WHAT WE DO
United 4 Children connects children to opportunity, educators to resources, and families to the systems that serve children from early childhood to high school graduation.
Our Mission
We help families navigate early care and schooling options, support the people who serve children, and align community resources so every child can access the quality foundation they need to thrive.
Our Vision
Every child, family, and educator can connect with and confidently navigate a high-quality system of care and learning – one that removes barriers, expands opportunity, and enables all children to thrive, regardless of zip code.
Our Core Values
Community
We put the needs and desires of children, families and caregivers at the center of our work. We partner with schools and fellow nonprofit organizations to create excellent educational and developmental opportunities for every child in the region. We believe that every child needs and deserves a village of committed, attentive and loving adults.
Trust
For the last 50 years, we have been honest and earnest in all our interactions. We strive to readily meet community needs particularly where other resources don’t exist. We build relationships through aligning shared values, creating equitable partnerships and following through on our commitments.
Equity
We seek to understand the disparities facing children, families and child care providers. We ensure everyone has access to the resources needed to thrive. We strive for a future where childhood outcomes can’t be predicted by race or zip code.
Empathy
We strive to understand the unique experiences of every person we encounter. We respect each person’s journey and seek to support everyone’s specific needs.
Our Mission And Impact
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My experience work were united for children. Hasn’t been nothing, but great also, I mean, it has been amazing.
We don’t make a whole lot of money in this field, but we love this field. We wouldn’t change it for anything.
We approach our work through empathy, because of the inequities and the diverse amount of inequities in our children’s lives. So ensuring that we have we understand the resources that are available to every child and parent and classroom of a child is really important going to each community, and understanding where we can meet their needs is really important in in dismantling inequities for every single child.
United for children, focuses on empowering educators, working directly with center owners and ultimately, trying to provide information that not only our educators and center owners can benefit from, but also the parents of the students whose lives we touch.
Quality child care that we can afford is like I can’t even put into words how essential it is to our ability to move through our own lives.
I grew up in a very poor household, an abusive household with ADHD and I had a very few. It was few and far between caregivers that were able to understand my play. I wanted to help those because I’ve been without those mentors that did understand, that did have training, that did care, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Our work is really to make sure that children receive the highest and best quality of resources, that their teachers receive high quality and best information, the owners receive what they need. As far as business coaching, we want to make sure that children are able to receive all of those necessities without having to live in a specific area or under a specific zip code.
United for children is really working to ensure that all children throughout the St. Louis area, regardless of what neighborhood they grew up in, you know, regardless of household income or family structure, get the developmental building blocks that they need.
Well, they need to feel safe and they need to have a trusted adult or in a safe environment in order to take risks in learning.
I love united for children, personally as a parent, I was a young mom single for a lot of that, and definitely from poverty and living in poverty for the majority of my child’s life. In reality, it was the knowledge and the experience of his caregivers and his educators that was going to make the biggest difference.
I am the biggest fan for United for children. Like I said, if it wasn’t for them, I would not. Honestly don’t believe I’ve been accredited then the nutrition ever they just thought they’re awesome.