United4Literacy Kits
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.