Community Impact

United Way St. Croix Valley’s Success By 6 Vision

All children in our communities by age six, with the strong support of family and community, will have the necessary physical, mental, emotional and social development to successfully grow and learn.

Priorities

The Board has ranked and approved five priorities – the desired results for Success By 6 programs.

• Parents and caregivers will have the knowledge and training to provide children with safe, stable and supportive environments.
• Parents and children will have opportunities for group interaction, education and support.
• Communities will understand the importance of quality early childhood development programs and work to strengthen services.
• Parents and community caregivers will be aware of community resources and have the information needed to access them.
• All children will receive age-appropriate developmental screening to identify possible delays and provide the parents with referrals to services.

United Way St. Croix Valley’s Success By 6 is different:

• Focuses holistically on all children ages zero to six
• Part of the largest network of early childhood coalitions in the country
• Focuses on results; delivers measurable impact and unique solutions
• Local initiative that is owned, developed and customized by our communities
• Provides an equal voice to everyone through United Way’s role as a community catalyst and convener
• Builds community awareness and commitment
• Gets out the message that a child’s first years are crucial to later success in life
• Collaborates with St. Croix Family Resource Center and other non-profit agencies as well as additional public and private partners

Sponsor Success By 6 in Your Community

We need financial support to bring high quality early childhood programs to communities in Western Wisconsin. Individuals and businesses can support Success By 6 by clicking the Give Now link on this page. Please view our SB6 Sponsorship Opportunities for additional information.

Success By 6 Helpful Links & Research

Parents want the best for their children. They are their child's first and best teachers. One of the key concepts of early childhood development is that all parents want and need information.

United Way St. Croix Valley invites you to explore these links containing valuable parenting tips and resources.

• Success By 6 Brochure (PDF)
• Parenting in the Valley
• Parents As Teachers
• Family First (PDF)
• Parenting - University of Wisconsin-Extension
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Parent Information
• St. Croix County's Birth to 3 Developmental Checklist (PDF)

For more general information and studies on early childhood development, visit the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis' site. For research on the importance of funding early childhood education during a recession, visit the Partnership for America's Economic Success. To learn about the importance of children reading by the end of third grade, visit KIDS COUNT Data Center.

United Way Suggests Five Key Ideas for New Parents

You can help your child learn better and be happier just by following these five simple guidelines, developed for the “Born Learning” campaign of United Way, United Way Success By 6 and Civitas (www.bornlearning.org).

Understand and respond to your baby's needs

You can’t "spoil" an infant, so go to her when she fusses or cries. By responding to your baby’s cues, you teach her that you care about her needs and that she can trust you. Ignoring a baby’s needs can do harm by causing stress levels to rise. You may not always understand your baby’s cues, but be patient. This is a learning process for both you and your baby. If she likes what you are doing, you know you are getting it right.

Take care of yourself so you can care for your child

Becoming a parent can be overwhelming and exhausting. Unless you take care of yourself, you will have a hard time taking good care of your child. For this reason, it is important to have support from friends, family and community organizations. Do not be afraid to ask for help caring for your child.

Talk, sing and read to your child

Let your child hear your voice as much as possible – it does not matter what you say to him. The newborn brain is especially interested in sound. You can form a deep emotional connection between you and your child by simply sharing the sound of your voice with him. Sounds also are important to a newborn because they are building blocks of speech and language.

Create a predictable world for your child

Providing routines and expected responses gives your child a sense that the world is a trustworthy place. It also teaches him that he can depend on you. If your child understands this, he will spend less energy fussing over his needs and more time learning. Routines can include basic activities like feeding and bathing.

Provide a warm and loving environment

Helping your child feel safe and secure is the key to encouraging growth and development. A child who feels loved will have an easier time learning about the world around her. Therefore, make sure you interact with your child, providing love and affection.

Success By 6 is an initiative that aims to raise awareness of the importance of early childhood development, increase access to services, and advocate for public policies to improve young children’s lives.

Video Links

• Change the First 5 Years and You Change Everything (3:57)
• Early Learning Brain Development and Lifelong Outcomes (5:14)
• The Economic Impact of Early Childhood Investment (5:03)

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