Will you help kids like Jack* and Logan* today?

Many people think daycare is just a place for babysitting but don’t realize it plays a crucial role in a child’s early education.

As a YWCA Cortland supporter, we know you understand the importance of early childhood learning and its vital impact on a child’s development and future success.

So, we want to share a heartwarming story of how a teacher-grandmother collaboration helped a young boy named Jack* overcome his difficulties with adjusting to Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) and gain more confidence in his abilities.

Jack* started the UPK class at our Here We Grow Child Care Center this fall. It was the first time his grandmother had enrolled him in daycare. Jack would get very upset and find it difficult to calm down when his grandma, who is his primary caregiver, dropped him off; he wouldn’t let go of her. Since then, his teacher and grandmother have worked closely together to develop ways to increase Jack’s confidence. He can now happily say goodbye and spend the day learning.

Jack has made great strides in developing social and emotional maturity in the past three months and is better prepared for a smooth transition to kindergarten next fall. A few of his improved social skills include asking for help, participating in activities, and working cooperatively by listening to others, sharing, and taking turns.

Many other children in the Cortland area could benefit from early childhood learning as Jack did.

Can we count on you to support kids like Jack with a gift for the YWCA Cortland 2024 Annual Giving Campaign?

Your support of this campaign allows us to address our community’s ever-changing needs. 

Early childhood learning can lead to higher test scores and better math and reading grades, improved mental health, fewer teen pregnancies, and an increased chance of going to college, not to mention a longer life, according to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

We want to tell you about another child who benefited from his early learning experience at Here We Grow last school year.

Logan* came to the YWCA’s UPK program after being disenrolled from another center due to behavior and safety issues. The school district requested we work with Logan and his family to prepare him for kindergarten in fall 2023.

Staff spent months documenting their intervention work for the family and school district and were able to advocate for and secure a one-on-one aide for Logan to conduct all of his therapies on-site. With this assistance, Logan’s self-regulating ability improved so much that his family expanded his enrollment beyond the UPK three-hour-a-day program.

Logan successfully transitioned to kindergarten this September, demonstrating excellent math skills and significantly improved speech and social skills.

But other youth in our community need us now more than ever, and we could use your help. Will you support kids like Logan by donating to YWCA Cortland?

We care so much about these kids and their futures; we know you do, too.