Eos Grantees in the News
Thrive in Five’s Successful First Year
October 2009
Thrive in Five, an Eos Foundation grantee and public-private partnership committed to ensuring that every Boston child will be ready to succeed in school by age five, recently released its first annual report tracking progress in improving conditions for children.
Thrive in Five and its sponsors, the City of Boston and the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, made major progress toward the 10 year goals, including:
- Increasing the number of accredited early education and care professionals;
- Launching an early childhood public awareness campaign;
- Improving screenings at pediatric visits for children’s behavioral health problems;
- Offering play-to-learn groups in public schools for 350 parents and young children; and
- Providing comprehensive assistance to the families of 300 children living in subsidized housing.
Early childhood education is a crucial investment in children’s futures, laying the groundwork for all future development and generating a $14-$17 return for every dollar invested. With 39,000 children under the age of five in Boston, next steps for Thrive in Five include identifying and engaging home-based providers of child care (prevalent among low-income, minority, and immigrant families) and improved support for children’s transitions between early care settings or from pre-school into kindergarten.
And through a two-year, $1.5 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Thrive in Five plans to spread its message deeply into neighborhoods through “Community School Readiness Wiring.” Local residents will identify trusted networks and sources of information—everything from laundromats and grocery stores to barbershops and health centers—and Thrive in Five will leverage those channels to reach community members.
When it comes to school readiness for Boston children, there’s no magic bullet. Through its comprehensive approach, Thrive in Five is tapping all channels to ensure children get the support they need to succeed.
Read the Year One report and subscribe to the Thrive in Five newsletter.
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