An initiative uniting nonprofit agencies, businesses, foundations and the Columbus City Schools to provide preschoolers with early-learning checkups is getting thousands of dollars from the city. The program called "Columbus Kids: Ready, Set, Learn" is administered by the local United Way. The goal is to show parents of kids ages 2 1/2 to 4 how to get their youngsters ready for school, and collect data so the district can predict any literacy problems. United Way chief and former Columbus City Attorney Janet Jackson says the program is working.
City leaders this week set aside 50 thousand dollars in community block grant money for the program. Franklin County leaders have provided money to expand the program into the South-Western City Schools.