Ever since she was a toddler Tierra’s been part of Families Together Therapeutic Preschool at Lifetrack Resources, a United Way partner.

There is no "one size fits all" recipe for supporting children—many children attend the preschool for one year—making a critical difference in the child’s development. Other children participate for one and a half to two years. United Way early childhood education initiative and partnership ensures all children are ready to learn by the time they reach kindergarten by funding programs like Families Together.

In three years, Tierra has come to school from two different foster homes, from a homeless shelter and from many different apartments. But despite these life changes, Tierra has managed a 94 percent attendance rate at preschool. When all else in Tierra’s life changed, school did not. She was able to maintain the same teachers, friends and routine.

When assessed at age five, Tierra knew her letters and numbers. She loves to play rhyme games on the ride to school and is sought out as a playmate by the other children. Fine motor tasks are still challenging for her and she continues to receive support from the Families Together occupational therapist to help her prepare for the challenges of writing in kindergarten.

Tierra is a child who has faced great risk in her young life. Her family has struggled with developmental delays, mental health issues and homelessness. Foster placements and life in a homeless shelter were very stressful. But Tierra had critical support and her social, emotional, and academic skills are strong.

United Way’s Agenda for Lasting Change focuses on 10 measurable goals in our three focus areas: Meeting Basic Needs, Supporting Health and Independence and Nurturing Children and Families. One goal, working with key community partners, is ensuring 80 percent of Minnesota children are ready for kindergarten by 2012.

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