The first five years of a child’s life are a time of enormous social, emotional, physical, and intellectual growth. For children to grow into successful adults, they need a supportive and healthy early foundation. We know that nearly 1/2 of the children in our community are not prepared to enter kindergarten ready to learn, and we know that children who start out behind, tend to stay behind. We are the community-wide convener in transforming Early Care and Education, leading the Ready for K Alliance, a coalition of over 100 partners working to align strategies and improve early educational attainment.