UNITED WAY’S GLOBAL STRATEGY:

CHILDHOOD SUCCESSUnitedWay.org

CHANGING A NATION:

HEALTHGood health is essential for success—for an individual, and for a community as a whole.

Healthy people are more likely to perform well in school and the workplace. Healthy communities produce a stronger workforce, thriving business and a strong economy that improves everyone’s quality of life.

United Way works to expand access to quality healthcare, promote healthy behavior and remove barriers to eating healthy and staying active.

By reducing childhood obesity and preventive illnesses, we enable people to live longer and live better—while cutting everyone’s healthcare costs in the process.

Consider just a few examples of how United Way is driving lasting change through improved health.

We tailor solutions to address the particular needs and aspirations of each community we serve. Consider a few examples. . .

Research shows that children who enter school ready to learn are more likely to achieve early reading proficiency by third grade, and graduate high school on time.

Students who graduate high school are more likely to find a job that pays a livable wage, live healthier lives, stay out of the justice system and have children who also graduate high school on time.

The two goals of United Way’s childhood success strategy are to ensure that:

• Children enter school ready to succeed, and• Students are successful in elementary/primary school and prepared for middle school/secondary school

Our strategy for childhood success includes three key areas:

• Family Engagement: Equipping families with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to support child development and school success (e.g., workshops on how to turn everyday moments into learning opportunities).

• Effective Care and Education: Improving learning environments to engage and support children and students (e.g., programs that incorporate early literacy into pediatric care).

• Community Supports: Aligning community supports for at-risk children and their families (e.g., providing “learning check-ups” to identify barriers to success—like housing, or access to medical care—and connecting people to the appropriate services.)

AN INNOVATIVE WAY TO ENGAGE PRIVATE INVESTORS IN PRE-K United Way’s preschool program in Salt Lake City recently cut a check to a major investment firm. You didn’t read that wrong; it’s part of an innovative “Pay for Success” or “Social Impact Bond” approach, in which private investors make loans to support high-quality preschool for low-income kids, and get paid back only if the program demonstrates results.

Results are encouraging. Early assessments indicated that 110 out of 595 participating kids were behind and would likely need special education in kindergarten; after completing the pre-k program, only one child required special education services. With an initial investment of $7 million to expand high-quality pre-k to an additional 3,700 at-risk children over multiple years, this is the first time anyone has used Pay for Success to fund early childhood education in America.

EARLY EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN OF MIGRANT WORKERS In 2014, United Way expanded to China, where we’re partnering with local business and nonprofit leaders to create lasting change. Our first effort focuses on creating opportunities for the children of Shanghai’s growing migrant population. These children accompany their parents when they migrant to Shanghai for work, often from rural areas. The parents typically work low-paying jobs, and their children face numerous challenges integrating into society and accessing quality educational opportunities. United Way, the Shanghai Charity Foundation and more than 240 volunteers from nine corporations teamed up to provide teacher training, supplementary teaching facilities, educational toys and learning materials to 20 kindergartens that serve migrant children. The Sprout Preschool Education Program has already improved learning conditions for 20,000 children of migrant workers.

EMPOWERING YOUNG WOMEN IN MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

About 8 years ago, a group of passionate, dedicated women

dreamed big about how they could help shift the odds for

low-income girls. In Milwaukee, teen pregnancies were a

big barrier to success in school, work and life. United Way of

Greater Milwaukee’s Women’s Leadership Council took it on,

and brought business leaders and the community with them.

Today, Milwaukee has the lowest teen birth rate in decades,

with nearly 50% fewer young girls having babies. The

initiative is now a national model for community collaboration,

recognized by the White House Council for Community

Solutions.

These women brought so much energy to their cause that the

community asked them to tackle another one: infant mortality.

They’re aiming for double-digit reductions. It’s a bold goal,

but these women have shown they can of overcome complex

challenges, and transform whole communities in the process

EXPANDING ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE IN ATLANTA, GEORGIAProject Health Access has helped more than 60,000 uninsured or

underinsured get treatment through a network of health clinics and

homeless service organizations. The facilities take some of the

burden off emergency rooms by providing treatment for chronic

illnesses like high blood pressure and diabetes, as well as offering

preventative care.

All this is possible because of a joint effort between United Way

of Greater Atlanta’s AmeriCorps program, the Georgia Commission

for Service and Volunteerism, Kaiser Permanente and other local

partners.

A healthy patient or family with a primary healthcare provider

doesn’t mean United Way’s work stops. Programs are offered to

help individuals and families get back on their feet financially,

provide quality education for their children and set them on a path

to more stable lives.