11-24-2024 Charitable Giving Guide - Flipbook - Page 2
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The Baltimore Sun | Sunday, November 24, 2024
Affordable, quality
workers,
childcare for all
By Gregory J. Alexander, for the United Way
While financial challenges such as stuloans
especially
significant
often
and
for
rising
working
attention,
housing
costs,
parents,
garner
another
overlooked—affordable,
issue
is
depend-
able childcare. United Way of Central
Maryland is working alongside communities to address this obstacle through
Family
Centers
in
its
three
Neighbor-
hood Zones in the Baltimore City neighborhoods
of
Brooklyn
and
Poppleton
and in Columbia in Howard County. The
Family
Centers
provide
high-quality,
early childhood education and care, as
well as wraparound, multigenerational
support and resources requested by residents,
including
housing
and
employ-
ment assistance, mental health services
Baker,
president
and
CEO
of
United Way of Central Maryland (www.
uwcm.org),
brought
to
says
light
that
the
just
Maryland
prob-
the
pandemic
challenges
that
many working parents face when trying
cluding
transportation
from
her
home
ally,
and
given
wage
and
providers,
equity
it’s
issues
important
for
other
needs.
She’s
an
amazing
to
mother who graduated and worked at
advocate for fair wages that will incen-
one of our Family Centers because she
tivize people to work in the childcare
wanted to ‘pay it forward,’” Baker says.
field,” Baker says.
United
Way’s
Family
Centers
in
Balti-
childcare helps.
United Way is working to increase access,
affordability,
across
the
and
childcare
opportunity
industry
and
to
improve the availability and quality of
early
childhood
United Way’s Family Center in Colum-
United
for
education
Childcare
through
initiative.
its
Baker
bia reserves about one-half of its spaces
says one of United Way’s goals is to rep-
schools—
for
children
in
(As-
licate the success of its Family Centers
Benjamin Franklin High School in Brook-
set
Limited,
Income
Em-
throughout
lyn
ployed) households.
more
City
and
Wood
are
Excel
High
based
in
high
Academy
School
in
at
Francis
M.
Poppleton—and
provide free care to parenting students.
“Student
parents
should
not
have
to
choose between a high school diploma
and taking care of their kids—and they
want to do both,” Baker says. “We want
student parents to not just survive, but
to thrive.” Baker notes that the average
graduation rate for students who have
children
is
40%,
but
for
those
in
the
United Way’s Family Centers program,
it’s 70%.
Baker points to one student who trans-
and access to healthy food.
Franklyn
not
to school and help with baby supplies
childcare
United Way of Central Maryland
dent
are
lems, but national problems. Addition-
ferred to Benjamin Franklin High School
in Brooklyn, despite the long distance
from her home, so that she could place
her son in the onsite early childhood education and care center.
was
so
grateful
not
only
low-income/ALICE
Constrained,
“Early childhood education is so important,
and
your
economic
status
should
not be a deciding factor when it comes
to access. The development of a child’s
frontal
age,
lobes
and
is
many
important
of
Greater
Baltimore
and
the
at
an
children
early
in
our
programs are scoring at the top of their
class,” Baker says.
“Neighborhood Zone residents may seek
assistance for an aging parent but then
el for other states based on our proven
track
early
record
of
providing
childhood
childcare,
and
high-quality
education,
enriching
multigenerational
addition, we aim to eliminate some of
the bureaucracy involved in the childcare profession and elevate it to make
it
more
attractive
to
the
workforce,”
he says.
vices that enhance their work,” Baker
says. He adds that being embedded in
the
local
community
is
beneficial
as
United Way is keenly aware of the specific
challenges—and
each
neighborhood
some
community
opportunities—in
they
serve.
members
may
Plus,
have
“She
for the
transportation challenges, so walking to
of quality childcare that parents can af-
childcare services we provided but also
the services in the Neighborhood Zone
ford, as well as a shortage of childcare
for the support we could give her, in-
or
having
a
nearby
Family
Center
for
Learn more and support
United Way’s Neighborhood Zones
and Family Centers at
uwcm.org/what-we-do/neighborhood-zones
When you give to United Way, your donation
helps people right here in Greater Baltimore.
Anne Arundel County
Pioneer City was one of our first
partners in our Neighbors United
initiative, a resident-led approach
to grassroots organizing that
drives meaningful change in
under-resourced neighborhoods.
Residents there led a project that
increased safety in their
community.
Baltimore City
Our Family Centers in Benjamin Franklin
and Excel Academy at Francis M. Wood
high schools provide free, high-quality
childcare for parenting students so they
don’t have to choose between caring
for their children and graduating. These
Centers also offer many supportive
services and resources for students
and their families.
Baltimore County
Through our STEP (Strategic
Targeted Eviction Prevention)
Harford County
program, launched at the start of the
Our eviction prevention and family
pandemic, we provided more than
support program in Harford County
$100 million in past-due rent and
has served 182 families since
utilities to keep more than nearly
inception, including 350 school-age
15,000 people housed in Baltimore
children. 96.7% of families remained
County and across Central Maryland.
housed during program and 99.7% of
children have avoided a disruptive
school transfer.
Carroll County
Keep it local.
Help our neighbors
In Carroll County, many people are trying
and neighborhoods
to make ends meet. Through our
Howard County
Rescue Mission and Carroll County
The United Way Neighborhood Zone
Public Schools, we provide food and
in Columbia is a resource hub for
household goods directly in rural
residents, providing assistance with
communities, where transportation is
housing, food, job support,
often a significant barrier to accessing
counseling, and reduced cost
resources. We respond by partnering
childcare at its Family Center for
with local organizations there to provide
eligible parents who live or work in
regular food distribution events to help
Howard County.
feed those in need.
sup-
port for parents and their families. In
learn about employment assistance ser-
to find affordable childcare. “The lack
partnership with the Westminster
be-
yond. “I believe that we can be a mod-
with your support today:
uwcm.org/donate.
