About Future Ready Five
Future Ready Five is the leading collective impact organization taking a holistic approach to kindergarten readiness in Franklin County. In pursuit of equity, access and inclusion, our focus is developing systems, elevating early childhood education and inspiring advocacy until all young children are fully prepared for kindergarten.
We are leading the charge, collaborating with partner organizations, corporations, individuals, and families to ensure that 100% of our county’s children demonstrate kindergarten readiness by 2030. To achieve meaningful and sustainable progress on this ambitious goal, we created, with the Franklin County Community, the FR5 Focus Plan that focuses on four drivers that impact a child’s chances of becoming ready for kindergarten:
Together, we can create a community where all families have the opportunity to prepare their children for kindergarten, giving them a better chance at having a happy and successful life.
Why is kindergarten readiness so important?
Children who enter kindergarten with language and literacy skills below their classmates don’t often catch up academically. Research shows kindergarten readiness has a lifelong impact. Poor academic performance is linked with higher rates of high school dropouts, teen pregnancy, juvenile detention, unemployment, and adult incarceration. Let’s get 100% of Franklin County kids ready for kindergarten!
Our data-driven approach.
About 18,500 children in Franklin County are estimated to enter kindergarten each year. We know today that only 35.4% of them demonstrate kindergarten readiness based on data from Ohio’s Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Revised (KRA-R). The assessment is given to children when they enter kindergarten.
To ensure every family gets the support services they need, we are launching the FR5 Focus Plan in stages by neighborhoods, beginning with the Linden and Whitehall communities.
By intentionally starting small and scaling fast, we can identify possible resource gaps, determine communication needs, and learn which strategies are most needed by different families within these communities.
We will track our investment in children and families along with quantifiable results measured each year using KRA-R and other data points to confirm we hit our target milestones.
Kindergarten readiness guiding principles
Future Ready Five aims to ensure every child reaches their potential. The FR5 Focus Plan reflects our overall mission, vision for the future, and commitment to respect community priorities and family challenges, while embracing cultural humility and racial equity. To drive this work, Future Ready Five is guided by the following principles:
For more information about Future Ready Five volunteering or internship opportunities,
please contact Neeta Agrawal at Neeta.Agrawal@futurereadyfive.org or 614-347-0301.