In the 1960s, the Reading School District reported that nearly 39% of students were dropping out between seventh and twelfth grade, highlighting the need for early intervention. The United Fund – now known as United Way of Berks County – responded by studying the root causes of this issue, identifying school readiness as one of the critical factors in ensuring children remained engaged and successful in school.
As a result, a pilot program was launched at Fellowship House to help children prepare for kindergarten, marking the beginning of United Way’s long-standing commitment to early childhood education. The success of this initiative led to the creation of Operation Head Start, a program designed to support children from low-income families and to provide them with the tools and skills needed to succeed in school. By the end of its first year, Operation Head Start was serving 270 pre-kindergarten children at 17 centers, making Berks County’s program one of the largest in the state.
In the following decades, United Way continued to champion early learning. By 2000, 61% of mothers were working outside the home and two out of every three infants and toddlers had working parents. With funding from local foundations, a campaign challenge match and other grants, United Way embarked on a multi-year Child Care Initiative to help meet ever-growing needs and to improve quality, accessibility and affordability of care. In its first years, more than $500,000 was awarded to seven agencies, paving the way for more than 1,000 additional childcare slots in our community. This funding also helped two organizations, Opportunity House and the YMCA of Reading and Berks County, to expand their hours to meet the needs of parents working second and third shift.
Today, United Way’s focus on school readiness continues through the Ready.Set.READ! initiative, which launched In 2012. With the understanding that reading on grade level by the end of the third grade is a critical indicator of future success in school and life, Ready.Set.READ! encompasses a range of programs, including Growing Readers, Star Readers and Read Alliance, to support parents, students and educators in the areas of early childhood education, kindergarten readiness and third grade reading proficiency.
By addressing school readiness through innovative programs and partnerships, United Way continues to shape the future of Berks County, ensuring every child has the tools to thrive.
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