Across the state of Florida, 38% of families live in a childcare desert, which is defined as an area with more than 50 children under the age of 5 that contains either no childcare providers or so few that there are more than 3 times as many children as licensed childcare slots. Hispanics/Latinos and rural families are disproportionately represented among those who live in a “childcare desert”. Childcare deserts can lead to lower kindergarten readiness scores.
United4Literacy Kits (U4L Kits)are strategically designed to support school readiness for children ages 3-to-5-years-olds. They include educational games that build emergent literacy skills for a range of levels to reinforce out of school time. They are installed in community spaces like churches, shelters, community centers and public housing nearby our schools of focus. UWS provides dedicated community volunteers training, supplies, resources, ongoing support and a screening tool. U4L Kits are now at 37 locations across our five-county area.
INTERESTED IN A KIT – Do you have a community space where children naturally gather? If you are interested in helping children advance their skills in your community space, please click here.
INTERESTED IN SPONSORING A KIT – If you are interested in sponsoring a kit in a space in your community, please click here to find out more.
United Way Suncoast brings together people and resources to tackle complex issues and drive sustainable positive change to help our community thrive.
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