Hailey Reeder graduated kindergarten this year with awards for outstanding attendance and exemplary academics, an outcome made possible by a loving family and United Way of Northeast Florida’s Success By 6 initiative. She’s now on track for a successful academic career, which means a financially stable future and a healthier life.

Not long after giving birth to Hailey, Amanda Reeder was laid off as the economic downturn hit close to home. When it became critical for Amanda to find new employment, her options often meant being overqualified and underpaid—a situation that made affording quality early learning for Hailey nearly impossible. That changed when Amanda heard about Success By 6 and applied for the scholarship.

“When Hailey was given the scholarship at age three and accepted at Island Academy, our lives changed forever,” said Amanda Reeder. “The difference in her is more than we could have ever imagined. She loves learning.”

In partnership with Episcopal Children’s Services and the Early Learning Coalitions of North Florida and Duval County, United Way provides Success By 6 scholarships to children of hardworking families to attend top-rated early learning centers for two years.

At these outstanding centers, independently rated with Guiding Stars, our youngest students develop their social, cognitive and academic skills in tandem, allowing them to enter school ready to succeed in spite of economic challenges.

Success By 6 Scholarships are awarded in limited number based on the following qualifying criteria:

• All adults in the home (18 or older) must be in school or working.
• Your child must be three-years-old on or before September 1, 2015.
• You must meet income limits. For example, total household income for a family of four must be below $47,100 per year.

Duval County residents can apply for Success By 6 by visiting www.ChooseQualityChildcare.org or call the Early Learning Coalition of Duval at (904) 208-2044 ext. 1.

Clay County residents can go to www.ecs4kids.org and apply through the Simplified Point of Entry, or call Michelle Goytia at 904-213-3939 ext. 2082.

Nassau County residents can go to www.ecs4kids.org and apply through the Simplified Point of Entry, or call Mary Caldwell at 904-491-3638.