United Way of Greater Cincinnati - LIVE UNITED

Preparing Moms and Babies for Future Success

Every Child Succeeds (ECS) had "impact" before the word was part of the vocabulary of the Agenda for Community Impact. It has been focusing on the zero-to-three age bracket, the foundation of a child's future success, since its inception in 1999. ECS offers parent education to help create nurturing and stimulating environments for their children and addresses barriers – which often leave children unprepared for future success – by:

• Screening a child's developmental progress and setting goals for both mother and child for future development
• Linking mothers and children to health care providers
• Providing learning and guidance in prenatal care, effects of second-hand smoke, breastfeeding, domestic violence, and early literacy

Its scientific and business-like approach has brought about impressive, measurable results. These include:

• 99% of ECS mothers demonstrate improvements in nurturing and effective parenting
• Of the children identified with developmental delays during the first years of life, 92 percent now have normal social and interpersonal abilities
• 73% of parents use effective parenting strategies without physical contact
• 78% of ECS parents are reading to their children at least three times per week

Notably, families enrolled prenatally in the ECS program have an infant mortality rate well below local, state and national averages. In addition, a significant percentage of ECS moms (65 percent) are pursuing education and employment goals. These important steps toward self-sufficiency are critical as completing school becomes much more difficult with the arrival of additional children.

ECS is an essential component of the Agenda to ensure children attain social, emotional and physical health; enter kindergarten ready to succeed; achieve academic success, and develop strong life skills.  John D. Luken, Chair, Every Child Succeeds

Read why Every Child Succeeds Matters to Kennisha and Emmanuel