Waterford Upstart’s Free In-Home Early Education Program Is Now Available to Families in Illinois

Early education sets the stage for the rest of a child's life, and perhaps, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, early education may be more important than ever.

Unfortunately, the health crisis has temporarily suspended most of the early education options that are typically available for lower-income families, leaving them with limited options.

That's why it's so exciting that Waterford.org is bringing the Waterford Upstart program to Illinois this fall. Waterford Upstart equips underserved, low-income families with ALL of the necessary resources for a comprehensive early education program at home, and at NO cost. 

Registration is now open, but space is limited.

Parents are given all of the tools they need to become their child's first teacher. In fact, Waterford Upstart even provides a computer and internet access (at no cost) to all qualifying families so every child can participate.

“When a child begins school behind his or her peers, it’s very hard to catch up. It’s even harder for children from low-income families or whose native language is not English,” Waterford Upstart's executive director, Claudia Miner says. “We want to help these children prepare for school at home with their parents, so they have the ability to walk into their first day of class confident and ready to learn.”

The program provides personalized online instruction for 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week.

Plus, Waterford recognizes that parents with little or no experience in early education can often feel lost as to how to best help their children prepare for school. So they offer support for families every step of the way. Parents are given a personal coach and tips to continue engaging their children in offline learning throughout the program.

And the program works. On average, 92% of children who participate in Waterford Upstart are ready for kindergarten—compared to a 65% average nationwide and 48% for low-income children.

There’s no cost to the families who are accepted. They offer every family a full scholarship, thanks to generous donations made through the TED Organization. Waterford Upstart is available for children who will enter kindergarten in Fall 2021.

Space is limited, so visit their website at Waterford.org to register or to get more information.