Learning begins at birth. In fact, a child’s brain experiences its most expansive growth and development between birth and 5 years old. By the time a child reaches age 5, 85 percent of the brain’s growth is complete. However, 95 percent of public investment in education occurs after age 5.

Let’s create a community where all children can attend high-quality early care and education and create a solid foundation for children to become successful in school, and in life. Our Five-Year Plan focuses on:

•	Improving the quality of early care and education
•	Increasing access to quality early care and education
•	Improving children’s health
•	Supporting parents and caregivers
•	Childcare Options

We combine our community’s strengths – from the Mayor’s Office and leading businesses to local school districts, foundations and nonprofit organizations – to create lasting solutions that prepare children from low income families for success in kindergarten and beyond. 

Making A Difference

Last year, Mile High United Way worked together with our School Readiness community partners to help 41,586 children.

•	Mile High United Way and our community partners now support nearly 4,500 children in high quality early care and education. We are halfway toward our goal of preparing 10,000 children for success in 2011.
•	Through our partnership with The Children’s Museum, every family who visits now has access to valuable parenting information through our Born Learning project.
•	United Way’s 2-1-1 Childcare Options referred 7,645 parents to early childhood education locations.
•	Mile High United Way is in coordination with local United Way organizations in Colorado, engaging business leaders in early childhood advocacy efforts at the local and state level.
•	Children can’t learn if they don’t feel well. We invested in health care services to ensure that 36,000 children are healthy and ready to learn when they start school.

Click here to read a kindergarten School Readiness Success Story.