Power of Early Intervention and Support
For more than a decade, Kent County has been committed to ensuring every child can enter kindergarten healthy, supported, and ready to learn. Through the Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage, we are seeing measurable progress. Participation in Ready by Five services has grown dramatically, from just 4% of incoming kindergarteners in 2021 to 32% of kindergarten students in Fall 2024. By 2023, these services were reaching families in every ZIP code in the county. That expansion alone is a powerful indicator of community impact.
Through the work of one Ready by Five partner, Family Promise, we saw one powerful example of a single mother and her two-year-old son. During developmental assessments, it became clear that her son was behind several milestones, particularly in speech. With support, a referral was made to Early On, and he was connected with both an interventionist and a speech therapist.
Since then, the power of early intervention has been profound. His communication skills have steadily improved, progressing from babbling sounds to saying an increasing number of words. Just as importantly, his mother has gained reassurance, support, and hope. Reflecting on the experience, she shared, “Everything has been a blessing… I thank God for you all at Family Promise. You’ll all save me and my son.” Her words speak to the power of early support, not just for a child’s development, but for the well-being of the entire family.
Stories like this help explain the measurable progress we’re seeing countywide. Participation in Ready by Five–supported services has grown to 32%. Together, these individual successes and expanding access show how early investment creates lasting impact, for children, families, and the future of Kent County.
About Family Promise's Ready by Five Program:
Family Services Coordinators connect families experiencing or at risk of homelessness with coordinators who provide support for young children and link families to community resources using a trauma-informed approach.