Early Care and Education

United Way of Greater Knoxville is leading efforts to ensure all children and families have access to the resources they need to build brighter futures.

A thriving community is where families have access to high-quality, affordable childcare to ensure every child enters school ready to learn.

Early Care and Education At-A-Glance

Children are born with great potential for development and learning. Positive early childhood experiences make a significant impact on a child’s trajectory. Research shows that the quality of care and education during a child’s early years significantly influences their life outcomes.

While we recognize the importance of high-quality early care and learning environments, this remains inaccessible for many families—particularly those that are economically disadvantaged. With 26,281 children too young to start kindergarten in Knox County, childcare centers are essential for working parents.

Paving Pathways to Success

At United Way of Greater Knoxville (UWGK), we are working alongside childcare providers, schools, parents, community leaders, advocates and more to ensure all families have equitable access to high-quality early childhood programs. Our goal is to make Knoxville-Knox County the best place in the nation for a child to be born and raised. We envision the Greater Knoxville area with a strong educational system, thriving families and a vibrant community.

Kindergarten
Readiness

Building strong foundations for a lifetime of learning and success.

Knox Area
Afterschool Network

Advocating for safe, healthy and nurturing out-of-school experiences.

Academic Support

Ensuring all kids have access to learning supports outside the classroom.

Childcare

Expanding the availability of childcare spots in high-quality early learning environments.

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Impact Stories

United Way of Greater Knoxville hosted the Early Care and Education Summit, bringing together community leaders, educators, and early childhood advocates to celebrate the progress
To help address the childcare needs of faculty and staff, Knox County Schools (KCS) turned to the United Way of Greater Knoxville (UWGK) and the
At United Way of Greater Knoxville (UWGK), we are excited to celebrate the importance of afterschool programs for children at the annual Lights On Afterschool

Thank You to Our Early Care and Education Sponsors

Have a question?

Email our team at info@unitedwayknox.org.

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More Ways to Get Involved

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