Your support made 2012 a banner year for Way to Grow as we were able to extend our in-home education services to more families and prepare more kids to be ready for school. Check out some of our great achievements below.
HOME VISITS
Way to Grow completed a record-breaking 10,725 home visits in 2012. Every home visit we undertake strengthens our relationship within the family, helps us identify strengths and risks, and allows us to develop and achieve goals so the children can thrive.
REFERRALS FOR SERVICE
In 2012, Way to Grow made 2,362 referrals. Each referral connected a family in need to a partnering agency to access food, clothing, medical assistance, affordable housing, and other support services. These necessities are vital to foster a safe, healthy environment for children to learn and grow.
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
As we reported in the fall, 80% of Way to Grow children achieved school-readiness when they entered kindergarten last year. The majority of these children were from backgrounds where English is not the primary language spoken in the home and who consistently have trouble passing literacy benchmarks. 92% of these students were screened by Minneapolis Public Schools for developmentally appropriate indicators as they entered school. These screenings help assess where the child is at developmentally, so additional instruction can be focused on areas requiring special attention.
ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
Of the 124 elementary children we served throughout the 2011-2012 school year, we are proud to report that 77% are reading at, or above grade level.
Additionally, 92% of parents participated in BOTH of their child’s parent-teacher conferences and 89% of families attended a school event, often for the first time.
HEALTH EDUCATION
We are proud to report that 94% of full-term Way to Grow newborns were born at a normal birth weight or above. A normal or above-average birth weight helps ensure a more healthy life and leads to a reduction in learning problems or problems with development. We are also proud to report that 89% of our teen mothers did not have a repeat pregnancy.
