By 2025, all Skagit children entering Kindergarten are ready to learn!

A new chapter for the United Way of Skagit County begins.

United Way and its partners, including those from the education, criminal justice, business and health care fields, introduced a new goal of, by 2025, having every child in the county ready to learn by the time they enter kindergarten. “We need to plan for a future in order to have a future,” United Way Executive Director Debra Lancaster said.

In Skagit County, 41 percent of children enter kindergarten ready to learn, according to recent data from the statewide Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills kindergarten readiness assessment. According to the assessment, kindergarten readiness is measured in terms of six indicators: social-emotional, physical, language, cognitive, literacy and math. Being behind in kindergarten can set students up for future difficulties, United Way Board President and Sedro-Woolley School District Superintendent Phil Brockman said. “It’s been disheartening when you see gaps in kindergarten readiness,” Brockman said.

With its new goal, United Way hopes to be the rallying organization for early childhood learning in Skagit County, helping connect parents and children to resources that can help them thrive.