The grants empower local organizations to enhance services for families and children
(Greensboro, N.C., October 3, 2023) — Ready for School, Ready for Life (Ready Ready) is pleased to announce a substantial investment of $250,000 in grants to five distinguished programs across Guilford County, awarding each $50,000. These grants, part of Ready Ready’s Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) initiative, underscore the community’s unwavering commitment to nurturing and supporting families with young children. These selected organizations and their programs will play a central role, under Ready Ready’s guidance, in strengthening and enhancing the Ready Ready continuum of early childhood support services.
The five selected organizations and their programs were chosen for the vital services they provide to Guilford County families. They are:
· D-UP, Inc. — Well Centered ME
· FaithAction International House — Immigrant Assistance Center
· Reading Connections — Family Literacy Program
· YMCA of Greensboro (Bryan YMCA, Hayes-Taylor YMCA, Spears YMCA, and Ragsdale YMCA) — Summer Day Camp
· YMCA of High Point (Carl Chavis YMCA) — Child Care Center
Ready Ready CEO Charrise Hart emphasized how this investment transcends the boundaries of individual programs, stating, “As a backbone organization, we are proud to assist Guilford County organizations via our CQI program. Together, we foster collaboration among programs, uniting them in their mission to support families. By sharing insights, best practices, and innovative solutions, these organizations become more robust, resilient, and better equipped to navigate the ever-evolving challenges families face.”
Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) is a team-based process that involves continuously collecting, analyzing, and using data to enhance service quality. It uses the Model for Improvement to provide a structured framework for experiential learning and improvement within organizations.
CQI cohort programs provide services that help pregnant individuals or families with very young children thrive by addressing children’s developmental, emotional, or behavioral needs, concrete family needs, and emphasizing the most referred or demanded services based on available information. Programs accepted into the Ready Ready CQI cohort demonstrate a commitment to building on family strengths and working with parents and caregivers as experts.
The grants provide unrestricted funding, allowing organizations to enhance program staffing, acquire necessary supplies, bolster family resources, develop effective marketing materials, and leverage cutting-edge technology. These programs can serve families more effectively and efficiently by fortifying these essential components.
“Ready Ready is committed to rigorously measuring the impact of this initiative,” said Kelli Crawford, Ready Ready CQI Manager. “Through comprehensive data collection, including pre-and post-assessments, monthly assignments, and final reports, we ensure that this investment yields tangible, real-world improvements for families across Guilford County.”
To date, 28 programs have completed Ready Ready’s CQI training as part of two earlier cohorts. Ready Ready’s CQI Cohort III program will commence in October 2023 and conclude in April 2024.
Media Contact: Stephanie Skordas, stephanies@getreadyguilford.org