Project helps immigrants, refugees prepare children for kindergarten

Louisville has a thriving immigrant and refugee community, and navigating our education system is one challenge families face as they acclimate to our society, especially if there is a language barrier.

To help make this transition easier, Metro United Way and partners worked with multi-lingual families to underscore the importance of early childhood education and preparing children for kindergarten.

Preparing children for kindergarten is essential to their success in school and even as an adult, as kids who start out behind tend to stay behind.

Looking to address this issue from a community level, Metro United Way leads the Ready for K Alliance, a network of more than 100 stakeholders—from pediatricians, to early child care experts, to other nonprofits.

Aligning these powerful groups behind a clear set of goals strengthens support for families in our community.

Under Metro United Way’s leadership, the alliance looks to address the root causes that keep children from developing and thriving at their potential. Ready for K has identified problems and priorities to develop projects to address key issues surrounding early childhood in our community.

That is how a multi-lingual family engagement project was started.

Working with partners at the Backside Learning Center, La Casita, and Americana—all of which serve immigrant or refugee families—Metro United Way provided educational resources and capacity building investments to engage families around the need for early childhood education.

The organizations hosting the program tried to reach as many families as possible, with the Backside Learning Center streaming it live on Facebook for those who might not have transportation to attend in person.

The goal was to teach caregivers the importance of early childhood ed, to promote engagement with children, and to provide resources and learning materials to families.

Of the families who participated, 29% said they did not know what developmental milestones to look out for before the program. And 15% said they did not know kindergarten was part of elementary school, and not optional, in the United States.

“Communicating with other families like mine helped me learn what I do not know,” one participant said. “This was comfortable for my family.”

This project is just one example of how Metro United Way supports thriving kids and helps prepare them for kindergarten. Learn more about the Ready for K Alliance by clicking or tapping here.

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