Name: AVANCE
Partner for: 6 years
Partner for: Success By 6
Our relationship:
Expanding services that work
UWATX funding supports AVANCE’s dual generation program – a holistic program for low-income, primarily Latino families with a focus on enhancing parenting skills, promoting long-term success for children, and family support. Over the years, our funding has more than doubled and UWATX has leveraged other grants to increase our support for this effective and successful program. Thanks to these efforts, AVANCE has been able to expand services in the Dove Springs and St. John’s neighborhoods and begin helping families in Manor as well.
Sharing best practices and improving care
AVANCE takes advantage of UWATX’s Family Support Network – a group that encompasses every agency that serves families with young children outside of formal child care in Greater Austin. UWATX brings providers together to coordinate services and share information, provide professional development and aggregate data. Thanks to this coalition, families in Greater Austin receive better care and agencies use resources more efficiently.
Advocating for young children
Thanks to recent advocacy work from UWATX and our partners, nearly $500K of City funding was restored to services for young children. Sofia Casini, AVANCE’s Executive Director, helped reach out to City staff and the community to give voice to this important issue. As UWATX continues to improve the landscape of care for young children, AVANCE plays a critical role in planning for Austin’s growing Latino population. Together, UWATX and AVANCE continue to work together to educate public officials about the changing needs of young children.
What we’ve accomplished together:
Over the past five years, UWATX and AVANCE have helped more than 200 families. Through our collective work, more children are entering school prepared for success – and more parents are prepared to support their children’s educational journey.
How AVANCE makes Austin greater:
“AVANCE focuses on an underserved and rapidly growing population – the low-income Latino community in Greater Austin. They are helping break the transgenerational cycle of poverty.” – Sue Carpenter, Sr. Director, Success By 6
From AVANCE:
“There is a great need for United Way’s work – with a growing population, particularly a growing low-income population, we have to work efficiently to make sure our community’s most vulnerable children have the chance to succeed. Thanks to United Way, we can care for our community and our future.” – Sofia Casini, Executive Director at AVANCE