Our Goal
All families with young children have equitable access to opportunities and resources that support their child's education, enabling all children to grow up healthy and prepared to succeed in school and life.
Our Strategy
As part of our vision of a community where all children have a strong foundation for success in school and life, our approach includes health, education, and financial stability. To achieve this goal, we partner with and support organizations in our community that provide equitable resources and opportunities that help uplift and support local families.
Foundation for Success
Studies show that children who enter kindergarten without early social, math, and literacy skills will likely remain behind their peers throughout their education. Every dollar invested in high-quality birth-to-five early childhood education for disadvantaged children delivers a 13% annual return on investment, significantly higher than the 7-10% return delivered by preschool alone.
Our Early Education Initiative:
Strong, Prepared, and Ready for Kindergarten
SPARK (Strong, Prepared, And Ready for Kindergarten) collaboration has proven that the best way to help communities thrive is to ensure that children, birth-to-five years old, have equitable access to early childhood resources and education. We strive to ensure that young children are guided, supported, and nurtured in their early learning.
For this reason, Fox Valley United Way is committing its resources to promote positive early childhood outcomes and experiences.
Our Early Literacy Partnership: 
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
Every month, children enrolled in the program receive, by mail, a free, high-quality, age-appropriate book from birth to age five.
Our Scholarship Funding
Through Waubonsee Community College Foundation, we support local students who are pursuing a career that aligns with early childhood education.
Our Grantmaking
We collaborate and financially support local nonprofit partner organizations that share our focus on early education outcomes and resources.
Our Information Platform
Lantern
Kids don't come with instructions! Anyone who cares for and loves a child, from prenatal care through age 5 — parents, parents-to-be, grandparents, babysitters, aunts, uncles, neighbors, friends, or teachers — Lantern can help! Through SPARK, we send free text messages with straightforward, practical tips and activities right to your cell phone. Our content comes from trusted partners like PBS and Sesame Street. Messages are targeted to your child’s age and include information on development, language and early literacy, health and safety, behavioral tips, and more.