Bright sunshine, colorful spring dresses, and exciting conversations filled Branch Park Pavilion as nearly 300 community members gathered for Gathering for Good 2026, presented by Women United. Guests lined up for raffle packages from local women-owned businesses, connected over lunch and refreshments, and came together around one shared goal: building a stronger future for Central Texas children and families through early childhood education, economic opportunity, and community support. That belief is deeply tied to United Way for Greater Austin’s North Star Goals, including ensuring that 70% of children enter Kindergarten ready to learn and that 70% of Central Texas families achieve a family-sustaining income by 2030. Through initiatives like Success By 6, the 2-Gen Coalition for Economic Advancement, Help Me Grow Central Texas, and the Early Learning Advancement Collective (ELAC), United Way works alongside families, educators, schools, and child care providers to help children and families thrive together. One of the Afternoon’s Most Powerful Conversations One of the highlights of the afternoon was a fireside chat featuring Denise Davis, PLLC, Board Chair of the Austin Chamber of Commerce; Denisse Baldwin, Associate Vice President for Early Learning and Advancement at United Way for Greater Austin; and Maria Dominguez, Preschool Director of Cielito Lindo Spanish Immersion Center. Together, they explored the intersection of child care and economic advancement, sharing why investing in early childhood education is not only the right thing to do, but critical for the future of our workforce and region. “We are the workforce behind the workforce. When children […]
Families across Travis County will soon have more access to child care and after-school programs thanks to a new $4.1 million investment. This funding, through a partnership between United Way for Greater Austin and Travis County, is part of the Raising Travis County Initiative, which supports early leaning, child care, and out-of-school-time and summer programs for families across the county. This investment builds on decades of grassroots effort and fulfills a commitment made to the community in November 2024, when voters approved Proposition A to strengthen support for children and families countywide. “The first five years of life are the most critical period of brain development, and the care and learning experiences children have during this time shape their futures and our region’s economic strength,” said Ingrid Taylor, CEO of United Way for Greater Austin. “This investment ensures that families have access to high‑quality care and that the providers who serve them have the stability and support they need to succeed.” Expanding Proven Systems of Support The funding will support the expansion of United Way’s Shared Services Alliance, a model that strengthens child care and youth‑serving providers by offering administrative, operational, and business supports, along with individualized coaching. These services help reduce operational burdens, improve sustainability, and allow providers to focus on quality improvement and child outcomes. Through this new contract, United Way will: Expand the Shared Services Alliance for child care providers Grow the Pre‑K Partnerships program Strengthen support for family‑based child care providers Extend Shared Services through […]
How STEP Helps Working Families Move Forward Without Falling Behind New pilot provides crucial supports for today’s workers Across Central Texas, many families are working hard but still struggling to cover basic household expenses. These households are known as ALICE, which stands for Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed. Although they are employed, ALICE workers do not earn enough to meet the real cost of living. Expenses like housing, food, transportation, and health care can quickly outpace wages, making financial stability difficult even as people advance in their careers. For households with children, these challenges are often compounded by the high cost of child care. As ALICE households work to increase their income, they face another significant barrier: the benefits cliff. The benefits cliff happens when even modest income increases trigger the loss of public benefits like child care assistance, SNAP, or housing support. These losses in support often happen before wages are high enough to make up the difference–in other words, the value of the new wage is less than the value of the benefits lost. The benefits cliff leaves families with fewer resources at the very moment they are trying to move forward, and it actively discourages workers from seeking promotions or higher wage opportunities. To respond to this challenge, United Way for Greater Austin launched STEP (Support for Thriving Employees Program) in April 2026. Who STEP Supports The STEP pilot focuses on employees earning approximately $15-$25 per hour, a wage range that represents ALICE households and is where benefits cliffs […]
