis County; funding from US Department of Health and Human Services
$511,000
supports Family Connects, a nurse home visiting program; funding from St. David’s Foundation to Austin Public Health
$597,830
supports Pre-K Partnerships centers; funding from Austin ISD/Texas Education Agency
$63,000
supports professional development of Pre-K Partnerships teachers; funding from Moody Foundation, Texas Education Agency, and Webber Family Foundation
$6,240,000
COVID-19 relief funding to support child care centers and home providers; funding from the City of Austin, Homegrown, and St. David’s Foundation
United Way runs these proven programs to ensure all children in Austin/Travis County enter Kindergarten happy, healthy, and prepared to succeed in school and beyond.
Family Connects Texas is a nurse home visiting program offered to every family with a newborn in Travis County to give babies the best possible start in life.
United Way partners with Austin Public Health to provide the clinical staff and expertise for Family Connects Texas. During a home visit, Registered Nurses provide a complete family assessment in the home, give immediate maternal and family support in areas such as breastfeeding or safe sleep, and are able to provide warm referrals to a comprehensive database of community resources. At full scale, all families in Austin/Travis County will be offered a home visit from a Registered Nurse.
To learn more, visit the Family Connects Texas website or contact Shalyn Bravens at Shalyn.Bravens@uwatx.org.
Expanding access to high-quality pre-K is critical to United Way’s mission to fight poverty. Children who participate in high-quality pre-K are more likely to enter Kindergarten ready to succeed in school and beyond. In partnership with Austin ISD we created Pre-K Partnerships. We partner with child development centers in the Austin community to deliver high-quality pre-K and provide partner centers with resources that help them improve and sustain quality services for children.
Learn more here or contact Madison Mattise at Madison.Mattise@uwatx.org.
We know that parenting can be challenging. Bright By Text can help! Bright by Text is a free texting service for caregivers of children from prenatal to age eight, promoting child development and access to local programs and events.
To sign up for Bright by Text, text SMARTATX to 274448 or sign up here for tips, resources, and information about local events.
Bright by Text is a United Way and Austin PBS partnership and part of the statewide Start Smart Texas campaign supported by United Ways of Texas and Texas PBS.
To learn more, contact Martina Santesteban at Martina.Santesteban@uwatx.org.
of children from households with low income begin Kindergarten ready to learn and succeed (up from 29% in five years)
of children under 6 from low-income households participate in high-quality early education
of families with children under 6 participate in parenting support programs
families with newborns received nurse home visits through Family Connects
businesses received the Best Place for Working Parents® designation
Blog by Bridget Tobin, Mission Advancement Intern, United Way for Greater Austin The Success By 6 Coalition is a community-wide collaboration of child and family advocates – providers, parents, policymakers, civic leaders, and experts – with a s...
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COVID-19 has impacted all of us, including young kids. As the reality of the pandemic set in, and schools closed abruptly to keep students and their families safe — many students were navigating the challenges of remote learning for several months....
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Blog by Caitlin Oliver, Success By 6 Intern, United Way for Greater Austin The Success By 6 Coalition is a community wide collaboration of child and family advocates – providers, parents, policymakers, civic leaders, and experts – with a shared ...
Read MoreSign up for our monthly Success By 6 Coalition newsletter to stay connected on our work, advocacy opportunities, and invitations to community meetings and events.
