Evaluating Ready by Five

The community deserves to know its investment in young children and families is paying off. An independent comprehensive evaluation - conducted by two partner organizations; Basis Policy Research and Advancing Communities for Equity - is helping ensure millage funds are used effectively and making an impact.

For the first time, consistent information is being collected countywide about the demographics and geography of children and families served. That data guides funding decisions. Basis identified eight zip codes in the county – urban and rural – where Ready by Five resources have the most opportunity to improve childhood health, well-being, and school readiness. The designation is based on factors such as the socio-economic status of those who live there and access to resources. Ready by Five provider partners have emphasized reaching those communities, and the 2023 evaluation shows it's working. Most of those zip codes had widespread community-level participation in millage-funded services last year. However, there is still significant work to do in reaching the northernmost parts of Kent County.

Researchers also found, among 2023 participants who provided demographic data:*

• 58% are from historically-marginalized groups.
• 35% have household incomes of less than $40,000 a year.
• 22% speak a primary language other than English at home.

The first full year of services for Ready by Five was 2022, following the pandemic, with participation continuing to increase last year. As additional cohorts of young children participate in the early childhood programs supported by the millage, evaluators will be able to better assess the impact of that participation.

*Approximately one-third of participants declined to share information about race, ethnicity, or income.