Partner with United Way to build systems that get families to the incomes they need. In January, United Way for Greater Austin hosted the Family-Sustaining Income Summit, where we highlighted a persistent challenge in how we design and implement economic mobility programs, systems, and initiatives in our area. The data we commonly use to inform upward mobility opportunities does not reflect what families actually need to be stable. Poverty measures, like Federal Poverty Level (FPL), are used to evaluate household needs and set eligibility for government and nonprofit assistance. A household income of 100% FPL defines households living in poverty and 200% FPL is classified as low-income. Most government and nonprofit support systems are designed to phase out around these household income levels. However, because the Greater Austin area has a higher cost of living than other parts of the country and because the FPL has not meaningfully changed in decades, FPL is greatly undercounting the number of households actually struggling to make ends meet. Poverty measures show us what households are potentially in crisis and eligible for public assistance programs, but not the entirety of households struggling to make ends meet. Family-sustaining income measures calculate the income families actually need to be able to pay their bills, send their children to high-quality child care, and save for emergencies. This is the income families need to be stable, and beyond that, to thrive. The ALICE dataset is a family-sustaining income measure used by United Way that makes visible the thousands […]
United Way for Greater Austin’s 8th annual A Night United brought together more than 300 guests to celebrate and illuminate the impact made possible for children and families across Central Texas. As we look toward the future, we also reflect on the role United Way plays in our community. We are more than a funder or service partner; we serve as a strategic leader and trusted convener, bringing together partners, resources, and community voices to address our region’s challenges. The evening highlighted our 2030 North Star goals, which will guide our work in the years ahead. By 2030, we aim to ensure: 70% of children who enter Kindergarten are ready to learn. 19,000 households transition from low-income to financial stability, supporting nearly 4,000 households each year. 60% of people who use our resources see improvements in areas of stability, such as food access, income support, or health care, within six months. These North Stars represent United Way’s commitment to creating lasting, positive change across the region, made possible through the dedication of our staff, board, partners, and supporters. Throughout the evening, guests enjoyed several opportunities to participate in the fun while supporting the mission. Attendees could purchase a Golden Ticket for the chance to win a special group prize and also bid on exciting auction packages, including tickets to Austin City Limits Music Festival, a trip to New York City with Broadway show tickets, and a seven-night getaway to Los Cabos. The breakout star of the night was this year’s […]
In 2023, United Way for Greater Austin received the Texas Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five (PDG B-5), investing $484,500 over three years to strengthen early childhood support in Travis County. This report highlights what was accomplished and the foundation built to continue improving how families with young children access support in our community. Two key strategies guided this work: Creating a sustainable way for families to share their voices through the launch of United Way’s Family Advisory Council and a dedicated Family Engagement Coordinator to lead this effort. Bringing healthcare providers into early childhood conversations by establishing a Physician Champion role. Together, these efforts expanded the impact of the Success By 6 (SX6) Coalition, helping organizations collaborate more effectively to support families across the region. Centering Family Voices in Early Childhood Planning Funding supported the launch of the Success By 6 (SX6) Family Advisory Committee (FAC) and a new Family Engagement Coordinator role. This structure ensures parents and caregivers have a consistent voice in coalition planning and decision-making. “Having a dedicated person is the greatest need. You can’t do this work haphazardly,”— Dr. Nicole Cummings-Lewis FAC members were recruited through coalition partners including schools and community programs. Participants received stipends through United Way’s Community Compensation Plan, recognizing the value of parent and caregiver expertise and ensuring families could participate meaningfully in leadership discussions. Dr. Cummings-Lewis emphasized: “Compensation is non-negotiable.” The committee was also designed to reduce barriers to participation by providing: Translation services Childcare during meetings Through the FAC, parents […]
Every day, thousands of Central Texans face moments of uncertainty, wondering where they’ll find food, how they’ll pay a bill, or where to turn during a crisis. For many, hope begins with 2-1-1. This year marks United Way for Greater Austin’s 30th year helping Central Texans navigate basic resources through 2-1-1. 2-1-1 Assistant Manager Carmen and her team of 11 build off decades of expert service connection every day, ensuring every call is met with understanding and care. As we celebrate 2-1-1 Day today, we’re proud to spotlight Carmen and the extraordinary work she and her team do to support our community. For Carmen, this role is more than a job. It’s a chance to meet people at pivotal moments in their lives. “One of the most rewarding parts of this work is hearing hope return to someone’s voice,” Carmen shares. “Sometimes people call feeling overwhelmed or unsure where to start, and by the end of the call, they know they’re not alone.” Just this month Carmen recalls a powerful moment that reflects the impact of the 2-1-1 team. One of her staff members conducted a follow-up call with a survivor of domestic violence who had reached out for help. During the initial call, the team connected the caller to critical safety and support resources. During the follow-up, the survivor shared that she had successfully accessed services and was beginning to rebuild her life. “It was incredibly meaningful – not just for the caller, but for our staff member […]
