Spokane County United Way

Dedicated to working with parents and the community to provide children early care and education so they are successfully prepared for school. United Way of America’s Birth to Work Agenda states, "There is no work more urgent or important than our collective focus on improving the lives of children, youth and their families."

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GRANT TO SPOKANE COUNTY UNITED WAY WILL HELP YOUNGEST LEARNERS BUILD SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS NEEDED TO SUCCEED IN SCHOOL

$1 million from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will expand work of
United Way and the
Inland Northwest Alliance
for Early Learning

Spokane County United Way today announced they have been awarded a $1 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support a local collaborative effort to increase school readiness by enhancing the social and emotional development of young children enrolled in child care and full-day kindergarten classrooms.

The three year grant, awarded to United Way in partnership with the Inland Northwest Alliance for Early Learning, will support child care providers by investing in high quality training, coaching and strategies to help them increase a child’s ability to overcome challenging life experiences and reach their full potential. The grant is also focused on building a stronger bridge between the child care system and the K-12 systems.
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ABOUT 2-1-1
For every day needs and in times of disaster, 2-1-1 connects people to resources they need.

Trained, caring professionals help answer questions such as:

Where can I go to find shelter?
Where can my friend find drug treatment?
Who can help my sister get counseling for depression?
Who can you turn to for help when an emergency disrupts public services?
Is there an after-school program in my neighborhood?
Can my elderly mother get in-home support?
Where can I find out about volunteer opportunities?

2-1-1 is a simple, easy to remember number that offers a “front door” to health and human service resource information, for those looking for help, or hoping to give help.The service is free, confidential and available statewide.

GET CONNECTED -
CALL 2-1-1 OR GO ONLINE
By calling 2-1-1 anywhere in the state, you can reach a Referral Specialist who has access to information on services in your area and the larger statewide system database. The database contains over 8,200 health and human service providers to help meet your needs. To access the statewide database, visit www.win211.org. For phones that aren’t programmed for 2-1-1, you can dial toll free 1-866-904-9060.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
For additional information on Eastern Washington 2-1-1, contact Jan Dobbs at Spokane Mental Health at (509) 363-2778 , jdobbs@smhca.org, or Janice Marich, Spokane County United Way, (509) 838-6581 x 104, janicem@unitedwayspokane.org.