United Way Of York County

Education programs - focus, an early childhood initiative of united way of york county, works to improve the lives of children in york county by supporting quality childhood experiences. Focus was developed in 1994 as a collaborative effort between the united way, york county community foundation, penn state york, and child care consultants, inc. Focus works to ensure all children who enter school are ready to learn. It does this through supporting york county's early learning centers, family providers, school districts, and stakeholders, in providing quality childhood experiences for all children. This collaboration has resulted in the development of county-wide resources, shared curriculum and professional development sessions. Additionally, focus implements five reading programs and a kindergarten transition program. These programs and resources are made possible through grants received from the donley foundation, united way of pennsylvania, donald b. And dorothy l. Stabler foundation, pnc foundation, and york county community foundation. In 2023-2024, focus provided ready freddy, a kindergarten transition program, to 361 children and their families from five york county school districts and martin library. The york reads initiative of focus includes the following programs: early literacy 100 book challenge, early literacy read to me challenge, reading ready corners, little free libraries, and reach out and read. Over 58,000 books were distributed or read in the past year through these programs. Additionally, focus administers prekindergarten scholarships as a scholarship organization with the educational improvement tax credit program, provides professional development, and advocates for early learning.

United way of york county also offers the york county truancy prevention initiative ("yctpi") which is committed to reducing and preventing school truancy. It is dedicated to establishing an organized and aligned effort among all community participants to prevent and intervene in truant behavior. Yctpi's mission is to reduce the truant population in york county by establishing a protocol for improved communication, instituting a consistent response to this issue, and initiating interventions. With truancy as a leading factor preventing children's success in school, graduation from high school, and merger into society as productive members of society, the yctpi aims to assure that elementary and middle school students are prepared to succeed in later grades, high school students graduate on time and young adults make a successful transition to post-secondary education, the work world or public service. In 2022, york county youth court alliance (yca), a student-run truancy intervention program, was created by the yctpi. In the most recent school year, yca serves northeastern, red lion area, and york city school districts. Yca works to divert students and their families from the district court for truancy citations. The program also aims to re-engage truant students back in school to keep them on track toward high school graduation. Dispositions can include attendance improvement, mentoring, journaling, apologies, research, and tutoring. During the 2023-2024 school year, youth court alliance served 125 students. Funding for the yctpi and yca are provided by the york county bar foundation and the york county office of children, youth, and families.