How we use shared data to inform policy, strengthen systems, and improve outcomes for children and families in our region. For over 15 years, United Way for Greater Austin has utilized high-quality data to inform programs, understand community needs, guide funding and policy decisions, and measure impact across Central Texas. By expanding access to reliable, up-to-date information, we support better decision-making, spark dialogue, and reduce disparities. To advance this work, United Way develops and maintains regional, interactive data hubs that aggregate and visualize key indicators related to early childhood, economic advancement, and resource navigation. Through public-facing dashboards, targeted analyses, and programmatic tools, we share community insights with civic leaders, nonprofit partners, educators, and advocates. These data help strengthen systems advancing our mission to break economic barriers and create opportunity for all. Program Design and Implementation For all of our United Way programming, we track, visualize, and analyze our data in detailed ways to provide program staff with the information needed to ensure service delivery is high quality and expected outcomes are achieved. For example, in maternal and postpartum health, United Way is analyzing Family Connects and Pathways Community HUB data in uniquely comprehensive ways, providing regular visibility into who we are serving, where we may be experiencing program challenges, and where families are receiving and needing support. Understanding Community Need United Way is continuously gathering, analysing, and distributing programmatic, as well as community and public data to inform partner organizations where the greatest needs lie. This might include our Success […]
Pediatricians play a vital role in identifying developmental milestones, detecting delays, and ensuring children receive the support they need to thrive. Success By 6, Healthy Beginnings 2025 Progress Report The Healthy Beginnings workgroup, a pillar of the Austin/Travis County Success By 6 (SX6) Coalition, works to ensure families feel empowered to navigate medical systems and access resources they need to thrive before, during, and through a child’s first year of life.Their 2025 Progress Report offers a clear snapshot of the first year of progress under the Austin/Travis County (SX6) 2024-2029 Strategic Plan. The report is intended to strengthen transparency, accountability, and community understanding of the critical work underway to improve systems for families with young children experiencing developmental delays. It outlines four foundational steps taken to drive long‑term impact: Established an administrative group to shape the project’s scope Strengthened partnerships with Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) providers Cultivated a diverse and engaged cohort of stakeholders Expanded collective understanding of current screening practices and unmet needs across the community. A key insight from this early work is the significant gap in support for children who screen positive for mild developmental delays but do not qualify for ECI. In response, the workgroup is shifting from data collection to targeted system improvements focused on expanding available services, demystifying the pathways to access support, and increasing access to ECI‑related data. Overall, this report reflects a year of foundational work, learning, and collaboration – laying the groundwork for meaningful system change that will help more young […]
A young child exercising their fine motor skills, a foundational component of early childhood development. In Fall 2025, United Way for Greater Austin conducted a survey of Austin/Travis County Success by 6 (SX6) coalition members to better understand how local organizations identify and support young children with potential developmental delays. The survey gathered insights from a wide range of early childhood partners about current screening practices, referral processes, and challenges families encounter when seeking developmental support. Why it Matters Addressing developmental needs as early as possible helps ensure children are better prepared to succeed when they enter Kindergarten. Early identification and timely support can significantly influence a child’s cognitive, social, and emotional development, shaping long-term outcomes in school and beyond. In particular, strengthening supports for children who do not qualify for Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) but still experience developmental or learning challenges is critical to closing school readiness gaps. By improving access to screening, referrals, and services, communities can create more equitable pathways to success for all young children. Key Takeaways The survey findings underscore a clear need to: strengthen developmental screening practices, expand access to services, and improve coordination across early childhood systems in Travis County. Several key themes emerged that the Austin/Travis SX6 Healthy Beginnings Workgroup aims to address: Provider Capacity & Access: Partners reported a shortage of pediatric therapy providers – especially bilingual providers and those who accept Medicaid – pointing to an advocacy opportunity: increase state and local ECI funding and improve Medicaid reimbursement rates. Screening […]