United Way Success By 6 is the nation’s largest network of early childhood coalitions focused on improving school readiness through community change. Since 1995, United Way of Central Florida’s Success By 6 has focused on early literacy to help children enter school ready to learn.
Why Do We Need Success By 6?
- 30% of children in Florida live in single parent households.
- 42% of Florida's children are in low-income families.
- 19% live in high poverty neighborhoods.
- Children who start behind, usually stay behind.
- A critical path is laid in the first few years of life. Meet Erick and Tommy.
Why Should I Care?
If we don’t take action now we will continue to create a permanent segment of society who cannot participate fully in community life.
We will all face: 
- Higher taxes to support programs for people who are dependent
- An increase in crime, less personal safety
- A decline in America’s ability to compete in the world’s economy
If children don’t develop properly when they are young, they are more likely to drop out of school, go to jail, become a teen parent and/or require government assistance.
Who is Success By 6?
Success By 6 is people in business, government, labor, education, and health and human services agencies working together to make sure kids get what they need to succeed. The common goal is to create a community where all children have the mental, physical, social and emotional foundation to grow into healthy, productive members of the community.
United Way of Central Florida Success By 6 Initiatives
Parent Resource Guide
The United Way of central Florida’s Success By 6 produces the Parent Resource Guide in March, July and November, reaching over 200,000 caretakers with each edition. The Resource Guide provides a comprehensive list of services in the area and contains informative, timely articles to assist parents. It is distributed in the Sunday edition of The Ledger. Over runs are handed out by partners in our community. If you would like to advertise in the Parent Resource Guide or to partner in distribution call Success By 6 at 863-648-1500 or click here.
VIEW THE LATEST EDITION
Spirit of the Family
The Spirit of the Family Award honors businesses that provide family friendly policies and workplaces. Winners of this award have demonstrated they are committed to providing policies and benefits that improve the quality of life by helping employees to balance work and family commitments. This investment in our children promotes greater economic growth and a stronger workforce.
In conjunction with Polk Works Workforce 2020 to honor the Best Places to Work, the 2008 Success Rally Awards Breakfast was held Thursday, February 7, 2008 at The Lakeland Center. Click here to find out about this year's winners.
School Readiness Neighborhood Initiative
This initiative targets neighborhoods where children that are considered at-risk for school failure reside. It provides an internship for childcare instructors at childcare centers using a Master Teacher along with parent education classes to help the instructors and the parents help prepare children to enter kindergarten ready to succeed. Each center also receives a parent lending library.
Parent Lending Libraries
These actual, movable libraries are being established at childcare centers that participate in the Neighborhood Initiative to encourage parents to read with their children. This promotes the early literacy skills that prepare children to enter school ready to succeed.
Everyday life is a learning experience for children! Born Learning is a public engagement campaign that helps parents, grandparents and caregivers explore ways to turn everyday moments into fun learning opportunities.
Born Learning information has been seen in newsletters, websites, in the Lakeland Magazine, at the movies, on billboards, and in The Ledger.
Please visit bornlearning.org.
This Success By 6 parent resource center is a warm and welcoming place where caretakers come to access information, support services and other tools they need to be the best parents they can be. At least 50 agencies offer services on site to provide a one-stop opportunity for parents. Family Fundamentals offers many ideas and activities to promote the brain development and family relationships children need to enter school ready to succeed. Recurring activities for parents and children include playgroups, school readiness activities and creative movement. Other current classes are childbirth preparation, computer, and parent education. Family Fundamentals is a 10,000 square foot facility with a library, computer lab, learning kitchen, craft room, playroom, classrooms, meeting rooms, and a mom's room. For more information call 863-686-1221 ext.221, or stop by at 1021 Lakeland Hills Blvd, Lakeland, Fl 33805. For more information click on “Family Fundamentals”.
