Sara Mauskopf
Sara Mauskopf is the co-founder and CEO of Winnie. She’s also the mom of three young children and vocal advocate for high quality child care and early education for all.
At Winnie, we believe that every family deserves access to high-quality preschool and childcare, no matter their financial situation. As of 2019, American families with children under the age of 5 spent an average of $500 per month on childcare and preschool programs, a cost that is out of reach for many.
Today we’re proud to share that parents can now use Winnie to find free preschool. Through Winnie’s platform, parents can enter their zip code and browse local Head Start, Early Head Start, and other free and subsidized preschool programs. Winnie has openings for free programs in cities across the U.S., including New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Houston.
Head Start and Early Head Start are federally funded programs designed to offer access to high-quality early education and child care services for low-income families. Head Start partners with families with children from birth up to five years of age, providing support to both kids and adults with health services, goal-setting support, and parent involvement. Early Head Start offers similar education and support services as preschool Head Start but is tailored to meet the unique needs of pregnant parents and infants and toddlers under the age of 3. Still, a 2015 study revealed that the programs reached less than half the number of eligible children, while Early Head Start reached less than 5 percent.
Attending high-quality early education programs is proven to enhance children’s learning and development, boost health outcomes, and improve employment and earnings. Early education has long-term positive effects on graduation rates, college attendance, and adulthood self-control and self-esteem.
Juanita White, Director of Family & Community Engagement at AppleTree, notes that “Early childhood development is so very important to the success of the whole child and their families. When we ensure all children can access early learning programs, we increase education success for many and continue the fight against poverty and inequity.”
Courtesy of eclkc
Melissa Field, Senior Advisor to Promise Venture Studio, adds that “Head Start is an essential pillar of our country’s focus on early childhood education and educational equity. It offers a two-generation program that benefits both children and their families. Even so, it is often difficult for programs to fill classrooms early enough so participants can benefit from an entire school year of programming. Winnie’s services aspire to bring together eligible parents of children aged 0-5 with the local Head Start program in their community."
Learn more about the eligibility requirements for Head Start and use Winnie to find free preschool programs in your area.
